From the Red Sea to Freedom

From the Red Sea into Freedom

From Egypt to Freedom

"Recover your energy and Recharge your Inner vitality”

The Egypt International Yoga Festival's remarkable history: The 1 st Egypt International Yoga Festival of March 2006 was the very first time such an event had ever taken place in Egypt or the Middle East for that matter. Chief Organizer Dr. Hossam Darwish, vice president of the Arab Yoga committee and an expert in tourism events and Producer/ Consultant Anthony Sadasiva created an historic event that far exceeded expectations. The Festival was embraced, supported and attended by representatives of the entire international community. Many learned that Yoga is the art of right living. It is a system of integral education, education of not only body, mind or intellect, but also the inner spirit, the inner Light for Radiant Health! This was the successful message, embraced and understood by all who attended the 1st International Yoga Festival.

Fifth International Egyptian Yoga Festival is an event for yoga enthusiasts of all levels and traditions.

“Reclaim your lost energy and vitality”

”Egypt back to freedom“

DOMINA CORAL BAY ELISIR Hotel

"Recover your energy and Recharge your Inner vitality”

For the second time in Egypt and the Middle East, T.E.N Tours Egypt is organizing Egypt's 2nd International Yoga Festival during the time between March 24th to 31st, 2007. With an early start for Yoga. Chief Organizer Dr. Hossam Darwish, vice president of the Arab Yoga committee.

3rd Year History

The third Egypt international yoga festival was organized between Egypt and Jordan "The Wonders Of The World Peace Pilgrimage: From Giza To Petra" May 30- June 7, 2008

4th Year History

The Fourth Egypt international yoga festival was organized between Egypt and Lebanon under the name yoga Love between the mother of the world “Egypt” and the grandmother of the world “Lebanon” April 6- April 13 ,2010 Chief Organizer “Dr. Hossam Darwish, vice president of the Arab Yoga committee. and the event sponsor by Arab yoga lover committee in Lebanon .

Current 5th Year!

Egypt Fifth International Yoga Festival 25 -30 NOV 2011 red sea -Sharm El-sheikhwill focus on your connection with yourself and your connection with others. Through Yoga, Meditation, Relaxation, Self-inquiry and Voice Work, you will connect inwardly. Through Partner Yoga, Massage Tantsu, Sharing, Dance, Existential Dyads, and Chanting and shared experiences you will open up to connect with others.

Contact

Come and join us! Come alone and meet new friends! Come with friends, students, family... Sign up now for Egypt Yoga Festival 2011!

The festival manger:

What We will do and Who can come?

The Yoga Festival is an event for yoga enthusiasts of all levels and traditions. Beginner classes give a gentle introduction to easy yoga that anyone can do. Strong dynamic yoga classes challenge the more experienced practitioners. In Akro Yoga, Partner Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage you explore fun and supportive ways to do yoga with others. We have interesting workshops for both new and experienced practitioners, workshops that teach techniques to open up and relax. Our most experienced teachers take you into new yoga experiences where you connect with your body’s own intelligence, discovering new ways of finding optimal alignment, enhancing your natural fitness and aliveness.

Levels and experience

The Yoga classes are designed to be for both you who are beginners and the more experienced. Dance Classes require no previous experience, and are designed to help you focus on connecting with your body, inner being and the joy of movement.

Bring your own mat. We suggest an ecologically friendly mat that does not use PVC.

Getting Here

If you require assistance getting to sharm El-sheikh Red Sea, please contact reservation@memphistours.com Memphistours.com is our travel and tours sponsor they will make travel arrangements. They can advise you on the best mode and route of travel.

Prices: Early registration before 15 September 2011 - $ 625 per person

Normal price:$699 per person

Above Rates Include:

5 Nights accommodation at 5* Deluxe Hotel in Sharm on Full Board Basis (Buffet Breakfast, Light Lunch, Buffet Dinner). - Free transportation to / from / to Sharm Airport will be offered. - Attending All Festival's activities (Opening & Closing Ceremonies, all mentioned classes and workshops in the day by day itinerary). Visit our festival program day by day .

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Yoga Alliance and the 2011 Texas Yoga Conference

Yoga Alliance and the 2011 Texas Yoga Conference

Yoga Alliance and the 2011 Texas Yoga

Conference

“We are right, we know what is right, we can support or sink you. Pay us a lot of money and keep quiet.”

- anonymous yoga teacher commenting on Yoga Alliance

Recorded February 26th, 2011

The real tragedy in the Yoga Alliance saga is that the people who really were affected by their dishonesty, and their complete inability to "own" their problems - are the same people who subscribe to their service. Rather than holding a healthy respect for yoga, Yoga Alliance has opened the gates and paraded low standards as a badge to be worn with pride. The board of Yoga Alliance are the new corporate titians of yoga - because thats where there focus is - which is nothing short of a reluctance to admit fault or failure.

With the New Chairs of Yoga Alliance (Annie Mahon, Brandon Hartsell, Margie Deutsch Lash, Linda Rowe) they are still headed in the direction of blatant Yoga Corporatism.

