MEMBER STORIES ABOUT YOGA

- Nancy

Why I Love Yoga!
"Yoga Public is truly an amazing facility that provides the perfect balance between with Power, Strength and Balance of TRX with the Calmness, Focus and Inner Peace of Yoga. YP has assembled an amazing group of instructors who are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about what they do which flows directly into every class where they strive to help each student achieve what it is they are looking for that day. "

- David

"I have had various gym/fitness memberships in the past and never made use of a membership the way I do at Yoga Public: 5 days a week - 8 classes minimum! Since it opened 5 months ago, I have become hooked on TRX; not to mention that yoga has become a critical part of my life - and I didn't see that coming! All of this is due to the incredibly patient, talented and knowledgeable staff at Yoga Public who teach and guide us expertly through our practices."

- Barb Neaman Swan

"I have been a member since the get go, a brutally cold day in January 2012. Since that moment it has been such a positive experience for me. I found Yoga Public to be a peaceful place, and I have enjoyed every class I attended. There a many more I would like to try and that is my goal for the future. In the meanwhile I am doing restorative (with extraordinary capable and caring teachers as Leslie and Natasha), Hot Yin (my dear Narda and Sandy), Yoga on the Wall (Serge, you are a master), and TRX (thank you Sam, Arlen and Kate) I also enjoyed Ashtanga with Adrianne and Mysore with Jonathan. And last, my favorite class: Kyma, a mix of Thai auto-massage and meditation with Serge and Alexandre. I have no words to describe my Kyma experience, other than that are healing for the body, soul and mind, one of the best things that Y.P. has to offer.

The facility itself is a pleasure to be in, the hot room is exceptional, the temperature is right, the lighting is beautiful, and the atmosphere is perfect. I like the showers and the magnetic lockers, and the fact that there is hardly ever a line to take a shower, at least when I happened to be there, which is by the way close to six days a week. I find easy to come every day; I am very fond of the way I can schedule classes in advance through the website, and also cancel them when I need to do that; that allows me to know in advance when I have a class so I won't commit to some other activity in its place.

I like the idea of the introductory pass, which allows you to have a real taste of the place and is perfect as a gift for someone you love. YP is a great place to meet with your own friends to take a class together, and also a great place to treat your own kids when they visit you from out of town. I like the combination of Yoga and TRX, which is perfect match. I like the fact that there are a lot of different types of yoga offered, and you really don't need to be fit or knowledgeable. I like that I don't have to bring towels or shampoo or anything like that. It is a "spa" experience. I like that I ended up being familiar with downtown, a neighborhood I was not familiar with and that now I can negotiate with no problem. It has been for me a real Yoga Playground.

Thank you for making Yoga Public a reality I can enjoy everyday."

- Aida

"As I returned home today from Yoga Public, on this, my 100th day of consecutive Yoga, I feel grateful beyond belief, and a strong need to give thanks.

Prior to coming to YP, I had tried a variety of other studios, but never quite felt at 'home'. Considering how much time I wanted to spend on my practice, this aspect was important to me. Unlike with other Yoga studios, YP offered such a vast array of classes and times, I thought, "I need to check this place out". From the moment I entered the space and was greeted by a well informed and easygoing staff member, I began to get inkling that this may well be the place for me. Once my tour was complete, I knew I had to give this a try. I jokingly said to my 'tour guide,' "You had me at the complimentary mat and towel service & rain showers!"

The moment I entered my first class, the jitters and insecurities slowly began to dissipate. I remember walking out with a feeling of 'knowing' I was in the right place. Whether its Hot Yin, The Yoga Wall, KYMA or a Meditation class, each teacher and program feels innately geared to all who enter the studio. The consistency of pertinence and care shown by the YP staff enables this 'newbie,' the confidence to feel like I can try virtually anything, that all is open to me, that whatever the goal, they will be there to help me achieve it. Each day, whether I arrive in good spirits or not, I immediately am elevated by the kindness and professionalism of the staff and environment. Once the automatic glass doors open and I walk back out, into my life again, I know that I have learned something new, not only in my practice but about myself and that I will be sustained... Until next time!

I entered Yoga Public over three months ago with the very large goal of eliminating my chronic illnesses, by doing the practice of Yoga each and everyday... For the next 365 days. At no point did any staff member ever not take my goal and I seriously, if anything they were, and are as determined as I am to "Yoga Me Healthy". My newly attained confidence has not only affected my health in a profound way, but my life overall. It's a shame we have no mountains on the prairies, for if we did, I would be the first one to climb to the top and shout it out for all to hear, "Get down to Yoga Public, It'll Change Your Life!""

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KARMA YOGA PROGAM

Yoga Public offers 7 donation based yoga classes per week in support of fundraising initiatives.

For the month of June 2013, 100% of the proceeds donated will go towards sending all the Grade 6 kids from Dalhousie School to Summer Camp.  

