Yes you read correctly. 108 years…but I shouldn’t say “old.” She is 108 years YOUNG!

(Note: I was not allowed to show Katherine’s photo so instead I’m sharing the above photo of the oldest woman ever, Jeanne Calment, at her 122nd birthday party. Jeanne Calment exhibited many of the characteristics of which you are about to read.)

108 year young Katherine wasn’t just special, she was one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met…

While there are definite signs her body is starting to disconnect from her soul (including loose dentures that made it hard to understand her), Katherine has the vibrancy of a young child.

Squirming around, flirting, a glimmer in her eyes, a passion to meet, share, taste…she’s squeezing every possible ounce of a life that began way back in 1903.

Born in South Dakota before it became a state, Katherine had a radio talk show, and moved to New York City because she wanted the big city experience.

She’s still frisky as a teenager. When the social worker put his hands on her asking, “Do you want to lie down?” she retorted, “Are you propositioning me?” HA!

Seriously, there were sparks flying off this woman.

She truly loves being alive.

I want to share with you with some lessons learned in my brief but unforgettable meeting with this 108 year young wunderkind:

1. ROCKY POWER

Katherine is now homebound on a 3rd story walkup apartment in NYC’s Upper East Side. Her priorities include human contact, sweets (ie cupcakes), sharing rich memories, and a sense of humor.

She has earned the right to live deep into life because she enjoys it. 

She struck me as the type who wouldn’t let anything hold her back or keep her down, which might explain why she was married 5 times.

Now this doesn’t mean leave your spouse.

Rather, it means, like Rocky Balboa,  take life by the goddam horns, never stay down for too long, and get after it!

A wise one said, “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.“

2. TRUST YOUR JOURNEY

As goes the quote, “We are not humans on a spiritual journey, but rather spirits on a human journey.”

And you really got that sense from Katherine, like she was the last soul from a pack who ran around the earth for quite some time and left her behind because she demanded it!

She has lived an active life, a rich journey, and loves to share her moments and memories. The ups and downs, highs and lows.

And she seems to inherently TRUST people. When we walked in the door, such was Katherine’s excitement, that she threw her arms in the air as if to signal “TOUCHDOWN!!!”

3. STAY RELEVANT

I recall one moment when she shook her hair (even at 108, she has a funky short hairdo) on her head in a fashionable way that struck me as a throwback to what must have been en vogue in the 1920’s.

Katherine knows what’s going on in the world around her, she still likes to put on her makeup, she’s still cool!

Sometimes as we get older, we dismiss trends, movements, technologies.

A huge lesson from Katherine. Stay in the game, stay curious, keep your finger on the pulse. 

If you could use a little of this 108 year old’s vitality, consider jumping off with me on an odyssey: my Livin the Moment 2012 program.  Our rallying cry will be a line that best summarizes Katherine approach. I should also mention it’s a line from a cheesy Disney movie, and God knows I’m a sucker for cheesy movies:

“Put life in front of you and run at it!”

If you’ve been knocked down in life, if you feel that your regrets overshadow your dreams, if you are always looking over your shoulder and being chased by your fears, doubts, and worries…

…this 12 month journey will inspire you to turn around and seek freedom FOR life, not from it!

I’ve been sharing my Livin the Moment message and developing and practicing this philosophy for over 13 years and by joining me on this mission to take back your life, you have my absolute commitment that we are going to strip off the darkness and stoke the fire igniting a 2012 filled with passion, pleasure, and presence!

Take advantage of the early registration price by visiting here today and joining me for Livin the Moment 2012

Let’s Rock 2012!

Namaste,

David Romanelli

Guess what?! It’s the last month of January – we are 1/12 of the way through 2012! We hope that the new year has started off well for you, and if it hasn’t, that’s ok too – there’s plenty of time to turn things around! You can start by checking out our weekend picks for some great yoga events happening across the country. Wherever you may be this lovely weekend, get out there and have some fun!

Don’t see events listed in your city? Want to submit an event of your own? Email us at Submissions@yoganonymous.org and let us know the deal!

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Boston, MA

Friday, January 27th – Sunday, January 29th

Root, Rise, and Fly with Brock and Krista Cahill at South Boston Yoga this weekend!

Root to Rise | 1/27 | 6p – 8pm: This workshop begins with plentiful amount of core work to warm the body by igniting the fire within and awakening the inner warrior. Brock & Krista will then go over proven secrets to make arm balances and inversions effortless! The workshop will conclude with a few creative “arm balance medleys” created by Brock & Krista that sequence these challenging postures together in a fun & melodic flow.

Get Grounded | 1/28 | 1pm – 3pm: Powered by the ebb and flow of rhythm and spirit, fueled by the seductive tunes of rock „n roll, and focused by the fluidity and grace of moving meditation. Move quietly into a space of poetic stillness and use the breath to create a mantra of healing and rejuvenation.

Monkey Business | 1/28 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm: This practice is hanuman training. We will take a trip down the rabbit hole to the monkeys den, and practice hanuman style. Of course this will include his namesake pose, and great news! We will be on our hands quite a bit, and riding the wind. Jai hanuman!

One Giant Leap | 1/29 | 1pm – 3pm: This workshop is geared toward giving you the tools you need to resist landing. This is a fantastic way to practice honing your leaping skills, building confidence, so that when a leap appears out in life, you are ready to rock.