Rather than admitting that Yoga Alliance messed up, they continue to douse their embedded problems with gasoline and asking their subscribers to strike and continue to carry the torch. What yogis are simply not realizing is that by adhering to Yoga Alliance's unlawful parameters, yoga teachers are losing their ability to earn money - specifically, because Yoga Alliance rules cater to a select few, and are not enforceable, costly and useless in relation to their mediocre "novice" credentialing.

New Developments:

Yoga Alliance is in the business of Credentialing but also it's not in the business of credentialing.  Sorry for all the confusion! 

Our Credentialing process is not working currently.

Our delivery mechanisms are not working, either.

We are sorry that one of our nameless board members and one of our nameless employees abused YOUR Yoga's loyalties.

We don't take a side on yoga credentialing, we follow things that are popular and don't comment on them publicly.

Beware of opportunistic organizations that will divide yoga [more than Yoga Alliance already divided it.] (Yoga may not trust us, but we don't trust you, either)

We want to slow the process down long enough till we catch up to where Yoga Alliance should be.

We are building our process up once again... please be patient and don't trust any other Yoga Credentialing entity.

FIVE AUDIO RECORDINGS FROM THE TEXAS YOGA CONFERENCE

#1-YogaAlliance-TYC-2011

#2-YogaAlliance-TYC-2011

#3-YogaAlliance-TYC-2011

#4-YogaAlliance-TYC-2011

#5-YogaAlliance-TYC-2011

The Above Recordings show four important things:

Yoga Alliance has come into the Texas Yoga Regulation at the END of the fight and basically claimed ownership over the whole process.

John Matthews publicly admits that Yoga Alliance is not up to par, is not functioning, and ARE NOT in the business of actually CHALLENGING United States GOVERNMENT Laws - meaning the responsibility still falls on YOU the Yoga Teachers, the Yoga Studios and Yoga Practitioners.

The process for Yoga Regulation was started by Jennifer Buergermeister and other members of the Texas Yoga Association - NOT Yoga Alliance - The whole reason that the Texas Yoga Association was formed in the first place was because Yoga Alliance had nothing to contribute -

If Nebraska, Utah, Texas, New York, Virginia, Washington State, Missouri or ANY state was going through Yoga Regulation - the only thing Yoga Alliance could do is say "Please Stop," and that's all. If the Government says "no" - then they are constrained by their own rules.

John Matthews originally from Louisiana, played the Southern gentleman in Texas tonight by addressing almost every single point of contention brought up by Yoganomics. For almost two years now, Yoganomics has been pressing Yoga Alliance about the blatant misconduct and irresponsibility in handling the credentialing process for yoga - without any comment from Yoga Alliance. At the Texas Yoga Conference, John Matthews readily admits that Yoga Alliance has just filed for a new non-profit status as a Trade Association, and that at the current point and time, Yoga Alliance's Credentialing process is incomplete, openly admitting that the current structure of Yoga Alliance is not working and that the current structure is not really suited for credentialing yoga teachers.

Is Yoga Alliance too late, or will that be just the amount of standardization they need to compete for a legalized spot to credential yoga nationwide. You decide.

Without mentioning his name, John Matthews defers Yoga Alliance "credentialing" responsibility to the workings of the previous Yoga Alliance president, Mark Davis. He apologized and said that because of the beliefs of a Yoga Alliance chair "person" and one other employee, that Yoga Alliance took actions that were against the ever changing Yoga Alliance mission, and continued to say:

"We do not take a Libertarian point of view for Credentialing.... It is not in our mission to take a stand on that (Government Policies)... Rather than try to make the Government intervention work, we (Yoga Alliance) think it's better to avoid it entirely. So we (Yoga Alliance) take a straight up and down stand on it. Does that make sense?? And that has always been our position. I am so sorry that we... that we were led down... we uh, however it happened... (pause) That we took action against our own position. (reference to the older Yoga Alliance Mission) ... We don't do that anymore." [direct quote]

Yoga Alliance was saved from the ditches because of the tireless and hard work of unnamed Yoga Alliance chair Lynn Bushnell, who worked so hard to save Yoga Alliance. He continues to say that right now they are launching all new programs that they "should have launched 5, 6, or 8 years ago." [direct quote]

John Matthews went on to say that Yoga Alliance has "a very clear black and white, not nuanced position, we come down very firmly against government regulation of yoga... (even though they refuse to take a position on all) but that Yoga Alliance has tried to stay out of yoga regulation "

"I didn't know how bad things were [at Yoga Alliance]." - John Matthews [direct quote]

He continues to say that the problem with Government Regulation is that it kills smaller studios and they are the ones hardest hit. Yoga Alliance is prepared to "mitigate and insert ourselves into the marketplace and help adjust the marketplace." [Direct Quote]

One Yoga Studio owner asked Someone asked You say you don't want to be with corporate yoga, but your two new board members are very corporate... YogaFit and Sunstone Yoga, so to me they're kind of contradictory.

Willy Collins answered by saying that both corporations YogaFit and Sunstone Yoga are committed to non-regulation, but neither Willy Collins or John Matthews answered directly why Sunstone Yoga or Yogafit were chosen for Yoga Alliance's Board.