Minimum donation per Karma class is $5 for students and $10 for adults with every dollar raised going directly to the school.

Enjoy good karma by enjoying a great class (regular drop in is $22) and by giving to a great cause!

Please visit our website to see our up to date list of classes including JUNE karma class options.  

June 2013 Karma Yoga Schedule:
Monday	Yoga in the Park (Millenium Library Park)	12:00pm - 12:45pm
Tuesday	Hot Core	6:15am - 7:15am
Wednesday	Hot Detox	4:00pm - 5:00pm
Thursday	Yoga in the Park (Millenium Library Park)	12:00pm - 12:45pm
Friday	Hot Core	2:00pm - 3:00pm
Saturday	Hot Core	10:00am - 11:00am
Sunday	Hot Core	12:00pm - 1:00pm

Does your school need help fundraising?
Yoga Public is looking for other high school athletic fundraising initiatives that we can help contribute towards.

Please send along of your school or teams fundraising initiative. We will be choosing an atheltic fundraising program every month this year where 100% of Karma class proceeds will be donated.

The months July through to December are all open for submission.

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Yoga in America

               The latest "Yoga in America" study, just released by Yoga Journal (yogajournal.com) shows that 20.4 million Americans practice yoga, compared to 15.8 million from the previous 2008 study*, an increase of 29 percent. In addition, practitioners spend $10.3 billion a year on yoga classes and products, including equipment, clothing, vacations, and media. The previous estimate from the 2008 study was $5.7 billion*.

Data for this survey, the most comprehensive study of the consumer yoga market available, were collected by Sports Marketing Surveys USA on behalf of Yoga Journal.

The 2012 study indicates that 8.7 percent of U.S. adults, or 20.4 million people, practice yoga. Of current non-practitioners, 44.4 percent of Americans call themselves "aspirational yogis"—people who are interested in trying yoga.

"The number of practitioners and the amount they spend has increased dramatically in the last four years," says Bill Harper, vice president and group publisher of Active Interest Media's Healthy Living Group. "Companies that want to advertise to the health-and-fitness market for women will want to make sure that yoga is a strong segment in their target."

The study also collected data on age, gender, and other demographic and lifestyle factors. Of the yoga practitioners surveyed:

Gender: 82.2 percent are women; 17.8 percent are men.

Age: The majority of today's yoga practitioners (62.8 percent) fall within the age range of 18-44.

Length of practice: 38.4 percent have practiced yoga for one year or less; 28.9 percent have practiced for one to three years; 32.7 percent have practiced for three years or longer.

Level of practice: 44.8 percent consider themselves beginners (22.9 percent are new to yoga; 21.9 percent are beginning to practice yoga after taking some time off); 39.6 percent consider themselves intermediate; 15.6 percent consider themselves expert/advanced.

Motivation for practice: The top five reasons for starting yoga were: flexibility (78.3 percent), general conditioning (62.2 percent), stress relief (59.6 percent), improve overall health (58.5 percent) and physical fitness (55.1 percent).

The growth in the yoga market is reflected in the growth of Yoga Journal magazine, which recently announced a rate-base increase to 375,000 from 350,000 effective January 2013.

About Yoga Journal

Yoga Journal (yogajournal.com) is the most widely read yoga magazine in the world. It was founded in 1975 and now has 10 international editions. Yoga Journal hosts four major conferences a year, and produces many best-selling yoga DVDs. Yoga Journal magazine is now available on the iPad, Nook, and Kindle Platforms.

Yoga Journal is owned by Active Interest Media, Inc. (aimmedia.com), a consumer-enthusiast media company based in El Segundo, Calif., that serves a base of loyal constituents through print, events, and online products. The company was formed in October 2003 by Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist III and the private equity investment firm Wind Point Partners.

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Live Poultry Salmonella Outbreak Sickens

An ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium from baby chicks and ducklings has now sickened at least 224 people across 34 states, according to the latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of those ill, 26 percent have been hospitalized and 62 percent are children 10 years old or younger.

Investigators have traced the outbreak strain back to live poultry purchased from multiple feed stores and mail-order hatcheries around the country, but they are still working to determine the initial source.

The number ill by state is as follows:

Alabama (1), Arizona (5), California (6), Colorado (24), Florida (2), Georgia (3), Illinois (1), Indiana (7), Iowa (5), Kansas (13), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (6), Massachusetts (2), Minnesota (2), Mississippi (4), Missouri (16), Montana (1), Nebraska (10), Nevada (1), New Hampshire (1), New Mexico (13), New York (15), North Dakota (5), Oklahoma (9), Oregon (10), South Dakota (7), Tennessee (1), Texas (26), Utah (4), Vermont (1), Virginia (1), Washington (17), Wisconsin (2), and Wyoming (2).

