What an Encore!

Thank you to all who participated and supported our Encore Event on Thursday, March 25th. It was wonderful to see so many individuals involved once again.

We had a wonderful Roundtable discussion and so enjoyed the feedback we received directly from the community that we are hoping to gather again in the near future. Remember, your opinion counts and your feedback is imperative for  the growth of YogaHub.

Our Encore Event is still available to listen to until midnight on March 31st.

A big reminder: March Magic is still here. It does not end until midnight on March 31st. That said, we heard from many people that it was not affordable for them, so yesterday we launched an “All Access Pass,” which gives access to the site only, excluding the iPod. We hope this will be beneficial to those of you who made us aware of your situation.

Namaste

Are You Sleep Deprived?

Sleep deprivation. Two words that strike a chord with many of us. Lack of sleep is something that most people go through at some time in their lives.

Anything can trigger a sleepless night – an overload of mental activity, lack of physical activity, emotional stress, ingestion of stimulating food or drink, noise, light, change in environment, menopause for women, heart disease, high blood pressure…the list goes on.

Sometimes, if a person is fortunate, lack of sleep only affects them for one or two nights. For those who consistently have trouble sleeping, however, it's a far more serious problem that can often have life-threatening consequences.

So is this an isolated individual issue or is it rapidly escalating into becoming a societal one? Dr. Glenn Wollman, a Western-trained Emergency Medicine/Integrative Medicine specialist and an expert on sleep disorders, observes that “We are now living in a society where over 60% of people are sleep deprived. For the most part, we have a society that is overweight, overstressed, under-exercised, and lacks sleep, and the numbers are reaching epidemic proportions. They're not doing the things they should be doing to take care of themselves, and this is being passed on to children. Our society focuses on sickness when it should be focusing on wellness."
 
At our recent Virtual World Yoga Conference, we were fortunate enough to have Dr. Wollman present “Sleep Suite,” a session on sleep disorders. Dr. Wollman stressed the importance of understanding the need for a “quality night's sleep” and how it can influence our “awakened” life. He took participants through an enlightening session that included a brief history of sleep and sleep science, and provided some guidelines on how to prepare a quality sleep plan.

Dr. Wollman's passion to support individuals with sleep imbalance prompted him to create a CD several years ago. Not only is this CD is a soothing musical experience but it is specifically created with sounds that promote certain vibrational qualities in our brains to guide us as we drift off into our sleep and help us awake the next day feeling invigorated.

For more information on sleep disorders, check out Dr. Glenn Wollman's article on sleep in YogaHub's articles section or pick up a copy of his Sleep Suite CD online here.

Yoga Nidra – also known as “Yogic sleep” – is another practice that can be conducive to improving an individual's sleeping patterns. Yoga Nidra is a meditation as well as relaxation practice that calms the mind and body, thereby enabling an individual to achieve full relaxation.

YogaHub was fortunate to have two experts in the art of Yoga Nidra present workshops for us at the Virtual Conference. Jennifer Reis, an extraordinary teacher and therapist who leads students into deep healing relaxation and wholeness with Yoga Nidra, presented “Yoga Nidra: Guided Relaxation for Deep Peace and Healing.” Her workshop focused on an explanation of what Yoga Nidra is, its benefits and effects, and how to practice it.

Julie Lusk, CEO of Wholesome Resources and author of a series of highly received books including “30 Scripts for Relaxation” and the Mind-Body eBook Collection, presented “Relax Deeply with Yoga Nidra: Take a 3-hour nap in 30 minutes," during which she guided participants on a conscious tour through the body, teaching them how to strengthen brain/body connections and influence the brain itself. Using a special breathing technique, she showed students how to balance body, mind and spirit to relieve stress, achieve full relaxation and replenish energy.

Both Jennifer and Julie have wonderful supportive CDs and books to assist and support every individual through their journey towards balance.

For those who are interested in listening to Dr. Wollman's, Julie Lusk's, or Jennifer Reis', presentations or transformative workshops, they are available by enrolling through YogaHub's “March Magic” event until March 31st, 2010 giving you a years access to these individuals and many others.

The following websites may also be of help:

• National Sleep Foundation website
• Tips for Getting Better Sleep
• 8-Minute Workout: Yoga for Better Sleep
• Yoga for Sleep

Are you a Winner?

We've done our draws for the “All Access Pass” and a free ticket to 2011's Conference. If you don't know whether you are a winner, check on our community globe to find out. If you are a winner and have not heard from us, remember to check your MyYogaHub avatar or your spambox, or contact us immediately.

Cyberspace Issues…

During the Encore Event we received an interesting number of emails informing us of difficulties that individuals were encountering. We apologize and promise to look into why you may have had issues. We do encourage you to continue to let us know what your experiences are in order for us to continue to improve and grow.

Cyberspace is a tricky place. Any number of issues can arise, depending on the day, the internet connection, age of the computer, browser you are using (our site states to use either the latest version of Firefox or Safari for the best user experience), static on the phone line…the list goes on and on. We can only do our best to resolve any issues encountered by our global community – but we assure you that we give every issue our utmost attention.

We thank you for your continued patience, and please do remember that even though we are constantly improving the user experience, there may be times when an area that is upgraded can possibly adversely affect another area.

Your Feedback Counts

Just a little note for everyone. We shall be sending out a survey to you in the next week or so. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to give us your feedback so that we can map out the next possible changes to occur in the future.

Updates from the Blog:

My Virtual Playground by Segovia Smith

Since February 22nd, things just haven’t been the same. Yes, there’s work to do, and yes, the planning and future development of the site will continue forward. But like I’ve heard from so many of you throughout our community - “I wanted more!”  Continue Reading...

Taking the Time to Heal by Christina Souza Ma

It's been quite a journey these past three months. I still cannot believe what we were able to accomplish in such a short time. Continue Reading...

 

Other Insightful Blog Posts:

• Neti Pot-less! by Francesca Silva
• Acting and Softball by Elbert Traister
• Working through the Pain by Francesca Silva