www.sanatura.com

His background comes from San Francisco’s Chinatown, where he was born and had his Buddhist master.

The influence of his grandfather’s Gung-Fu practice and formal dojang (Korean martial arts school) training are very significant in his martial arts knowledge.
In yoga he comes from Ashtanga lineage of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and he is also certified in the Jivamukti Yoga method as taught directly by Sharon Gannon and David Life.

He is Duncan Wong, the founder of Yogic Arts, a practice that mixes yoga and martial art.
His body-language-form-of-practice and his inner peace make everybody follow his movements. The soundtrack is unique: a mixing of hip hop and oriental sounds that overcome the usual and transform the mat in a space where you workout body, mind and soul with spirituality, and even humor sometimes. His unique way, his knowledge and humbleness, were far ahead my expectations. It was such an honor has somebody like him to practice and learn from!

What is Yogic Arts?

The Definition:
A Synthesized System comprised of organic movements from the disciplines of Yoga, Martial Arts, Body Work, Pilates + Dance.

The Principle:
Physical Enlightenment through Sacred Touch + True Grounding

The Results:
Rhythmic Movement Therapy + Superior Core Conditioning + Purified Energy
When did you first practice yoga, and how was the beginning in this style?

As a teenager, I turned to yoga as a pathway for healing from my combative urban youth.
As a childhood laborer with early martial artist roots, and later as a yogi and a body worker; I took the multi-faceted teachings of my masters, and intrinsically developed a practice and a natural movement within my own life. Also, my every movement resonated and evolved the Yogic Arts practice, in the same way an animal develops a feeling for its innate balance and power.
As a teacher-practitioner with 20+ years of movement experience to reflect upon, I have a high regard for compassion and wisdom towards those driven to seek their truth and perfection.
How do you feel the connection between you body and mind in your practice?

Two parts of a greater whole, which constitutes the conscious machine which we utilize as the divine instrument to play our sweet lives through.
Do you ever find that yoga takes you more "out of the world" than "into" it?

This all depends on the amount of intention and meditative quality we apply to our practice and the daily actions of our respective lives.
Reclusion into an ashram to attain enlightenment and then remaining there without sharing such acquired insight with others less fortunate enough to have this experience, is the antithesis of the yogic way and tradition.

Since you are a kind of yoga celebrity, what keeps you humble?

The consistent humility exemplified by my teachers, colleagues and students; and also the kind smiles on the faces of all the labor workers of the world, which I am a proud member of.
How do you view the current yoga boom, and what advices would you give to somebody that is just starting?

I view it as a clear global necessity for the continuation of love and humanity on the planet.
First, welcome to the healer-warrior path. You’re a yogi now : )
Secondly, with practice comes a responsibility to love your Self and Others equally. This begins from within, and involves practicing slowly and without inflicting pain on your body, heart and mind.
Remember, if it hurts and your breath is uneven, you’re not practicing yoga.Duncan has recently launched DVD's, Books, an iPod product with Apple, and his own clothing line in Japan, as well as establishing his Yogic Arts
headquarters this year, at the Namaste Yoga Shala in Shanghai. His line of clothing in the US is represented by I Love Yoga (www.iloveyoga.com).
+ info on his work and lifestyle products: www.yogicarts.com

Above is a movie about the sad reality of millions of people around the world. 

We can choose…Choose see it or not, choose do something about it or not, choose just pass through life and enjoy the beauty of it, closing the eyes to the reality around us. The choices are there every day. We have easy ways to enjoy, but we have challenging (harder) ways to make us do the difference.

If you choose to see it, you will see that besides all the poverty, they are happy, they spend time together… the family routine, the magic core of our emotional support system. The more you nurture them, the more they will nurture you. And this is not limited only to our "blood family" ...

After watch this, try to re-think your life. Are you living or just passing through?

