March 2006
12:44 am
Dangerous Astronomy
Sherman Alexie
Limberlost Press, 2005 (Hand-sewn, letterpressed)
Limberlost Press, a small publisher in Boise, Idaho, has gathered together ten of Sherman Alexie’s poems in Dangerous Astronomy. Perhaps Alexie’s poetry is best known for fierce and insightful attacks against the eradication of Native American culture and history. In One Stick Song, for example, Alexie employed a Whitmanic line to give fluid energy to these injustices. Earlier books used similar poetic techniques to create the appearance of a lack of artifice, a casual yet authoritative tone that reinforce the speaker’s ethos to speak against the dominant culture.
In Dangerous Astronomy, Alexie rarely revisits this cultural battle in the explicit terms of his other books. This collection has at its core an elegiac exploration of what it is to be a parent and a son. Alexie skillfully handles this emotionally charged material-whether he’s writing about a speaker’s estranged relationship with a father or the all-consuming emotions that besiege a parent at the thought of losing a child. These ten poems are some of his best, and Limberlost Press should be praised for gathering them in one book.
For example, “Avian Nights” melds together two narrative threads; the first considers the extermination of a nest of starlings in the speaker’s attic; the second considers the illness of the speaker’s child. The parallel builds to a questioning conclusion:
Tell me: What is the difference between
Birds and us, between their pain and our pain?
We build monuments; they rebuild their nests.
They lay other eggs; we conceive again.
Dumb birds, dumb women, dumb starlings, dumb men.
This poem, like the others in this book, is written in “closed” or traditional form; that is, the lines of poetry are arranged in stanzas, frequently with rhyme (sometimes slant rhyme; other times whole rhyme). Simply, Alexie appropriates the formal structures of the dominant culture that he’s so frequently criticized and makes it his own. Fans of Alexie will recognize this collection as a unified triumph; newcomers to his poetry will appreciate the keenly considered subject matter and the formal control.
Tod Marshall
Zinn and The Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance
Lennard Zinn
Velo Press, 2nd Edition, 2005 336 pages
Lennard Zinn, a mountain bike frame builder, pro bike mechanic and a contributor to Velo News magazine has been passionate about passing on his years of bike knowledge to anyone that wants to learn how to maintain their mountain bike and have a good understanding of how it works. Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance has been his outlet for sharing this information since 1996-he is now on his second edition.
In his latest revised version-with over 360 illustrations explaining to you the mountain bike-he shows basic step-by-step bike maintenance; how to choose a bike, including fitting and sizing; quick fixes when stuck out on the trail; trouble shooting the hardest fixes; complete torque tables and anything else you are questioning about that off-road machine. Zinn is very good at taking you incrementally through the learning process whether you are a beginner or expert mechanic.
One thing to keep in mind when purchasing this book, Zinn won’t come out and fix it for you or fix what you messed up. The tools you have in your garage are only as good as you are with them-in other words, if you question anything that involves the mechanics of your bike, take it to your local bike mechanic. Also if you just purchased a bike, don’t work on it; take it into the shop you purchased it at and take advantage of the warranty that came with it. This book will make for a great shop reference or a great gift for your bike junky friend.
Ben Tobin
Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment
Jacques Leslie
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005 352 pages
What do an Indian anti-dam activist, an American dam consultant with a conscience and an Australian water resource manager have in common? Probably not much if it wasn’t for Jacques Leslie’s Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment. Leslie paints a grim picture of the social and environmental impacts large dams can have by following three points of view on what has only recently become a debatable question: to dam or not to dam.
If our own dam drama here in the Northwest has got you fired up one way or another, check this book out for a bit of global-historical context on the issue of impacts and trade-offs. It might also make a sobering Earth Day gift for that annoyingly optimistic friend or loved one with an unshakable faith in the neo-liberal development model.
Leslie’s intent with the book was, “to see dams whole, and in doing so to glimpse the fate of the earth.” In that, he succeeds by giving the reader a voyeur’s view into the hearts and minds of three people who eat, sleep and breathe dams and their accompanied development. From India, to Africa and Australia, the damage dam building has caused to people and nature is well-documented and staggering: dozens of fish species extinct here, whole ecosystems collapsing there and millions of human reservoir refugees pushed off ancestral lands without compensation.