John Matthews went quite in-depth about new practices of Yoga Alliance - and although he incorrectly blamed the last Yoga Alliance President and a past Yoga Alliance worker for Yoga Alliances betrayal towards yoga, he did bring up some interesting points. Out of the 5 digital recordings that were sent, I had to listen to them four or five times each recording.

My hope is to make those recording available online very soon.

It is very important to be able to read between the lines when listening to the mostly true remarks about Yoga Alliance. I am sure that John Matthews was as honest as he could be, but without a doubt, for a fact that many of the things he said were purely speculative propaganda.

Yoga Alliance does NOT have the power to manipulate a "yoga market-share" for one reason above all others: the majority of yoga teachers and studios in the USA - and the world for that matter - DO NOT belong to Yoga Alliance. Yoga Alliance is NOT a Federal Reserve of Yoga. They are hanging on for dear life, and this faulty - bid for more time - and misguided allegation is false, false and false.

Yoga Alliance does not have 40,000 members, unless they are lying on their 2009 Non-profit Tax Return, in which they had 21,000 members.

Yoga Alliance can manipulate behind closed doors. Transparency is the only KEY to their survival.

Yoga Alliance moans: "Don't start another credentialing "opportunistic" yoga entity, because they will only succeed in dissolve the validity of yoga more (than we already have) - when, in fact - the only thing that has united yoga in the past five years was directly because Yoga Alliance was not involved in the process for the "Yoga for NY" and "Virginia Yoga Teachers" movement - led by yoga teachers, yoga practitioners, and yoga studios - again - the only reason unification occurred was because yoga stood up for themselves.

Because of Yoga Alliance's manipulative closed door policies, secret meetings where they hired and fired incriminating Yoga Alliance employees, and regulative actions between the years of 2006 through 2010 - they almost lost the right to have anything to do with yoga.

As Yoganomics has pointed out the flaws within Yoga Alliance, they have changed for the better. Are they telling the truth? No, not completely... but they are getting better at almost being partially honest, because it suits their own needs.

Yoga Alliance will get it right - eventually - however the real question is - will they be around as they continue to lie to the public... and will their members stick around till then.

2009-Yoga-Alliance-Tax-Return

2008-Yoga-Alliance-Tax-Return

2007-Yoga-Alliance-Tax-Return

How to hold yoga hostage for 12 years

How to hold yoga hostage for 12 years

"Yoga Alliance enhances your credibility as

a yoga professional ...."

At the Texas Yoga Conference, John Matthews said Yoga Alliance could manipulate the "Yoga Market-Share."

Let us examine how "Yoga Alliance" manipulate the "yoga market-share." Exactly, how would you guess that Yoga Alliance manipulates yoga?

“Blog Farming is the process of creating Blogs which are intended for a purpose other than adding value for its readers. Most of the blogs created contain duplicate content or content which do not add any value.”

BlogFarming101

The Manipulation of the Yoga market-share means that Yoga Alliance can, and will:

1. Sell subscribers information to other corporations through newsletter offers and/or direct sale of newsletter list's.
2. Have blog farms to help create and manage meaningless PR "buzz" which promotes more meaningless generic chatter that is made in meaningless half-statements -
3. Blog posts are created by corporate factory farms where unassuming corporate farm workers post and then repost unintelligible corporate marketing on ridiculous sub-domains that are only meant to boost Yoga Alliances ratings.
4. Yoga Alliance assumes that yoga as a whole is unfamiliar with the terms "inflated false-ego predominance for market-share."
5. Not answer subscribers direct credentialing questions when specifically asked.
6. Not respond, which means not return phone calls, when yogis call them from New York (NY For Yoga) or Virginia (Virginia Yoga Teachers) as the local state governments are closing in on on taxation... (allegedly because Yoga Alliance stays impartial to their subscribers, and it is "not their place to comment or interfere... however they claim to always have been "in" the business of "yoga credentialing") (hi - that is a total copout)
7. Quickly jumped at the chance to help Texas "continue" the fight for Yoga Credentialing, after the regulation fight had already been established.... but mainly because they could not be directly blamed for Texas Yoga Regulation.
8. Admitted in public that Yoga Alliance credentialing is worthless, and went on to say that how "they" (Yoga Alliance) survived for this long is nothing short of a miracle. (actually brow beating customers into renewal under misrepresented "false pretenses" by completely misleading and debasing the Yoga Alliance Subscribers.)
9. Consistently down played yoga credentialing in America since their formation in 1999.
10. John Matthews falsely denied knowing "anything" about Yoga Alliance's involvement in Yoga Regulation which was specifically regarding New York and Virginia.
11. John Mathews and Lynn Bushnell specifically asked Mark Davis to inquire about yoga credentialing in the United States - and the former President of Yoga Alliance, not only did as requested, but also called a large number of States and "educated them" on what role Yoga Alliance played in Yoga Credentialing and requested they adopt the 200/500 hour credentialing process when they are ready.
12. The foundation which Yoga Alliance is built upon is the opposite of what most professional yoga endorse. People like, for instance, the misrepresentation of yoga in America by making the standards for being a yoga teacher so low that now the market is flooded with the meaningless badge "RYT 200." (which they own the trademark for) (which is completely ludicrous since it is worthless)
13. Are hoping that Us Yoga Teachers will forget how they have taken them for granted.
14. Yoga Alliance has collected yoga teachers' information and money for 12 years and have absolutely nothing to show for it.
15. In thier own words they have confirmed Yoga Alliance's credentialing is meaningless, have moved from PA to VA on their subscriber's dime, refused to take responsibility for their role in Government Yoga Regulation, still will not return calls when the yoga teachers call, pay money to Lance Armstrong and other generic Web Blog Farms to promote Yoga Alliance PR to manipulate impressionable minds to believe that they are associated with popular and meaningful causes, manipulate subscribers into believing they are getting a "worthwhile" service - even though it was only after Brian Castellani began calling our business practices into question, that they began altering their bad actions.
16. It is a common marketing ploy to pay money to other non-profits (Lance Armstrong) and specific blog farming businesses to have them blog about how great Yoga Alliance is ... because we already know that "Yoga Alliance" is GREAT! We just aren't sure what they do exactly.
17. Yoga Regulation is in Nebraska, Utah, Michigan, Arizona, Washington State... has already happened and failed in New York and Virginia - NOT because of Yoga Alliance *BUT* because yoga teachers stood together when while Yoga Alliance was absent.

