ECA/OBOW 2009
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Dear Carol, I attended the ECA/OBOW convention in NYC this past weekend and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it. Not only were the presenters fantastic but the convention was run so professionally by your staff. No matter which class I attended, I was greeted with a friendly smile. Your support staff was wonderful, from the day I checked in at pre-registration to dismissing us after workshops. They were very friendly and helpful. It was one of the best well-run, organized events I have ever been to. Thanks to you and your staff I will definitely be at the next convention! Best wishes, Marie Roberts  |
 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Every Tues. in Culver City, CA
with Misty Tripoli at 6pm, Beautiful Belly! Visit www.yourneighborhoodstudio.com for more information.
Every Wed. in Culver City, CA
with Misty Tripoli at 7:30pm, Spirit Groove Live Drums! Visit www.yourneighborhoodstudio.com for more information.
Every Thurs. in NYC
Organic New York City Style Hip Hop at the Ailey Extension, 405 West 55th Street, at 9th Avenue. Advanced/Beginner/Intermediate. $16.00 per class. For more information, email snapoplock@aol.com or call 212-405-9000.
Every Sat. in NYC
Organic New York City Style Hip Hop at the Ailey Extension, 405 West 55th Street, at 9th Avenue. Absolute Beginner Class. $16.00
per class. For more information, email snapoplock@aol.com or call 212-405-9000.
Each Sat. night in NYC
Take a class on the JCC in Manhattan and Bring friends, from 7:15 - 8:15pm. Non-members try a class free! For more information contact www.jccmanhattan.org/healthclub or call 646-505-5716.
Weekly Boot Camp at ME Fitness with Lisa Gaylord
Call 305-573-1021 or email Juli at Juli@me.com for more information.
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March 31
Washington, PA
Wellcoaches workshop. Visit www.wellcoaches.com or call 1-866-WE-COACH or 866.932.6224 x702 for more information.
April 1st
Online Registration
starts for Boston Balance
www.ecaworldfitness.com
for updated Convention, Hotel and Trade Show information.
April 2 - 5
YOGAFIT Mind/Body Fitness Conference Boston
Visit www.yogafit.com for more information.
April 2nd
New York, NY. Anusara Yoga: Eye of the Tigress with Amy Ippoliti at Pure Yoga Studio. Call 212-360-1888 or Visit www.pureyoga.com
for more information.
April 3rd
New York, NY. An evening of Hip Openers with Amy Ippoliti at Pure Yoga Studio. . Call 212-360-1888 or visit www.pureyoga.com
for more information.
April 3 -4
Boulder, CO. Peak Pilates MVe 2-day training with Stacey Lei Krauss. Visit http://www.willpowerfit.com for more information.
April 4th
New York, NY. Ground, Transform, Awaken: Standing Poses and Backbends with Amy Ippoliti at Pure Yoga Studio. Call 212-360-1888 or visit www.pureyoga.com for more information.
Irresistible Self: Seated Poses, Twists and Pranayama. with Amy Ippoliti at Pure Yoga Studio. . Call 212-360-1888 or visit www.pureyoga.com for more information.
April 4 - April 5
Berkeley, CA. Power of Yoga for Body, Mind and Spirit with Sherri Baptiste. Visit info@powerofyoga.com for more information.
April 5th
New York, NY. Hope is Real! Hand Balances and Backbends with Amy Ippoliti at Pure Yoga Studio. Call 212-360-1888 or visit www.pureyoga.com for more information.
April 7
Denver, CO. ex-Tension and willPower & grace with Stacey Lei Krauss at Pura Vida, 5:00pm-6:30pm. Contact Pura Vida for a guest pass Visit www.willpowergrace.com for more information.
April 18
Denver, CO willPower & grace phase I instructor training: with Stacey Lei Krauss. Visit www.puravidaclub.com for more information.
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INTERNATIONAL
April 5
Heidelberg, Germany
IFAA
tele: 0-62-02/ 27 51-0
email: ifaa@ifaa.de
April 25th & 26
United Kingdom. Choi-Bo Instructor training courses. Call 0845 223 4601 or visit www.choi-bo.com for more information.
May 16th & 17th
United Kingdom. Choi-Bo Instructor training courses. Call 0845 223 4601 or visit www.choi-bo.com for more information.