The book tore me from my own little world in sudden, harsh blows of reality that nearly ruined my day at several points, but left me feeling oddly hopeful at the same time. If this book really is a glimpse of the fate of the earth as Leslie had hoped, and you’re the type of person that, say, believes the notion that humans have a hand in the warming of the planet is haughty rubbish, I suggest you stop reading now and stick your head back wherever you typically keep it. But if you’re in for an environmental wake-up call that’s powerful, yet not preachy, then this book’s for you.
Deep Water is also recommended reading for our Governor and every Washington State Representative and Senator who recently voted for a water plan that could mean new dams on several Eastern Washington streams.
Derrick Knowles
Book Reveiws, Magazine Article |
12:43 am
After three decades of relying on volunteers to tediously track over 1,140,000 finishers, Bloomsday organizers have revamped the race’s time tracking system by outfitting each participant with a computer chip that will record precisely how long it takes them to get from start to finish.
“This system is pretty widely used for marathons, but as far as I know, Bloomsday is the largest road race in the country to incorporate the chip for all racers,” said Race Director Don Kardong. “Our volunteers looked into a similar technology used in the Vancouver Sun Run and were confident that we could bring this innovation to Bloomsday,” he said.
The new system employs a computer chip about the size of a silver dollar that attaches to the ankle of each participant. When the chip crosses over a series of mats at the start, timing is initiated for that participant using radio frequency identification. Another series of mats at the finish record the finishing time, and a net time for the individual is computed. Using this system, delays getting to the start do not impact the time recorded for each finisher.
Bloomsday organizers think that entrants will be pleased with more accurate time tracking, which has been incorporated without a dramatic increase in the cost to race participants. “Adding this technology to Bloomsday could have really raised the price of the entry fee, but we just have so many great volunteers doing work that requires paid staff at other races that we were able to keep the price down,” said Kardong.
Other changes to this year’s race are also in the works. All racers will start on Riverside, and the finish line has been moved to the north end of the Monroe Street Bridge above the falls and closer to downtown and events in Riverfront Park.
Activities planned for the park on Saturday include live music, a Bloomsday Food Court, and “The World’s Largest Spaghetti Feed.”
Riverfront Park will also be the location of the Marmot March, a new, non-competitive 1.2-mile park tour for kids grade one and younger and their parents on the day before Bloomsday.
“We wanted to add as many events in the park as possible this year,” said Kardong “The Marmot March will be an especially fun event for people with kids that are too young to enter a race. The event includes a tour of the entire park with sports team mascots along the way.”
Online registration for Bloomsday ’06 is now open at www.bloomsdayrun.org, and printed entry brochures will soon be available at locations throughout the Inland Northwest. This issue of OTM even has an entry form on the inside front cover. The on-time entry fee is up a bit but this year but still a deal at $14.00. Mailed in entries must be postmarked by April 18 to avoid the late entry fee of $30.00. In addition, Gart Sports will be taking entry forms at their two local stores from now until the entry deadline of April 18.
Magazine Article |
12:43 am
By Jena Ponti
“Nature-Deficit Disorder”(nit ?r dfisit disrd?r):
A non-scientific term for the cultural phenomenon that describes the increasing alienation of humans and nature. Symptoms of this phenomenon manifest in diminished use of the senses, attention issues, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, and are evident at many levels, the individual, the family, the community, the region, the nation.
Richard Louv, futurist, journalist and author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, will be the keynote speaker for the conference for the Environmental Education Association of Washington to be held at Mirabeau Park Hotel in the Spokane Valley on March 23.
According to Louv, today’s kids, “are aware of the global threats to the environment but their physical contact, their intimacy with nature, is quickly fading. At no other time in our history have children been so separated from direct experience in nature.” In short, our culture is raising its youth to be “naturally” illiterate. Louv has spent much of his career questioning the cumulative impacts this will have on our children as they grow into adults, the effects on our society as they becomes ever-distant from their roots, and the impacts on nature itself if our future citizens don’t know enough to appreciate and protect it. “Good parents are doing their best,” Louv says, “but the information about the value of nature experience to child development has not been widely available.”
