Yoga Safety
I just finished reading the article “Is Yoga Safe?” by Shirley Archer, JD, MA (July–August). It is really terrific for students and teachers alike. I am a yoga teacher, trainer and holistic health counselor. Increased awareness regarding yoga safety and its medical benefits, as well as proper training for new teachers, is extremely important to the future of yoga. Thank you so much for the information, as well as for the suggestion that potential students look for a teacher with a background in somatics. Great advice! I am currently studying body-mind centering, and I can’t say [enough about] how much it has improved my practice and my teaching.
Sara Alvarez Kleinsmith, RYT,
CHHC, AADP
Artistic Wellness
New York, New York
The Power of IDEA FitnessConnect
Question: I need a new website, but I don’t have a lot of [resources] right now. Any suggestions for an inexpensive website service?
Answer: I have used Sitecube in the past because it was flash-capable, it was domain-registerable, and I was able to set up a storefront to sell merchandise. That said, if these features are not important to you, then I would use IDEA FitnessConnect as your website.
Reasons:
It’s free! It’s functional and easy to navigate. You can make changes without any fees.
You can send a monthly newsletter to your clients. You can also upload videos; upload client success stories; link to your Twitter™ account; link to your Facebook account; post and answer questions; upload your monthly schedule, classes and events to your calendar; post all of your locations/addresses where you teach (plus add a map); list all of your certifications, rates and accomplishments; start a blog; receive reviews and comments from your clients; and monitor your site’s hits and visits.
Did I leave anything out? I shut down my website at the beginning of the year because of FitnessConnect. With FitnessConnect, I have had greater success and more site hits than [I had with] my personal website. Wishing you great success!
Michael Saiz,
Reno, Nevada
WOW! I just hit 10,000 views in less than 9 months on my IDEA FitnessConnect page. It has been more than people viewing [my profile page]. My client leads keep coming in, and recently I have been contacted by a federally funded organization to motivate and lead their team.
I am 100% in support!
Kurt Gillon, CPT,
Climb Reach Achieve Fitness
Atlanta, GA
Wellness Role Model for Seniors
Editor’s note: In our April Mind-Body-Spirit News column, our question of the month asked if readers were offering mind-body classes specifically for older adults and whether any of those classes were being led by older-adult role models. This reader had a prime example of both!
I am the wellness director for Hoosier Village Retirement Center. One of our 79-year-old residents serves as my back-up instructor, and she also leads her own gentle yoga class. She is a “natural” at teaching. My department paid for her yoga certification, but she does all of this on a volunteer basis. She is also the chair of my wellness committee. The other residents see her as a true inspiration. She is passionate about health and wellness, and [her enthusiasm] is contagious when she is around others! How amazing is it that she has chosen to begin this “career path” as a 79-year-old “youngster?” And her work ethic is unbeatable!
On August 6, we opened our new 30,000-square-foot wellness center (complete with gym, indoor pool, group fitness studio and massage therapy). Health and wellness definitely are adding quality years to the lives of the residents, and having programs that are led by one of “their own” is amazing!
Krista Broshears,
Wellness Director, Hoosier Village
Retirement Center
Indianapolis, Indiana
2012 IDEA World Fitness: A Fitness Family Reunion
It was such a thrill to be at IDEA World Fitness Convention™ for your 30th anniversary. Reconnecting with so many old friends and familiar faces felt like some kind of large-scale family reunion—although I’ve never been to a family reunion with such exciting new workouts, cutting-edge technology and equipment! I had such a ball.
Kathy Smith
2003 IDEA Lifetime Achievement
Award winner
First let me say that the word on the street was WOW (What an Outstanding World)! Thank you and your fabulous staff for a fantastic experience at 2012 IDEA World Fitness. Kudos to everyone who organized and executed the event. There were so many little touches that made the event unique and warm. I hope you’ve all had a chance to exhale before you inhale to start preparations for next year.
Grace DeSimone
National Director of Group Fitness,
Plus One Health Management
New York, New York
Congratulations to the entire IDEA team on a fantastic convention and trade show, as well as on the 30th anniversary of IDEA! I have heard only positive feedback on the entire convention—from the top-notch sessions to the opening ceremony (Elaine LaLanne and Jane Fonda), to the social events and, of course, the trade show. You could feel the positive energy everywhere you went and, with the help of social media, can continue to feel (and see) the energy. I left the event feeling positive and re-energized!
Fred Hoffman, MEd
2007 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year
Paris, France
Once again you have pulled off a very successful, fun and meaningful IDEA World Fitness Convention. I hope things are getting back to “normal”! I enjoyed the participants, seeing old friends and hearing the wonderful ideas that came out of the group fitness committee meeting.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to “BE: the Transformation”!
Leigh Crews
2011 IDEA Fitness Instructor
of the Year
Cedar Bluff, Alabama