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prAna Ambassador Steph Davis makes a guest appearance on tonight’s episode of the National Geographic Channels ‘The Great American Manhut’. The episode is called ‘The Daredevil’ which is fitting. We won’t spoil the plot for you so be sure to tune in to your local provider!

CSI fans – we know how much you love a dead body and the scientific hunt to track down a killer – well in a sensational new twist on the forensic game, an upcoming reality challenge show on National Geographic will be testing the skills and techniques of CSI in the real world.

The Great American Manhunt sets three real-world experts a weekly challenge: to chase down a living, breathing, mystery target at large, somewhere among the entire population of the country. With no shortcuts (no access to DNA, dental records or ID databases) a street-wise cop, a forensic scientist and a forensic psychologist access the very latest technology to help identify their quarry. The challenge is to work out just what marks them out from the crowd and – if they’re successful – their true identity.

Using just the clues on and inside the target’s body (including the clothes on their backs) they use super-cool science and their own remarkable skills to take on the ultimate forensic challenge. On the way they follow leads and chase down dead ends as a complex web of clues takes them across 50 States. The science is awesome, the chase every bit as challenging as the TV dramas we all love and, as the experts eventually discover, the mysterious targets turn out to be awesome and extraordinary individuals. If you like CSI you’ll love The Great American Manhunt – real world forensics like you’ve never seen before.

CrossPosted from Writer Forensics Blog

Check out the teaser for ta previous episode…

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Ten Sleep Climbing Begins Early Thanks to Wyoming’s Warm Spring Weather

It’s been a bit of weird spring here in Wyoming this year; the weather’s been unseasonably warm and dry, meaning that my husband, prAna ambassador Kevin Wilkinson, and I have logged many more days of climbing outside than we anticipated we would. Having a couple of equally psyched climbing friends stay with us through April only encouraged us to climb like the fanatics we honestly are. All four of us had climbed ourselves into frazzled, flapper-ridden and muscularly worn-out specimens by the time they departed at the end of the month, much in need of some rest and recovery to recharge our bodies for the summer season that’s rolling towards us with unstoppable force, as always. I have a feeling it’s gonna be a good one…

Looking forward to the imminent arrival of prime climbing season in Ten Sleep Canyon, I feel a familiar sense of excitement. This year will mark a dozen summers for me spent captivated by the canyon’s climbing and overall summer ambiance and lifestyle. This summer, too, I have some scores to settle with a couple of longstanding foes – and I’m hoping my training and perseverance will finally pay off, resulting in settling these enduring battles of mine once and for all, allowing me to move on to different, possibly yet-to-be-bolted challenges that might await me once I can see beyond my hoary old adversaries.

The first adversary I want to slay is a climb that I first played on probably six years ago, but that I’ve never buckled down to finish, due to its location at a less-popular crag (harder to get partners to go there) as well as its less-than-fun style of climbing. It features holds that are just mean, plain and simple. This route’s long section of climbing on miniscule monos and dime-edges would never be classic in anyone’s book. The appeal for me? I think it’s kind of crazy that this piece of rock has these features and that they can be pieced together and made to work for climbing at all. It’s a balance-y, finger-shredding nightmare that I’d never recommend to anyone…but I’d still like to clip the anchors on it, regardless. I don’t know what it would be graded, either. I’d probably call it 13d, but who knows?

The second rival that needs elimination by yours truly is the 14a that I one-hung for what felt like 100 tries last summer – and while this is an exaggeration of the number of one hangs, it’s probably not an exaggeration of the times I’ve attempted this climb. Despite multiple one hangs and getting as close as I could to sending without actually sending, I had to leave it unfinished last summer. I’m hopeful that the distance in time plus the addition of more strength from training will help me send it this season. I have yet to try this route this year, but I do know that I feel much more excited about getting on it again right now than I did for the final month I spent trying to send it last summer – and honestly, I think I should have probably just left it for that month and had fun climbing other routes and sharing that fun time with friends.

That’s actually a lesson that I finally internalized and that has changed my climbing, too – that experience of not sending, coupled with my more recent nerve impingement and paralysis episode, both seem to have worked to my advantage, strangely enough. How? Well, they both hammered home the obvious but often hard to embrace truth that I should relax and enjoy and appreciate every day I get to rock climb, no matter what the outcome may be in terms of tangible results. Otherwise, it’s a total waste of time and pointless, too, since I truly believe the only real point of sport climbing hard and pushing my limits is for fun, for the of delight of operating my total being at its top potential level in the moment, and for sharing that experience with others who enjoy it, too.