Swim, Bike, Run, Eat, Sleep, and Repeat: That is the mantra of many, if not most, triathletes, right? But is there something missing from this formula? Yes, and by adding this "F" factor, you will be able to swim, bike, and run longer, faster, and without those nagging pains that years of this repetition has given you.

The "F" factor is Functional Strength Training. So, how does this type of training fit into the weekly regimen of a triathlete? Why should all triathletes and athletes in general, add it to their mantra? These questions and more will be answered and we investigate the "F" factor. Functional Training: Ask any exercise professional and he/she will tell you what their definition is, each one more elaborate and confusing than the last. Simply put, functional training is exercise designed to improve activities of daily living. Are you the kind of person who sits at a desk all day, never exercises, and thinks unloading the groceries is hard work.? The chances are, if you're reading this article, that's not you. For active individuals, and more specifically, triathletes, functional exercises can really benefit not only your daily living activities, like unloading the groceries, but also increase flexibility, decrease pain, and prepare you to be a faster, stronger, more efficient racer. 

For most triathletes time is of the essence, so a day in your life might look a little like this: Wake up at 5am. At 5:05 you jump right on the bike until 5:55.You transition to a run until exactly 6:28 and are in the shower by 6:30. You grab whatever leftover pastry is on the counter for breakfast, sit through meetings all day, and at 6pm you drive to the pool. You arrive at 6:18 and are busting out hard 50's by 6:20. At 7:25 you're done with your last set and by 7:30 you're back in the car driving home. By the time you get home, your body is exhausted, feet hurt, quads sore, back on fire, and the only thing there to eat is leftover spaghetti and one lonely meatball. Sound familiar?

Putting the nutrition aside, by adding a few dynamic warm-up, strength, plyometrics, core, and flexibility exercises to your routine that desk job and drive home will be more comfortable, not to mention the improved performance you'll see, even at 5:05am. A study from the University of Nebraska School of Health said that " results indicate that anaerobic power is significantly related to distance running performance and may explain a meaningful percentage of variability in 10-km run time. Therefore, it may be beneficial for distance runners to supplement aerobic training with some power and speed development such as plyometrics and sprinting." 

First, let's discuss the warm-up. As you probably know, it's never a good idea to go straight into a hard physical activity without a warm-up of some kind. The Q-10 rules states that for every 1 degree Celsius your body temperature increases, enzymatic activity increases by 10%. These enzymes increase blood flow to the working muscles and improve the pliability of the connective tissue. A few, very simple, body weight exercises are the first part of the "F" factor. March forward with tall posture, then change that to a knee hug, by actively pulling your knee into your chest as you walk forward. Next, try a traveling lunge, keeping your front knee over your ankle and reach both arms up to help stretch your lats and hip flexors. Lastly, jog 10 yards with high knees and then 10 yards with heels up to your backside. In as little as 5 minutes, your blood with be flowing, your muscles will be oxygenated and tissue's lubricated. 

If you are the type of athlete who "doesn't have time for strength training", not only are you setting yourself up for an injury, but let's face it….yes you do! A 2007 study from the University of New Zealand found that "high-intensity training may improve performance but the combination of high-intensity training and explosive resistance training in the competitive phase is likely to produce greater gains in trained cyclists than high intensity cycling alone." Twice a week for about 30 minutes is all the time it takes to maintain strength and see benefits from functional training. After a dynamic warm-up, putting together a few full body, low weight, and high repetition strength and plyometric exercises is a great way to increase cardiovascular endurance as well as improve how your body moves as a unit. Why would you sit on a bench and do a bicep curl when you could stand on one foot and alternate the curls, or perform a full body squat and stand up into an overhead dumbbell press? Pick a few more exercises like these, put them together in groups of three or more, and you will have yourself a functional circuit. By doing 12-20 repetitions of these with 30-45sec rest after the last exercise, you will not only increase your muscular endurance, but will also be improving your lactate buffering system to help you finish a race with a strong kick. 

