New Jersey's arts community has a new, vibrant and dynamic organization.  lustigdancetheatre, under the artistic leadership of Graham Lustig, has been created to provide exciting opportunities to appreciate the benefits of dance.  With a pledge to promote wellness through dance in the community, lustigdancetheatre (LDT) is offering classes that focus on fitness, strength, balance and flexibility for all ages. Mr. Lustig states: "Dance is a life-long experience.  At any age, what you learn from dancing can be applied to many areas of your life. It can be enriching and a lot of fun."

The cornerstone of the organization is a troupe of 12 professionals, the lustigdancetheatre.  This unique dance company will be housed at the new studios.  Board of Trustees President, Richard Salvadore was inspired "To create an outlet for Graham and his dancers who are truly passionate about this art form." The company's repertoire will have a foundation built on Mr. Lustig's highly respected and innovative work and will also include works by up-and-coming choreographers.

Opening September 20, LDT's Dance and Wellness Studio will provide a positive atmosphere for students to experience first hand the benefits of dance. Located within walking distance of the New Brunswick train station, there are two dance studios with a Wi-Fi enabled waiting lounge.  Classes will be offered for all ages in ballet, contemporary, hip hop and tap along with Pilates, yoga-stretch and "Fit Folk" - music and movement for seniors - with many of the classes being taught by experienced LDT company members.

Collaboration, live music, community-focused educational programming, and personal interaction between dancers and audience highlight LDT's commitment to providing New Jersey and beyond a relevant and engaging experience with art.

The general public is invited to LDT's free open house September 15-17, 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm and September 18, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.  Interact with the company dancers, enjoy refreshments, and attend free open classes.

Graham Lustig is based in New Brunswick, NJ heading up his new company lustigdancetheatre.  He is also working part time as a consultant for the Oakland Ballet Company.

Classes at LDT's Dance and Wellness Studio begin September 20.  A preview of this new company can be seen October 23 at Ramapo College followed by the official premiere November 5 at Middlesex County College.

lustigdancetheatre is located at 80 Albany Street in Downtown New Brunswick.

Two yoga teachers, Bhushan Deodhar from the Art of Living and Shekhar Agarmwal of Patanjali Yog Peeth, will join organizers of the first upcoming YOGATHON, scheduled for Sunday across temples, ashrams and spiritual centers nationwide, at a National Press Club Newsmaker press conference at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27, in the Zenger Room of the National Press Building, 529 14th St., N.W., Washington, DC.

The participants will outline concept of yoga with practical examples and highlight the upcoming nationwide event on August 29, part of the Serve.gov initiative, in the spirit of President Barack Obama's "Active Lifestyle Challenge."

Nutra Summa, makers of patented immune balancing health supplements, and Yoga Journal magazine team up to spotlight healthy lifestyles for kids and give readers a chance to win Yoga Revolution - a new compilation CD featuring award-winning artists Sarah McLachlan, Seal, Sting, Sheryl Crow and international artists Angelique Kidjo, Anoushka Shankar, Ziggy Marley, Krishna Das, Deva Premal and Donna De Lory. Yoga Journal's 35th Anniversary September issue features music icon Sarah McLachlan on the cover along with an interview on her love of yoga.

Readers are invited to enter the contest at http://www.yogajournal.com/sweep/94 to win a Yoga Revolution CD, which was created to raise funds for yoga-based fitness classes in schools serving underserved youth throughout the country.

"Maintaining a healthy life balance comes in many forms, whether it's taking natural vitamin supplements or simply getting kids to move to music," said Dr. Mayur M. Dev, yoga practitioner, pharmacist and director of product safety for Nutra Summa. "Nutra Summa is committed to increasing customers' knowledge and education on our innovative products which is why we have a pharmacist on staff. We proudly support the mission of Yoga Revolution."

Yoga Revolution was produced by Frank Fitzpatrick, a multi-platinum producer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, yogi and the founder of EarthTones. The CD is part of EarthTones' Music with A Heart program and features Nettwerk Music CEO and yogi, Terry McBride, as the executive producer. Proceeds from the CD will benefit the Yoga Health Foundation's national health education and fitness programs.

For more information about Yoga Revolution visit www.yogarevolution.org. For more information about Nutra Summa, visit www.nutrasumma.com. 