Flight Club | 1/29 | 3:30pm – 5:30pm: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We’d like to thank you for joining us as we fly the friendly skies. En route this evening we will be crossing over many points of interests, including the grand handstand, oceans of navasana, mountainous arm balancing postures, and rivers of vinyasa.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Chicago, IL

Friday, January 27th – Sunday, January 29th

Get ready for a weekend of Forrest Yoga w/ Allison English at the Chicago School of Hot Yoga!

New Year, New Yoga: Introduction to Forrest Yoga | 1/27 | 6pm – 8pm: Start the New Year off by exploring a different style of yoga or deepening your knowledge of a favorite path. This Introduction to Forrest Yoga will take you on a journey into the simple yet transformative four pillars of this amazing practice – Breath, Strength, Integrity and Spirit. Open to all levels of practitioners.

Forrest Yoga: Opening Your Heart to the Unknown | 1/28 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm: Inherent in each new moment, period or year is the opportunity for the unknown to become the experienced. In this Forrest Yoga workshop learn to safely and therapeutically explore backbends into the unknown pockets of energy and strength within your body, mind and Spirit.

Changing Perspectives: Moving from your Wiser Self | 1/29 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm: The practice of Forrest Yoga is grounded in the direct use of Spirit to guide decision making from a powerful space of personal wisdom. Interweaving inversions and arm balances into an exciting adventure, this workshop will help you connect to and use your Spirit to change your perspective on decisions or resolutions you are making in your New Year. Open to all levels of practitioners.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Denver, CO

Friday, January 27th – Sunday, January 29th

Don’t miss Les Leventhal this weekend at Bliss Yoga in Denver, CO!

Hips & Twists: Liberate Your Hips, Free Your Spine: In this workshop, we will open our hips by stretching our hamstrings and relaxing and strengthening our quads and thighs, while cultivating awareness of the challenges that we hold deep in our hip and pelvic regions. We will also free our spine with twists, which can release enormous amounts of tension and can tone and rejuvenate the abdominal and pelvic regions.

Art of Backbends: Backbends are some of yoga’s most invigorating postures and sometimes some of the most challenging. In this workshop we will explore the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of backbends. While  balancing effort and surrender, we will open the  entire front body, with emphasis on the heart center.

Arm Balancing & Inversions: Arm Balances and Inversions are some of yoga’s most fun and exhilarating poses to practice. In this workshop you will learn to safely defy gravity, strengthen your core, build upper body strength, and begin cultivating awareness of your body being upside down and moving through space.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Boulder, CO

Saturday, January 28th

Join Nancy Kate Williams at Om Time Yoga in Boulder for an ‘Honoring the Transitions’ workshop!

The transitions we embark upon in life are powerful opportunities for growth and personal evolution.  Honor and embody the spaces between breath and posture to allow the practice of weaving them to become a broadened current of time to savor, reflect, and deeply feel.  Learn to embody fluid connection with ease through fun transitions on and off the mat to bring yourself more deeply into the call of each moment.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Philadelphia, PA

Saturday, January 28th – Sunday, January 29th

Don’t miss out on this awesome weekend of liquid flow yoga with Simon Park at Dhyana Yoga in Philadelphia!

Jai Hanuman! Inversions & Arm Balances | 1/28 | 2pm – 4:30pm: Handstands and inversions are empowering mudras that embody the best qualities of Hanuman, the archetypal heroic monkey: courage, fearless flying, pranic body of power, agility and light. Learn a pathway of flows within a powerful Vinyasa Flow workshop so that you can evolve to enjoying handstand in the center of the room with creative energy and empowered vitality.

Chakra Vinyasa – Focus on Backbends | 1/29 | 2pm – 4:30pm: Practice an accessible and universal approach to the chakra system within vinyasa that accesses the essential truths of our energetic body to live in greater alignment with our authentic flow. Experience a full spectrum practice dedicated to the elements and chakras, and how backbends such as Naturajasana, King Pigeon, and Scorpion are the perfect way to ignite the Chakras.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Del Mar, CA

Sunday, January 29th

Take your practice upside down with Aubrey Hackman at Bindu Yoga in Del Mar this Sunday in ‘Demystifying Upside-Down Poses’!

Stop missing out on the most integral part of your yoga practice! Discover the ease and benefits of going upside down in this physically available inversion session. Explore headstand, shoulderstand, hand stand and all of the possible modifications as we breakdown any fear or hesitation that may be related with the most potent of yoga asanas (poses). Come flip your world upside down in this Jivamukti style workshop!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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New York, NY

Saturday, January 28th

Join Alanna Kaivalya at Land Yoga for her Myths of the Asanas Workshop!

Alanna’s first book, Myths of the Asanas, was released in Spring 2010 to great praise by yogis and non-yogis alike.  Join us for this very special lecture/workshop based around Alanna’s book and learn the Beautiful Stories behind your Yoga poses.  Your practice will be transformed!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Wichita, KS

Friday, January 27th – Saturday, January 28th

Join Dave Romanelli at Siva Yoga in Wichita for 3 beautiful, funny, delicious workshops!

Yoga & Wine | 1/27: Unleash the mind with a little….

Yoga & Chocolate | 1/28: How exotic chocolate  makes you look and feel awesome!

Yoga for Foodies | 1/28: The rich taste of slow food from Tanya’s soup kitchen!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Wishing you a fun & fabulous weekend!

