ABC of Meditation News Feed

Meditation and Consciousness in School Curriculum

Fairfield, Iowa - The educational system in the West has fused with the ancient principle and discipline of the East.

The Maharishi Vedic City is home to a 120-acre campus offering Consciousness-based education for girls, the Ideal Girls School. Founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1996, the school was given special accreditation in 2003 by the Iowa Department of Education, a distinction given only to institutions with more than 80% of its graduates accepted to accredited colleges and universities. The college preparatory institution offers the Maharishi Transcendental Meditation program, and includes Maharishi Vedic Science and Sanskrit aside from the usual college preparatory subjects as part of their curriculum. The Transcendental Meditation techniques are integrated in the different subject areas, providing a deeper sense of knowledge and consciousness of each field of study.

For details on the Ideal Girls School Consciousness-based College Preparatory Education, visit www.idealgirlsschool.org.

South Sandy School Recognized for Meditation Area

The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Elementary and Middle School in South Sandy, Utah was recognized by the Character Education Partnership for its mediation garden. The school's garden is called the Interfaith Meditation Garden which was officially dedicated in October 2007.

Twice a week, a prayer service is held after classes. Faculty, staff, students, and all community members who wish to participate are encouraged to spend time in the serene, peaceful area. The tranquility helps people rejuvenate and regain peace while students may sketch and write journals with their classmates in the garden.

The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Elementary and Middle School will be receiving the award for "Promising Practices" in character education in October. It is one of the 153 participants to be honored during the partnership's annual forum in Arlington, VA.

For more details on this news, please visit deseretnews.com.

IDEA Announces Third Annual Inner IDEA Conference

San Diego - IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the leading membership organization of health and fitness professionals worldwide with more than 23,000 members in over 80 countries, announces its third annual Inner IDEA Conference focused on experiencing wellness through mind, body, and spirit. The conference, which will be held on September 11th to 14th, will return to the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs, California.

The three-day event features more than 150 sessions including topics such as meditation, Pilates, yoga, wellness, relaxation, research, integrative movement, life coaching, nutrition, and more. Visionary sponsors for this conference are Balanced Body®, Gaiam®, GYROTONIC®, Nia®, Peak Pilates�, and STOTT PILATES®.

This year's theme, "A Community in Motion", has gathered many of the world-renowned voices in the wellness industry to share their respective passions about the latest in trends, research, and practices all aimed at exploring and deepening the holistic approach that honors the connections between mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Patrick Gentempo, Jr., who is one of the most prominent names in alternative healthcare, will deliver this year's keynote address. Patrick is the co-founder and CEO of the Creating Wellness Alliance. He will explore how wellness professionals can play critical roles in turning around today's failing healthcare model while leveraging opportunities for their own business or career advantage. Special guest Swami Veda Bharati will lead a meditation as part of the opening ceremonies. He is the spiritual director of Sadhana Mandir Ashram and the spiritual guide of the worldwide organization AHYMSIN.

According to Peter Davis, chief executive officer of IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the resounding positive feedback from last year's conference (a 97 percent satisfaction rate from attendees) set the groundwork for this year's theme. "Participants have told us over and over that they love the feeling of community that comes with being part of Inner IDEA," he says. "Interest in mind, body, spirit wellness is growing on a worldwide basis and we look forward to creating a new paradigm led by like-minded people from around the globe who are all passionate about achieving greater health, vitality, and happiness."

Highlights of this year's program include:

The debut of mind-body classes titled "Buddha Camp", "Yoga Power and Tai Chi Grace", "SHAKTI� 2008: The Experience", "Nia: Moving Meditation", "Winning at Losing: The Truth about Successful Weight Loss", "Sound Healing and Yoga", "Pilates, Biomechanics, and Reality", "Manifesting Spirit in the Business of Fitness", and "The Tao of Negotiation".
Advanced, diverse curriculum with a focus on the newest trends and developments in Pilates, Yoga, Nia, GYROTONIC, and GYROKINESIS® exercises, integrative movement, mindfulness and meditation, lifestyle coaching as well as health, nutrition, research, and wellness.
Two pre-conference wellness workshops; "Happiness Coaching: It's in Our DNA", presented by Margaret Moore, MBA and "Creating and Deepening Your Yoga Practice", by Michele Hebert and Mehrad Nazari, PhD.
The introduction of the latest Pilates equipment from STOTT PILATES, Balanced Body, and Peak Pilates.
Five unique, hosted meal experiences emphasizing conscious eating and community connection.

The roster of wellness industry luminaries who will present at Inner IDEA 2008 include Lawrence Biscontini, MA; Ana Cab�n; Scott Cole; Rael Isacowitz, MA; Len Kravitz, PhD; Ralph LaForge, MSc; PJ O'Clair; Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP; Carlos & Debbie Rosas; Deborah Szekely; and Mari Windor.

Also on the program will be the presentation of the second Inner IDEA Inspiration Award. This year's recipients are Frank and Serpil Iszak, founders of Silver Age Yoga Community Outreach. The San Diego-based organization has trained more than 100 yoga teachers in geriatric science-based yoga. Since the start of their work four years ago, more than 4,000 free weekly yoga classes have been held at 23 sites throughout San Diego.

To register or receive an event brochure, visit http://www.inneridea.com/ or call 1.800.462.1876. Advanced registration is $595, if postmarked by July 25th.

