It’s been awhile since a business communication inspired me.  I have used voice mail service from VoiceNation. This month their e-newsletter talked about how they can help non-profits charities. I think this is a great idea for businesses big & small.  Offering others your expertise, rather than just giving donations-is a great model for new age giving.

Care2Call provides non-profit charities like yours free access to the voice communications infrastructure they need to thrive and make a difference in the lives of others. Worthy charities enjoy voicemail and faxmail free of charge, and other specialized communication services at reduced cost to qualified recipients.http://www.voicenation.com/care2call.shtml

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LX.TV  ( Life/Style TV) is a broadband television network website featuring original lifestyle and cultural programming free and on-demand. It features short video episodes, that can keep you “in the know” about the newest destinations in food, nightlife, art, shopping, fashion, wellness, weekend escapes and family living in NYC  and LA  Coming soon are Miami, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

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 A new online resource- a beautifully designed website for  the yoga community .  I just came across the site , and I am still checking out the content, but wanted to pass on the info.  It seems to be a very big effort, and could possibly be the newest single source of yoga related information. Especially helpful are the links to retreats and workshops in different cities. It is yummy.

Yogamates.com

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Imagine doing yoga in the middle of Times Square.  On June 21 from 8am to Sunset there is a a free yoga-fest in the heart of Times Square.

Both experienced and beginning Yoga enthusiasts can find tranquility and transcendence in the midst of the urban energy of the world’s most commercial and frenetic place.  The theme is celebrating the Summer Solstice : Mind Over Madness .

You need to sign up , TimesSquare.org . Times Square is at the Intersection of Broadway & 7th Avenue in NYC.

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Eckhart Tolle is a best-selling author and spiritual teacher and is currently being featured on Oprah.com in a first ever worldwide web classroom. Together, each Monday night, Eckhart and Oprah go through each chapter of his new book- A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose.

For the first time ever, you can join Oprah and Eckhart Tolle “live” on the web via a worldwide classroom . If you missed any of the classes, you can simply follow my link to the New Earth downloads on Oprah.com. and can download webcast videos, audio files or transcripts and take them with you wherever you go.

You can even subscribe to iTunes and have them automatically download each week.

Eckhart’s last book The Power of Now, is also truly a must read.

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I was looking for inspiration for “yoga-inspired” paint colors for my apartment and came across this wonderful online resource called Apartment Therapy. Not only did I get some ideas but I discovered that the site had a great community feel and offered fantastic ideas for apartment dwellers.

Just a note: Another great resource for the latest trends in interior colors is the ColorAssociation.

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I purchased two Sucawear yoga tops at a Yoga Conference about two years ago. I had the pleasure of meeting the designer Susan Cappa, who was an inspiration as well.  And since then, I have not come across another yoga top that I love as much. Both of my tops have the message “Ashima” on it ( which means non-harming in Sanskirt) –one styled by Sean Corn and the other by Baron Baptiste. A portion of the proceeds go to non profit charities.

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I came across this eco-friendly clothing line Moral Fervor and wanted to share it with my fellow yogi’s who are always looking for products that fit their values and lifestyle.

Moral Fervor is a great example of an ecological clothing company using only bio-based fabrics that are organic and sustainable. The designers Emily Stantmore and Melissa Sack conceived Moral Fervor in their dorm room at Tyler Art School in 1998.  You go girls!

Each collection is inspired by an environmental or social topic, giving each collection a level of depth and meaning that the designers feel is an important part of life.

Moral Fervor is associated with several non-profits, both local and international. You can buy their styles at an online retailer econscious.org  or organicbug.com and save the gas money. Or walk to Jivamuti Yoga Studio and check the selection.

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Looking for a place to relax and get in touch with nature, do some yoga, read a book.  I came across this gorgeous rental property in Woodstock, NY.   The Waterfall House.

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The Sanctuary is a beautiful, simple solution to getting all of your plug in devices under control. The simply chic white box hides a universal charger compatible with over 1500 electronic devices from most major brands and a USB port allowing hundreds more electronic devices to be charged using just The Sanctuary. You can charge your cell phone, PDA, Blackberry, iPod, MP3 player, and bluetooth headset simultaneously in one location.

The Sanctuary by Blue Lounge

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It’s Earth Day 2008, where is your favorite CEO?

This Earth Day Many many eco-minded CEO’s could be found at the Fortune Green Conference -that is  great news. I am sure there are many high level strategic topics being discussed, but the one thing that I did come across was a blog reference to a conference highlight about a new “eco-inspired” laptop by Dell.