Core training goes hand-in-hand with the functional exercises. Your core, or all of your body not including your appendages, must be strong in order to support your movements while you are swimming, riding, running, and yes, even unloading those groceries. If you have weakness in the center of your body, you will be drawing energy from other places, making movements more challenging when they don't need to be. Think about it: imagine if you were trying to shoot a canon from a canoe (I know, just go with me on this one). If you're in the canoe and the cannon goes off, you and the canoe will be shot backwards across the lake, right? Now imagine that you're shooting a canon off a solid block of concrete. Nothing moves, right? So if your core is strong you will be able to accelerate, or shoot off the canon, in the direction you want, not backwards into the reeds somewhere! By adding 5-10 minutes of exercises to strengthen your core (including shoulder joints, abs, glutes and hips) you will help to create a more balanced, stable environment where no energy will be lost. Scapula/abdominal/gluteus activating exercises such as planks, glute bridges, straight leg lifts, and pushups can be done in 1-2 sets of 10-20 repetitions 2-3 times per week. With this small investment of time, you will see a decline in back pain, improved posture, and an overall improvement in performance.

Lastly, static stretching should be an integral part of the triathlete's mantra. After your workout or training session is done, before you hop back in the car for the commute home, take five minutes to statically stretch (without movement) those major muscle groups that you just worked. Try to hold each stretch for 30-45 seconds. This gives the muscle time to adjust to the length and after 45 seconds, no added benefit has really been seen. You will feel better and chances are when you wake up tomorrow morning for your 5am bike ride, you won't be as sore. 

So, now that you've been introduced to the "F" factor let's rewind that day in the life and see what's changed: 5am wake up, 5:05 dynamic stretching, 5:10 on the bike, 5:55 full body strength circuit completed three times, 6:20 full body static stretching, 6:30 in the shower….work, meeting, lunch, call home, drive the pool, 6:18 arrive at the pool, 6:25 finish a few core activating/dynamic stretches and in the pool, 7:25 out of the pool stretching back, quads, and shoulders. 7:30 drive home. You are feeling refreshed, tired but invigorated, loose and ready to go home with enough energy to cook a healthy meal. So it looks like there's a new triathlete mantra: Swim, Bike, Run, "F" Factor (as in functionally training my entire body to perform better), Eat, Sleep, and Repeat! 

Jacque Crockford is a USAT Certified Coach and an Associate Coach with BodyZen MultiSport Coaching. She can be reached at jacque@bodyzen.com or visit www.bodyzen.com for more information.

Recently I felt completely out of my usual character. My typically energized personality was confronted with a sense of boredom in my daily routine. My mind and body literally felt numb as I let this negative mood sit in my mind. Aware of what I was feeling, I decided to take some time alone to find the true source causing these emotions.
 
At first I blamed my boredom on "the season" of summer as there are many less people living in Miami at this time. As I moved the blame to my professional life I noticed myself creating reasons as to why things hadn't been accomplished & choosing to believe that I had no control to make the change I desired. Suddenly I realized my lack of interest was all because I was expecting external sources to supply me with excitement. I was choosing to be bored and thus I became exactly that.  
 
Immediately I decided to change the way I was looking at my life. I began to think of ordinary task as a challenge with great importance and in turn felt pride as I accomplished even the little things. As unexpected obstacles were thrown my way I choose to approach them as a sort of bonus round in this game of accomplishment I had created in my mind. Without notice everything I was doing became more fun and exciting.  I became driven with passion and a natural energy developed, helping me live graciously in the present moment. 
 
Nothing literally changed in my life, but I felt like I was in a whole new world of opportunity. I am thankful for this moment of negativity and for the ability to be conscious of my thoughts. For it made me realize that circumstances may be out of our control, but attitude, inspiration, and enthusiasm is powerfully directed from within.
Peace and love,
Amanda Harris 
Yoga Coordinator 
The Standard Spa Miami Beach

It's been a while that I was figuring something easy and nice to share. There are two "words" that we usually see on stickers, t-shirts, and even non-regular students repeat in yoga classes or salute in emails, but do people know what it means?