With LOVE,

YOGANONYMOUS

Join David Romanelli for 4 days of yoga and relaxation in one of the most beautiful places in the world! More information from David’s website:

Yoga & You Retreat to Tropical Tulum

May 2nd – 6th

Join David May 2-6, 2012 at the Amansala Resort in Tulum, Mexico. For more on the warm and delicious details, read below or register now. The price includes all meals, beachside accommodations, and yoga.

“A warrior feeds her body well. She trains it, works on it. Where she lacks knowledge, she studies. But above all, she must believe in her strength of will and purpose and heart and soul.” -David Gemmel

Much has been said about the year 2012 as a year of transformation and change. And it all started in the heart of Mayan country at the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Their prophecy:  that the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012.

“The End” doesn’t have to be a scary thing. It can be The End of a bad relationship, or The End of worrying too much, or The End of watching Housewives of Beverly Hills on the Bravo Channel because it rots your brain.

Join David and Vyda Bielkus May 2-6, 2012 at Amansala Resort in Tulum, Mexico to celebrate The Beginning!

This 5 day and 4 night retreat to one of the most tropical and spiritual spots on the planet will focus, not on the hard core yoga tradition, but rather on those aspects of YOU that feed the ego and make you chunky in the ways of spirit.

As Iyengar said, “One who can put aside his every identity can access places where no plump ego could squeeze through.”

It’s time for THE END of that which that weighs us down… and for THE BEGINNING of those emotions, dreams and habits that leave us with a sleek, fit, revitalized spirit!

Dream Days, Starry Nights

Who doesn’t love long naps in warm ocean breezes, flowing through vinyasa yoga set to tropical music, and sipping on a cool one (iced tea or margherita) in a hammock as the sun dips over the Caribbean Sea.

The days will begin with my flowing vinyasa yoga classes, lighthearted inspirational messages, and sweet tunes…

…you’ll spend the afternoons resting on the white sandy beaches or venturing to the ancient Mayan ruins…

…before savoring Vyda’s late afternoon deeply relaxing yoga that will set you at ease for the warm starry nights to follow.

Join us May 2-6, 2012 for a vacation to soothe the body, revitalize the soul, and scintillate the senses!

Email Dave with any questions and for additional details on booking airfare to Cancun.  Airfare and ground transportation are not included in retreat price. We will be there every step of the way to make this experience AWESOME and seamless!

Click here for more information and to register today!

Get ready for a great weekend of yoga, workshops, lectures, concerts, and much more! Even better? We are here to hook you up with an exclusive discount! Enter promo code NY19 for an additional $50 off your main conference pass! Early-bird pricing ends March 2nd, click here to get your tickets today!

Featured Presenters

This year’s NY Conference features some of today’s greatest yoga teachers including: Elena Brower, Seane Corn, Sharon Gannon/David Life, Dharma Mittra, Sadie Nardini, Aadil Palkhivala, Tao Porchon-Lynch (93 years old!), Shiva Rea, David Romanelli, Desiree Rumbaugh, Colleen Saidman Yee/Rodney Yee, and more!

Conference Highlights

Special Events:

Get Your Dance On | Friday, April 13th | 7:30pm – 11:30pm

Get Your Dance On is a high vibe dance party that welcomes absolutely everyone. Born in NYC, we are festival, house party, tea lounge, and temple. The night begins with a yoga class led by Elena Brower and Dana Flynn, featuring the legendary India-infused beats of DJ Drez, and continues with a trance dance lead by Shiva Rea and Da’Riddim INya Drum Ensemble. Then the party opens up into two rooms: Drez and Da’Riddim INya will keep the high energy dance room going while the Didge Project and House of Waters play mellow grooves andCraig Anthony Miller whips up live paintings in the chill space.

Click here for more information.

In addition, Yoga Journal will offer free community classes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as well as free meditations and panel discussions!

Featured Classes:

Yoga for Dudes w/ Nikki Costello | Saturday, April 14th: 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Stabilize and stretch. Move and breathe. Unwind and soften. The components of this class are like all yoga classes. So why is it so special for men? Come find out how men learn, improve at, and get hooked on yoga when the class is focused on their strengths, challenges, and a little friendly competition.

Hip/Hop Asana w/ Jules Febre | Saturday, April 14th: 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Hip-hop asana is Jules’s union of Jivamukti Yoga and hip-hop culture. Finding ways to creatively bring yoga to the community that you are from will be emphasized. Fun sequencing distinct to the Jivamukti Yoga method will warm you up and keep you cookin’. Come prepared for an upbeat session with great music and sequences. Music will be provided by DJ Derek Beres of EarthRise SoundSystem. A hip-hop dance teacher will warm us up for the asana practice. This is classic Jivamukti: original, sequential, inspired with spirit, and a little wild. A vigorous Jivamukti Yoga class for all levels.

Yoga & Steve Jobs: Unlocking the Collective Consciousness w/ Dave Romanelli | Sunday, April 15th: 8am – 10am

The late cofounder of Apple Computers, Steve Jobs, studied and traveled in India before his revolutionary career. His otherworldly vision and tenacity to stick to his guns stem from an ancient Eastern embrace of simplicity, meditation, and purpose. In this vinyasa flow, you’ll explore how a relaxed body frees a connection to the collective consciousness and how other great innovators, from Einstein to Mozart, sensed the treasures that await us if only we can unlock the code and free the mind.

