Fans lined up outside Folsom’s Three Stages Theater to attend the ninth annual Northern California Yoga Asana Championships on Saturday. The event featured this year’s competitors showing off their three-minute routines all for the chance to move on to the national competition held in spring. A group of Matt Guyton’s fans cheered him on with banners and posters. “We came to support last year’s champion, Matt Guyton, and first-time competitor Julie Strand,” said fan Laurel Hansen of Lincoln. “We all go to the Lincoln studio,” added fan Rena Garcia of Lincoln. Many of the participating studio members brought crowds who quickly filled up the seats, cheering on the beginning and experienced

While many of us stuffed our faces and drank to our hearts’ desire over the holidays, the students of the Folsom Bikram Yoga studio were training and preparing for the ninth annual Northern California Regional Yoga Asana Championships on Jan. 14 in Folsom. This year, the championships are being held at the Three Stages theater at Folsom Lake College. The event will feature competitors performing a series of yoga postures also known as yoga asana. Although the judges will be looking at particular physical skill, participants will also be judged on their emotional demeanor, mental tranquility and spiritual presence. Each competitor is required to perform seven postures in three minutes, a

If you listen real close, you can hear the "ohm" resonate from Wanderlust Festival 2011 in Tahoe into the valley.  Mind, body, and spirit comes alive in this annual pilgrimage for outdoor enthusiast, music lovers, and yoga aficionados. Located in the natural setting of Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, few festivals in the world compares to majestic mountains, eclectic music, and meditations to match the mood. On its third year, the festival offers all who attend relaxation, revelation, and rejuvenation with organic foods, wines, scenery, music, and community. In true sun salutation, here are simple ways to waken your wanderlust. 1) Hoof it to Heaven, Schulyer Grant’s hike in the picturesque s

After six years at the helm of Deep Art and Yoga on H Street, the first yoga studio in Midtown, owner Christine Sukhbir Kaur Collins is passing the space on to Tyler Langdale, owner of Yoga Shala. Though she won’t own the space any longer, Collins will continue to teach Kundalini yoga, which emphasizes focused breathing, meditation and chanting, at Yoga Shala two nights a week. Citing her desire to live a freer, “more relaxed life,” with time to travel, Collins explained that she is ready to relinquish some of the responsibilities that have come with owning Deep, specifically those having to do with finances. “I just won’t have the stress and the responsibility of numbers, which is not

Mother’s Day is coming Sunday, and The Sacramento Press has a few gift ideas that are sure to let mom know how much you love her.   Gift idea No. 1: Send your mom on a relaxing getaway. Super Spa, located at 1722 J St., Suite 1, offers a variety of massage services. Relaxation or therapeutic massages range from $40 to $120 depending on the length of the massage. A warm stone therapy ranges from $90 to $140, and a head and scalp treatment for 30 minutes costs $40. Every 60 minutes of massage includes an organic aromatherapy steam. According to owner Suzanne Saunders, Super Spa's "Treat Mom to 90 minutes of bliss" special includes a L'initié facial care with Univera's super hydrating l

Now in my 40s, I wake up a little stiff each morning and think about getting older. In the next moment, I am suddenly cooking breakfast, packing lunches, and rushing to take the kids to school. Amidst this frenzied routine one day, I slammed the car door to the yelping of our four-legged family member, Piggie. Because of my thoughtlessness, poor Piggie was inside the car whimpering with her tail poking out from the doorjamb. Ugh. How can I be more conscious of my actions and be “in” the moment? These days, so many people are turning to yoga. Does it really work to pull oneself into the present as well as help with those aches and pains? Ashtanga. Vinyasa. Power. Knowing where to start

The second annual “Yoga for Chi” class will be held Jan. 22 to benefit Chi Cheng, bassist for Deftones, who has been in a coma since November 2008. “It’s an hour-long free yoga class for all ages, and it’s open to all skill levels,” said Julie McKechnie, who will be hosting the class from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at American River Crossfit, 1512 Howe Ave. Students are encouraged to make donations, which will help Cheng’s family raise the money needed to transport him to New Jersey to see a specialist. Cheng, who has lived in both Sacramento and Stockton, was in a car accident on Nov. 3, 2008, and though his family says he is improving, he has yet to regain consciousness, according to o