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Please send information on your workshop, certifications or seminars to:
Susan Kasper
susanvkasper@optonline.net
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Boston Balance 2009
Get Ready 'Cause He We Come!
June 26 & 27
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Online registration
starts April 1st!
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The Art of Listening
by Fred Devito
Vice President of Mind Body Training and co-founder of the Core Fusion program at exhale Mind Body Spa in New York City. Fred is a
highly visible nationally acclaimed teacher and presenter, and has been featured in numerous national
health and fitness publications and television. Fred
also oversees the Company's nutrition program and serves on the board of
exhalesoul, exhale's not for profit charity organization.
To LISTEN is To Give.
Marlo
Thomas was speaking at a fund raiser the other night that Lis and I
attended, as she is the spokeswoman for St Jude's Cancer Research
Hospital for Children. At the end of her speech she quoted her father
by saying that, "there are two types of people in this world - Givers
and Takers". "The Takers eat well, but it's the Givers who sleep well".
Isn't this so true!
I
am sure that you all have laid your head on the pillow at night knowing
that even though you could sometimes do better by people, you have
given your heart and soul to giving the gift of health, an important
service, to others. After a class, not long ago in Chicago, one of our new teacher trainees was waiting to speak with me about his future as a Core Fusion teacher and he observed me interacting with the guests. This Q+A session lasted about 15 minutes.
As most of us have experienced, if you plan on running right out after a class, forget it. That's exactly when a guest will have something very profound to share with you. That is, if you care enough to LISTEN.
My trainee was patiently waiting for me and later said to me that the one thing he is
looking forward to as a teacher was to be available for his guests to
answer their questions and to be helpful. He sees this act as an honor
and he couldn't be more correct. I was so impressed by Jeff's input, and it convinced me that he is moving forward as a Core Fusion
teacher in training with the right intentions.
To LISTEN is more than just waiting for the other person to finish speaking so that you can say what you have to say. It is an art where you need to concentrate on not only the words, but the meaning of those words related to the energy of the person speaking those words. So many times, I can be baffled or confused by a conversation because the words that were spoken don't correlate with the energy or the intention of the speaker. Many times, we make decisions based on a conversation, but we really need to go beyond the words to seek the truth.
When you are LISTENING with intention, you are giving 100% of yourself and the speaker will know the difference. Your intention will be to get on the same wave length as the speaker and they will feel your concern and compassion, even if you do nothing but LISTEN and console.
To LISTEN is To Give.
As a new teacher, you are sometimes so busy evaluating yourself right after a class. You finish the class on a shy, humble note, wondering if what you did was good enough, and as the guests are leaving, they thank you, but no one will stop to ask you a related question or make a relevant comment. Why?
Guests pick up on the energy that you are sending and if you are sending a message of insecurity than they will respond with the same and will not feel secure enough with you to share situations or questions.
According to one teacher named Paula, her transition occurred in Chicago. She had the normal Core Fusion teacher training experience in NYC, and was viewed as the new kid on the block when she returned to Chicago. Paula was constantly compared to her fellow teachers, and from day one Paula absorbed, survived and grew from her initial criticism to become a strong, talented Core Fusion teacher who currently handles all levels and time slots. But during her initiation period, you can bet that she had some insecurity when she taught certain classes and when class ended, received the usual polite accolades from her guests. Paula continued to polish her class and became more confident, authoritative, and eventually a leader. Paula's energy shifted as she started to develop more confidence in herself and her student's responded to that energy.
People started to come up to her after class and ask questions that can only arise after one hour of exercise. When endorphins flow from exercise, blockages are released and those blockages are not only physical, but could be spiritual and emotional as well. Often times, people will share something very personal in which you as the instructor will need to respond.
Paula shared one of her experiences with me and proclaimed that this vote of confidence from her students is a level of teaching (giving) that she experienced for the very first time and was energized from the sharing!
She asked me what do you do when a guest becomes too personal. I pondered and remembered how a guest took me aside after class, put his arm around my shoulder and told me that he had terminal cancer and 3 months to live. That was very uncomfortable for me, but not nearly as uncomfortable as it was for him.
I was honored that he chose to share something so personal with me and I hugged him and cried with him and as we reappeared in front of the other guests it was obvious that we were both crying yet neither one of us was uncomfortable being in that situation. I was oblivious to what others were thinking because I was so focused on him and how I could help make his last few months on earth as meaningful as possible. (He has since passed away, but Lis and I worked privately with him up till the very end.)
