What's New in the World of Yoga:

There are quiet angels walking among us everywhere, even in our prison systems. These individuals selflessly share their love of yoga with other less fortunate people, such as young and adult prisoners, who are leading less than ideal lives.

Two such generous and visionary teachers are Krishna Kaur of Y.O.G.A for Youth in Los Angeles, and Gary Fernandes, founder of Jailhouse Yoga in Seattle. Their commitment to this often forgotten community is providing a real solution for reducing the tensions and stresses experienced by those living in an incarcerated community.

Y.O.G.A. for Youth is now in its tenth year of serving teens living in detention centers. Their mission is "providing urban youth with tools of self-discovery that foster hope, discipline and respect - for self, others and community." Y.O.G.A. for Youth's program is led by trained professional yoga teachers who offer intensive yoga and meditation practices over six months. As one youth who participated in the program reflects, "During the meditation, I started thinking…Do our conditions become our excuse or crutch for not taking risks in life?"

Gary Fernandes of Jailhouse Yoga not only organizes yoga teachers who volunteer in local prison and detention centers, but he has also provided a "Get started" guide on how to replicate this work in your own community. This step-by-step guide gives individuals "an opportunity to make a difference: A profound privilege of causing and participating in one's own transformation, the transformation of others, and the transformation of life itself. One step at a time..."

A group of inmates at the Seattle King County Youth Detention Center and Adult Correctional Center were recently asked "What do you think about yoga classes?" One inmate's response was "I think that yoga class is a place that you can express your emotions in your body expression. I think yoga is good because you can release a lot of emotion and feeling and come out refreshed and feeling like you can accomplish what you came here to do." Another inmate said "It gives me hope to feel better about myself and the future without using cigs, alcohol or drugs."

What's New at YogaHub:

We are honored to introduce Megan McDonough, our newest YogaHub contributing author. We invite and encourage you to join the conversation through our blog as she shares her combined wisdom of being a yoga teacher with her skills in business.

In next weeks issue you can follow along and participate in our "21-Day Marketing Challenge", how to build momentum in your yoga business.

For more details please read her recent blog post below.

Updates from the Blog:

21-day Challenge

What would happen in your yoga business if you focused your marketing efforts on one specific goal for 21 days in a row?

Yoga professionals have a whole series of tasks related to running a yoga business. Our day can be a constant movement from one unrelated task to another. At the end of the day, it's easy to feel exhausted and frustrated as we realize that yet another day has gone by without our being able to take action on that big dream or even a simple wish. Continue Reading...

Enjoying a Gong Bath

Yoga students at the Focus Yoga studio in Brookfield, Illinois, are enjoying a nurturing environment of yoga and meditation with the repeated sound of gongs resonating in their ears. This unusual and imaginative way of practicing yoga is known as a "gong bath." Continue Reading...

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• World Series of Poker - Part 4:
  I can't believe I made it to Day 2!
• Shooting Hoops through Yoga
• Mother and Daughter Yoga