Check out this awesome video below, just in case you weren’t already excited enough:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Don’t forget – early-bird pricing ends on March 2nd – and enter promo code NY19 for an additional $50 off your main conference pass – Click here to register today!

This year’s Yoga Journal SF conference is shaping up to be the best yet, so buy your tickets today and be sure to enter promo code SF53 to receive an additional $50 off the cost of your main conference pass - this special discount is for YOGANONYMOUS readers only!

There are so many amazing things happening all weekend, we’ve selected a couple of our favorite conference happenings for you to check out below:

The Yoga of Leadership w/ Seane Corn, Suzanne Sterling, & Hala Khouri

Monday, January 16th | 9am – 4:30pm

What happens when you combine yoga with leadership? In this all-day intensive, Off the Mat, Into the World will explore this question, creating an innovative workshop, that will guide conscious yogis who aren’t afraid of asking questions, taking risks, and causing real heart-centered leadership. Off the Mat, Into the World is an non-profit program that believes in personal empowerment that leads to powerful social change. In this workshop, we teach how the mind/body connection is an important gateway into self-discovery and empowerment. We will hear from a spectrum of leaders who will share their yoga-inspired strategies for being effective in their lives and in their activism. We will investigate our own passions to uncover the purpose inside all of us so that we can live and serve from that place. You will leave inspired and activated.

The Heart of the Yogini: Embodying the Sacred Feminine w/ Shiva Rea

Friday, January 13th | 9am – 4:30pm

In this daylong immersion, we will discover teachings, meditations, and practices to awaken the heart of the yogini based in Shakta traditions. This enlightening class includes movement meditations dedicated to the divine feminine or Shakti Namaskars, specific mudras, meditation, asanas, mantras, and prayers for awakening shakti.

Kirtan Concert w/ Krishna Das

Friday, January 13th | 8pm – 10pm

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. His first studio recording in a decade, Heart As Wide As The World invests KD’s magnetic chanting with an electrifying rock ‘n’ roll sensibility informed by a lifetime of experience and musical love.

Chanting is a way of getting in touch with yourself. It’s an opening of the heart and letting go of the mind and thoughts. It deepens the channel of grace, and it’s a way of being present in the moment.” -Krishna Das

The Grateful Dead Yoga Hour w/ Dave Romanelli

Friday, January 13th | 5:30pm  - 7pm

It’s been 16 years since the passing of Jerry Garcia and the subsequent break-up of the Grateful Dead. Why not bring them back for an evening of flowing vinyasa yoga set to some of the great musical moments in Grateful Dead history? Former Deadhead David Romanelli will lead the evening. You’ll see how a little 1960s psychedelia can further your practice and take you deeper into your backbends, twists, and folds. If you miss Jerry, and it’s been way too long since your last long, strange trip . . .

“When thinking of a new offering for YJSF, I thought about one thing that so many yogis I know have in common…a love for the Grateful Dead. Being that SF is Deadhead Mecca, what better place and event to bring two great traditions together for one special evening!” - Dave Romanelli

Community, Shakti, and Play: Anusara Yoga & Hooping

Saturday, January 14th | 5:45pm – 6:45pm

This dynamic and playful community class is for all levels, all ages, and all yogis who wish to celebrate the power of play, dance, and freedom in the flow of life. Sianna Sherman will lead a creative asana sequence with music, followed by Shakti Sunfire’s ignited hoop teaching. DJ Dragonfly will stir our soul with great music as we move on the mat and spiral through the room. Together as community, we’ll awaken the sacred flow of play and send our collective intentions spiraling into the world.

In case you aren’t already pumped enough for these amazing events, check out this video from last year’s conference and get a taste of the full experience:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to buy your tickets today!

Photo Credit: Yoga Journal Conferences, Nancy Dionne

Ring in 2012 in style with Yoga Journal and a cast of some of our favorite yoga teachers including Seane Corn, Baron Baptiste, Elena Brower, Dharma Mittra, Shiva Rea, Ana Forrest, MC Yogi, and more! Let’s not forget to mention the “Grateful Dead Yoga Hour” with our main man David Romanelli, some high-flying fun with AcroYoga founders Jason &  Jenny, a special free yoga and hooping event with the beautiful Shakti Sunfire, a keynote lecture led by Rodney Yee, and a Friday night concert with none other than Krishan Das. Sounds pretty amazing if you ask us.

Check out some more information on the Main Conference, all of the amazing presenters, the Friday and Monday Intensive Programs, and all of the other Special Events in store for the SF conference!

Photo Credit: Yoga Journal Conferences, Becca Sogge

GET HOOKED UP!

Our friends at Yoga Journal have hooked up the YOGANONYMOUS crew with an exclusive discount! Enter promo code “SF53” when purchasing your tickets and receive an additional $50 off of your main conference pass. Click here for more information and to purchase your early-bird tickets today!

See you on the mat!

Join Dave Romanelli at the Culinary Loft on Wednesday, October 5th for Yoga for Foodies! More information below:

Yoga for Foodies

Wednesday, October 5th | 6:30pm – 9:30pm

The Culinary Loft is pleased to welcome back yoga teacher David Romanelli for “Yoga for Foodies”. This indulgent event will take place on Wednesday, October 5^th from 6:30PM – 9:30PM.