Health officials recommend anyone handling live poultry to take special precautions and thoroughly wash their hands after contact. Young children are especially vulnerable to Salmonella infection and should be monitored carefully if handling chicks or ducklings.

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Japan to help fight diseases by screening massive drug compound 'libraries' for treatments

Global Health Innovative Technology Fund puts Japanese pharmaceutical companies, research institutes on front-lines of battle against TB, malaria and 'diseases of poverty

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), a new public-private partnership that’s bringing Japanese research and development (R&D) to the global fight against infectious disease, will announce at the 5th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) a series of historic agreements to screen compound libraries at Japanese pharmaceutical companies and research institutes for new treatments for malaria, tuberculosis, and other afflictions that prey mainly on the poorest of the poor.

“These thirteen agreements are just the first of what we expect will be many global health partnerships facilitated and funded by the GHIT Fund that tap into Japan’s enormous capacity for innovation and technology,” said BT Slingsby, MD, PhD, MPH, who serves as CEO and executive director of the GHIT Fund.

The GHIT Fund is a public-private partnership between the government of Japan, a consortium of Japanese pharmaceutical companies (Astellas Pharma Inc.; Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.; Eisai Co., Ltd.; Shionogi & Co., Ltd.; and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Launched with a potential five-year commitment of over US$100 million, the fund is unique in that it involves a consortium of pharmaceutical companies who initiated a partnership with government and civil society to support research and development for neglected diseases.

It also is the first time the Japanese government, a longtime top-funder of international aid, has made a significant commitment to developing new technologies that target diseases that are mainly a burden on poor countries.

The Fund’s inaugural efforts are financing the work of three non-profit product development partnerships (PDPs) to search for new drug candidates in compound libraries maintained by Japanese pharmaceutical companies and research institutes. The PDPs involved in the work are the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).

TB Alliance is partnering with Eisai Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Shionogi & Co., Ltd. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd in a search for compounds that show potential to fight deadly, drug-resistant TB strains that are undermining efforts to control the global TB epidemic.

“We applaud the GHIT collaboration for providing a meaningful mechanism to facilitate Japanese companies’ involvement in TB drug research,” said Mel Spigelman, MD, president and CEO of TB Alliance. “These agreements enable access to the compound libraries of Japan’s top pharma companies, which could help identify tomorrow’s new and improved TB cures.”

MMV is partnering with Eisai Co., Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., along with the Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN) and Kitasato Institute, to seek out new candidates for treating malaria. There is an urgent need for new malaria treatments as resistance to the most effective drugs now available, artemisinin combination therapies or ACTs, has emerged in Southeast Asia and could spread elsewhere.

“MMV congratulates the Japanese government and Japanese pharmaceutical companies for launching this innovative, cross-sectoral initiative to address diseases of the developing world, such as malaria,” said Dr. David Reddy, PhD, CEO of MMV. “Every minute of every day a child in Africa dies from malaria. Working with the GHIT Fund and Japanese organizations will provide MMV access to novel Japanese compounds, expertise and support, which we hope will open the door to new, breakthrough malaria medicines to help stop this unnecessary loss of life.”

DNDi is partnering with Eisai, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, the Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN) and Kitasato Institute as part of its effort to find new treatments for three neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that threaten hundreds of millions of people worldwide: leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and sleeping sickness (Human African trypanosomiasis or HAT). Leishmaniasis, a parasite-borne disease transmitted by sandflies, has a “visceral” form that can kill and a cutaneous form that causes painful, scarring skin ulcers. Chagas disease, a parasite-borne disease transmitted by insects known as “kissing bugs,” kills more people in Latin America than any other parasitic disease. Sleeping sickness is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly. The disease affects mostly poor populations living in remote rural areas of Africa. Untreated, it is usually fatal.

“Japanese companies and research institutes are doing more than just giving us access to their compound libraries to identify new promising drugs to treat patients for neglected diseases. The GHIT Fund partnership provides an opportunity for DNDi to expand collaborations with leading Japanese pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and academia,” said Bernard Pécoul, MD, MPH, executive director, Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative. “GHIT is a catalyst for innovation and partnership creation for other governments to follow.”

The aforementioned 13 partnerships to probe the various drug compound libraries emerged from a call for proposals issued by the GHIT Fund in April that was open to all Japanese companies and research institutions and to international PDPs developing new tools to fight infectious disease. Additional agreements are expected from this call for proposals. The GHIT Fund plans to seek another round of proposals that could prompt more Japanese companies and research organizations to offer their compound libraries for screening.

In addition, the GHIT Fund also is seeking grant proposals for partnerships focused on developing new medicines, vaccines or diagnostics that seek to reduce the burden of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and a constellation of other debilitating afflictions that disproportionately affect poor people in developing countries. A key requirement is partnership: each proposal must involve both a Japanese partner and an international collaborator already working in global health R&D.