Contact:
Kelly Nakai
IDEA Health & Fitness Association
858.535.8979, ext.212
knakai@ideafit.com

Tabitha Bailey
HetzelMeade Communications
805.241.2532
tabitha@hetzelmeade.com

About Inner IDEA
Inner IDEA is a division of IDEA Health & Fitness Association, the leading membership organization of fitness and wellness professionals, with more than 23,000 active members in over 80 countries. Inner IDEA's mission is to inspire the world to wellness through mind, body, and spirit. Inner IDEA offers industry leading education through its conferences and website to its community of mind body professionals as well as interested consumers. For more information on Inner IDEA and its offerings, visit www.inneridea.com.

Meditation & Mind-body Healing in Chicago

CHICAGO - If you want to explore meditation, yoga, and the Eastern healing arts, the Renewal Weekend workshop is the ideal starting point. This August 22-24 at the Westin Chicago River North, guests at Renewal Weekend will have a rare opportunity to begin their path to wellness with the co-founders of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing � internationally acclaimed mind-body physicians Deepak Chopra and David Simon.

"The Chopra Center has a unique approach that combines the Eastern healing arts with the latest advances in modern medicine," said Deepak Chopra. "We designed Renewal Weekend workshop as a 'gateway' experience of the Center's approach and teachings... an introduction for those who are new to mind-body wellness and integrative, holistic healing practices."

Renewal Weekend is a rejuvenating weekend getaway where Deepak Chopra & David Simon will guide participants in practical tools for restoring health, creating work-life balance, and experiencing inner calm - even in the midst of life's inevitable stresses. The workshop includes:

Instruction in the ancient practice of Primordial Sound Meditation
Revitalizing yoga classes for body-centered restful awareness
Sessions in mind-body healing and Ayurveda, India's 5,000-year old healing system
A personal daily routine for calm, renewal, and balance
An exclusive reception and book signing with Deepak Chopra & David Simon

The Chopra Center is offering special group pricing for friends and family to attend Renewal Weekend together. For more information, please call 888.736.6895 or visit http://www.chopra.com/renewal/chicago.

About the Chopra Center
The Chopra Center for Wellbeing was founded by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D. in 1996. Located in Carlsbad, California, the Center offers a wide variety of programs, retreats, and teacher training programs that integrate the healing arts of the East with the best in modern Western medicine. The Chopra Center has helped millions of people around the world find peace of mind, physical balance, and emotional healing. The website http://www.chopra.com is your starting point on the path to wellness. /PRNewswire/

Source:
www.earthtimes.org

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Visit Seattle

SEATTLE, WA - Renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will address 1,500 people at The Westin-Seattle on July 11 in a special two-hour event "Practical Wisdom - To Get the Most out of Life". The Art of Living Foundation hosts the event, which will begin at 6:30pm at Westin, Seattle.

"This is an incredible opportunity for Seattle to meet a global figure who has inspired millions of people with his commitment to bringing inner peace and a joyful smile to every face," said Brian Carver, a manager at Amazon and volunteer at the Art of Living Foundation, an educational and humanitarian non-profit organization founded by Sri Sri in 1982.

Known for his deep insight and quick wit, Sri Sri's initiatives in self-development, education, youth leadership, post-trauma relief, conflict resolution, prisoner rehabilitation, women's empowerment, and sustainable development have benefited 300 million people in 145 countries. At the heart of his initiatives is a powerful breathing technique - Sudarshan Kriya�, which has been clinically proven to improve physical, mental, and emotional health. Sri Sri travels to more than 40 countries each year, sharing his vision of a violence-free, stress-free global family.

In the United States, Sri Sri's initiatives include inner city youth leadership programs, free trauma relief programs for survivors of tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and the Virginia Tech shootings, special programs for returning war veterans, prisoner reform programs, stress elimination programs for corporations and working adults, and human value-based programs for children and youth. For more information, visit http://us.artofliving.org/service-projects/.

Over 1,000 Seattle residents have benefited from the Foundation's programs. Free self-development programs have been offered to members of Compass Cascade Women's Center, First Avenue homeless shelter, Women's Prison in Gig Harbor, Cascade People's Center, and Eastside Domestic Violence Program. Other initiatives include the Teens for Teens Program (offered through the Seattle Public School System), the Empowerment Project for Domestic Violence Center for Women (in conjunction with Microsoft), and the Prison Rehabilitation program.

"The Art of Living Course provides an easy, healthy, and natural way to reduce stress, find more peace, and feel rejuvenated. I've taken the first course and it was amazing!" said Kathleen Koch, Assistant Dean at Seattle University who recently participated in an Art of Living program.

Sri Sri launched the "Violence Free Stress Free America" campaign in March 2007, during the Foundation's 25-year national celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Joseph Biden, Jr., U.S. Senator who opened the event, said, "The Art of Living Foundation has an incredible - actually incredible - following that cuts through all religions, cultures, and backgrounds - a very, very difficult thing to do in today's world." Visit http://us.artofliving.org/human-values/launch-of-campaign.html for more information.

In May 2007, Sri Sri made a historic visit to Iraq, where the Art of Living Foundation is active since 2003. He met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki and other senior political and religious officials, who lauded the humanitarian work and trauma relief programs conducted by the Foundation's volunteers and asked Sri Sri to undertake its prison rehabilitation program in the country's prisons. In August 2007, the Iraqi government sent 55 youth from each province to the Foundation's Youth Leadership Training Program in Bangalore, India. Watch the CNN interview with Sri Sri: http://us.artofliving.org/video/player-youtube.html?videofile=p-Sstlp1u7Y&videotitle=Sri-Sri-CNN-Interview.

For more information about the event, visit: events.artofliving.org/seattle.

The Art of Living Foundation founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is an international non-profit educational and humanitarian organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. To date, Art of Living programs have benefited more than 25 million people in over 140 countries. /24-7PressRelease/