I never want to forget this again, never want to be overtaken by the frustration of “failure” on a climb to the point where I’m not having fun rock climbing – because failures like these really are only a state of mind, and this kind of failure is always part of the process if you’re working toward a truly testing achievement for your being. If sending these two climbs were simple for me, they wouldn’t be hard climbs for me, and I wouldn’t have to put so much into them. And then, the sense of personal accomplishment if and when I do send them would most certainly be diminished. So while I most definitely want to achieve my big-project goals this summer, even more than that, I don’t want to lose sight of the greater point of climbing as I see it: to have fun with the process of pushing my personal limits and to share that fun with friends, send or fail.

~Alli Rainey, prAna Ambassador

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Enzo Oddo and friends spent a month this spring on the steep, pumpy climbs in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. A few of the harder climbs sure got Enzo fired up, which helped fuel his redpoint of Pure Imagination, 5.14d. They soaked up the local culture and had some teenage fun – Southern Style. *Routes: Pure Imagination (5.14d), Lucifer (5.14c), Southern Smoke (5.14c), The Golden Ticket (5.14c/d), Forty Two Karats (5.14c)

More vids of Enzo crushing…

For more on Enzo visit http://www.prana.com/ambassadors/enzo-oddo

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Be sure to catch up with one of the funnest troops in America! The Yogaslackers

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Join Chris Sharma at the Clif Bar Headquarters theater on Friday, May 18th, for two special engagements. Chris will be presenting slides and footage from his climbing career, talking about what inspires one of the most gifted climbers of the last 20 years, answering audience questions, and just generally being himself. This is a special opportunity to join Chris in a small setting. All proceeds from the event will go towards the efforts to keep Castle Rock State Park Open.

In 1993, Chris went climbing outside for his first time at Castle Rock. Since then, he’s established the hardest boulder problems in the park, helped to put the high-quality tafoni sandstone formations on the map with films like Rampage, and moved on to become a climbing superstar who some consider the best of all time. Chris‘s start at Castle is inspiration to many Bay Area climbers, and his long time affiliation with the park has had far reaching impact. Today, Castle Rock attracts an international climbing audience, largely because of Sharma‘s influence. So when he heard that Castle Rock may soon be closed to climbing and the general public, Chris immediately jumped at the opportunity to help with the access efforts–pledging to travel all the way from his current home in Spain to make a few special presentations for the cause. We hope to see you there. This will be an evening to remember!

For the Clif Bar event tickets click the flyer above and more information about the event visit https://www.facebook.com/sharmafundraiser

For tickets to the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz event visit https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/245036

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I sat at the end of my rope silently screaming with my head in my hands.

“Body, we have an agreement,” I kept thinking. “I give you 3 months off from climbing each winter and then you pick back up like we haven’t missed a beat in the spring.”

It was clear that this “agreement” only existed in my mind. I was flailing miserably on my project from last fall. The moves were harder than I remembered, my core tension was non-existent, and I was beyond frustrated.

I’m pretty sure this happens to me every spring. I don’t train all winter and then I’m somehow shocked when I can’t perform on the rock the same as I did in the fall. Deep down I know that taking time off from climbing is good for my body and my mind, but my ego always pays the price when the weather gets nice again.

This weekend was the 5Points Film Festival in Carbondale, CO. I always enjoy seeing adventure films and hanging out with long lost friends (both in person and on the screen). Friday night I viewed the world premier of a film called The Old Breed, by Rufus Lusk and Freddie Wilkinson. It’s about three guys who climbed the second highest unclimbed peak in the world. I don’t know much about alpinism. Quite frankly I find it both terrifying and confusing. I just can’t figure out why anyone would want to be cold and suffer.

However a quote from that movie stuck with me has been rolling around in my head ever since. Steve Swenson, I believe, says that in his life he has his profession, his family, and climbing. At any given time he feels he can only perform well at two or those three things.

I feel like that so often. Especially this past weekend as I hung on my project belittling myself. I struggle everyday to find the balance between being a good Kindergarten teacher, being fully present in my relationships with others, raising a new puppy, tending to a new house, keeping my mind and body healthy, and performing at the top of my game in climbing.