NAMASTE"Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." Namaste is generally used as a salutation, and can also mean "I honor the light in you that is the same in me." It also could be a more religious salutation where would be described as "I respect the divinity within you that is also within me", no matter what religion it is.
To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

OM - or AUM - is the universal sound and the most holy symbol in the hindu dharma (cosmic and ethical principals about the good and the right). It is also considered to be the root mantra from which all other mantras emerge and to encapsulate the essence of the many thousands of verses of Hinduism's holiest texts, the Vedas.
According to the Upanishads, "Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it".
Often chanted three times at the start and/or finish of a yoga practice, the sound of OM is actually three syllables - a, u, and m. Some people chant "AUM" instead of "OM".

Look on internet to find out about açaí [ah-sigh-ee], and you will see tons of websites doing advertising, selling products made with the fruit, and lots of doctors recommending it. Yes, the popular Amazonian fruit became a SUPERFOOD in USA. 
Considered one of the healthiest and most powerful foods in the world, because of the amount of antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids, açaí can improve cardiovascular health, promote a healthy digestive system, reduce cholesterol, increase brain function, decrease the risk of cancer and diminish the signs of aging.Now, more than ever, when the world is surrounded by genetic modified food, hormones and antibiotics everywhere, conscious people are searching for alternatives to improve their health through natural sources.

After visiting some local health food stores, I found at least three different brands selling the fruit pulp or juice. Wondering which was the basic difference, I found out that a brand called Amazon Mania Acai distincts from others because they don’t pasteurize their product.
The process of pasteurization diminishes the real flavor of Acai and also makes the Acai lose its real taste. This process involves heating foods to ultra high temperatures rapidly which destroys essential vitamins contained in the food. Ultra heat treatment works in the same manner. This process is used to extend the shelf life of foods and to destroy any bacteria contained in them but, at the same time, it deteriorates many essential nutrients,such as vitamin C, A, B1, B2, B6, D, E, folic acid, inositol, pantothenic acid and amino acids such as lysine and threomine. As these vitamins are water soluble, they pass through our digestive system through our urine and need to be replaced daily.
"Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer." says Barbara Ingham, Ph.D., associate professor and extension food scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

How to consume açaí and why is it called "superfood"?
Based on Dr. Nicholas Perricone, famous doctor from Oprah and a best-selling author that declares açaí as number one of the “Top Ten Superfoods”, we should take açaí pulp instead of ready-to-drink sweetened beverages.
Açaí pulp contains ten times more antioxidants than red grapes and ten to thirty times the anthocyanins of red wine; a synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats [Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9], dietary fiber, and phytosterols, to help promote cardiovascular system and digestive tract health. It also has an almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to muscles. 
To top it off, açaí is also a great source of calcium, vitamin E and iron.  

Be creative and try different recipes with açaí! 
Amazon Mania Açaí has it raw too, without any sugar os preservatives. You you can either blend the pulp with your favorite fruit and/or juice, or eat it in the Brazilian style, as we call "açaí na tigela" (in the bowl) mixed with your favorite fruit, and protein powder, as a healthy snack.
Bom apetite!

A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of gene. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes. Transgenic organisms, a subset of GMOs, are organisms which have inserted DNA that originated in a different species. Some GMOs contain no DNA from other species and are therefore not transgenic but cisgenic. 

After this little Wikipedia based introduction, we can understand what a GMO food is. Now, knowing that we are regularly confronted with genetically modified foods, be it in the news or on our plates, I’d like to ask: Is it safe? Are you sure you don’t eat them? 
Since 1994, a growing number of foods were developed using genetic modification (GMO), and lots of them we don’t even know! Currently, there is no requirement to label genetically engineered or cloned animal products in USA.European Union nations, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries require the mandatory labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients, but with limited exceptions. FDA regulations, companies under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are not even required to notify the agency they are bringing new genetically engineered products to the market.
By law, the use of genetical engineering is prohibited for products defined as 'organic'. Nevertheless, these products are permitted in certain cases to contain slight traces of genetically modified organisms. 
Despite Americans' concerns, the National Organic Standards Board passed a recommendation in November 2008 that would allow fish to be fed non organic fishmeal, which can be contaminated with mercury and PCBs. The recommendation would also allow open-net cages to be used, which can flush pollution, disease, and parasites directly into the ocean. 