Join David for an evening of soothing stretches, great tunes and the finest local, organic, fresh cuisine. The event will begin with David’s flowing yoga class whose message and music will emphasize the importance of slowing down, putting away the gadgets, indulging in the simple pleasures and livin’ the moment! When we move in a frenzied way through the day, we don’t eat…we “feed.” This high-velocity lifestyle diminishes the flavor and essence of life. As you enjoy a post-yoga splendor, we’ll delve deeper into the culinary creations and philosophy that are rooted in cooking as an experience focused as much on emotion and intuition as on following a recipe during your indulgent, post-yoga feast.

David will touch on tastes, sounds and messages that arise from the earth and nourish us at every level of being. This will be the dream experience for anyone who loves yoga and great food and could use a delicious reminder that “life is just a series of moments. If you miss the moments, you miss your life!”

Tickets are $95.00 per person.  This event is limited to 28 guests so call The Culinary Loft at (212) 431-7425 by Friday, September 30^th to reserve your space. It will fill up fast!

About the Culinary Loft

The Culinary Loft is located in the heart of SoHo offering Special Event solutions involving food and wine that include hands-on cooking classes, teambuilding events, dinners, wine and chocolate tastings, cocktail parties, product launches, media presentations, demonstrations and film/video productions. For more information about The Culinary Loft, visit www.culinaryloft.com.

About Dave Romanelli

Since 2004, Yahoo! Wellness Expert David Romanelli has been a leader in the growing resistance to a worldwide sociological epidemic: INFORMATION OVERLOAD. People are drowning in emails, tweets, status updates, and voicemails… and with the gadgets getting smaller and the information moving faster, it’s only getting worse. Through his entertaining and delicious philosophy, David shares how to convert everyday passions (chocolate, wine, and music) into accessible gateways to the present moment. David’s Yoga for Foodies, Yoga + Chocolate, and Yoga + Wine programs have made the ancient practice more accessible to those who otherwise would be intimidated or uninterested in the lifechanging benefits of yoga. Having been featured in The New York Times, O Magazine, and Newsweek, David’s debut book Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate, and Your Ipod Playlist reached #1 on the Amazon Self-Help Bestseller List. Check out his website: www.LivinTheMoment.com

Take a moment to watch this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to sign up for my new blog – “BEAUTIFUL FUNNY DELICIOUS” – where I’ll send you a Moment of the Day in the form of a quote, song, picture, or deep thought…

It’ll take you 5 seconds to open and start your day with a little laughter, music, and positive vibration!

“Wake up. It’s later than you think!” -Chinese Proverb

It’s called GRID, took place in Stockholm, Sweden, and was spawned by the concept of TED (ideas worth spreading). One might say GRID is the TED of Europe. Check out my speech below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The other speakers at GRID covered every part of life on every part of the globe. One was Sunitha Krishnan from India. She is a prominent leader in bringing attention to the issue of human trafficking.

In virtually every nation in the world, children are turned into slaves, beaten, tortured and held against their will at ages as young as 5. Sunitha has rescued over 6,000 child slaves, mostly in India.

Then there was Peter Vesterbacka, the CEO of ROVIO, the company that created Angry Birds, the most successful mobile game in the world with over 400 million downloads and over 1 million additional downloads every single day.

While you’d think the company would be primarily focused on the cash windfall, Vesterbacka was focused on leveraging the platform of what will soon be 1 billion fans and making a difference, particularly in education.

Sunitha is a woman who lives hand to mouth, who has a price on her head ($100,000), who has been beaten countless times by unsavory characters. Vesterbacka is CEO of a company who will go public sooner than later with a market cap in the tens of billions.

What in the world could these 2 totally different people have in common?

Both are focused on making a difference in the world through education and human equality, creating positive change, and in the process, living totally inspired lives.

They’ve managed, one by dharma, the other by the fortune of cyber-virality, one thru the grind, one thru the air… to commit to something big.

Oscar Wilde said, “Looking good and dressing well is a necessity. Having a purpose in life is not.”

We spend so much time each day responding to all the stimuli that it takes some serious discipline to remember what we’re living for.

Clearly, most of us don’t have time to just stop being parents, or to stop going to work, or to stop long enough to take a breath… let alone to ponder our purpose.

But there is a bigger reason we’re here. It’s a matter of choice whether or not we lock on to it.

As a former President of India said, “If man misses his destiny, Nature is not in a hurry; she will catch him someday and compel him to fulfill her secret purpose.”

PS:

–watch the speech by Sunitha

–watch the speech by Vesterbacka

The weekend is upon us and it’s time to have some FUN! We have had busy and beautiful week over here at YOGANONYMOUS headquarters, and hopefully you have to wherever you are! Check out our weekend picks for some great yoga events happening across the country this glorious August weekend!

Don’t see events listed in your city? Want to submit an event of your own? Email us at Submissions@yoganonymous.org and let us know the deal!

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Sheldon, VT

Thursday, August 18th – Sunday, August 21st

The 4th Annual Liberate Music & Yoga Festival is going down this weekend in beautiful Sheldon, VT! We will be there along with some of our favorite yogis including Simon Park, DJ Hyfi, and Dan Wilf.

