In case you were, oh we don’t know busy back-to-working/schooling this week, here are some news bits you may have missed… followed by a moment of silence (don’t worry we can’t hold it for too long).
Back Pain Eased With Yoga (scientific proof!)
There’s been a study, a scientific one with real researchers and everything, published in the journal Spine, so you know it’s serious. Wanna know what it concluded? Yoga improves the lives of people! Well, this particular study was people with lower back pain, but we don’t need scientists to tell us it can help everyone. We digress.
The 6-month study involved a group of 90 adults (average age 48, range 18-70) with chronic lower back pain, about half of whom participated in yoga twice a week and the others left with conventional care. And after those 6 months results concluded that the yoga group showed more improvement in decreased back pain. cool! AND those yogis were also found to be less depressed. bonus!
“The yoga group had less pain, less functional disability and less depression compared with the control group,” Kimberly Williams, the lead investigator, from West Virginia University, said in a news release. “Proponents of yoga have long described its benefits in reducing back pain. But not everyone was convinced. This is a much bigger, much more rigorous evaluation than had been done before.”
Hooray! Good news. What type of yoga was it you ask? Iyengar of course, the asana practice strict on alignment. (Bikram is gonna be so pissed).
[Reuters]
Ramdev Takes Scotland
We’ve written our share about the mogul yogi Baba Ramdev, what with his video empire, food manufacturing compound, political antics, etc. So we’re not surprised to hear that a couple of his millionaire pals bought him an island, and it’s not even his birthday. For a mere 2 million British pounds the Scottish island once known as Little Cumbrae will now be the new “international base”, and rumored to be renamed Peace Island. clever.
A spokesman for the guru, SK Tijarawala, confirmed the arrangement to The Independent: “We are setting up a yoga institute and laboratory… to show how traditional knowledge from India can cure the world.”
We’ve always sorta shied away from that whole yoga=cure thing, but they seem pretty confident.
The Guardian reported on the news too, mentioning a 7th century nun who also set up shop on the island for spiritual purposes, “Whether she too claimed that her breathing exercises could cure cancer is sadly unknown.” oh snark, we love British people.
Yoga Dogz
Yes, with a “z”. If you weren’t already familiar with the Yoga Dogz calendar (we mentioned in ’08 holiday gift guide) then here’s your chance to meet the bendy pups. Or not, as it seems the site’s been overloaded and you might just have to wait until the internets calm down. Sit. Stay. website: yogadogz.com
That’s it for the week, you made it! Have a loverly weekend and take a moment or two for reflection and contemplative thoughts, or just sit and be quiet. It’s nice. You can even join the Namaste Book Club Meditation Month and make it official.
If you’re in NY, we know it’s crappy town out there weather wise, but just a reminder that there are still Memorial events tonight.
I just in the middle of the muckraking “Stripping the Gurus” (www.strippingthegurus.com). I don’t think Baba Ramdev made the book, but on the surface it looks like he would fit right in.
More importantly, we should all be deeply upset by the blatant ripoff of YogaDawg in the Yogadogs calendar. Did they even think of checking with YogaDawg before stealing his brand? Has YogaDawg been in touch with his DawgAttornies?
Bob Weisenberg
http://yogademystified.com/
Yeah, what’s up with that??? 🙂
I have low back pain since last 1 yr. Pl tell me some tips for rotine working
MY FATHER IS DOING WELL BETTER THAN OTHERS.
my all joint have pain what can i do?