Besides these facts above, there are tons of others proving that GMO food are all around popular supermarkets. Assuming you eat GMO, let’s know about the risks... 
GMO crops may threaten biodiversity, decrease the richness and variety of foods, and make farmers more dependent on chemical companies, through the purchase of seed or chemicals. 
Health concerns include: allergy, gene transfer (antibiotic-resistant genes from GMO to bacteria), and outcrossing (the movement of genes from GMO plants into conventional crops).Glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, is the most widely used herbicide in the United States.  About 100 million pounds are applied to U.S. farms and lawns every year, according to the EPA. 

Ok, now I’m convinced that this is bad for me, what can I do to avoid GMO Food? 
GMOs, becoming a lot more popular in North American food and due to the lack of GMO labeling, it’s been harder for consumers to avoid foods with genetically modified ingredients. Unfortunately, an estimated 70% of the food in North American stores contain these elements and that number is only expected to increase.Around 90% of all soybeans grown in America are Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Soy Beans. More than 61% of corn, 75% of canola and 50% of Hawaiian Papaya are genetically modified. If the food isn’t organic, then there is no guarantee that it isn’t genetically modified. In the book Seeds of Deception, Jeffrey M. Smith exposes the facts about GMO studies, and he assures that in North America, if you are consuming corn, soy, canola or wearing cotton, you are coming into contact with genetically modified foods. Yes, it’s true that most soy ingredients are almost always genetically-manipulated and herbicide-treated. The same is true for canola, corn, dairy products and potatoes. The only way to try and avoid theses foods, is by looking for 100% organics at your local health food store. Check the ingredients labels carefully. It may be best to avoid canola altogether because it is rarely organic and is usually chemically-treated as detailed by experts.Outside of Europe and Asia it may not be possible at this time to avoid genetically-manipulated ingredients 100% of the time, but it is a good idea to avoid them when possible. Eat safe!!!

+info:
www.organicconsumers.org
www. truefoodnow.org

Throughout the world, in every culture, one thing we surely find besides religion: dance. Dance has been used a way to communicate, entertain, express, trancend...
If we analyze a dance we can tell a lot from a culture, the movements, the costumes, the colors, the music and so on. 

Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremonies, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archaeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC and the Bhimbetka rock-shelter paintings in India. 

My life as an artist has always been dedicated in a search for answers. The search became a research, and after using photography and other visual arts as means of expressions I decided to into dancing.
During this journey of discovery, where my body is the only tool I have to express, I’ve  realized how we can communicate with higher forces and learn about our own limitations just by moving the body following a rhythm. Dancing has become my therapy. 

One of my favorite dances is definitely Oriental Dance (aka Belly Dance) because of its natural movements and how it enhances the true feminine power energy, SHAKTI. Every woman is a goddess and dancing reminds us that.
Personally, Belly Dance has helped me regulate my monthly cycles, relieve cramps and other PMS symptoms. It is a gentle way to open up the chakras (main energy centers in the body) and help the energy flow and circulate.

The main energy responsible for all the benefits of the dance is called KUNDALINI. It sits on the sacrum at the base of our spine, mostly still so is our job to keep Kundalini flowing if we want to stay healthy and happy. Movement and breathing are the most efficient way; Dancing and Yoga are highly recommended. 

Dancing can also work as a spiritual tool in a sense that it forces us to be in the present, to feel the music, stop our anxious minds and just enjoy the moment. 
Vibrations and shimmies eliminate excess energy, grounding us and connecting us with mother earth.
It is definitely a mind, body and soul workout. 

