News from Y.E.S.

Grassroots yoga awareness movements don't take hold easily, but the Yoga Month movement might just gain a solid foothold in spreading the word about the benefits yoga.

The National Yoga Month campaign is designed to educate, inspire and generate awareness of the positive impact of yoga on health. 

In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services designated September as National Yoga Month. That same year, thousands of yoga and health enthusiasts participated in a 10-City Yoga Health Festival Tour featuring yoga classes, lectures, music, entertainment, exhibits. That's definitely hip.

Today marks the beginning of the second annual Yoga Month. San Diego yoga teachers are participating in a variety of ways throughout the month. Find out more about what they're doing.

True, grassroots program participation take some work to plan and execute. But every time you participate in a yoga awareness campaign, you have the potential to reach someone who has been considering taking yoga but hasn't taken that first step. And if you recruit just one new student of yoga, it's worth the effort.

We received this e-mail from Swami Nirmalananda (Rama Berch) a founder of Y.E.S. What's your opinion?

"I have seen the NY Times article on the threat to require state licensing of yoga schools. I would like to give you some background and additional information.

When I was president of Yoga Alliance, two states began this process.  We found out that the state governments do not want to dialogue with a national organization, but they respond very well to state residents.  Thus, I spoke with leading teachers in the states and coached them in how to write to their legislators - which they did, and the licensing was voted down in both states.  The same thing has just happened in NY.

Unfortunately, it looks like (from the article) teachers in Michigan, Virginia, Kansas and Wisconsin didn't fare as well.  Perhaps they didn't know what steps to take.

I have contacted the current President of Yoga Alliance to ask why he says licensing is inevitable, since Yoga Alliance was founded for the purpose of preventing licensing.  Anything you can do to help with this communication would be much appreciated.  Use this link  http://www.yogaalliance.org/Contact.html to send an email and tell him that you want Yoga Alliance to be active in preventing licensing, and suggest that they can help state residents mobilize themselves for that purpose."

With love & blessings