The ideal of what yogis want is a form of childhood mythos in relation to the outside world. It is unfortunate that Yoga Alliance will never be the benevolent voice that guides yoga, but rather a misguided voice leading innocent yogis to a monetized, proprietary and incomplete education failure.

John Matthews statement's about Yoga Alliance has specifically impeded Yoga Teachers ability to make more money for themselves by down playing yoga the importance of education - and as much as yoga practitioners may think they want to stay out of "Government regulation," the American Medical Association will change all that.

Why? Because yoga is already being used in the medical professional world as a way to rehabilitate, yoga Teachers are not getting paid for it. In Louisiana a yoga teacher will get paid $50.00, while the insurance company gets paid $175.00 - The American Medical Association will see to it that they extort their fair share of financial revenue, as will the insurance companies, and the Yoga Alliance Blue Dog Dems are biding their time to be in the middle of it, which has been their goal all along.

Yoga regulation and licensing is still happening in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and soon other states.

John Matthews, delinquent president of Yoga Alliance, after admitting that Yoga Alliance credentialing was not worth anything, said:

Yes... it true... Yoga Alliance credentialing isn't worth anything, but wait, things are on the way!

John Matthews - who has been quoted in NY, as stating the fabrication: We (Yoga Alliance) had no idea about yoga Regulation... I only began working for in 2010.

Until Yoganomics proved that John Matthews started contracting with Yoga Alliance in 2004, he again changed his story.

(And we are still wondering how rubber stamping paperwork can cost that much.)

Yoga Alliance cannot stop telling falsehoods, nor can they tell the truth. How long does yoga need to put up with cover up - after - cover up - from Yoga Alliance before we realize we need to take care of it ourselves?

The weight of the ever present "never mind" in John Matthews version:

John Matthews statements on the Texas Yoga Conference Audio files completely contradicts the information he what he says earlier at the New York Conference.

Yoga Alliance naively has squandered 12 years of practitioners time and money to finally admit that their credentialing process - is not worth anything.

Yoga Alliance has not been accountable to the yoga teachers that they allegedly serve, yet still collect money for them.

Yoga Alliance has fostered their corporate relationships - and have nothing else to show for it.

Yoganomics.net forced Yoga Alliance to explain - on record - their reasons for misappropriating their mission and business relationships - they NEVER commented on regulation, until Yoganomics forced them to talk.

Until yoga teachers took matters into their own hands and completed all of the hard work, Yoga Alliance is attempting to take all the credit for the work they didn't do.

John Matthews and Lynn Bushnell originally ordered Mark Davis to inquire to Wisconsin about Yoga Regulation and later blamed him and eventually fired him for it.

Yoga Alliance failed to secure their own yoga monopoly on yoga credentialing and later distanced themselves by playing both sides of the political yoga credentialing coin.

Yoga Alliance was founded in 1999, and John Matthews came to work for Yoga Alliance in 2004, which means he has been with them for over seven years.

Yoga Alliance attempted to push blame for yoga regulation off on scapegoat Ex-YA President Mark Davis and ex-worker Jeannine Frest, who directly took their orders from the Board of Yoga Alliance (which also included John Matthews).

Currently, Yoga Alliance has continued cover-up their past - not only to their own subscribers - but also to the yoga public.

Why does it really matter?

Most likely if a yoga teacher won't register for a yoga credential - what I write will not impact you at all.

However, if you believe that yoga, along with other Eastern and Indian modalities do indeed matter, then realize that Yoga Alliance is profiting from our own lack of responsibility to one another. The accountability of having one teacher putting their stamp of approval on another teacher's training are a memory of yesterday.

We are the few in yoga who took a stand, while most of the corporate yoga entities decided it was more important to protect earnings and continue selling client lists than talk about what was actually happening.

A dozen Non-Profit Board Members Does Not Represent The Whole of Yoga. We Do Not Need More Sequestered Propaganda.

Yoga needs Tangible Truth! These events only signify that there needs to be more discussion with active yoga teachers who want to participate in the future of world wide yoga, and not fear the inevitable unknown.