Louv has focused his energy and research on studying the trends of younger, “wired” generations of children who are more fluent in techno language than they are in identifying species of local plants and animals. Today’s youth are not getting outside and experiencing the natural world as previous generations of children did. Health-related studies, completed by Louv and other child-advocacy experts indicates that the disconnection with nature is directly linked to alarming trends in childhood obesity, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), stress and depression. According to Louv, “new studies suggest that exposure to nature may reduce the symptoms of ADHD, and that it can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative stresses and depression.”
Louv has traveled the country speaking with elementary school children and parents in a number of cities to get a reading of how youngsters interact with the natural environment. He found that a majority of children prefer indoor technology to outdoor activities. As one fifth grader in San Diego remarked: “I like to play indoors better ’cause that’s where all of the electrical outlets are.” Louv’s studies indicate that children are not experiencing nature due to parental fear (stranger-danger, dangerous traffic), decreased access to nearby nature, addictive computer gaming technology, increased structured time for after-school and weekend activities, more homework, and in general, less all-around family free time.
Many new studies confirm what many of us know intuitively: experiencing nature has positive effects on our general well-being, healing and restoration. For children, connection with nature is absolutely necessary. Nature not only has positive influences on unhealthy childhood trends, but at a more basic level encourages healthy child development. Childhood is a crucial stage in life as it encompasses the most receptive and sensitive developmental years (physical, cognitive, emotional, social and creative development). Children understand the world through their senses.
Louv is hopeful that our society can bring back nature into children’s everyday lives. “I am not suggesting that we bring back the free-range childhood of the 1950s,” Louv says. “Those days are over. But we can create safe zones for nature exploration, given our deeper understanding of the importance of nature play to healthy child development.” So, no matter what age your child, there is no better time than the present to spend time with them out in nature, whether it’s fly fishing the Little Spokane, hiking the Dishman Natural Area, or exploring the depths of your own backyard.
Magazine Article |
12:38 am
OTM Interrogates Employees for Popular WA Bike Co.
By Ben Tobin
Sometimes gaining a real connection with a sport is simply finding the right tool that fits your personality. For me, it was walking into a bike shop in Portland, Oregon, in 1989 and seeing a bike that stood-out like a sore thumb. The first thing that came to mind was, “I want one of those.” Why? Because it looked like it had a mind of its own. The bike just happened to be a Kona mountain bike. This isn’t a sales pitch; this event was an experience, a feeling that grounded myself to the sport of mountain biking. With Kona’s presence still being felt nationwide-there must be a reason why Kona is still thriving after 16 years. Out There Monthly was able to get hold of Mark Peterson, Kona’s Team Sponsorship/Athlete coordinator, Advocacy Director, and Robin Sansom, in Product Development, to find out about the growing company that is still selling bikes out of their original store in Ferndale, WA.
What is Kona’s main objective?
Robin: Build what we ride, and ride what we build.
Mark: Improving on our proven designs and continuing to make bikes that are a good balance between durable and lightweight.
What makes Kona stand out?
Robin: We are a rider-driven company, meaning we are a company whose entire design team, sales people and often the warehouse, office and credit staff, have been hired because of their passion for cycling. I have a degree in ecology and worked as a biologist for five years, before totally committing my ‘career’ to cycling. So the input for the bike designs come from a rider’s perspective rather than an engineering, sales or marketing angle.
Mark: We have enough of an edge that we are just outside of the mainstream. As result we can take more chances and don’t have to make our bike line or marketing efforts a muted gray in an effort to appeal to everyone. We’re definitely different in a good way. How long has Kona been in business? Mark: Since 1988.
Who started Kona and why?
Robin: Dan & Jake-but no one really knows why. I mean, I’ve heard about eight different stories and I just get a grin from Dan or Jake whenever I have tried to confirm them.
Mark: So they could retire in Hawaii some day.
Where are Kona bikes most popular?
Robin: Gosh, we seem to be popular everywhere, but mostly in harsh or unforgiving environments.