I often feel like I have too many balls in the air and that something has to give. But what do I let drop? All of those things are important to me. All of those things are integral in my life and my happiness.

Each season has it’s own balance for me. The slices of my life shift and morph to make room for each other as need be. This winter so much of my energy was given to work and “life stuff” and that was ok. But, with spring will come the rebirth of climbing. The canyon is dry and calling my name. My climbing strength will return in time, but like all things that matter most, it won’t come easy.

I know that I can’t possible do everything well all of the time. But I’m slowly learning that there is a time for all things and I just need to have a little bit of patience with myself.

For me, balance doesn’t look the same from season to season. It’s constantly shifting and changing to accommodate all of the pieces of who I am.

~Jen Vennon, prAna Ambassador

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Check out prAna Ambassador Heather Robinson and a host of great climbers in some of the most beautiful crags in the west! DVD/HD Download available now at SavageFilms.net/store

More from Heather

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I have always loved the ecstatic state I experience when in class with Shiva Rea. I had no idea that there was a very specific structure and sequence underlying the freedom she invokes. After almost a decade teaching yoga I find myself dancing in the realms of a beginners mind as I step onto the teachers training path with Shiva.

Just days after completing 100 hours of training in 10 days, I am reveling in the way my connection to the flow of prana in my body has been ignited. I am so psyched that I have gained access to 2.5 advanced arm balances that have until now remained elusive and downright frustrating (I say 2.5 because eka pada bakasana on the left side is still eluding me, at least at this point)! Of course accessing arm balances isn’t required to enjoy the yummy states Prana Flow guides us into, yet the shift in the consciousness of my body after all these years is something to celebrate!

So what is it about this system that Shiva has created that is igniting the body consciousness? At this early stage in my training with her I am beginning to understand that the sequence, pace, rhythm, and pulsation between solar (sun) and lunar (moon) flows invite the body into a trance that ignites the flow of prana (life force) shifting the experience from moving the body to being moved by the prana. The rhythmic pulsations juice up the connective tissues in a way that seems to strengthen and entrain my mind body connection to the pulse of the prana naturally moving through me.

Embody the flow is the first module in Shiva’s 500 hour training program and I have already learned so much! I’m forever grateful for the strong foundation of understanding I have received from my teachers over this past decade, and know it has all set the stage for this new layer of evolution in my practice and experience of embodiment. Because of this strong foundation I felt prepared for the comprehensive curriculum of yogic philosophy, anatomy, and asana while at the same time being a beginner in the realm of Prana Flow. Shiva, her teaching assistant Gina Caputo, and the class assistants skillfully guided our group through this journey keeping it fresh with classes outside by the water, teaching labs, asana labs, Om work, great music and good humor. Philosophy sessions with Paul Muller Ortega and Chris Tompkins guided us deeper into the esoteric understanding of all that we were learning and experiencing. Public classes with Shiva modeled for us how to impart the wisdom of this work in a simple and structured way.

I love how Shiva’s love for world culture, free form expression, science, dance, yoga, and the rhythm of nature informs her life’s work. Shiva is offering an amazing body of work that goes beyond yoga into an exploration of embodiment and its relationship to the flow of life. Thank you Shiva!

~Heather Keely, BodaciousLivingYoga.com & LightWorksCreative.tv

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A classic guide from our friends at Yoga Journal

All yoga is grounded in freedom from suffering, but the practice has taken many forms. Here’s a guide to finding a style that speaks to you…

Anusara

What it is: A Tantric-based system that combines attention to alignment with awareness of energy flow in the body in order for you to realize your divine nature.

What to expect: Classes vary according to the creative direction of the teacher. Each class begins with an invocation and has a heart-oriented theme. Expect a friendly (pun intended) atmosphere.

Founder/guru: John Friend. B. 1959. “Follow your heart. Be open to its deepest longings.”

Why you want to try it: You’re serious about proper alignment, yoga philosophy and having fun. You’re drawn to teachers who can captivate you with their story-telling and inspire you to Open to Grace.

FYI: In Sanskrit, anusara means “flowing with grace.”

