Learn more close Top 10: Health Tips for Teachers

1. Learn to deal with stress. In India, most teachers handle classrooms that can have anywhere between 15 to 60 children! This can be extremely stressful and it’s important to recognise and deal with this stress. Every morning, try and take some time out to centre and calm your mind. You can do this through yoga or meditation. This will help you better deal with all the challenges the day throws up.
2. Share. Another way of dealing with work problems is by sharing them with your colleagues. Do not feel ashamed. They’ve probably gone through similar issues and can help you with solutions.
3. Create your personal goals. It’s easy to get caught up in completing the school curriculum. Take some time to create your own professional goals. This will help you stay focussed.
4. Get plenty of rest. If you’re in a profession that needs to you to wake up early and stay on your feet throughout, you cannot afford to skimp on your sleep. Avoid the temptation to correct answer papers late at night and make sure you sleep well.
5. Eat well, especially breakfast. A hearty and healthy breakfast and plenty of sleep will not only give you the energy to keep going through the day, it will also ensure you are cheerful and more equipped to handle any temperamental student that might come your way.
6. Wash your hands frequently. Schools, especially junior classes, can be a hotbed for passing on infections. One sick kid comes in and soon half the class, including the teacher, is down with the same thing. Keep yourself protected by washing your hands between classes or carrying hand sanitizer toward off germs.
7. Get comfortable shoes. You’re on your feet all day. Naturally, comfortable shoes that provide good support and cushioning become all-important.
8. Don’t work during your lunch hour. For your mental peace, use your lunch hour to eat well, catch up with colleagues or read or knit or do anything other than work.
9. Exercise regularly. The thing with exercise is that the more active you are, the more energy you’ll have. Make sure you take time out of your busy schedule to do at least 30 minutes of concerted exercise everyday.
10. Take a small break everyday. Many teachers suggest taking a few minutes for yourself at least once a day. Away from the students, principal, and most definitely away from any negative characters you might have in school. Just a few minutes for yourself, where you can take a deep breath, get rejuvenated and get back to teaching.

Pictures of upcoming BlackBerry smartphones leaked online

The images of Research In Motion's (RIM) upcoming smartphones, which will launch next year, have reportedly been revealed online.
The pictures showed both the full touchscreen devices BlackBerry L Series and N series.
They also showed a long-awaited BlackBerry 10 phone with a full qwerty keyboard, the Telegraph reports.
According to the paper, briefly posted on video sharing site Vimeo, the film appears to be an internal pitch for marketing agencies, and was apparently posted by the editor.
BlackBerry site Crackberry.com copied images before the film was removed.
Meanwhile, the embattled Canadian mobile maker reported a narrower than expected quarterly loss, sending its shares up nearly 18 percent..
RIM reported a net loss of 235 million dollars for the second quarter, ending September 1, compared with a profit of 329 million dollars for the period last year.
The firm increased its cash to about 2.3 billion from 2.2 billion dollars

Samsung Galaxy Note II at Rs 39,990

Samsung Electronics launched its latest Galaxy device as part of efforts to better compete with Apple's newly released iPhone 5. Priced at Rs Rs 39,990 in India, the new version of the Note features a thinner and slightly bigger 5.5-inch screen, quad-core processor, the latest version of the Android operating system called Jellybean, and improved stylus function.

British priest bans 'spiritual' yoga from church hall

A British priest has banned yoga from the parish hall because it is "a Hindu spiritual exercise" and therefore "not compatible" with Catholicism, according to news reports from the kingdom.

Cori Withell told The Mirror that with just 10 days remaining in the two-month instruction, St. Edmund's Church in Southampton canceled her yoga and Pilates classes. She said a parish secretary explained that the hall must be used only for Catholic activities.

The decision to ban yoga or other non-Catholic activities rests with individual priests and is not official Catholic Church policy, the diocese said.

St. Edmund's priest, Father John Chandler, and the diocese said Withell had misled them by booking the hall for Pilates and later advertising separate yoga classes. They apologized for the inconvenience.

"Yoga is a Hindu spiritual exercise. Being a Catholic church we have to promote the gospel and that's what we use our premises for," Chandler said. "We did say that yoga could not take place. It's the fact that it's a different religious practice going on in a Catholic church. ... It's not compatible. We are not saying that yoga is bad or wrong."