I look at an uncomfortable situations like this as if I were practicing yoga off the mat. Many times when I am in a difficult asana, the teacher will cue me to breathe. Focus on my breath. Get grounded and focused and approach the challenge with poise and from my center. This same skill set applies to these life situations.
In the face of discomfort:- Breathe deeper.
- Get grounded and centered.
- No one likes to be in an uncomfortable situation. But that doesn't mean that you have to be uncomfortable in an uncomfortable situation.
Joe Torre once told his Yankees before a big World Series game to, "Be Intense without Being Tense".
Same Thing. You detach from the situation and just BE. Be with what is.
If it is not comfortable, be with it. Be with the person who is taking you through the discomfort and when you come out the other side of the conversation you will have helped someone vent, find perspective, and it will comfort them.
And you will leave that kind of dramatic situation with a deeper appreciation for your own life, and you will sleep well at night because you gave of yourself. You LISTENED and that powerful skill helps others to heal.
Are we not all so blessed to have the opportunity to connect with others at this level?
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 INDUSTRY NEWS.............
Djoniba Centre lost its home and
needs funds to rebuild! 
Djoniba has been presenting for the last couple of years at both ECA/NYC and ECA/Miami. They have a wonderful following at our conferences and at their location in New York City. After 15 years of exceptional contribution to the New York City community, Djoniba Dance & Drum Centre has closed its doors on December 31st, 2008. Hit by the economic crisis and a major rent increase, DDDC had no other option but to shut down.
Your donation will help build a new home which will:
- provide free drum & dance classes for the children of low income families
- employ 60 drum & dance teachers
- promote wellness and unity across NYC's communities and beyond
Double your donation! Ask your employer about the Gift Matching Program
OR
mail us a check payable to:
Djoniba Dance and Drum Centre P.O. Box 1074 New York, NY 10276
This is our temporary mailing address.
www.djoniba.com
DVD Review
 Strong Knees with Chantal Donnelly
Chantal Donnelly is a physical therapist describes how muscles play a role in protecting your knees and what exercises you can do to to keep your knees healthy. Our reviewers all had some knee concerns due to overuse injuries or age, and found this dvd quite helpful. There are two segments, the shorter segment is great when time is limited. Visit www.gaiam.com for more information.
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ONE BODY ONE WORLD
NIKA Water is a new company that has created a branded drinking water with a significant
identity with its consumers. By directing 100% of its profits to
alleviate water and sanitation needs in  impoverished countries. NIKA
hopes to solve the water requirements of thousands of families by donating its profits to charity, is implementing a one-for-one recycling policy and has now become carbon neutral, earning our CarbonFree Certified Product Label. Their strategy is to produce a high-quality water made and sold within
the North American community. Nika Water's entire profits will be donated to
clean water and water-related sanitation projects in impoverished areas
around the world. For more information visit www.nikawater.org.
 One of the loudest wake-up calls for action on global warming is the Maldives' announcement that it is setting aside funds to buy land in other countries as a measure to tackle loss of land to the rising sea levels. Maldives is an island country whose highest point is only 7.8 feet (2.4 meters) above sea level.
Fertile delta lands and cool coastal zones support one of the densest populations in the world. However, these areas are also most susceptible to floods, hurricanes, and now global warming has added drowning to this list of potential threats. Increased temperatures cause the glaciers to melt and the ocean water to expand, pushing up the sea level. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates a rise of 0.6 to 2 feet of the global average sea level in the next century. Moreover, loss of land or source of income due to climate change can displace 630 million people living in coastal areas worldwide.
Unlike tourism oriented Maldives, densely populated agrarian countries near the sea like Egypt, Vietnam and Bangladesh depend on fishing and farming for their livelihood. Moreover, they currently have less influence over the international negotiations on climate change. With rising sea levels, global warming has become an urgent threat for these countries.
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time. It is such an honor and a joy to present at ECA. The staff and volunteers are amazing and the classes offered are always top notch. I actually heard a few people "complain" that they were having difficulty choosing their classes because there were so many amazing instructors and classes to choose from. That, in itself, is quite a compliment to you! I do look forward to seeing you again and hopefully the opportunity
to present at ECA again.