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Ashtanga

What it is: A method in which a set series of poses is linked by vinyasa (flowing movement) and synchronized with the breath to produce intense internal heat and purifying sweat.

What to expect: Students begin with the primary series and then move on once the poses have been mastered. There are six series in all. Classes are vigorous and challenging. Expect to perspire.

Founder/guru: Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. 1915-2009. “Yoga is 99 percent practice and 1 percent theory.”

Why you want to try it: You’re athletic and you’d love a workout on your way to enlightenment. You need little instruction (which can take you out of your internal experience). You’ll happily breathe through the same series of poses six days a week – it gives you the chance to notice what changes day to day.

FYI: Ashtanga means “eight-limbed yoga” and refers to the eight-fold path outlined by the sage Patanjali.

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Bikram

What it is: A series of 26 poses and breathing exercises repeated twice in a room heated to 105 degrees. The purpose is to warm up the muscles quickly and promote detoxification via sweat.

What to expect: Instructors follow a script, so all classes are quite similar. You will sweat more than you ever thought possible, so bring a bottle of water and a towel with you. Wear clothes that will let you perspire freely.

Founder/guru: Bikram Choudhury. B. 1946. “Yoga is the perfect vehicle for change…first by creating a strong and powerful body and mind…you can then begin to realize your human spirit.”

Why you want to try it: You love sweaty workouts, especially if they can help you to detox or lose weight. Heat makes you happy. You’re not intimidated by mirrors or teachers who believe in tough love, and you don’t need to chant Om to feel that your practice is complete.

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Integral

What it is: A gentle practice that integrates hatha yoga with other yoga branches, such as karma yoga (selfless service) and bhakti yoga (devotion), and emphasizes union with God.

What to expect: Classes include guided relaxation, meditation, chanting and prana-yama (breathing practices). Ideal for people seeking a spiritual practice and those with physical limitations. Expect to feel blissful afterward.

Founder/guru: Sri Swami Satchidananda. 1914-2002. “The aim of yoga is to calm the mind. That’s why we call it Integral Yoga, because we integrate everything – body, mind and spirit.”

Why you want to try it: You enjoy the physical practice of yoga, but you’re equally interested in mantra repetition, meditation, selfless service and devotion. You aren’t put off by orange robed swamis – in fact, you’d consider moving into an ashram to pursue your spiritual practice.

FYI: Swami Satchidananda gave the opening speech at Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969.

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Iyengar

What it is: A method that teaches awareness through attention to anatomical precision and alignment in poses. There’s an emphasis on healing the body and mind using postures.

What to expect: Expect detailed instructions and to hold poses longer than in other styles. Beginner-level classes focus on standing poses. Most teachers use props as learning tools and offer restoratives classes.

Founder/guru: B.K.S. Iyengar. B. 1918. “Yoga has to be done with the intellect of the head as well as the intellect of the heart.”

Why you want to try it: You’re a stickler for details, and the technical intricacies of anatomy help focus your attention so you can turn inward. You find it worth the effort to amass props and properly set up a pose so you can stay put and access yoga’s power to heal and transform.

FYI: B.K.S. Iyengar’s book Light on Yoga, published in 1966, sparked the yoga revolution in the West.

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Jivamukt

What it is: Based on the principles of bhakti yoga (devotion) and ahimsa (nonviolence). Combines a vigorous flow practice with classic spiritual yoga philosophy.

What to expect: Each clas focuses on a spiritual these supported by music, asana and pranayama. Meditation and chanting are often included. Expect to work hard and leaving feeling uplifted.

Founder/guru: Sharon Gannon B. 1951and David Life B. 1950. “You cannot do yoga. Yoga is the natural state.”

Why you want to try it: You’re up for physical challenge and love to groove to the music, but you’re not just going to class to rock out. You also want to learn about yoga philosophy, and you enjoy chanting in every class. You support nonviolence and see the value of a vegan lifestyle.

FYI: In Sanskrit, Jivamukti means “liberation while living.”

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Kripalu

What it is: A free-flowing form of yoga that is as much a meditation in motion as it is a series of asanas. Supports relaxation and healing.

What to expect: Classes can be dynamic or restorative, depending on the teacher. Ideal for someone with physical limitations or someone interested in a meditation practice. Expect to feel peaceful afterward.

Founder/guru: Swami Kripalu. 1913-1981. “Those who do not know to sing and dance will never reach God.