It's been a learning experience for Withell, whose classes were aimed at helping overweight Britons slim down.

"I had never heard about any religious issue with yoga before but I have looked into it since and found that some other religions feel that when people meditate it could let the devil inside them," Withell told the paper. "But there was never any meditation in my class -- it was just exercises."

She added, "I do not object to anyone having a religious viewpoint, but it seemed terribly petty to cancel the classes."

Ravindra Parmar, president of the Vedic Society Hindu Temple of Southampton, told the BBC that yoga was "a form of exercise" and "not a religious type of activity." He said he felt "a little let down" because of efforts by the local faith council to "get all the faiths talking to each other."

Majority of Indian-Americans back Barack Obama for second term as president

Perhaps it's those high-profile state visits; or maybe those White House events to celebrate Diwali and Guru Nanak anniversary. More likely, it's the familiar immigrant predisposition for the Democratic Party. All things considered, Indian-Americans are going to vote for in droves for Barack Obama second term in the November 2012 Presidential election, notwithstanding occasional heartburn in India over perceived cooling of ties under Democratic dispensation.

A new national survey of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) released on Monday reveals that Indian-Americans are by far the strongest supporters of Barack Obama among the larger AAPI group, siding with him by an overwhelming 68% to 5%, over Republican rival Mitt Romney, with around 25% undecided. At a broader AAPI level, the divide is 43-24 in favor of Obama.

The survey comes at a time when growing Asian-American political influence is already apparent in many states and metropolitan areas, including key presidential battleground states such as Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. As of 2010, AAPI residents exceeded the 5% threshold in roughly one in four Congressional Districts and in nearly 600 cities. In 2012, there are also a record number of Asian Americans running for Congress in 2012, including some half-dozen Indian-Americans, and AAPIs occupy key positions in Washington, D.C. and in various state capitols.

The survey also reveals that Indian-Americans voted for Obama by a massive 93-4 margin in the 2008 Presidential elections involving John McCain, much more than the 84 per cent that was previously estimated for Obama. The President appears to have substantially retained that support among Indian-Americans, scoring the highest job approval rating (84 per cent) among AAPI, where approval is at a more modest 59 per cent, which is still 10 points higher than the national average.

The survey belies speculation that Indian-Americans are veering towards the Republican Party in any significant way as they become wealthier or stay longer in the US, or that their conservative ethic is pulling them towards the GOP, which has some high-profile Indian-American leaders. ''Thus, while Governors Bobby Jindal (Louisiana) and Nikki Haley (South Carolina) are among the strongest critics of Barack Obama, they seem to be in a relatively small minority of Indian Americans who support Mitt Romney,'' the survey notes.

The survey reveals that while Indians, Koreans and Hmongs among the AAPI are most strongly identified with the Democratic Party, Filipino and Vietnamese Americans most strongly identify with Republicans.

Asian Americans exhibit patterns of concentrated geographic settlement in particular states and regions. Five states (California, New York, Texas, Hawaii, and New Jersey) account for about 60% of the national Asian American population, with California by far the largest, accounting for one third of all Asian American adults. Within California, Asian Americans are 15% of the state's resident population. They constitute a majority of the population in Hawaii (57%), and are also a significant portion of the state populations New Jersey (9%), Washington (9%), New York (8%), and Virginia (7%).

Six groups account for 86 percent of the Asian American population in the US with Chinese being the largest (22 per cent) followed by Indian (20 per cent), 18% Filipino, 11% Vietnamese, 10% Korean, and 5% Japanese.

Google: Media obsessed with Apple’s branding

 The Google Inc has made no move to provide Google Maps for the iPhone 5 after Apple Inc dropped the application in favor of a home-grown but controversial alternative, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said.

Apple launched its own mapping service earlier this month when it began providing the highly anticipated update to its mobile software platform i OS 6 and started selling the iPhone 5.

But users have complained that Apple's new map service, based on Dutch navigation equipment and digital map maker Tom N's data, contains glaring geographical errors and lacks features that made Google Maps so popular.

"We think it would have been better if they had kept ours. But what do I know?" Schmidt told a small group of reporters in Tokyo. "What were we going to do, force them not to change their mind? It's their call."