According to the blog post on  Earth2tech , Michael Dell revealed what looks like a laptop encased in a bamboo box. “Dell said the computer is 81 percent smaller than a standard desktop, uses 70 percent less power and is filled with recycled materials like old bottles, milk jugs and detergent cases. While Dell wouldn’t give the name of the bamboo box, he said the product would come out later this year and would likely range in price betwen $500 and $700.”

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According to a post on the Green Car Congress blog, a University of Virginia study by funded by the National Science Foundation found that “air pollution from power plants and automobiles is diminishing the fragrance of flowers and thereby inhibiting the ability of pollinating insects to follow scent trails to their source. This could partially explain why wild populations of some pollinators, particularly bees, are declining in several areas of the world, including California and the Netherlands. ”

“The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters; but in today’s polluted environment downwind of major cites, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters. This makes it increasingly difficult for pollinators to locate the flowers.” - Co-author Jose D. Fuentes, a professor of environmental sciences, at UVa.

The researchers believe that air pollution, especially during the peak period of summer, may be a factor. “To investigate this, they created a mathematical model of how the scents of flowers travel with the wind. The scent molecules produced by flowers are very volatile and they quickly bond with pollutants such as ozone, hydroxyl and nitrate radicals, which destroy the aromas they produce. This means that instead of traveling intact for long distances with the wind, the scents are chemically altered and the flowers, in a sense, no longer smell like flowers. This forces pollinators to search farther and longer and possibly to rely more on sight and less on smell.”

It quickly became apparent that air pollution destroys the aroma of flowers, by as much as 90 percent from periods before automobiles and heavy industry. And the more air pollution there is in a region, the greater the destruction of the flower scents.

Source: Quinn S. McFrederick, James C. Kathilankal and Jose D. Fuentes; Air pollution modifies floral scent trails; Atmospheric Environment Volume 42, Issue 10, March 2008, Pages 2336-2348 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.12.033

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This is the perfect time of year to take a road trip to Stockbridge, Mass and visit Kripalu . This place has one of the very best yoga shops I have been to -where you can spend hours upon hours-browsing for CD’s, incence, books, jewelry, potions + lotions, yoga mats, yoga clothes and meditation pillows. Kripalu , with all due respect, is much more than a yoga shop, it offers hundreds of classes that can take your yoga practice to a new level.

The facility itself is a little bit ominous from the outside, but just get yourself inside, and into a class or seminar and you will begin to understand why it is one of the havens of yoga on the East Coast. Kripalu overlooks a beautiful lake and just the scenery alone can align your senses. On your trip to Kripalu, do stop in the adorable + historic town of Lenox , Mass featured in the NY Times and do try Betty’s Surf Pizza.

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Springtime is here. The birds are chirping and my feet are screaming. For me, spring means that maybe it is time to take off my Ugg boots . Thankfully, I have my Havaianas Flip Flops to switch into. There is a new style that I have my eye on-The Buddah Flip Flop-which is not yet available on the Havaianas website. But to each his/her own, there are hundreds of great looking flip flops to choose from on their site. By far, Havaianas are the greatest looking, best feeling flip flops I have put on my yogi feet.

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Dr. Mao’s Secrets of Longevity is a great source of health & wellness tips and is featured on Yahoo! His most recent post talks about how to create  some inner peace during the 40+ per week you might spend in an office environment.  Here are a few of his tips that are easy to implement:

“Set Boundaries- Are you the go-to person for every favor and question that is needed in your workplace? Learn to respectfully set your boundaries and say no. Also, take a look at your calendar and make sure you are not over-scheduling yourself after work. Write in one night a week for yourself, and treat yourself to a tai chi or meditation class, a bath, or just an evening curled up with a good book. ”

“Skip the second latte, which stimulates your central nervous system, makes your mind race, and adds to your stress. Instead, try these simple and natural pick-me-ups:

• Take a tea break. Instead of coffee, go for teas that gently boost your energy, such as ginseng, eucalyptus, or ginger.

• Find ways to keep moving all day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Drink a glass of water from the water cooler every hour. Park your car a few blocks away from where you’re going. Not only will this perk up your energy, it will also improve your mood.

• If it’s a nice day outside, eat lunch outdoors or just take a walk around the block. The fresh air and the break from routine will be an invigorating addition to your workday.

• Get sustainable energy with snacks. Eat a snack at mid-morning and another one at mid-afternoon consisting of nuts, seeds, fruits, or protein-rich foods like humus made from beans will help you sustain your energy and prevent low blood sugar from setting in.”

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