Why you want to try it: You’re interested in classic asanas and meditation, but you’re really after an experience of compassionate self-acceptance, of observing the mind without judgment. The aim of your practice is not a better body, but the chance to apply what you learn on the mat to your daily life.

FYI: The first Kripalu Center was an ashram founded by Yogi Amrit Desai, a disciple of Swami Kripalu.

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Kundalini

What it is: An energetic style of yoga composed of repetitive movements (like waving the arms) that differ from those in other styles and promote the release of kundalini energy.

What to expect: Classes focus on kriyas, or sequences, designed for a therapeutic purpose and include relaxation chanting and the repetition of mantras. This yoga will push you beyond what you think your limits are.

Founder/guru: Yogi Bhajan. 1929 – 2004. “The basic unit, you, is equal to radiance plus activity.”

Why you want to try it: Radiant is what you want to be. You’re interested in practices , however esoteric, that will detox body and mind, activate the chakras and awaken the Kundalini energy coiled at the base of your spine. You’re up for manta, music and meditation.

FYI: Kundalini means “serpent power,” which is believed to reside in the base of the spine.

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Power

What it is: An American adaptation of Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga is a rigorous and dynamic practice.

What to expect: One of the most physically challenging forms of yoga. Poses can be advanced and held for long durations. Classes can also be spiritually intense, in a non-preachy way.

Founder/guru: Baron Baptiste. B. 1963. “What we need isn’t another quick fix, but rather a rebirth – a whole life revolution.”

Why you want to try it: A sweaty, flowing yoga class that tests your endurance is irresistible to you. You like to move through poses at a moderate to fast clip while consciously using your breathe as fuel. A heated room helps you warm up inside and out. You love pushing your body and mind to the limit.

FYI: One of the first kinds of yoga to be taught in gyms and health clubs.

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Sivananda

What it is: A spiritually focused practice that emphasizes Vedanta philosophy and the recitation of mantras. Incorporates techniques from many yoga paths – karma, bhakti, raja and jnana yoga.

What to expect: Classes begin with deep, relaxation and pranayama, then focus on 12 foundational poses. Pranayama and mantra meditation are also taught. Sanskrit definitely spoken here.

Founder/guru: Swami Vishnu-devananda. 1927-1993. “Mantra is a particular wavelength of a spiritual mystical symbol. Eventually your mind will be tuned to it. At this time you have cosmic consciousness.”

Why you want to try it: You’re less interested in alignment or athleticism than in spiritual transformation. You’d like a traditional and comprehensive approach to exercise, breathing, relaxation, diet, positive thinking and meditation, all in service to experiencing universal consciousness.

FYI: Today their are nine Sivananda ashrams around the world.

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Vinyasa

What it is: This American innovation is more free form than its progenitor Ashtanga Yoga.

What to expect: A flowing sequence of asanas coordinated with the breath. Classes can be either vigorous or meditative, depending on the teacher

Founder/guru: Derivative of Shtanga Yoga. “Vinyasa is a natural sequence, unfolding with creative intelligence – a conscious evolution connecting each moment with unifying breath.” Shiva Rae. B. 1967.

Why you want to try it: You prefer a flowing rhythm in your practice and like to move to music. Sometimes you enjoy classes that break down the alignment of poses, and other times you just enjoy the movement. You prefer linking movements together and being conscious of your breath in each pose.

FYI: a.k.a. Flow Yoga. In Sanskrit, vi means “in a special way” and nyasa means “to place.”

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Yoga Therapy

What it is: A personalized therapeutic practice, especially suitable for those who have suffered injuries or are recovering from a traumatic event, such as surgery.

What to expect: A gentle, healing practice that places less emphasis on vigorous movement. Usually taught as private sessions or in small groups. Gives individuals a personalized plan for healing.

Founder/guru: Sri T. Krishnamacharya. 1888 – 1989. “Breath is central to yoga because it is central to life…and yoga is about life.”

Why you want to try it: you are interested in healing yourself from the inside out and think that one-on-one work with a teacher is the best way to take care of your body, mid and spirit. you may have a specific injury or ailment and are interested in exploring how yoga can help you manage or resolve the issue.

FYI: A 2005 medical study designed by Gary Kraftsow showed that yoga therapy is beneficial for back pain.

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