Atlanta-based pest control leader Orkin identified that bed bugs are making the move among commercial properties. New analysis of its commercial bed bug treatments over the past 10 years reveals that bed bugs, initially confined to the hospitality industry, have steadily increased their presence in multifamily and, more recently, commercial real estate properties.

With the hospitality and multifamily industries on the front lines of the bed bug resurgence, the potential for business travelers and apartment-dwelling employees to pick up bed bugs and bring them into the office has greatly increased. This exposure created a perfect storm for commercial real estate. Orkin conducted a survey with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International in early 2010 and found that one in 10 respondents reported bed bug incidents in a commercial property.

"Ten percent may not sound significant at first," noted Ron Harrison, Ph.D., Orkin's director of technical services. "But it is a concerning statistic when you consider that these properties don't represent the typical bed bug habitat - a place where people sleep."

Harrison spoke at the BOMA International annual conference in June to address the impending threat to commercial property managers and building owners, noting that Orkin's bed bug treatments in commercial properties more than tripled from 2008 to 2009.

"At BOMA International, we felt it was important to be proactive in presenting this information to our members," said BOMA Senior Vice President Patricia M. Areno, CAE. "Commercial real estate leaders have the opportunity to educate themselves and their tenants to prepare for a possible bed bug epidemic."

Bed bugs are reddish-brown blood-feeders roughly the size and shape of apple seeds. The nocturnal pests surfaced from nearly a half-century of inactivity in the early part of this decade, predominantly in hotels. Increased international travel and a more targeted approach to pest control contributed to bed bugs reestablishing a presence in the U.S. Nationally, Orkin saw bed bug treatments double from 2008 to 2009, a trend it expects will continue this year. While New York City has been in the news recently for its efforts to curb bed bugs, the top five hot spots for bed bug activity, according to Orkin treatment data, are Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, followed by Chicago, Denver and Detroit.

Orkin's treatments in commercial real estate are still limited when compared with the hospitality and multifamily industries. In Orkin's Midwest Commercial Region, which services four of the company's top five bed bug cities, office building treatments range from 10-15 per month. Harrison hopes that the educational measures Orkin has initiated will keep it that way, even as high-profile incidents like retail store infestations in the Northeast garner nationwide media exposure.

"Commercial real estate is facing what multifamily dwellings faced a few years ago," said Harrison, who remembers the number of bed bug incidents in multifamily housing significantly increasing in 2008.

Unlike sparsely furnished hotel rooms, apartments and condos contain personal belongings and more furniture, providing ample shelter for bed bugs. Orkin experts also observe that apartment dwellers often recycle furniture from prior residents, which can perpetuate an existing infestation. By the close of the decade and for the first time since bed bugs resurfaced, Orkin treatments in multifamily properties exceeded those in hospitality, in some regions by three or four times the volume.

Harrison collaborated with the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) earlier this year on a bed bug white paper and a series of webinars for property management professionals, and participated in the National Apartment Association's annual conference.

"In addition to learning identification and remediation techniques, apartment management professionals were eager to discuss how to communicate with residents about bed bug prevention," said Maureen Lambe, CAE, executive vice president of the NAA Education Institute. "Our members recognize that good communication and resident cooperation are critical to successful remediation."

Bed Bug Resources for Multifamily and Commercial Properties:

• EVICTING UNWANTED RESIDENTS: Responsibility, Prevention and Treatment of Bed Bugs in the Multifamily Industry
• Don't Let Them Bite Our Community Multifamily Resident Tipsheet
• Bed Bugs in the Office?: Take ACTION! Resource for Commercial Property Managers

Expert Horticulture Staff Implements Thriving Recycling Program

Bellagio is world-renowned for the spectacular floral exhibitions found within its sunlit Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.  Each display memorably showcases tens of thousands of flowers, plants and organic materials in artful vignettes.  When an exhibit ends, however, the journey just begins for each planting - all find a new beginning through a composting endeavor that turns them into nutrient-rich mulch, creating an endless circle of life.  

Actively dedicated to environmentally sustainable practices, Bellagio's expert Horticulture staff composted and recycled more than 600 tons of materials in 2009 alone including flowers, trees, shrubs and plants.  In addition, Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens now lines its horticulture beds with a layer of recycled tire bits, instead of mulch, eliminating the need to constantly replace the drainage barrier.  A Horticulture staff of 40 creates and maintains each spectacular display of nature in full bloom.  