Mark: Anywhere there is good riding. Because our bikes ride great and our bikes get ridden instead of lost in a garage or permanently perched on a roof rack in front of the coffee shop.
Does Kona do anything to help preserve the environment?
Robin: We have a staffer that is completely committed to bike advocacy, and we endorse protocols for trail building, rider conduct, etc., which in turn is great for the environment. Given my academic/professional background, I believe that bicycle manufacturers are inherently doing the environment a favor, especially if their products are getting people to commute to work or otherwise not drive their vehicles.
Mark: Kona does a lot of philanthropic stuff. We have a grant program to help expand freeriding and dirt jumping opportunities and that helps cut down the bootleg trails. Our shop employee purchase program required an IMBA membership that helps drive trail access awareness. Currently we are working with Bristol Meyer Squibb to make custom bikes that will be used to deliver AIDS drugs to far out rural areas in Africa.
What keeps you working at kona?
Robin: A very flat Corporate structure . . . and foosball breaks. Why is Kona in the northwest?
Mark: Mountains, cceans, lakes, rivers, killer riding and the port of Vancouver B. C.
Robin: The bike riding is truly world class in every regard . . . what better place to test our bikes?
Do most of Kona employees consider themselves as avid riders?
Robin: I don’t have time to answer this, I have to go do some ‘testing’.
For more information on Kona Bikes visit: www.konaworld.com
Magazine Article |
12:38 am
I didn’t start for sports-but for my back, but when I started crosscountry skiing again I noticed a big difference in my body. – Claudia
The Big Eraser-gets rid of moods, fatigue. I have had more energy for hiking and bicycling and I am more in tune physically-a good core for any physical activity. – Travis
I climb and telemark ski. Yoga has improved my stamina and flexibility…I haven’t been back to the gym since I started-it has been that profound-it’s been five years. All systems function at a higher level of flexibility and core strength. – Dan
Climbers, skiers, runners, rowers and even golfers are swearing by the benefits of yoga to their bodies and toward their athletic performance. Historically, yoga has been a means toward enlightenment. Yoga’s primary objective has been to unify body, mind and spirit. So why are so many athletes singing its praises? If the study of yoga is to discover what is “in there,” why does it appeal to athletes wanting to get “out there?”
While the classical poses of yoga date back 5,000 years, yoga’s popularity in the United States is relatively new. In the mid-1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, disenchanted American youth began heading to India and exploring eastern religions epitomized in books such as the Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. Some of these youth studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and B.K.S. Iyengar, two preeminent gurus practicing unique styles of yoga, both of whom were students of the Indian yogi, Sri T. Krishnamacharya. The styles developed by Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga) and Iyengar are two of the most common yoga practices in the U.S. today.
Both Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga fall under the umbrella term of Hatha Yoga or physical yoga. Through physical poses (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation, many students come to approach the body as the vehicle for unification with the soul. Through daily practice, the body becomes filled with its own life force (prana).
For many, just the mentioning the word “life force” has them walking quickly in the opposite direction, but in looking at the research, the proven health benefits of yoga are great. The website, http://www.abc-of-yoga.com lays out the physiological, psychological and biochemical benefits from a regular yoga practice and it is quite extensive. Everything from stabilizing your autonomic nervous system to increases in cardiovascular efficiency is listed. Athletes we spoke with in Spokane, echoed many of these benefits, such as increased energy and endurance levels; increased stability, balance and strength; and an increased range of motion for joints resulting in less pain.
If yoga is the new “cure-all,” why do many individuals and athletes still dismiss it as a flaky way to exercise? OTM visited the four main yoga studios in Spokane to bring more light onto the subject and to discuss the power of yoga, its impact on athletes and to see what makes each studio unique.
City Yoga – Ashtanga: Intensity and Dedication
The studio space at City Yoga is smaller than most. Brightly painted walls and ceiling-hung tapestries add to the intimacy of the environment. About 16 mats are closely spaced in rows throughout the room. Students move fluidly from one asana to the next, while owner and yogini, Katie Gehn, calmly moves through the studio calling out asana names in Sanskrit and making slight adjustments to her students. Quiet music is heard in the background while the heavy flow of breathing is heard from the class.