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Brazil Halts Happy Hooker Anti-AIDS Promo

Brazil's health ministry has removed a web page proclaiming "I am happy being a prostitute."

The message was aimed at reducing the AIDS-related stigma suffered by prostitutes, but it was dropped from the ministry's website Tuesday.

Health Minister Alexandre Padilha told reporters: "I don't think this is a message the ministry should be sending. Our campaigns orient people how to avoid sexual transmitted diseases."

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HPV a Growing Cause of Upper Throat Cancer

Doctors have known for some time that a sexually spread virus can cause some types of oral cancer. But actor Michael Douglas' comments on his own throat cancer in a newspaper story Monday threw a spotlight on a subject not often discussed.

And it raises a lot of questions:

—What virus can cause oral cancer?

HPV, the human papillomavirus. It's best known for causing cervical cancer and genital warts. It also can be spread by oral sex, and men are more susceptible than women. It is a growing cause of certain types of oral cancer — those in the upper throat, at the base of the tongue and in the tonsils.

Indeed, studies suggest that HPV can be blamed for 60 to 80 percent of cancers of the upper throat.

—What's the risk of getting oral cancer from performing oral sex?

About 2.5 million Americans are estimated to have oral HPV infections. But only about 14,000 cases of that type of cancer are expected this year, suggesting the risk of developing this cancer is low.

The virus is hard to avoid. As many as 75 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with it at some point. Most people clear the infection on their own within two years. Some, however, have difficulty ridding themselves of HPV. And in some cases, the virus creeps down through tiny fissures in the base of the tongue or in the tonsils to lodge deep in the tissue.

Those deep-settling infections can become dangerous cancers that often aren't diagnosed until they're at a late stage, experts say.

—What are the symptoms for upper throat cancer?

Symptoms can include a sore throat that doesn't go away, pain or trouble swallowing, a lump in the back of the throat, ear pain and voice changes.

—Men are at greater risk?

Apparently, yes. A small study in Baltimore found men accounted for about 85 percent of recent HPV-related oral cancers, said Dr. Sara Pai, a Johns Hopkins University researcher.

Experts believe men have lower amounts of antibody protection against HPV, she added.

—What should I do if my girlfriend or boyfriend has an HPV infection?

Abstain from oral sex, experts advise, though if you've had sex you likely were already infected. And use condoms during vaginal intercourse.

—How do I know if my partner has an HPV infection?

Usually there aren't symptoms, though there may be genital warts. Or a woman might learn from her gynecological exam that she has it. But there is no such testing for men.

—If a woman had an infection but subsequent tests suggest it's gone, is it safe to have oral sex with her again?

Probably. Bear in mind that if you are her partner, you've probably been exposed already.

The issue is not so much whether or not people are exposed to HPV. Rather, it's that some people develop cancer from exposure and some do not, said Dr. Maura Gillison, an HPV expert at Ohio State University.

—Is there a greater risk from a person who's had many sex partners?

Yes, that's the greatest risk factor. HPV is highly communicable, so it only takes sex with one partner to infect you. But the more partners, the greater the chance you've been exposed, Gillison said.

—Isn't there a vaccine against HPV that's available to males?

Yes, but it's recommended for boys before they first have sex. Experts say it generally doesn't work after someone's already been exposed to HPV. There is some work being done on a therapeutic vaccine against HPV, but such a treatment is believed to be many years away, at best.

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Eating Well Could Help Spread Disease, Water Flea Study Suggests

Plentiful food can accelerate the spread of infections, Edinburgh scientists have shown in a study of water fleas.

Scientists studying bacterial infections in tiny water fleas have discovered that increasing their supply of food can speed up the spread of infection. They carried out the study to better understand factors that affect how diseases are transmitted.

Researchers found that when a population of parasite-infected water fleas was well-fed, some of them became highly contagious, compared with when food was limited.

Microscopic image of water flea (Daphnia).

Epidemic spread

"If we have an idea of which individuals transmit a lot of disease, we will be better able to stop its spread," said Dr Pedro Vale, School of Biological Sciences.

Scientists say the discovery highlights that, under certain conditions, some individuals may be more prone to spreading disease than others.

Their findings could help inform ways to monitor and control the spread of infections, such as epidemics, in large populations.

Some well-fed water fleas were more infectious than others because they were able to survive for longer with the parasite, giving it more time to multiply.

Parasite growth

Scientists at the University studied the impact of food quantity on the spread of a bacteria parasite that grows in the water flea gut, releasing infectious spores when the water flea dies.

Among those water fleas that were well-fed, some were found to be carrying many more parasites than others, and so were more prone to spreading the disease.

The study, published in Biology Letters, was supported by the Wellcome Trust and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France.

"We know that contact between individuals is important; but now we know that, for some animals at least, nutrition may also play an important role in the spread of disease," said Vale.

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