"Bellagio understands the vital importance of recycling and the impact we have on the environment by doing our part," said Director of Horticulture Andy Garcia.  "Our Horticulture staff works extremely hard to envision and implement spectacular floral displays, and we work equally hard to determine ways to recycle and reuse these materials.  As a result of that effort, I am pleased to say nearly 100 percent of our exhibits reappear as mulch either within the Conservatory or the surrounding grounds of Bellagio."

Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President of Energy and Environmental Services for MGM Resorts International, said, "Being green isn't just about putting a cup in a recycling bin.  Being green is an ever-evolving consciousness that drives us to constantly look for ways to protect the environment and then ask ourselves if we can do more.  Bellagio's horticulture recycling endeavor is a shining example of MGM Resorts International's dedication to this earth-first philosophy."

The corporate-wide sustainability practices of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) have led to substantial reductions in electricity, gas and water usage at all of its properties.  To learn more about the company's global commitment to green practices, visit www.mgmresorts.com/company/environmental-responsibility.aspx.  For more on Bellagio's sustainability efforts, go to www.bellagio.com/hotel/sustainability.aspx.

For the last few weeks, Joseph Geliebter, PhD, CEO of Comprehensive Network® Inc., a leading healthcare and educational services company, has been encouraging his staff to take an hour to unplug and reconnect and experience the things in life that are most meaningful to them.

"In this digital age, we need to unplug from our technology-laden, multitasking selves, and reconnect with our inner selves and the people around us," said Dr. Geliebter, a clinical psychologist. "Our physical and mental health and social skills are negatively affected by this technological invasion that is bordering on a 'social virus'."

Following the exceedingly positive feedback from the staff, Comprehensive Network® is now inviting their thousands of affiliated professionals and the general public to partake in an exciting challenge.

The Challenge:

Unplug for a minimum of one hour from all of your technology devices, including your computers, cell phones, smart phones, TV, iPods, gaming consoles, GPSs, etc.

Reconnect with friends and family in person, meditate, take a walk, focus on the natural beauty around you, tune into the sounds and sights you usually ignore such as birds singing and leaves rustling, read a book you haven't found time for, take a candlelit bath, or practice yoga.

As an additional incentive to the benefits of the challenge itself, all who participate will be entered into a raffle for a SpaFinder gift certificate and other prizes! To find out more, visit www.comprehensivenet.com/25.php.

Kashi Company, the premier natural food and lifestyle company, today unveiled two, new natural lifestyle initiatives including Natural Nearby™, a new Web search tool offering instant access to natural goods and services, available at www.kashi.com; and the online Kashi Yearbook celebrating the brand's 25-year history and ongoing mission to provide people with positive nutrition and improve the health of the environment. 

"As we embrace and celebrate 25 years of providing people with innovative foods, we're ecstatic about sharing our latest initiatives and some useful everyday tools that will help others join us in embracing the natural and healthy lifestyle movement," said Keegan Sheridan, natural food and lifestyle expert at Kashi.  "We are always thinking of what we can do to further promote positive change and educate, and these unique programs fall right in line with this charge."

Among the lifestyle tools Kashi now offers on its website, Natural Nearby  (www.kashi.com/natural_nearby) is a resource that offers people easy access to identifying natural goods and services offered in their own communities.  Kashi's new search tool and accompanying map will instantly provide relevant listings and word-of-mouth recommendations on everything from leisure activities and food to consumer goods, health and beauty, and services.  People are invited and encouraged to add listings to the Natural Nearby page, as well as their own personal favorites, in order to grow the database and offer like-minded neighbors a complete guide to natural resources in their local area. By providing individuals with the ability to quickly search for local natural stores, venues and destinations, Kashi hopes that, with the help of naturally-inclined people everywhere, it will now be just a little easier for people to embrace and live a more natural lifestyle.  

A second feature now available on Kashi's website is the first annual Kashi Yearbook, created to commemorate its anniversary milestone and serve as a vehicle to share the company's history, values and social and environmental efforts over the past two and a half decades with the public.  Since the very beginning, the Kashi family has maintained strong values and a genuine passion for promoting natural health and the Kashi Yearbook provides viewers a comprehensive, insider's look at the company, its food, and the causes and actions it supports.