Schmidt said Google and Apple were in constant communication "at all kinds of levels." But he said any decision on whether Google Maps would be accepted as an application in the Apple App Store would have to be made by Apple.

"We have not done anything yet," he said.

Google and Apple were close partners with the original iPhone in 2007 and its inclusion of YouTube and Google Maps. But the ties between the two have been strained by the rise of Google's Android mobile operating system, now the world's leading platform for smartphones.

Schmidt said he hoped Google would remain Apple's search partner on the iPhone but said that question was up to Apple.

"I'm not doing any predictions. We want them to be our partner. We welcome that. I'm not going to speculate at all what they're going to do. They can answer that question as they see fit," he said.

Google provides Android free of charge and allows developers to add applications on an open basis, betting that by cultivating a bigger pool of users - now at over 500 million globally - it can make more money by providing search functions and selling advertising.

"Apple is the exception, and the Android system is the common model, which is why our market share is so much higher," Schmidt said, adding that success was often ignored by the media, which he said was "obsessed with Apple's marketing events and Apple's branding."

"That's great for Apple but the numbers are on our side," he said.

At one point, Schmidt, who was in Japan to announce the launch of Google's Nexus tablet here, used the device to show off a new function of Google Maps.

The feature allows users to shift their view of an area by moving the device in the air without touching the screen, similar to the effect of looking around.

"Take that Apple," he said, adding quickly, "That was a joke by the way."  Not the end of model another advantages research.

The Streets of Monaco - $50 million floating island

Islands and yachts may have been the “it” destination for high-end tourists for years, but no more. The newest thing for the wealthy vacationer is a combination yacht and island: your own floating, move-able island. Floating islands have been in the works since people first imagined exploring the ocean, but technology is finally making that a reality. Yacht Island Designs provides vacation-goers with a $50 million floating island that can be customized to look like a tropical paradise or the streets of Monaco – complete with small castle or fake volcano as you see fit.   first in world record was sea ship hire rate of cost.  others people purchase in computation.

BCCI - Perpetrator of India’s T20 WC exit!

The Indian cricket team met with the same fate they were served with the last time when they traveled West Indies for a World Cup. An early exit from the tournament, thus failing to make it to the semi-finals!

It has barely been a few days since India tersely found its way out of the T20 World Cup and reports in thousands have already come up citing reasons issues with the team and their performance.

While some cited the batsmen’s inability to face short deliveries as a reason, others blamed the toothless bowling… Some thought that the fielders developed ‘butter fingers’, others thought that their basic fitness was a major issue, which are all but correct!

The Indian team had been finding itself in an awkward form throughout the tournament. Especially during the Super Eights, their very attitude towards each match was questionable. Apart from their batting, bowling and fielding technical issues, their body-language seemed very languid. They seemed ‘Bored and Tired’!

Well, of course they were tired. Who wouldn’t be, after playing cricket continuously for over 5 months? Considering the tight schedule Team India has been made to go through in the recent past, I blame the apex body of cricket in the country, BCCI, for the debacle at the T20 World Cup.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) – a body that controls game in the nation, a body that sets the schedule for the ‘Men in Blue’ for the year, keeps them busy throughout, lauds them when they perform well and hits them hard when they lose... a body which sets up circumstances, but refuses to take responsibility for the same.

India has been playing some series or the other since November 2009.

First, India hosted Sri Lanka for almost a month and a half, from mid-November 2009 till December end, for an extensive tour comprising of three Tests, five ODIs and three T20s – a series in which we won in the Test and ODI formats and drew in T20s.

Then, it was India’s turn to visit neighbours Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in January 2010, after which they again prepared themselves to host a series against South Africa in February. The series against South Africa lasted two Tests and three ODIs.

Though the schedule till now might not look that tiring, neither it was, what did the most significant damage was the Indian Premier League III, that lasted for over one and a half months starting from mid-March.

While adjectives like super-extravagant, cash-rich, etc, are often attached to the IPL, it, in disguise, actually proved to be over-strenuous for our team, as a result of which, they even failed to reach the top-four of the biggest international T20 event.

Primarily, squeezing in a 45-day long tournament into cricketing calendar just before the mega World Cup was a disastrous decision on BCCI’s part. And, moreover, had it been ‘just’ a cricket tournament, things wouldn’t have been this bad as they are today.