Gehn initially started yoga due to back problems. At the time she was on the U.S. Women’s Rowing Team and had been competing at national and international levels for seven years. “When you get to that top level, what differentiates you is very small,” says Gehn, “I started looking into mind/body tools for concentration and the elimination of struggle while competing.”
She was in top physical shape, but her body was all muscle with little flexibility. Yoga allowed her to bring more balance into her body, and being an athlete, the dedication required by Ashtanga appealed to Gehn. “Ashtanga is difficult-it takes discipline and time-it is a very intense form of yoga,” says Gehn.
City Yoga is primarily an Ashtanga studio. Ashtanga yoga consists of three main elements, vinyasa (flow of asana), bandha (breathing) and drishti (your gaze or focus). With vinyasa, there is one asana for each breath. Ashtanga studios are warm. Continuous flow or movement of the body and breath produces heat, allowing blood to circulate freely, purifying internal organs and enhancing one’s immune system. Ashtanga follows a specific sequence of asanas that is standard throughout the world.
Ujjaye breathing is the typical bandha used during vinyasa. With Ujjayi breath or “deep, victorious breath”, air is pulled in slowly in through the nose and through the back of the throat. The sound is similar to that of the ocean. Ideally the length and rhythm of the breath should be consistent throughout the practice. Proper breathing along with dristhi purifies and stabilizes the functioning of the mind.
Besides her downtown studio, Gehn also teaches yoga to the Gonzaga Men’s and Women’s Rowing Teams. Since Gehn began incorporating yoga, athletes at Gonzaga have noticed their bodies becoming “pain-free”. Over the past two years, Gehn has seen an improvement in performance as well. “I have noticed improved coordination and balance. Their bodies move better…I believe that it makes a huge impact on the longevity of athletes and their remaining injury-free-as your body becomes more sports specific-other motions become comprised. Yoga helps to balance out asymmetry in the body.”
FSG Yoga Studio: Power Yoga & Accessibilty
The room is sweaty and hot. A candle is lit in the center of the dimly lit room and mats line either side of the studio facing each other. Similar to Ashtanga, there is a rhythm and flow between asanas, but the overall atmosphere is more casual. Music playing in the background is slightly louder and many students talk quietly with each other during poses. Owner and yogini, Elizabeth McElveen gives brief descriptions to students, almost always providing two to three alternative poses for those at different skill levels. This is Power Yoga.
McElveen approaches her class in a straightforward, casual manner. “Your body will get there-the pose doesn’t have to be perfect,” she says. Toward the end of class, at McElveen’s direction students move into inversions, some use the wall for added stability while others simply “kick-up” in the center of the studio. From there students move into savasana or “corpse pose” for relaxation.
Power Yoga at FSG tends to attract the greatest number of men out of the four studios-many of whom are athletes. “So many of my students are athletes-skiers, runners, climbers,” says McElveen, “for runners yoga is great for opening up hips, hamstrings and the IT band.”
McElveen has been an avid runner her whole life and taught aerobics for years. “I initially thought yoga was a waste of time,” she says. Then she stumbled onto a Power Yoga class and loved it. She decided to give up running for a few years and explore yoga. “My muscles were so tight and I wanted the depth of experiencing my body in a new way,” says McElveen.
FSG was started on a whim-as a way for McElveen to share with her friends her passion for yoga. FSG offers both Ashtanga and Power Yoga classes. “It grew when I wasn’t prepared,” she adds.
Power Yoga is a derivative of Ashtanga. Beryl Bender Birch, an American, was the first to market it differently with the term “Power Yoga.” It has now evolved into a more accessible form. It begins from the same premise of Ashtanga, with emphasis on vinyasa flow or sun salutations, breathing and focus, but the sequence is mixed up differently. It is more open to variation.
McElveen recommends progressing slowly with Power Yoga and Ashtanga. She encourages students to push only to the edge, and to notice irregular breath patterns, a sure sign that a student has gone too far. “You can’t push your body-your body will give you only what it’s got at that time,” she says.