Kashi is additionally excited about its involvement and partnership with two influential projects in 2010, which are aligned with the company's mission and philosophies. The company is a proud supporter of 180 SOUTH, the powerful new documentary capturing the unforgettable adventure of surfer and climber, Jeff Johnson, as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of Yvon Chouinard and Douglas Tompkins to the Chilean Patagonia.  Taking viewers on a compelling ride through an extraordinary land being threatened by environmental degradation, this film will be shown in select U.S. markets throughout summer 2010. This year, Kashi was also a presenting sponsor for the Kokua Festival 2010, an annual benefit concert and festival held in support of the Kokua Hawai'i Foundation and its mission to expand environmental education in local classrooms.

"Our Kashi family is incredibly passionate about the education and awareness surrounding natural living," continued Sheridan.  "We started this year off on a really exciting note and plan to grow our role as a natural lifestyle leader through supporting programs we believe in and creating resources we're proud to share with everyone."

For more information on Kashi's latest natural lifestyle initiatives and events, visit www.kashi.com.

Founded in 1984, Kashi dreams of a world where everyone embraces natural health.  As a natural lifestyle pioneer, Kashi is passionate about and committed to improving the health of people and our planet.  By providing great tasting, healthy and innovative foods, Kashi enables people to achieve optimal health and wellness, while also leading them on a path toward embracing a natural lifestyle.  Kashi encourages people to live their best lives through its interactive online community at Kashi.com and Day of Change cross-country tour supporting natural living.  It also educates people through Wellness Hub, educational events that inspire the local Kashi community to embrace natural healthy lifestyle.  To learn more about 25 years of Kashi's mission, sustainable efforts, values and roots, get inspired by the Yearbook on Kashi.com. 

TranquiliCity™, a new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, uses GPS guidance to pinpoint the way to relaxing locations throughout New York City. It includes carefully selected serene parks, soothing day spas, quiet meditation spots, rejuvenating yoga studios, waterfront retreats, secret sanctuaries and more.

Created by Allan Ishac, bestselling author of New York's 50 Best Places to Find Peace and Quiet, TranquiliCity is the ideal application for native New Yorkers, business travelers, the stressed out and the tensed up, anyone looking for a calming counterpoint to a fast moving city. The app includes more than 100 sanity-restoring entries in Manhattan and the five boroughs--with distances, directions, descriptions and photographs.

"New Yorkers know that for every hour of the city's non-stop action, we need a few minutes of restorative solitude and calm," says Ishac. "With TranquiliCity, even locals will find serene escapes they never knew existed." Ishac has spent more than fifteen years searching for urban sanctuaries and is an authority on creating tranquil city lifestyles. He is also the creator of the Internet oasis, findpeaceandquiet.com.

TranquiliCity includes original and exclusive content, and is the first and only app to focus on the quiet side of the world's busiest city. Locations are sorted into 12 categories including public spaces, parks, spiritual centers, museums, gardens, quiet restaurants, and more. TranquiliCity entries can be searched by category, name or distance from current location, and the app includes a "Favorites" feature allowing users to bookmark the best retreats for convenient revisits or for trip planning to New York. Hot links also make it possible to phone for reservations at day spas and serene restaurants, and with just a tap on the in-app map users get walking, driving or public bus directions from wherever they are to the tranquil place they'd like to visit.

The TranquiliCity app is currently available at the iTunes store for $.99. A full description of the new app and its unique features can be found at tranquilicityapp.com.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), the nation's largest consumer group dedicated to organic integrity, is pleased the nation's largest natural products retailer Whole Foods Market is taking action to address widespread organic labeling fraud in personal care. Such brands as Avalon Organics, Nature's Gate and Giovanni make organic claims on products whose main cleansing and moisturizing ingredients are generally made without any organic material whatsoever and are usually composed in significant part from petrochemicals. Whole Foods staff should be commended for taking such a bold meaningful step on behalf of organic integrity for their customers. The new standard announced by Whole Foods is a milestone achievement for OCA campaigners who recently began escalating tactics with boycotts of organic cheaters, protests at trade shows and forging strong alliances with groups such as Consumers Union.
  

"In the wake of the BP oil spill, Whole Foods' announcement couldn't come at a better time. Now more than ever, Americans are searching for alternatives to petro-chemicals, including in the bodycare aisle," says Ronnie Cummins, co-founder and Executive Director of OCA. "The new Whole Foods policy is a major victory for people who want to stop washing petrochemical formulations all over their bodies and then down the drain.  These consumers want trusted options for real organic personal care. Whole Foods policy will force major organic cheater brands to drop organic claims from their branding and labeling."

