Omega Institute to Host
Being Yoga Conference in Florida

More than 35 Top, National Yoga Instructors to Teach Participants How to "Live Your Yoga"

RHINEBECK, NY - In what might be characterized as a surprise to some, yoga, which in Sanskrit means "union," is considered one of the "fastest growing trends in the United States," according to Google Trends, a search engine that compares the world's interest in given topics by analyzing their popularity online, in the news, and geographically. That development is, according to an Omega spokesperson, "partially the result of the work we've been doing at Omega Institute for 30 years."

It's also one of the reasons Omega is hosting a "Being Yoga" Conference in Florida this November, according to Carla Goldstein, Omega's Director of External Affairs. The conference will be held from November 2-5, 2007, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

"Here at Omega we've known for many years what others are discovering every day: that yoga holds tremendous potential for strengthening and healing us as individuals and society," said Ms. Goldstein. "As more people practice yoga we grow the possibility to create a society with more compassion and less violence."

Guests of the conference, which is being held at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the study and practice of yoga in its many forms and to learn what it means to live yoga on and off the mat. While yoga is now available in many communities, education may be limited to the style and approach of a particular teacher, making it challenging for students to get comprehensive exposure to the richness of the tradition.

This event brings together more than 35 of the yoga industry's most talented and diverse teachers, including: Shiva Rea, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Seane Corn, Jonny Kest, Cyndi Lee, Rod Stryker, Duncan Wong, David Swenson, Sherri Baptiste, and many others. A newcomer to this year's conference, Ximena Gutierrez, will teach three sessions in Spanish, for which Omega is offering a discounted rate.

Throughout the conference, experienced yoga teachers will guide participants to discover the benefits of yoga for themselves and their communities. Together they will examine asana, meditation, pranayama, philosophy, and practical applications of yoga that spur lifestyle changes. Evening programs include kirtan with famed singer, Jai Uttal and Dance for Life: Yoga Trance Dance and Moving Activism with Siva Rea.

Ms. Goldstein said that, as yoga becomes more and more a part of the mainstream American culture, Omega, which has been teaching yoga as part of its holistic education programs for more than 30 years, is "committed to revealing the breadth and depth of yoga through expertly guided immersion opportunities."

"Yoga is often mistaken in the West as just another form of popular exercise, yet the roots of yoga embrace a way of being-a lifestyle of awareness, purpose and peace," said Ms. Goldstein. "The more people learn what Yoga is really about, the more interested they become in making it a part of their lives."