Another important aspect especially in the times we are living now is the energy that comes out of the dance: the love and the peace. It is so important that we do our part creating and emanating this energy since there is so much violence and struggles for power out there. It is our responsibility to create a different reality. People should spend more time dancing than fighting. Children, our future generation, should balance the TV and computer time with dancing. 

My work involves trance dance with a fusion of different cultural dances like samba, belly dance, Indian, African and others, in connection with yoga mudras, pranayamas and other forms of alternative therapy 
Its purpose is to move not only the physical body, but also the emotional, energetic and other parts of our beings, healing and expanding our limits 

For example a person has a hard time with a certain movement that uses the knees a lot, I would not only look at physical level of it, but maybe the fact of an accident, that could also be the root of the problem. Knees are our pride, our ability to let go of our pride and bend down with flexibility to move forward. What kind of movements, music, affirmations, and colors will help this person to move on... 
The most important thing is to be gentle and kind with ourselves seeking excellence but never forgetting to have fun. 

"Forget your troubles and DANCE....Forget your sickness and DANCE..."
Bob Marley

Nowadays, technology takes care even in our plates! Our food bears little resemblance to its natural substance. I think that in some years we are going to plant some pills into the ground and harvest the whole dinner in some hours.
Is this the best way to be healthy?
Some of the Workshops or Lectures I go about nutrition, they always come with questions like: Why not to eat meat? Eat everything could be harmful?

They are in some ways easy questions to answer, but not so easy to understand, when we are used to buy a specific brand of food from our favorite supermarket or butcher shop.

The question “eat or not eat meat”, is always answered based at the greatest risk for heart disease or the animal suffer fact. I think that’s why the number of vegetarians increases in the world. Be a vegetarian is a synonyms of have a positive attitude.

In Brazil, almost 30% of the population based in some researches, has been eating less meat. That’s the second place in the world, behind Canada, and before England.

Another point is the toxins and preservatives.
Dioxin, one of the deadliest toxins, is concentrated in meat at levels 22 times what are safe, according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). More than 95% of all dioxin exposure comes in meat, dairy, and eggs. None comes in vegan foods (the other 5% is environmental). 
Factory farming has made meat eating more dangerous. Because the animals are given tranquilizers, hormones and antibiotics, the latter often up to 30 times higher than humans consume in a lifetime. Preservatives in meat are dangerous to human health too.

Now there’s another question: What should we eat?
Anthropologists call this the omnivore's dilemma. In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes about how our food is grown -- what it is, in fact, that we are eating. He follows our three food chains—industrialized food, alternative or "organic" food, and food people obtain by hunting, gathering, or gardening—from its source to our tables.

He said that eat a little bit of everything was one of the fact that helped us to evolve through a process of evolution, but we could be poisoned by this food, once most of us are at a great distance from our food, what gives us few options to eat really healthy. In addition, our food choices have enormous consequences for the health of the environment as well.

Just a few facts and figures from The Omnivore's Dilemma:


- The obesity epidemic is shortening the lifespan of today’s generation of children—the first generation of Americans whose life expectancy will actually be shorter than their parents’.

-  the first time in history, according to a 2000 UN report, more people in the world suffer from over nutrition (1 billion) than from under nutrition (800 million).
- 45 of the items on McDonald’s menu are derived from corn. At least 13 of the 38 ingredients in a chicken McNugget are derived from corn.
- 1 in every 3 American children eats fast food every day; 1/5 of American meals are eaten in the car.
- 1/5 of all the petroleum used in the United States is consumed by the food industry—more than we burn with our cars or in any other industry.
- The industrial fertilizers and pesticide industries grew out of the conversion of the World War II munitions industry to civilian uses—nerve gases became pesticides, and ammonium nitrate explosives became nitrogen fertilizers.

Be careful of your dinner!

+ info: www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php