More than a cricketing venture that aims at nourishing India’s younger talent, bring in foreign and Indian players together in one forum and making it a truly global contest, IPL is more of BCCI’s money-minting mission.

IPL, as we all know, is not just about cricket, but much more.

The players were made to play for a month and a half long tournament that also did not allow them to play the warm-up matches before the World Cup. As a result, they were over-exerted and tired, and not to forget, clueless about the nature of fast-bouncy foreign pitches after cruising on tailor made IPL beauties.

And on top of that, there were ‘IPL Nights’ for BCCI to further churn out more money!
The Indian cricket team comprises of sportsmen and playing cricket would not harm them as it is their job; they are expected to do so. But being forced to attend post-match parties so as to fulfil their ‘sponsorship’ commitments makes no sense. Though a party is supposed to de-stress oneself, it gives the body no rest! For once, I could take Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s argument as a reason, and not as an excuse.

What happened at the T20 World Cup is not at all being taken in a good spirit by anyone. All complaints against the Indian team by the critics are valid to an extent, but I think that the BCCI must do a serious self-introspection and then they might know, what exactly led to the ouster!

Nokia launches 808 PureView for Rs 33899

Nokia launched Nokia 808 PureView, a 41 megapixel camera phone, in the Indian market priced at Rs 33,899. Nokia 808 PureView also features both Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Headphones technology, providing cinematic sound experience. In addition to superior still-imaging technology, the Nokia 808 PureView includes full HD 1080p video recording and playback with 4X lossless zoom and CD-like audio recording. The smartphone is also equipped with Nokia Belle operating system, 1.3 Ghz processor and an internal memory of 16GB.

Asus launches 3-in-1 PadFone at Rs 65,000

Asus today announced a device that combines a smartphone, a tablet and a laptop. Priced at Rs 65,000, the PadFone will be available across 40 Asus stores all over India and from regional distributors.

This device can be used with a single 3G SIM card which would allow a user to make voice calls in addition to working on documents and sending e-mails. The device is more expensive than the iPad and iPhone combined. However, despite its high price the company sees demand for this kind of a gadget. “Technology and user behaviour changed, and as products and manufacturers we have to transform ourselves to meet customer needs,” said Alex Huang, Managing Director, Systems Business Group, Asus India.

According to industry watchers, the company is targeting a combination of first-time smartphone users and high networth individuals, whose demand for high-end tablets and ultrabooks is increasing. According to market research, sales of tablets grew at 156 per cent, of smartphones at 42 per cent and of notebooks grew at 13 per cent last year.

An intimate darshan with Ganesha

Ganesh Chaturthi is almost here. Pandals are being decorated across the country as devout Indians prepare to welcome Lord Ganesha, the mover of all obstacles and the symbol of prosperity. In a few days, great crowds of revellers will march in mammoth processions, leading the lovable elephant-headed god to a ceremonious immersion in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Artisans are fashioning idols from clay, papier mache and plaster of paris, and adding coats of paint. As Ganeshas brighten up homes and neighbourhoods.

Vishwakarma - Lord of Architecture

The Divine Draftsman:


Vishwakarma is the presiding deity of all craftsmen and architects. Son of Brahma, he is the divine draftsman of the whole universe, and the official builder of all the gods' palaces. Vishwakarma is also the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods, and all their weapons.



The Mahabharata describes him as "The lord of the arts, executor of a thousand handicrafts, the carpenter of the gods, the most eminent of artisans, the fashioner of all ornaments ... and a great and immortal god." He has four hands, wears a crown, loads of gold jewelry, and holds a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman's tools in his hands.


Vishwakarma Puja:


Hindus widely regard Vishwakarma as the god of architecture and engineering, and September 16 or 17 every year is celebrated as Vishwakarma Puja — a resolution time for workers and craftsmen to increase productivity and gain divine inspiration for creating novel products. This ritual usually takes place within the factory premises or shop floor, and the otherwise mundane workshops come alive with fiesta. Vishwakarma Puja is also associated with the buoyant custom of flying kites. This occasion in a way also marks the start of the festive season that culminates in Diwali.