Student athletes at FSG have commented on everything from increased agility and balance to improved endurance levels. “For the athlete, practicing a pressurized breath oxygenates the body-it is good for high altitude climbing, with rock climbing the breath allows you to take time to reflect on each move. The breath zones you right in. It can also help in the prevention of side-aches or cramping for runners,” says McElveen.
Harmony Yoga: An Intelligent Practice
Alison Rubin starts every class with a seated meditation. “This releases tension and allows students to drop into the present moment,” says Rubin, “Students can start their yoga practice with a quiet mind and from a neutral place.” Chanting in Sanskrit is also incorporated in the intermediate and advanced classes. “It honors the roots of the practice, it is very grounding and expanding, the ‘om’ represents unity-the potential to feel union with others and all,” adds Rubin.
Harmony Yoga is based on the teaching of B.K.S. Iyengar. Alison Rubin, owner and yogini, does integrate other teachings, but Iyengar is her focus and the core of her understanding of yoga. While, Iyengar instruction does incorporate some flow between poses, especially during sun salutations, its primary emphasis is on proper alignment and technique, for the prevention of injury and to maximize the benefit of each pose. Classes are tailored to each student’s level of ability, and if necessary props are used to deepen a student’s understanding of a pose.
Rubin refers to Iyengar as an intelligent practice. “Iyengar appeals to students who want to move more slowly and technically. It is a more serious practice. If you are moving too fast you a not always aware of the placement of your body-students work at a deep level to penetrate mind into body,” says Rubin.
Almost all the athletes that come to Rubin’s classes are working with injuries suffered during their sports or hoping to prevent further injuries. Yoga helps to prevent injuries by stretching out muscles, creating strength and stability around the joints and agility through the shoulders, hips, legs and spine.
“With many sports you see tightening of the hip flexers and hip rotaters, hamstrings and quadriceps. In every yoga class you are working all of these areas,” says Rubin, “Yoga is also great for golfing-we do a lot of twisting and shoulder work.”
Iyengar appealed to Rubin for its emphasis on technique. For five years, Rubin studied nothing but Iyengar and she sought out the “greats’ to study under: Patricia Walden, Adile Palkavala, Judy Lassiter and Jon Schumacher. After five years she felt she had a good understanding of the Iyengar method and she began to branch out with other styles. “I felt I knew the rules of safety and alignment, I could now explore other systems and still keep the integrity of the practice,” says Rubin.
Rubin’s style of teaching has tended to attract numerous physical therapists, chiropractors and body-workers, “They like the style that we teach because it is more akin to the type of technical anatomical training they received. I have received nothing but positive reports from them,” says Rubin.
Radha Yoga Center: Cultivating Human Potential
Of the four main yoga studios in town, Radha Yoga Center is the most unique and the most spiritually encompassing. Radha is the only non-profit studio in the city and it is overseen by Swami Radhakrishnananda. Hatha Yoga, Kundalini (the study of opening to one’s own inner wisdom), Sacred Dance and Dream Works courses are offered at the Center.
The design and atmosphere of the studio space is important. The Center aims to create a space for “going within”, it is meant to embody the sacred. The Hatha Yoga studied, utilizes all of the traditional poses but works with each pose symbolically. “We discover the hidden language of the asanas. It is an intuitive questioning on the deeper meaning…the body starts to speak to each individual,” says Swami Radhakrishnananda, “All our work involves symbolism.”
Through chanting, dance and asansa, students are encouraged to stay with their own process and not feel the need to compete. Many of the first-time students come for stretching and to feel better. Most come for flexibility, health and relaxation.
In 1963, German-born Swami Sivananda Radha returned from India and founded the Yasodhara Ashram at Kootenay Lake in British Columbia. Swami Radha wanted an accessible Center within the United States and decided on Spokane. Currently, there are fifteen Radha Centers internationally, with the Spokane Center being one of only three in the United States. Swami Radha often stayed at the Spokane Center and died there in 1995.
Although their approach is gentler than the other studios, one can still move deeply into the asana poses. “The posture is complete when you get to the point of no effort,” says Swami Radhakrishnananda, “…the breath happens naturally when working with asanas.”