Yoga Teachers need a way to set their own standards, without the disconnected good ole boys from Yoga Alliance.

Yoganomics Testimonial - Carol Stall, Yoga Teacher

Yoganomics Testimonial - Carol Stall, Yoga Teacher

Good video Brian. I forwarded it to my #1 list and then sent an additional email to add the comments here. You can use some of it on your blog if you like but it's way more than 2 paragraphs. ;- ) Carol

Hello everyone,

Re. the issue of state regulation of yoga teacher training:

Brian Castellani is the one person currently doing the most raise the issue of state regulation of yoga teacher training programs as licensed career schools. Brian attended the Texas Yoga Conference in Houston last month and made videos of the meeting between yoga teacher trainers and representatives from Texas Workforce Commission, the agency that seeks to close down any yoga teacher training programs that cannot afford licensing, claiming that we fit the definition of a career school and are therefore operating illegally.

The video link that I sent in the previous message features Robert Boustany speaking out for a de facto distinction between yoga teacher training and career schools. Arguing with him is a member of TWC. Brian is also going soon to a conference in Louisiana for the same purpose.

Only the very largest teacher training programs will be able to afford the many thousands of dollars required to even begin this process, and even they will have to end up significantly increasing the tuitions of their programs to cover the costs of licensing, audits, and staff to take care of time-intensive paperwork. For the very large schools, possibly the only ones left standing, it can be a benefit as all their competition disappears. If this happens, Yoga will become standardized, students will be limited to studying only the styles large schools teach, and the rich variety of less well known styles, such as Vanda Scaravelli's, get swept under the so-called rug.

One of my chief concerns due to living in this state is that if teacher training is regulated, it is merely a foot in the door to eventually regulate and tax everything related to Yoga, include teaching, standards for certification, whether we are allowed to give hands on assists, etc. Even the massage therapy and chiropractic practitioners in Texas have been challenged in the past (at the request of physical therapists and medical doctors) as to their being "permitted" to touch clients.

The TWC representative says that will not happen, that they do not seek to regulate Yoga per se, and that is probably factual. Their agency apparently does not yet enforce regulations of other aspects of avocational pursuits. It may be another agency with a different agenda and different regulations that will be used to increase the reach of regulations over individual teachers and yoga studios. There is already a hint of that when TWC regulations define even an individual yoga teacher who offers workshops as a "career school," requiring all the licensing regulations of a true career school, under certain circumstances.

We as yoga teachers and yoga students must organize and speak with one voice if we are to have any chance of changing the law, so that thousands of yoga teacher training programs across the USA do not fall victim to state regulation of our programs. The best way to do that at this point is to become a member of Texas Yoga Association. Doing so will keep you apprised of new developments and let you know when you can participate in demonstrations, petitions, letter writing campaigns to your senators and representative, letters to the editor of your local newspaper, etc., whatever we need to make happen, so that Yoga can stay true to its thousands of years old history--free and unencumbered by government.

Do I have the freedom of speech to pass on to students what it takes to be a responsible yoga teacher? Do I have the freedom of speech to share with them what my experience has taught me? Or do I have to pay the state to have the right to do that? Do you?

These are the questions at stake here. Please take time to watch the youtube video link that I forwarded in the previous message

Thanks for being you.

Carol Stall

NOTE: Carol Stall practices and teaching Yoga and meditation classes and workshops; training yoga teachers; finishing up a yoga dvd; and is actively working on two books to publish relatively soon.

Texas Yoga Conference - February 19-20, 2010.

Texas Yoga Conference - February 19-20, 2010.

Texas Yoga Conference - February 19-20, 2010

The Texas Yoga Association could not have formed at a better time. These words have been echoed many times over the past few weeks from Houston to Austin to Dallas. In January 2010, the Texas Workforce Commission served more than 25 yoga studios and yoga teachers with correspondence suggesting that yoga training programs were subject to licensing laws pertaining to vocational schools under the state education code. Houston had been warned last fall that the yoga community was on the radar of the Texas Workforce Commission. It was only a matter of time before these letters were received. As Houston and Dallas studios were served by the Texas Workforce Commission simultaneously, we quickly learned the entire yoga community is subject to government scrutiny. Recognizing that the Texas yoga community was without an organization advocating for the rights of yoga in this state, Jennifer Buergermeister founded the Texas Yoga Association. Since the fall of 2009, the Texas Yoga Association had been researching these issues, looking at how other states are handling regulation, raising awareness in the Texas yoga community and planning for Texas to unite in order to respond. The Texas Yoga Association represents One Yoga, forming alliances among Texas yoga studios, teachers and students, and with yoga enthusiasts in other states, uniting the yoga community and promoting that we do more than practice yoga, we must Be Yoga. Although the Texas Yoga Association had planned to launch at the Texas Yoga Conference on February 19-20, 2010, the launch date would have to be pushed up to meet the deadlines issued by the Texas Workforce Commission.