FOLSOM, Calif. Dec. 13, 2010 – Nick Clark, Folsom-based lifestyle coach and wellness professional, today announced that he will co-lead Zuda Yoga Folsom’s 40-Day Transformation, a program to help participants change habits and rid their lives of “things” holding them back. What: 40-Day Transformation with Corri Chadwick & Nick Clark Time: Friday, January 21, 2011 at 7:30pm - Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 7:30pm Place: Zuda Yoga Folsom 220 Blue Ravine Rd. Ste 130 Folsom, CA Cost/Rewards: Program Cost: $199 includes a copy of the book, “40 Days to Personal Revolution,” and a 40-day continuous yoga pass for Zuda Folsom (all current class passes will be frozen until after the program). Also, enjo

FOLSOM, Calif. Nov. 22, 2010 – Nick Clark, Folsom-based lifestyle coach and wellness professional, today announced that he will teach the warm up series for all of the runners of this year’s Folsom Turkey Trot. He will also be teaching one of the two classes held at ZUDA Yoga in Folsom on Thanksgiving. “Yoga is a great workout for the mind and the body,” said Nick Clark, founder of Nick Clark Health. “It offers a mental and physical challenge and teaches students to push past barriers in order to grow. It is an honor to be able to teach to several hundreds of people on Thanksgiving morning. There is no better way to give thanks to a community that supports health!” Clark teaches at sever

Want to try yoga but just can't afford it? Yoga teachers had you in mind when they formed the Yoga Seed Collective. Sacramento's newest yoga studio opened Saturday to bring yoga to a larger audience. The collective takes donations of whatever each person can afford. "I love it," said Sarah Wolfe, a 25-year-old freelance makeup artist, after taking a yoga class Monday morning. "You can relax and have a settled mind knowing you don't have to break the bank to be here." The collective was formed by three yoga teachers: Sara Johnson, Zack Pasillas and Erin Reschke, who now make up the volunteer board of directors. Pasillas was already offering donation-only yoga classes at the Tahoe Park

Saturday, Sept. 11 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Bikram Yoga Elk Grove will be hosting a yoga session and providing premade packed lunches for participants at Area 22, the grassy area just north of the fish pond. Around 100 participants are expected to attend. Sunday, Sept. 12 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. The 10th annual Capitol City AIDS Fund Run/Walk and Health Fair will take place on the West Steps of the Capitol. The 5K run around Capitol Park begins at 8:30 a.m. and the 5k walk begins at 9 a.m. The award ceremony and health fair will be held at 10 a.m. About 2000 people are expected to attend.

The second annual Wanderlust Festival took place this weekend at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe.  Wanderlust is a one-of-a-kind festival bringing together the world's best yoga teachers and best performers in rock & roll, all in a setting of breathtaking natural beauty. It is a place to relax, unwind, bend, dance, revel, and contemplate. This year's festival offered expanded yoga offerings, more great music, a complement of organic foods and biodynamic wines, and the same incredible scenery and community that made last year’s event such a hit. Wanderlust showcases a range of teachers, classes and styles that inspire and challenge all practitioners, from the curious beginner to longtime studen

Tyler Langdale knew from his first yoga class that he would open his own studio one day. But it wasn't until he and Sacramento lobbyist Josh Pane, a devoted friend and yoga client, spent a month studying yoga, traditional healing and Buddhism in India and China that he seriously considered it. The 27-year-old yoga teacher and the former city councilman were walking on a beach in Goa on India's west coast. The Arabian Sea shimmered as the idea crystallized in Pane's mind. "I turned to Tyler and I said, 'Tyler — you've got to open up a yoga studio,' " Pane said. Now the two are partnering to open the central city's newest yoga studio, Yoga Shala Sacramento, in the recently renovated YWCA