Vishwakarma's Architectural Wonders:

Hindu mythology is full of Vishwakarma's many architectural wonders. Through the four 'yugas', he had built several towns and palaces for the gods. In "Satya yuga", he built the Swarg Loke, or heaven, the abode of the gods and demigods where Lord Indra rules. Vishwakarma then built the 'Sone ki Lanka' in "Treta yuga", the city of Dwarka in "Dwapar yuga", and Hastinapur and Indraprastha in the "Kali yuga".
'Sone Ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka:
According to Hindu mythology, 'Sone ki Lanka' or Golden Lanka was the place where the demon king Ravana dwelled in the "Treta yuga." As we read in the epic story Ramayana, this was also the place where Ravana kept Sita, Lord Ram's wife as a hostage.



There is also a story behind the construction of Golden Lanka. When Lord Shiva married Parvati, he asked Vishwakarma to build a beautiful palace for them to reside. Vishwakarma put up a palace made of gold! For the housewarming ceremony, Shiva invited the wise Ravana to perform the "Grihapravesh" ritual. After the sacred ceremony when Shiva asked Ravana to ask anything in return as "Dakshina", Ravana, overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of the palace, asked Shiva for the golden palace itself! Shiva was obliged to accede to Ravana's wish, and the Golden Lanka became Ravana's palace.



Dwarka:

Among the many mythical towns Viswakarma built is Dwarka, the capital of Lord Krishna. During the time of the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna is said to have lived in Dwarka, and made it his "Karma Bhoomi" or center of operation. That is why this place in nothern India has become a well known pilgrimage for the Hindus.

Hastinapur:

In the present "Kali Yuga", Vishwakarma is said to have built the town of Hastinapur, the capital of Kauravas and Pandavas, the warring families of the Mahabharata. After winning the battle of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna installed Dharmaraj Yudhisthir as the ruler of Hastinapur.

Indraprastha:

Vishwakarma also built the town of Indraprastha for the Pandavas. The Mahabharata has it that King Dhritrashtra offered a piece of land called 'Khaandavprastha' to the Pandavas for living. Yudhishtir obeyed his uncle's order and went to live in Khaandavprastha with the Pandava brothers. Later, Lord Krishna invited Vishwakarma to build a capital for the Pandavas on this land, which he renamed 'Indraprastha'.

Legends tell us about the architectural marvel and beauty of Indraprastha. Floors of the palace were so well done that they had a reflection like that of water, and the pools and ponds inside the palace gave the illusion of a flat surface with no water in them.

After the palace was built, the Pandavas invited the Kauravas, and Duryodhan and his brothers went to visit Indraprastha. Not knowing the wonders of the palace, Duryodhan was flummoxed by the floors and the pools, and fell into one of the ponds. The Pandava wife Draupadi, who witnessed this scene, had a good laugh! She retorted, hinting at Duryodhan's father (the blind king Dhritrashtra) "the son of a blind man is bound to be blind." This remark of Draupadi annoyed Duryodhan so much that later on it became a major cause for the great war of Kurukshetra described in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.

Porn producer to recall DVDs punning on Ben & Jerry's flavors

A movie studio has agreed to recall pornographic DVDs whose titles and packaging mimic those of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Caballero Video also agreed to stop marketing and to destroy materials used to make 10 titles in its "Ben & Cherry's" X-rated film series while a lawsuit against it is pending.

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc, a unit of London-based Unilever Plc , had sued Caballero on September 5 for trademark infringement.

It complained that DVD titles such as "Boston Cream Thighs," "Chocolate Fudge Babes," "Peanut Butter D-Cups" were too similar to its ice cream flavors Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Peanut Butter Cup.

Ben & Jerry's also said Caballero's packaging played off its own with images of puffy white clouds and grazing cows, just as the slogan, "Porno's Finest," punned on "Vermont's Finest."

Terms of the recall and other restrictions were set forth in a consent injunction signed by Caballero's president, Tomer Yoffe, and approved on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan.

Kaplan last Thursday had temporarily halted the DVD sales, though his order did not require a recall.

Caballero's formal name is Rodax Distributors Inc. The North Hollywood, California, company did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Wednesday, nor did a lawyer for Ben & Jerry's.

Ben & Jerry's is based in South Burlington, Vermont, and said it has sold about 45.6 million gallons of ice cream in the last three years.

The case is Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc et al v. Rodax Distributors Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-06734.

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Yuvraj's India return washed out

Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh's keenly-awaited return after battling cancer ended with a damp squib as the first Twenty20 game against New Zealand was washed out on Saturday.