In addition to the network of Centers throughout the world, Radha Yoga Centers along with the Yasodhara Ashram publish Swami Radha’s teachings through Timeless Books and through Ascent Magazine, an award-winning journal about yoga and spiritual growth.
Where to Take Yoga:
Blue Lotus Sanctuary // 613 Dollar Street, Coeur d’Alene, ID. (208) 665-1946.
City Yoga // 159 South Lincoln Street, # 151, (509) 869-4121.
Donna’s School of Dance // 11707 East Sprague, (509) 922-1011.
FSG Yoga Studio // 20 West Main Avenue, (509) 218-3903.
Garden Street Yoga // 602 East Garden Steet, Coeur d’Alene, ID. (208) 660-9746.
Global Fitness // 110 West Price Avenue, (509) 467-3488.
Gold’s Gym // 2921 East 57th Avenue, (509) 448- 5800.10101 North Nevada Street, (509) 465-0500.
Harmony Yoga // 1717 West 6th Avenue, (509) 747-4430.
Liberty Lake Athletic Club // 23410 East Mission Avenue, Liberty Lake, (509) 891-2582.
mysore-Ashtanga yoga // 1818 1/2 E. Sprague, (509) 342-4206.
Northpark Racquet & Athletic Club // 8121 North Division Street, (509) 467-5124.
Positive Power Yoga & Pilates Fitness Studio // 9107 North Country Homes Boulevard, (509) 467-9199.
Radha Yoga Center // 406 Coeur d’ Alene Street, (509) 838-3575.
Stroh’s Fitness & Racquet Club // 9233 East Montgomery, (509) 926-6268.
The Spokane Athletic Club // 1002 West Riverside Avenue, (509) 838-8511.
24 Hour Fitness // 603 East Holland Avenue, (509) 467-1500.
718 West Riverside, (509) 747-2500.
5501 South Regal, (509) 448-8442.
116 North Progress, (509) 926-1241.
208 Coeur d’Alene Avenue, Coeur d’ Alene, (208) 667-5010.
UPCOMING YOGA RETREATS AND WORKSHOPS:
Harmony Yoga // 1717 West 6th Avenue, (509) 747-4430, http://www.harmonyoga.com. —- (March 11) Scoliosis Workshop: When: 1 PM – 4 PM. Cost: $40. (April 22) Awakening the Chakras: When: 2 PM – 5 PM. Cost: $40. (March 24-26) Weekend Workshop w/ Janice Vien: When: TBA (10 hours) Cost: $150. (June 9-11) Weekend Workshop w/ Theresa Elliott: When: TBA (10 hours) Cost: $150.
FSG Yoga Studio // 20 West Main Avenue, (509) 218-3903, http://www.fsgstudio.com. (March – April) Ashtanga Intensive: Great intro for beginners. When: 9 AM – 12 Noon (Sundays).Cost: $35 per session.
City Yoga // 159 South Lincoln Street #151, (509) 869-4121, http://www.cityyogaspokane.com. —- (March 7 – April 11) Beginning Meditation Course: When: 7 PM – 8 PM (Tuesdays) Tong Lin Buddhist Breath technique with Beverly Hill begins. Bring a cushion wear comfortable clothing. Cost: $60 in advance, or drop in for $12. Info: (509) 325-5583. (August) City Yoga Teacher Training and Teaching Apprenticeship: When: TBD. 200hr program, graduates will be eligible to apply for their Yoga Alliance Certification. The program will focus on Hatha Yoga, specifically focusing on the Ashtanga Vinyasa system. Local and nationally known faculty members will cover anatomy and physiology, philosophy, Sanskrit, proper alignment, asana instruction, teaching methodology and more.
Radha Yoga Center // 406 South Coeur d’Alene Street, (509) 838-3575, http://www.radha.org. —- (March 11) Elders: Reflecting on Your Life: When: 11 AM – 1 PM. Cost: $12. (March 15 & 22) Introduction to Meditation Practices: When: 5:30 PM – 7 PM. Cost: $16. (April 8) The Heart of Caring: When: 11 AM – 1 PM. Explores what it truly means to care for ourselves and others. Cost: $12.