On Sunday, January 17, 2010, Jennifer Buergermeister arranged for more than 25 Houston yoga studio owners, yoga teachers, and yoga supporters to gather, including Willy Collins and Kristin Scheel, two Houston pro bono attorneys, Sue Schecter, former State Representative for Harris County, and Brad and Brad Shields, two lobbyists from Austin. On Monday, January 18, 2010, David Sunshine, Kurt Johnsen and Vicki Johnson hosted a meeting of more than 20 Dallas yogis at the Dallas Yoga Center. Jennifer Buergermeister and Kristin Scheel travelled to Dallas representing the Texas Yoga Association. Brad and Brad Shields also attended the Dallas meeting. As these groups joined one spirit emerged: unity in this great community, to create a positive solution for yoga. We learned that as an association, the yoga community has greater standing under the law than we have as individuals. Like many other professions, the yoga community needs industry representation who works with government agencies and policy makers to educate state authorities about yoga. The union of the Texas yoga community was long overdue.

The groups explored a range of options concerning the primary issue of how to respond to the Texas Workforce Commission, while keeping in mind that the larger stake in this game is to preserve and protect the integrity of yoga for years to come. As the fifteen days quickly expired, the Texas Yoga Association legal advisers worked fervently to draft a unified response for the affected yoga teachers. Meanwhile, the Texas Yoga Association lobbyists set up an informational meeting between the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Yoga Association.

On Friday, January 29, 2010, Jennifer Buergermeister, Willy Collins, Kristin Scheel, and David Sunshine, Kurt Johnsen and Vicki Johnson met with the Texas Workforce Commission in Austin. The purpose of this meeting was to help the Texas Workforce Commission understand how yoga studios operate and the distinction of training programs held at studios from programs offered by vocational schools. Meetings lasted two hours and ended with the Texas Workforce Commission agreeing to give the Texas Yoga Association more time to assimilate to represent yoga across the state. Two things were clear by the end of our discussions: 1) The united response by yoga studios and teachers coordinated through the Texas Yoga Association has positively engaged the standing of yoga with state regulators, and the continued growth and organization of the Texas Yoga Association is vital for advocating for the integrity of yoga, and education of our government about yoga; and 2) The Texas Workforce Commission has not received responses from many other recipients, and it is critical that these yoga studios or teachers respond. If you have received a letter from the Texas Workforce Commission and have not sent in a response, and even if your fifteen days to respond has expired, we urge you to immediately respond to the state. The state will enforce these inquiries until you respond. The Texas Yoga Association resources are available to you if you would like to unite with our efforts. You have an opportunity to hear directly from the Texas Yoga Association and the Texas Workforce Commission at the Texas Yoga Conference (and maybe the Texas Workforce Commission will even do some yoga?).

This is only the beginning and there is much to be done at the grassroots level in order to succeed. We need to continue raising awareness of these issues in the yoga community and amongst yoga supporters. With every class we teach and every student we meet we have another opportunity. We must keep a unified front when advancing discussions with the Texas Workforce Commission, and share information relating to these communications. The Texas Yoga Association will continue to issue updates and connect people with each other and the pooling of resources. The Texas Yoga Association needs your help. We are setting up local charters in cities across the state of Texas. Dallas and Austin have set up charters, and we need to continue reaching out to establish charters in other regions. We need representation from the entire state in order to speak on behalf of the Texas yoga community as one. Fundraising and membership must begin immediately to generate donations for our political action fund. Our legal advisers have already spent at least 60 hours of probono time, plus travel, working with us. Our lobbyists have spent nearly 40 hours of pro bono time supporting us. We are blessed with the generosity of these people but we will have to be able to generate funds to sustain ourselves soon.

We will come together on February 19th & 20th as planned at the Texas Yoga Conference to continue building our spirit and developing our united representative community, the Texas Yoga Association. Be sure to join us on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 7 p.m. to discuss this issue with the Texas Yoga Association, learn more about its meeting with the Texas Workforce Commission, and consider the possible outcomes and solutions for the yoga community. Please also plan to attend a presentation about the state education code and possible exemptions given by the Texas Workforce Commission on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 8 a.m.

We are honored and grateful for your support, and the support of our advisers,

Houston Pro Bono Attorney/litigator:

William J. Collins, III Sheehy, Ware & Pappas, P.C.

2500 Two Houston Center

909 Fannin Street

Houston, Texas 77010

(713) 951-4603

Dallas Pro Bono Attorney/litigator:

John V. McShane

McShane & Davis, LLP

Campbell Center, Tower I

8350 N. Central Expy., Suite 1200

Dallas, Texas 75206-1624

(214) 365-9030

Austin Lobbyists:

Brad Shields

Shields Leglislative Associates

208 W 14th Street

Austin, TX 78701

(512) 413-2700

bradshields.com

For more information please visit, www.texyoga.org

Live. Breathe. Do Yoga.

Jennifer Buergermeister

"Facilitator of Change"

Jennyoga, LLC, | Breathe the Cure, Inc. | Texas Yoga Conference

3641-C Westheimer Rd.