The game was abandoned without a ball being bowled as heavy rain lashing the southern coastal town of Visakhapatnam since late afternoon showed no signs of relenting.

Interview: Yuvraj Singh
My Yuvi, the fighter

The two-match series - the second game takes place in Chennai on Tuesday - is a build-up for the World Twenty20 which opens in Sri Lanka on September 18.

Yuvraj, 30, underwent chemotherapy in the United States in March and April to treat a rare germ-cell tumour between his lungs which was diagnosed late last year.

The left-hander, who was man of the tournament in India's World Cup triumph last year, was recalled to the Twenty20 side despite not having played competitive cricket since November.

Tamil Nadu to add 3,000 Mw solar energy

    

The Tamil Nadu government has set a target to add 3,000 Megawatt (Mw)  solar energy as part of it solar mission programme by 2015-16. The state government is also planning to bring a new policy for solar energy.

This was disclosed by  Natham R Viswanathan, minister for electricity and prohibition and excise, during his address at Renergy 2012, an international conference organised by  the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency. This is more than 33 per cent of India's target.


     

The minister said the Centre's assistance for the state renewable energy sector was nil. “We need financial assistance to boost the renewable energy sector to address the power deficit.” TN, according to him, would become a power surplus state by 2015-16. The state facing a shortage of around 4,000 Mw at present.

The new solar policy will be introduced before or during the current Budget.

On the Centre’s allocation to the state under JNNRUM, he said, “We have received only 22 Mw out of 1,000 Mw under Phase I of the National Solar Mission. We request the Centre to recognise the potential of solar energy in Tamil Nadu and address this inequality.”

The state’s installed capacity of renewable energy is around 75,000 Mw, about 36 per cent of the total installed capacity.

8 Reasons Why Yoga Beats the Gym

By nature, I am not a comparer. Everything has its plusses and minuses in my book (except, of course, yoga which is all plusses!). So, while I am not anti-gym, I do think that yoga kicks the gym's derrière on every level, and you can kick your own (butt, that is) in yoga, literally, if you feel like it!

People are always curious as to "what else I do" to "work out" other than yoga. The answer? Nothing! Yoga is everything my body needs to function at it's absolute best. Here's why:

It's efficient! Why would I waste so much time at the gym working each part of my body separately when I can connect all of the dots and do it all at once with yoga? No amount of lifting weights is going to make my arms as strong as holding up my own body weight in yoga. Also, practically everything you do in yoga is engaging your core, from core-centric poses to moving from pose to pose, using your core to stabilize your body. And in different inversions and arm balances, yoga allows you to raise your heartbeat, strengthen your muscles, and lengthen them out all at once. How's that for efficiency?

It can count as cardio. All you have to do is try a few sun salutations or any flow at a good, steady pace, matching your breath to your movement. Or, if you are a bit more adventurous, try some Kundalini kriyas (like the Kundalini frogs in the step-by-step breakdown of shoulder press pose.)

Yoga is not a competitive sport! I prefer yoga to the gym as I steer clear of anything that involves pitting myself against others. Isn't there enough competition in work and in life in general? While some people thrive on trying to be the fastest in spin class or trying to run longer than the woman on the treadmill next to them, in yoga it doesn't matter what any one else is doing. There is no comparing or competing because there is only you.

It saves money. In fact, yoga doesn't have to cost a penny. All you need to practice is you. You can wear any clothes that allow you to move, and you don't even need a yoga mat : grass and carpet work just fine. If you want some inspiration, there are plenty of great, inexpensive yoga DVDs or free online videos.

You can do it anywhere. With no equipment necessary, it doesn't matter if you are at home, at your office, on the road-or even in the streets of NYC , as in the SHAPE Yoga Anywhere videos. So long as you have the desire, you can strike a few poses.

Yoga will help you lose weight. Practicing yoga changes your mind: It changes the way you approach life, your body, and eating. Yoga shows you how to appreciate your body for all of the amazing things that it can do for you and points you in the direction of wanting to fill your body with the best possible fuel rather than processed junk food. And changing your mind about your body and the foods you feed it will be a much more effective weight-loss tool than burning a bunch of calories in an aggressive kick-boxing class and then mindlessly plowing through equal or more calories later that day.