With Conspirator set to headline Saturday night of the festival with strong support form Everyone Orchestra featuring Michael Kang of String Cheese Incident, Rubblebucket, and many more, 2011 promises to be the festival’s biggest and best year yet. Liberate has become a summer tradition for Vermont residents and fans from coast to coast. The festival grounds belong to the family of the festival producers, Jane and Ben Lanza, beautiful Vermont land that is the perfect backdrop for this upbeat and eclectic, distinctly Vermont music and yoga festival.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Southampton, NY

Friday, August 19th – Sunday, August 21st

August 19th – 21st, Kay Kay Clivio will be heading to Southampton to teach daily classes, with a percentage of the proceeds benefitting the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The primary mission of Yoga Gives is to be of service to both the non-profit and the yoga communities by creating a dynamic, inclusive and mutually rewarding partnership between the two, partnerships that grow, expand and deepen through the years, bringing health and well-being to all.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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New York, NY

Thursday, August 18th

Don’t miss Dave Romanelli’s Yoga & Chocolate workshop on Thursday, August 18th at Pure Yoga NYC!

Savor the moment and escape the worries of tomorrow in this enjoyable 2 hour workshop. Join Dave in 90 minutes of vinyasa flow set to great tunes from Ziggy to Zeppelin followed by a tasting of exotic Vosges Haut-Chocolat.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Philadelphia, PA

Sunday, August 31st

Join Dhyana Yoga’s Dhyana Vitarelli for a Sunday night Kirtan from 6pm – 7pm (Rittenhouse location)!

Come chant longer versions of the many beautiful and meaningful mantras we begin class with, and perhaps learn a few new ones as well! Please feel free to bring some of your own instruments to join in with the harmonium. Mantra sheets will be provided. Come on, chant, and Be Happy!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Salt Lake City, UT

Saturday, August 20th

Don’t miss Sarah Tomson Beyer’s Flowmotion® master class at Prana Yoga from 12pm – 2pm on Saturday afternoon!

Rock out to a signature Flowmotion class and liberate the rhythm within you! Feel empowered as you color outside of the lines… combining strength and coordination. We will deeply explore warm-ups and sun salutes in the style of Flowmotion then shift into rhythmically fluid sequencing. As the intensity and pace of the sequence builds, tune into your rhythm and express your flow! Set to a unique soundtrack, you will leave feeling a sense of empowerment, liberation and accomplishment through creative movement.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Wishing you a fun & fabulous weekend!

With LOVE,

YOGANONYMOUS

Don’t miss Dave Romanelli’s Yoga & Chocolate workshop on Thursday, August 18th at Pure Yoga NYC! More details below from the studio website:

Yoga & Chocolate w/ Dave Romanelli

Thursday, August 18th | 6:30pm – 8:30pm | Pure West

Savor the moment and escape the worries of tomorrow in this enjoyable 2 hour workshop. Join Dave in 90 minutes of vinyasa flow set to great tunes from Ziggy to Zeppelin followed by a tasting of exotic Vosges Haut-Chocolat.

About Dave:

Since 2004, David Romanelli has been traveling the world sharing his Yoga for Foodies, Yoga + Chocolate, and Yoga + Wine experiences. His debut book Yeah Dave’s Guide to Livin’ the Moment: Getting to Ecstasy through Wine, Chocolate, and Your Ipod Playlist (Random House) reached #1 on the Amazon.com Self-Help Bestseller List. David has been featured in Food + Wine, The New York Times, Newsweek, and Oprah Magazine. He was co-founder of At One Yoga, a chain of yoga studios in Arizona. Check out his website: www.yeahdave.com

Click here for more information and to register today!

We hope that you all had a fabulous 4th of July and are ready for another rockin’ weekend of yoga wherever you are! There are lots of great events happening this weekend around the country and the world, and we have selected a few of our favorites for this week’s edition of our Weekend Picks. Check ‘em out below, and have a beautiful weekend!

Don’t see events listed in your city? Want to submit an event of your own? Email us at Submissions@yoganonymous.org and let us know the deal!

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Lake Geneva, WI

Thursday, July 7th – Monday, July 11th

Get ready for the Yoga Journal Conference: Midwest going down this weekend at the Lake Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, WI!

Yoga Journal will journey to the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in sun-kissed Lake Geneva, WI for the Yoga Journal Conference: Midwest, July 7-11. Here you will encounter a vibrant yoga scene and we encourage you to become a part of it! Revive your heart with Seane Corn in her Yoga for a Broken Heart class, navigate your Shortcut to Bliss with Dharma Mittra or metamorphose into a ninja in Sadie Nardini’s Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga: Be a Ninja Yogi. Take that yogi heart for a joyride with Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Bandand bask in this musical blend of mantra, rock, and funk sounds.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Copper Mountain, CO

Thursday, July 7th – Sunday, July 10th

The 1st Annual Mountain Pose Yoga Festival is going down this weekend in beautiful Copper Mountain, CO!

This event is geared towards health care providers and wellness enthusiasts; featuring medical researchers and professionals, yogis, musicians and motivational speakers, in a breathtaking mountain setting. Presented in collaboration with Dr. Satkirin Khalsa. The festival will feature teachers such as Rodney and Colleen Yee, Nicki Doane, and David Romanelli just to name a few!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Vail, CO

Sunday, July 10th

Join Nancy Kate Williams and Shannon Paige Schneider this Sunday at the Vail Cascade Resort from 5pm – 7pm this Sunday for ‘Imagine the Life you want to live and LIVE it!’