Magazine Article |
12:37 am
We’ve launched a new online discussion forum to house more dialogue about issues brought up in the magazine. Go to www.outtheremonthly.com and click the “Forums” link. Access is free so post and discuss all you want and take our Critical Mass poll. But before you do, read these letters:
Jensen-Byrd: Why bulldoze it?
Dear Editor:
I was somewhat surprised to find a kindred spirit in Out There when I had dismissed it as marketed to a younger, more athletic audience. I have not picked it up until a friend mentioned the Jenson-Byrd article and all that entailed.
I was heartened to find in Juliet Sinisterra a voice for those of us who want to preserve downtown in sustaining the wonderful buildings we have here. I live in Blue Chip Lofts, and can’t believe I could find the character of the old timbers (some with the nails from previous use still there), the old doors, one of which greets you as you walk in, still intact. We have exposed ductwork, the timbers in our loft add to the ambience. Some owners were able to work more old features into their lofts, to great effect. The heights of the ceilings are marvelous, some 14 and some 9 feet. The architects were able to work around the timbers, preserve the character, and still have something I am proud to call home. It is nonsense to say that the timbers and ceiling heights are restrictive.
I believe in diversity, but to tear down buildings such as the Jenson-Byrd building for someone’s idea of a luxury condo goes against everything that I believe. They are “just ” condos one can find anywhere. We are living in history, and as secure and modern as any you can find.
Sincerely,
Kay Stoltz
Self-serving plug: One reason that architecture is so nice in the Blue Chip lofts is that it was designed by our own managing editor Juliet Sinisterra and her husband Matt Melcher. Everyone here at the magazine is still scratching their heads at why anyone would want to tear down the Jensen-Byrd building. Hopefully WSU will come to it’s senses and place some value on our city’s heritage.
City biking: it ain’t that bad!
Dear Editor:
Thank you for providing fair and generous coverage of Critical Mass and cycling in general. It is great to see cycling being discussed in more mainstream news sources. Makes me think that cycling is making some headway with the greater population!
I wanted to respond to Dennis Uhl’s recent letter in which he makes two troubling statements on cycling in Spokane. First, Uhl states, “Every time I ride my bike…I almost get hit. This doesn’t occur every once in awhile, but every time.” I really want to know where Dennis is riding. I ride every day also: downtown in afternoon traffic; on errands around the south hill; to parks, local events, and libraries with my 3-year-old daughter in her rear bike seat; and all around town for joy rides. And I have never been almost hit. The drivers I encounter and always respectful of my place on the road. Second, Dennis mentions that he “know[s] the rules of the road from the perspective of a bike and still it is dangerous.” I hope the perspective of the bike doesn’t imply that there are two sets of rules: one for cars and one for bikes! The rules are the same no matter what you’re riding. Biking in Spokane is not dangerous. If it were, I wouldn’t be out there with my little one. As long as you’re following the rules of the road, making eye-contact with drivers, and being courteous and mindful of other riders and drivers, you’ll be just fine. Here’s a great website with the basics on biking in traffic: http://massbike.org/skills/traffic.htm.
Thanks again,
Liza Mattana
Words of wisdom. Nice to hear a second opinion on city cycling.
From the forums: sustainability threats
In terms of sustainable living in the Spokane area, two significant issues are before the city at this very moment: the Bernard Street Trees issue and the Wal-Mart issue. This is a propitious moment for the city and its citizens to take the lead on creating the Spokane we want for our children. There is other forms of capital besides economic that need to be placed on the decision-making scales. One not often talked about is ecological capital of which the Spokane region still is rich even through decades of neglect. But I believe we are at a moment in which we must look toward the future and realize our actions today will impact the seventh generation to follow. Both of these issues set negative precedents regarding development practices and the city has the opportunity to be a leader in this regard if it simply steps up to the place, consult the citizen generated comprehensive plan – and follow the vision. This is what seems to be missing from the Spokane political culture – any sense of vision. It is time to develop one and now.
Posted by Buckwheat
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