The first annual Fit Crawl on Saturday had 38 "crawlers" ride bicycles to five locations for a 20-minute preview of different fitness methods. Downtown locations included Pipeworks for rock climbing, Fleet Feet to learn about proper running shoes and technique, Ultimate Fitness for in-ring training and bag work, Asha Yoga to try the styles of yoga and Bodytribe, for a fresh take on fitness training. The Crawl was put on by the California Task Force on Youth and Workplace Wellness, and sponsored by PepsiCo.  The $35 ticket included bike rental, loaned from Bikes and Bites.  The Wellness Task Force, in existence since 2002, focuses on fitness and nutrition in schools and the workplace. Exe

 "What did the yogi say to the hot-dog vendor?" "Make me one with everything"                 Yoga? Me? Not bloody likely.  Up until recently, when I thought of yoga , I conjured up  people named "Moonbeam" and "Mudpuddle" singing "Kumbaya" while stretching and massaging one another's colorful auras.  No thanks.  I don't drink soy milk, I'd rather die than become a vegan, I can't stand drum circles, and patchouli makes me retch.                Don't let the degree from the University of Oregon fool you; I'm no hippie.  Except when it comes to the music festivals, /cause they're far out, man.  Come High Sierra, I will be gallivanting barefoot, loving all my fellow Earth creatures, and m

"Connect, Breathe, Let go" is the message behind Padme Yoga Center, which is scheduled to open in June in East Sacramento. The new yoga center will focus on the teaching and practice of Yoga Vinyasa, a form of yoga performed in a warmer heat, or "hot yoga." Sophie Levy, owner of the new yoga center, called the warmth a "Hawaiian Heat", saying the room temperature will be kept around 85 degrees. She explained that the higher temperature allows the muscles to relax while the movements physically challenge the body. The range of knowledge about this teaching will be demonstrated by instructors who will teach beginner classes through advanced classes. There will be a total of 10 instructors

Imagine being a child in a world with endless possibilities for creativity. Welcome to Art Beast, an art studio for children located at 2226 K St. Children of all ages are encouraged to act, paint, color, play and dream inside the sacred walls of Art Beast. Parents and adults feel like the visitors in this magical world. The Art Beast contains three floors and a basement perfect for letting your child's creativity run wild. "Everything is here in this building," grandma Rose Orlandi said as she watched her two grandchildren ages 4 and 2. "Clay. Sand. Paint. They have it all and I don't have to worry about getting it on my carpet. Where else can I play too?" Different floors are dedicate

Last Sunday, the Yoga Solution studio was filled with the relaxing sound of "namastes," "oms" and a meditation gong. But what spoke the loudest, perhaps, were three chants of "Chi." On Oct. 4, 10 people came together to practice yoga and send "chi," or life force energy, to Chi Cheng, bassist for the Grammy-award-winning Sacramento band, Deftones. Cheng has been in a coma since Nov. 4, 2008, after being involved in a motor accident. The event was organized by yoga instructor Julie McKechnie, who normally teaches classes for members of the Gold River Racquet Club. Her friend Jennifer Sadugor, the owner of Yoga Solution, 887 57th St., allowed her to use her studio for the fundraising gathe

     The residents of Sacramento are lucky to have a world-class musician performing in town this Thursday night. Manish Vyas is a tabla player who usually commands a large audience. He has toured extensively in Europe, USA, India, Israel and Singapore. Over the years, Manish has given countless live concerts and enthralled audiences of thousands of people. The record-breaking number so far was 50,000 in Coimbatore, India in 2004. The setting this Thursday will undoubtedly be much more intimate when he entertains at Deep Art & Yoga, at 2030 H St. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. These are available through the website www.deepartandyoga.com/workshops.html      Manish’s abili

It’s All Yoga   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michelle Marlahan michelle@itsallyoga.com (916) 501-4692 www.itsallyoga.com IT’S ALL YOGA CELEBRATES FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY ON JUNE 13 Family fun activities include free yoga classes, live music, arts and entertainment Sacramento, California – (May 18, 2009) A four-year anniversary celebration at It’s All Yoga, 2405 21st Street, will be held on Saturday, June 13 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. The celebration will be combined with a Second Saturday event featuring art and music from Aim Higher, an adult development center in Roseville. There will be henna artists and door prizes. During the opening on Saturday evening, any new student can sign up fo