We are energetic beings meant to create and have the power to manifest our dreams. Re-align to your highest intentions, embody your own courage & strength, and open your heart & mind to infinite possibilities within yourSelf. In this workshop we will engage Conscious Flow, using alignment principles in a vinyasa style class to create a sustainable practice that supports nourishing one to the core of their being and then radiating their light from the inside out! Join us as we play with finding our center in asymmetrical backbends, reaching back into our past to honor the accomplishments made & lessons learned, moving heart first into our future, and embracing who we are in the moment!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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New York, NY

Saturday, July 9th

Go ‘Beyond the Mat’ with Dr. Satya Narayana Dasa at Yoga Vida NYC on Saturday afternoon from 3pm – 5pm!

We are drawn to our yoga mat for sometimes inexplicable reasons.  But we know we always leave feeling better than when we came, and often we complete our practice with increased mental clarity and physical calm.  So how do we cultivate these positive responses into our daily lives when we are not on our mat?  Especially with the stressful demands of modern urban life, this seems a tall task, if not an impossibility?  And even if it is possible, who has mastered the art sufficiently to teach it.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Hong Kong

Friday, July 8th – Sunday, July 10th

iFly with Brock and Krista Cahill at Pure Yoga in Hong Kong! Our favorite high flying yogis will be teaching 5 workshops over the course of the weekend.

Balance Your Life! (bala)nce yoga is Brock & Krista’s blend of inversional vinyasa flow – bala is a Sanskrit word meaning strength. Therefore, in this practice, we use our strength to create balance.

What a wonderful way to use your power to cultivate harmony, clarity, grace and peace. Expect to spend a good deal of your time upside-down or in an arm balance, challenging gravity and using your roots to find wings.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Wishing yoga fun & fabulous weekend!

With LOVE,

YOGANONYMOUS

We hope that you have had an AMAZING week, and are ready to have an even more AMAZING weekend! Spring is in the air, and the energy is tangible – transform and uplift your practice with one of our weekend picks – the best yoga events happening all around the country on this glorious May weekend!

Don’t see events listed in your city? Want to submit an event of your own? Email us at Submissions@yoganonymous.org and let us know the deal!

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Bloomingdale, IL

Thursday, May 19th – Sunday, May 22nd

The 12th Annual Midwest Yoga Conference is going down this weekend in Bloomingdale, IL! Check out some of our favorite teachers including Brock and Krista Cahill, Les Leventhal, and Dave Romanelli!

The Midwest Yoga Conference, in it’s 12th year, is calling all sensual beings to come together and tip the energetic scales of the solar system from craving and aversion to beauty and truth.

It is your journey to move from the heaviness of attachment and suffering to the lightness of being free, loving and letting go. Please join us this year as we celebrate LOVE!

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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New York, NY

Saturday, May 21st

Join Kay Kay Clivio for a 2 hour Upside-down Workshop at Pure Yoga NYC! The workshop will take place at Pure East on Saturday from 10:15am – 12:15pm.

Explore the dynamics of arm balancing and creating a deeper connection to your core strength. Arm balances are an empowering part of our practice that teach us not only about our inner strength but about our innate playfulness, courage, fearlessness, agility and ability to create light and space.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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San Francisco, CA

Saturday, May 21st

Join Shiva Rea for Wanderlust at the Fillmore! Wanderlust Festival and Yoga Tree are teaming up to take over the reigns at one of Rock n’ Roll’s most celebrated music venues, San Francisco’s The Fillmore, for a special one-day event of yoga, music, and free-form celebration – Wanderlust at the Fillmore.

Upping the ante after the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Wanderlust crew is brining legendary Grateful Dead drummer and counter culture pioneer Mickey Hart into mix to join a stellar cast of yogis and musical acts featuring Shiva Rea, Stephanie Snyder, MC Yogi, Sub Swara, and more.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Philadelphia, PA

Friday, May 20th

Don’t miss 2 events with Sadie Nardini at Dhyana Yoga in Philly!

Friday 5/20 2-4pm | Flying from the Foundation + Core | What you do (and don’t) from your foundation and deeper core alignment can either give you more benefits from the time you spend on your mat, or sabotage even your best intentions. Flow through a mindful, creative, Core Strength Vinyasa sequence designed by Sadie to teach you to activate your earth to core connection in every pose, to help you finally attain more lightness and power in all your poses, and specifically the elusive floating postures like jumping forward, arm balances and inversions.

Friday 5/20 6:30-8:30pm | Be a Ninja Yogi | Sadie, who is also studying to become an actual Ninja, brings the same principle of containment, quiet power and staying centered within all your relationships in your yoga practice. Discover new Yoga poses infused with Martial Arts principles, and learn Ninjasana, Sadie’s signature pose, to introduce you to the spiral line, a muscle meridian you’ll need to know to bring lightness, the most effective core strength, and a near magical empowerment to every poses that you do, no matter what your level of practice.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Toronto, Canada

Thursday, May 19th – Sunday, May 22nd

Join Nicki Doane this Thursday – Sunday (May 19th – 22nd) at Downward Dog Yoga Centre in Toronto, Canada to amp up your practice and have some fun!