Houston, TX 77027

jennifer@jennyoga.com

www.jennyoga.com

Iyengar to meet in China to discuss fitness

Iyengar to meet in China to discuss fitness

Iyengar to meet in China to discuss fitness

Iyengar is traveling to China to discuss yoga with representatives from China!! The agenda: a dialogue on the traditional fitness regimens of the two countries. Not just that, Iyengar will also lead a three-day programme to guide around 1,000 yoga enthusiasts from China and abroad on the many interconnecting layers of the system. ...FULL ARTICLE AT TIMES OF INDIA

(link may not work due to Times of India)

TAGS: International Yoga Federation Argentina, Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga, Yoganomics, IndieYoga, flash mob yoga, Indian Yoga Alliance,

Yoga Bitch & Suzanne Morrison

Yoga Bitch & Suzanne Morrison

Yoga Bitch & Suzanne Morrison

http://youtu.be/o_juchFsSWA?hd=1

I met up with Suzanne in her home town of Seattle, Washington - interviewed her for over two hours of footage and then realized that not only had I DELETED almost all of it, but also did not have it in FOCUS!

Please accept my apologies in advance!

I feel awful... just know it was a REALLY great interview and I wish you could watch it the intention, but until Suzanne and I meet up again (for round two), please except this as my humble promise that it will happen again.

This is a great interview. She talks about growing up in Washington, Whitney Lawless who is now a yoga teacher and of course, "Yoga Bitch."

http://Suzanne-Morrison.com

http://Yoganomics.net/

One woman's quest to conquer skepticism, cynicism, and cigarettes on the path to enlightenment. Suzanne Morrison fell into yoga at twenty-five when she was looking for answers to all the big questions in life. She was quite possibly the toughest sell to actually "do" yoga, but she did end up falling madly in love with it and ended up writing a one-woman show: "Yoga Bitch," and now the book "Yoga Bitch."

Nine years have passed since she first gave yoga a try, yet still today, yoga continues to transform and improve her life on a daily basis.

TAGS: Yoga Bitch, Suzanne Morrison, Yoga, Indie-Yoga, Yoga, Yoganomics, yoga teacher, yoga pee, India, Ashram

"Yoga Bitch"

written by Suzanne Marie Morrison

Filmed in Seattle, Washington

by Brian Castellani

http://Yoganomics.net

How to hold yoga hostage for 12 years

How to hold yoga hostage for 12 years

"Yoga Alliance enhances your credibility as

a yoga professional ...."

At the Texas Yoga Conference, John Matthews said Yoga Alliance could manipulate the "Yoga Market-Share."

Let us examine how "Yoga Alliance" manipulate the "yoga market-share." Exactly, how would you guess that Yoga Alliance manipulates yoga?

“Blog Farming is the process of creating Blogs which are intended for a purpose other than adding value for its readers. Most of the blogs created contain duplicate content or content which do not add any value.”

BlogFarming101

The Manipulation of the Yoga market-share means that Yoga Alliance can, and will:

Sell subscribers information to other corporations through newsletter offers and/or direct sale of newsletter list's.

Have blog farms to help create and manage meaningless PR "buzz" which promotes more meaningless generic chatter in made in meaningless half-statements - which are creates blog posts made by unassuming people who are unfamiliar with the terms inflated false-ego predominance for market-share.

Not answer subscribers direct credentialing questions when specifically asked.

Not respond, which means not return phone calls, when yogis call them from New York (NY For Yoga) or Virginia (Virginia Yoga Teachers) as the local state governments are closing in on on taxation... (allegedly because Yoga Alliance stays impartial to their subscribers, and it is "not their place to comment or interfere... however they claim to always have been "in" the business of "yoga credentialing") (hi - that is a total copout)

Quickly jumped at the chance to help Texas "continue" the fight for Yoga Credentialing, after the regulation fight had already been established.... but mainly because they could not be directly blamed for Texas Yoga Regulation.

Admitted in public that Yoga Alliance credentialing is worthless, and went on to say that how "they" (Yoga Alliance) survived for this long is nothing short of a miracle. (actually brow beating customers into renewal under misrepresented "false pretenses" by completely misleading and debasing the Yoga Alliance Subscribers.)

Consistently down played yoga credentialing in America since their formation in 1999.

John Matthews falsely denied knowing "anything" about Yoga Alliance's involvement in Yoga Regulation which was specifically regarding New York and Virginia.

John Mathews and Lynn Bushnell specifically asked Mark Davis to inquire about yoga credentialing in the United States - and the former President of Yoga Alliance, not only did as requested, but also called a large number of States and "educated them" on what role Yoga Alliance played in Yoga Credentialing and requested they adopt the 200/500 hour credentialing process when they are ready.

the foundation which Yoga Alliance is built upon is the opposite of what most professional yoga endorse. People like, for instance, the misrepresentation of yoga in America by making the standards for being a yoga teacher so low that now the market is flooded with the meaningless badge "RYT 200." (which they own the trademark for) (which is completely ludicrous since it is worthless)

Are hoping that Us Yoga Teachers will forget how they have taken them for granted.

Yoga Alliance has collected yoga teachers' information and money for 12 years and have absolutely nothing to show for it.

In thier own words they have confirmed Yoga Alliance's credentialing is meaningless, have moved from PA to VA on their subscriber's dime, refused to take responsibility for their role in Government Yoga Regulation, still will not return calls when the yoga teachers call, pay money to Lance Armstrong and other generic Web Blog Farms to promote Yoga Alliance PR to manipulate impressionable minds to believe that they are associated with popular and meaningful causes, manipulate subscribers into believing they are getting a "worthwhile" service - even though it was only after Brian Castellani began calling our business practices into question, that they began altering their bad actions.

