Yoga   Yoga: For Health and Much More

The DeafYoga Foundation and the International Sivananda Organization offer the world’s first-ever Yoga Teacher Training Course (TTC) for the deaf community. This mainstreamed, month-long training course is nestled in the Catskill Mountains, located at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch in Woodbourne, New York.

Through the efforts of these two non-profit organizations, they are leading the way “to finally bridge the gap between deafness and yoga,” says Lila Lolling, DeafYoga Foundation’s founder. The DeafYoga Foundation was created from the realization that the deaf community has limited, or no, access to Yoga. “Deaf people have been curious about Yoga for years, with its mainstreamed advertising and current popularity,” she explains. “However, deaf people haven’t really been able to freely explore the meaning of yoga prior to our organization. To date, we have served more than 1,000 deaf and signing people through our service projects, programs and the DeafYoga for Beginners DVD.”

Currently, there is only one certified deaf yoga teacher in the United States. There are some 28 million deaf and hard of hearing people in this country alone. These numbers show the importance of this training course and the doors its opening for deaf people to finally gain equal access to Yoga.

For more information, visit deafyoga.org.

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You might think that an experienced attorney-one who has helmed a business litigation firm and practiced international law in the Principality of Monaco – would have vision. A vision of keen legal strategy and fierce courtroom battles, perhaps. But a passionate vision of the ultimate Yin/Yang workout so desperately needed in a time when physical, mental and emotional balance is sought, but rarely found?
After nearly two decades in high-powered legal and business arenas, Kimberly Fowler now devotes her career to spreading a breakthrough health and fitness philosophy: Combining the practices of spinning and yoga with proper nutrition to achieve new levels of health and fitness and to reverse the aging process.

Fowler’s vision became reality in August of 2001 when the flagship location of her Southern California-based chain of YAS Yoga and Spinning fitness center opened to the public with a bang! At YAS, students experience unique Spinning and Yoga classes in tandem, designed to provide the ultimate balanced workout to strengthen the body, mind and spirit. As perfect foils, Spinning provides a hard-core cardio workout to Yogas more introspective, yet challenging energy.

YAS might be just a metaphor to describe Fowler herself. After receiving her bachelors and masters degrees from Boston University and attending Cambridge University and the South Texas College of Law for her juris doctorate, Fowler’s career was on the fast track-taking her from partner in her own law firm of Nash, Simone & Fowler in Houston, Texas to law practice in Monaco to President/CEO of her own private equity consulting firm. Yet, having been a professional athlete, Fowler realized she was missing more of the inner-looking purpose to her career.

Her next step was to combine her legal and business acumen with her love of health and fitness, serving as COO/General Council for The Winning Combination, a large, privately owned health and preventative care vitamin company specializing in all-natural supplements. She then went on to serve as President/CEO of TurboGenics, an anti-aging supplement line developed by Dr. Ronald Katz.

Today, Fowler has trained her sights on the expansion of YAS as well as writing a book and producing a video on Yoga and Sports, which will feature cross training for all sports with yoga. Both the book and the video are due out in August 2003.

What most people don’t know, Fowler is of the belief that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything at any age. Who would begin a career in the fitness industry at the age of 42?

Having come from an impoverished background, no one in Fowler’s family had ever gone to college. Self motivated and driven, she put herself through college and law school.

In her last year of law school, Fowler was diagnosed with a brain tumor and told that she had only one year to live. Now, most people would listen to their doctor and do whatever it is that they were told, but this was NOT in her plans. She walked out of the hospital, finished law school and is still here to tell the story.

Fowler is a perfect example of how powerful the mind and spirit can be. Through YAS, Fowler has donated her time and her studio to raise money for many cancer organizations, and is being honored in the May/June issue of LA Yoga Magazine, featured in their SEVA (selfless service) report.

For more information, visit go2yas.com.

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World-renowned environmentalist and landscape architect Jamie Durie brings his “Outdoor Room” concept from his native Australia to the United States in HGTV’s The Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie. During the new weekly series, which premiered last month, Jamie, known for his visionary design aesthetic, travels the world in search of inspiration for lackluster backyards. Armed with intriguing shapes, colors and textures from his journeys, he helps homeowners create the ultimate outdoor oasis.

In the premiere episode, homeowners Glenn and Amie want to transform the unused courtyard area of their mid-century Pasadena, Calif. home. The couple, who enjoys yoga and meditation, envisions a serene space where they can relax. Jamie immediately thinks of Bali, a place where flowing water, wood and lush tropical plants are used in design to create a tranquil atmosphere.

The design plan begins with the team removing the courtyard’s old, uneven concrete and painting the walls a soothing, earthy green. A 10-inch deep infinity pool, complete with traditional stepping stones carved from white marble and several varieties of floating plants, creates a quintessential Balinese-style mediation area. In addition, Jamie includes plenty of traditional dark wood décor in a new outdoor dining area.
In future episodes, Jamie will find inspiration in U.S. cities such as Palm Springs, Sonoma and Key West as well as in global destinations including Japan, Mexico, Italy and Thailand.

For more information, visit hgtv.com.

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