Integrating Asana with Philosophy is one of the benchmarks of Maya Yoga Vinyasa Fusion. If we simply break down the meanings of each of these names it only makes sense. Yoga aims at wholeness and can be treated that way only when we treat it as a whole. In Yoga today, it has become fashionable to compartmentalize this age-old practice and to take only the surface bits and pieces. The great thing about yoga is that you will get out of it what you are willing to put into it.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

With LOVE,

YOGANONYMOUS

We had such a blast hanging out with some of our very favorite teachers and friends, and we are so grateful to Kasey Luber for capturing the experience on film as only she can! Check out her videos below from Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at the 2011 Yoga Journal NYC Conference!

Friday, May 13th

Click here to view the embedded video.

Saturday, May 14th

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sunday, May 15th

Click here to view the embedded video.

Monday, May 16th

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://yoganonymous.org/yoga-journal-new-york-conference-video-wrap-up-kasey-luber/feed/ 0 http://yoganonymous.org/yoganonymous-weekend-picks-yoga-events-across-country/ http://yoganonymous.org/yoganonymous-weekend-picks-yoga-events-across-country/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 15:22:07 +0000 Michaela Best http://yoganonymous.org/?p=13771 Happy Friday Everyone!

We made it – the weekend is here! We hope that you all had a super fabulous week and are ready to rock all weekend long! We’ve got some really great events happening all around the country – there’s sure to be something for everyone! With no further adieu, check out our weekend picks below, and get ready for a GREAT weekend, wherever you are!

Don’t see events listed in your city? Want to submit an event of your own? Email us at Submissions@yoganonymous.org and let us know the deal!

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New York, NY

Thursday, May 12th – Monday, May 16th

The New York Yoga Journal Conference is going down this weekend at the Hilton Hotel in NYC!  SO many amazing teachers will be presenting at this year’s event – it truly is not to be missed!

Some of our favorites including Shiva Rea, Alanna Kaivalya, Kay Kay Clivio, Dana Slamp, and David Romanelli will all be there teaching incredible workshops. The Yoga Journal Conference experience is for yogis of every experience level from brand new beginners to those who have been teaching for years. The conference is a great convergence of yogis of all ages and backgrounds from around the country and abroad.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Also in NYC…

May 13th – 14th

Calling all male yogis! Join Demetri Velisarius on May 13th – 14th at Sonic Yoga or Shetler Studio for a special, mens only sacred staff training.

“Bom” is the sound of the Maha Yogin Siva’s drum, the heartbeat of creation and the call for awakening and gathering is “Bom Siva”! This is a call for men to meet in yogic brotherhood and training. Become initiated in Staff Yoga Flowtm: a skillful training method that involves a sacred initiation, mantra, pranayama and meditation. Then we’ll engage interweaving a five-foot staff with yoga asana, powerful spiral movementsand choreographed combat designed for activating the inner staff “danda “of the energetic body temple and awakening and the wild lotus heart of the peaceful warrior

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Lenox, MA

Friday, May 13th – Sunday, May 15th

Join one of today’s greatest living yoga teachers, Nicki Doane, at Kripalu in beautiful Lenox, MA May 13th – 15th!

Sustainable Practice, Sustainable Life: In today’s world, it is increasingly obvious that sustainability is no longer just an option, but a necessity. Because yoga practice is a microcosm of life, this workshop will explore how a sustainable approach to asana can help you create and sustain balance in your life. Maya Yoga is designed to serve each individual student. Nicki Doane will inspire you to recognize the profound connection between self and spirit. Her style will encourage you to discover your true self and let practice be your teacher, showing what is right for you at any given moment.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Lexington, KY

Thursday, May 12th – Sunday, May 15th

Join Leeann Carey for a Bend-2-Mend Teacher Training at Barefoot Works Yoga! This training not only greatly expands your knowledge as a yoga teacher, but can develop in you, more possibilities of how you wish to teach and be of service through yoga.

The four days are full of learning, exploring and understanding Yoga Therapy from a dynamic and therapeutic restorative perspective — learning both stimulating and pacifying treatments to help correct imbalances physically and emotionally, and restore general well-being. Using her decades of experience of Iyengar yoga schooling, Leeann Carey authored the program so that it can be easily taught either in a classical hatha yoga studio, group fitness environment or one- on-one. You will learn how to teach traditional supported yoga poses using all recommended props, combined with current methodologies of yoga and class development to meet the needs of your demographics.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Berkeley, CA

Saturday, May 14th

Join Yoga Tune Up® teacher Tia Upke for an incredible Self-Care Workshop to loosen up your head and neck! The workshop is on Saturday, May 14th from 2pm – 4pm at the Niroga Center for Healing.

Loosen up your head and neck: A majority of us hold our tension in our neck and it then migrates up to our head, leading to various ranges of tension headaches. Learn some effective ways to relieve tension headaches, create more length and opening in the neck . We will be using both our hands as well as Yoga Tune Up® therapy balls to provide relief.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Boulder, CO

Saturday, May 14th

Join Nancy Kate Wiliams and Shannon Paige Schneider at Naropa University for a the Wellness Initiative’s Yogathon! This event will help us raise funds for our yoga programs in Colorado’s low-income schools.

Shannon Paige Schneider & Nancy Kate Williams (co-teaching) Embracing the Fullness of Experience : An Exploration of Asymmetrical Back Bends: In this dynamic, all levels practice, moving from simple to complex, we will follow a tidal integration of our most specific needs and grains of attention into anevolutionary wave of expression through asymmetrical back bends. This integrative vinyasa class, om flow, is perfect for practitioners of all levels.

Click here for the Full Scoop!

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Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

With LOVE,

YOGANONYMOUS

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