It is a common CHEAP marketing ploy to pay money to other non-profits (Lance Armstrong) and specific blog farming businesses to have them blog about how great Yoga Alliance is ... because we already know that "Yoga Alliance" is GREAT! We just aren't sure what they do exactly.

Yoga Regulation is in Nebraska, Utah, Michigan, Arizona, Washington State... has already happened and failed in New York and Virginia - NOT because of Yoga Alliance *BUT* because yoga teachers stood together when while Yoga Alliance was absent.

The ideal of what yogis want is a form of childhood mythos in relation to the outside world. It is unfortunate that Yoga Alliance will never be the benevolent voice that guides yoga, but rather a misguided voice leading innocent yogis to a monetized, proprietary and incomplete education failure.

John Matthews statement's about Yoga Alliance has specifically impeded Yoga Teachers ability to make more money for themselves by down playing yoga the importance of education - and as much as yoga practitioners may think they want to stay out of "Government regulation," the American Medical Association will change all that.

Why? Because yoga is already being used in the medical professional world as a way to rehabilitate, yoga Teachers are not getting paid for it. In Louisiana a yoga teacher will get paid $50.00, while the insurance company gets paid $175.00 - The American Medical Association will see to it that they extort their fair share of financial revenue, as will the insurance companies, and the Yoga Alliance Blue Dog Dems are biding their time to be in the middle of it, which has been their goal all along.

Yoga regulation and licensing is still happening in Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and soon other states.

John Matthews, delinquent president of Yoga Alliance, after admitting that Yoga Alliance credentialing was not worth anything, said:

Yes... it true... Yoga Alliance credentialing isn't worth anything, but wait, things are on the way!

John Matthews - who has been quoted in NY, as stating the fabrication: We (Yoga Alliance) had no idea about yoga Regulation... I only began working for in 2010.

Until Yoganomics proved that John Matthews started contracting with Yoga Alliance in 2004, he again changed his story.

(And we are still wondering how rubber stamping paperwork can cost that much.)

Yoga Alliance cannot stop telling falsehoods, nor can they tell the truth. How long does yoga need to put up with cover up - after - cover up - from Yoga Alliance before we realize we need to take care of it ourselves?

The weight of the ever present "never mind" in John Matthews version

Never mind that John Matthews statements on the Texas Yoga Conference Audio files completely contradicts the information he what he says earlier at the New York Conference.

Never mind that Yoga Alliance has wasted 12 years to finally admit that their credentialing process - is FLAWED.

Never mind that Yoga Alliance has not been accountable to the yoga teachers that they allegedly serve for 12 years, and still collected money for them. Hmmm. Like, why? To what end, and what was the real purpose of lowering the standards of yoga. How does that translate into the Yoga Alliance Mission of supporting Yoga??

Never mind that for twelve years of business Yoga Alliance has fostered their corporate relationships - and have nothing else to show for it.

Never mind that until Yoganomics.net forced Yoga Alliance to explain - on record - their reasons for misappropriating their mission and buinsess relationships - they NEVER commented on regulation, credentialing and until recently - like the last eight months - never called anyone back.

Never mind that until yoga teachers took matters into their own hands and completed all of the hard work, Yoga Alliance is attempting to take all the credit for the work they didn't do.

Never mind that John Matthews and Lynn Bushnell originally ordered Mark Davis to inquire to Wisconsin about Yoga Regulation and later blamed him and eventually fired him for it.

Never mind that Yoga Alliance failed to secure their own yoga monopoly on yoga credentialing and later distanced themselves by playing both sides of the political yoga credentialing coin.

Never mind that Yoga Alliance was founded in 1999, and John Matthews came to work for Yoga Alliance in 2004, which means he has been with them for over seven years.

Never mind that Yoga Alliance keeps pushing yoga regulation off on Ex-YA President Mark Davis and Jeannine Frest, who directly took their orders from the Board of Yoga Alliance which also included John Matthews.

Never mind that Yoga Alliance has continued to lie to not only their own subscribers and the yoga public in general.

Never mind that there is a "Valid Until Date" on every Yoga Alliance 200/500 hour registered certification, engineered in a pavlovian response to get subscribers to renew.

Why does it really matter?

Most likely if a yoga teacher is only will never register for a yoga credential and what I write will not impact you at all.

However, if you believe that yoga, along with other Eastern and Indian modalities matter, then realize that Yoga Alliance is profiting from our own lack of responsibility to one another. The accountability of having one teacher putting their stamp of approval on another teachers training are a memory of yesterday.

We are the few in yoga who took a stand, while most of the corporate yoga entities decided it was more important to protect earnings and continue selling client lists than talk about what was actually happening.

A dozen Non-Profit Board Members Does Not Represent The Whole of Yoga. We Do Not Need More Sequestered Propaganda.

Yoga needs Tangible Truth! These events only signify that there needs to be more discussion with active yoga teachers who want to participate in the future of world wide yoga, and not fear the inevitable unknown.

Yoga Teachers need a way to set their own standards, without the disconnected good ole boys from Yoga Alliance.