The new Whole Foods Market policy on "organic" labeling personal care products states:  "We believe that the 'organic' claim used on personal care products should have very similar meaning to the 'organic' claim used on food products, which is currently regulated by the USDA's National Organic Program. Our shoppers do not expect the definition of 'organic' to change substantially between the food and the non-food aisles of our stores."

Whole Foods' new policy mandates that "Organic Product" or "Product made with Organic [specified ingredients]" claims must be certified under the USDA National Organic Program, just like food.  A more limited "Contains Organic Ingredients" claim for personal care may be certified under the NSF ANSI 305 standard, which has additional allowances for personal care products.  All organic claims which are not certified, including "Organics" in branding must otherwise be dropped. Brands have been told they have until August 1, 2010 to explain how they will change their labeling or formulations to comply with the new standard. Those that don't submit an explanation are expected to be dropped from store shelves over the coming year while those that comply will have until June 1, 2011 to be in full compliance with Whole Foods' new policy.  

Other major natural product retailers such as Trader Joe's and the National Co-Op Grocers Association (representing over 100 natural product retailers in the US) now have a choice in the face of Whole Foods' new policy. Will these other natural products stores follow Whole Foods' lead and require truthful labels, or will they choose to enable organic fraud with the old status quo?  With two labeling options, natural stores must make a choice and can no longer duck responsibility and profit from organic cheater brands ripping off their customers. OCA will send a letter to all of these stores asking for a formal response by August 1st, whether they will join Whole Foods in demanding that organic fraud cease in their stores by June 1, 2011.  OCA will then publish each stores' response so consumers can see whether their preferred natural products store chooses to stand up for organic integrity or not.  To see letter go to http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare  

"What a relief for people ridding themselves of petrochemical products, that they can shop at least one chain without worry they will be ripped off with petrochemical formulations masquerading as organic products," says Cummins. "Trader Joe's, NCGA and all other natural products stores need to get with the program and follow this market leader's example."  

Mr. Cummins published an Op-Ed today in the Huffington Post entitled "The Oil Spill in the Bathroom."  OCA also submitted a letter to the USDA National Organic Program, following up the formal Complaint OCA submitted in January against organic cheaters, informing NOP that all the relevant organic groups in the US, including OCA, OTA, Consumers Union, Cornucopia and Whole Foods, have weighed in that NOP needs to regulate personal care.   See http://www.organicconsumers.org/

SOURCE Organic Consumers Association

On June 22, 2010, Flavorpill and JetBlue's TrueBlue will host the world's largest yoga event ever as 10,000 people of all backgrounds, sizes, and skill levels will simultaneously practice on the Great Lawn in Central Park, NYC.


Since the inception of Flavorpill nearly a decade ago we have celebrated all aspects of local arts and culture, promoting the efforts of the creative community and encouraging us all to participate in the sharing of good ideas. We believe that yoga can make the world a better place through its tremendous health benefits and as a conduit for greater self awareness. Inspired by our collaborations with The Junior Associates of the Museum of Modern Art on the YoGA at MoMA series, we're extremely excited to offer a yoga class to a much larger community. Additionally, with the nurturing, inspirational style of renowned yoga teacher, Elena Brower, yogis of all levels will be able to participate.

In collaboration with JetBlue, smartwater®, The Standard, New York, and Gaiam, Yoga at the Great Lawn is free for all, our gift to New York and those around the world who come in to join us on the first full day of summer. We hope this shared cultural event will serve as an inspiration for us all.

Entrance to Yoga at the Great Lawn opens at 5:30pm. From 5:30pm to 7:15pm, participants will be entertained by the comedic and musical stylings of our host, Reggie Watts, live performances by poetry slam extraordinaire, Buddy Wakefield, Grammy nominee singer DALIEN, aka 13 Hands, and singer, Wah!. At 7:15pm, Elena Brower will take the stage, accompanied by bassist, Garth Stevenson, and begin yoga class, guiding the 10,000 participants through their downward dogs, warrior ones, and chair poses. Following class, participants are invited to enjoy live drumming by O'Nkosi Rhythms.