The Rise and Popularity of Specialist Social Networks

Take a close look at the picture above and what do you see ? At the outer fringes you will find brands that are now so widely known that they are an intrinsic part of your lives (so I would assume if you are reading this post). Studies indicate that the first thing young women do in the morning is to check their Facebook accounts for updates (as reported by Mashable here). Not till long ago, taking a break from work to explore and travel the world was considered an adventure and an achievement. These days, shutting down your Facebook account and living without it for a month is considered to be a big deal (interesting read Facebook Refugee).

Coming to Twitter, the platform now has more than 75 million users with 50 million tweets being sent per day. People are using twitter as motivational tools to lose weight, run a marathon, quit smoking and what not (read here for more). We even came across an interesting tweet the other day, indicating how tweeting very frequently can be a bad habit:

RT @social_yogirl: Warning – For ur driver’s test. If the guy asks “what do you do at a red light?” ,don’t say… a little tweeting…

And then, foursquare recently reported to signing up 3 million members and LinkedIn too has close to 75 million members and is a highly important tool for job seekers, executive recruiters, MBA students and networking professionals.

But then, most of these are broad social networks which cater to everyone and thus have no specific segmentation amongst its users. Little wonder then, that the success of these networks would lead to other innovations catering to certain specific audiences such as mothers, people who like to travel, MBA students, students starting college and much more.

We like to call these networks “Specialist Social Networks” as they cater to an audience that satisfy a set of characteristics such as age, sex, occupation, future outlook etc. At last count this sheet indicated that their were close to 193 such networks on the Internet comprising of categories such as travel, education, beer, food, business, photography, cars, sports, dating, pets, arts, mothers and many more.

For instance, CafeMom is an online community where millions of moms meet each day to talk, share advice, make new friends and play games. The network employs 65 people in New York, gets millions of unique vistors every month and raised close to 12 million in capital in early 2008. So if you have a brand aimed at pregnant mothers or new mothers such as Babo Botanicals or Nutrabella then CafeMom is where you want your brand to be.

The NYtimes recently carried this article on another Specialist social network called URoomSurf. An excerpt:

Bright Eyes and Regina Spektor share the same bedtime (between 10 p.m. and midnight) and a high tolerance for clutter. They both eat vegetarian food, advocate for animal rights, play guitar and favor the same indie rock acts. They also recently agreed on a polka dot shower curtain.

This is not just great good luck — theirs was a match made on URoomSurf.com, a Web site that does for dormitory life what eHarmony and Match.com have long done for romance.

The article later goes on state that since the site started in February, more than 80,000 students from 700 colleges have signed up, paying $5 or $10 (depending on the level of access to information). Now that’s a pretty good Online Business for what could also be a Facebook group that connects people with similar interests looking to be room mates in college.

Finally, another such network based out of London runs a slightly different model and aims to bridge the gap between schools and students looking to study in those schools. BusinessBecause, is a London based startup that is a news & networking site for the b-school world. It provides interesting content and helps to connect people before, during and after business school. The network has pioneered a new concept of ‘community journalism‘ where its members who are essentially students studying in B-school or B-school alumni are encouraged to share stories of their school experience, favorite lectures, classmates etc.

The website also has its own Editorial team comprising of Journalists from the world’s leading Journalism schools such as Columbia who produces great quality content, conduct interviews with Business schools professors, thought leaders and much more. The website targets international, smart, web-savvy and well-connected individuals between the age of 22-32 interested in Business School education.

Well, these niche networks mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty more out there. So if you’re looking to connect with a group of people who share a similar interest as you, then just do some Internet research and its likely that you’ll find a “Specialist Social Network” catering to your particular interest.

DP Health And Wellness: Wrench Out Your Body Toxins With These Yoga Moves

A DelhiPlanet Health And Wellness Exclusive, In Association With Queen Yogini Kristin McGee.

In today’s fast paced world staying healthy and fit is certainly a big challenge. Most of the well-developed cities of the world today are heavily industrialized and owning a car is a necessity for most, this eliminates the need for even simple exercises like walking to work or to the market etc. Thus unless one makes a sincere effort to establish a regular exercise regime it is most likely that your body won’t be able to keep up with your lifestyle. This results in a variety of ailments and problems that causes a lot of distress and discomfort later in life.

In the last article of DP Health And Wellness we had discussed how one can de-stress and stay fresh at work by doing some really simple Yoga Stretching exercises (Read here). In today’s article we would discuss how certain yoga postures can help to de-tox the body and provide one with calm and relief especially in the stomach and abdominal areas.

Not only is yoga good for your outside body, it’s good for your insides, too. If you’ve been feeling the buildup of french fries, veggie burgers and stifling air, then doing the three moves shown by Kristin in the video below would do wonders to you by helping your body clean itself up.

Uniting The World With Yoga – An Exclusive Interview With Queen Yogini Kristin McGee, Part – 2

We’re back with the last and final part of our exclusive interview with the amazing Kristin Mcgee. If you’re new to yoga and are looking for a place to start then look no further cause with Kristin McGee’s invigorating yoga techniques you’ll find yourself on the road to fitness much earlier than you imagined. You can catch our previous coverage on Kristin and her yoga programs at the following links:

1. Uniting The World With Yoga : An Interview With Kristin McGee, Part -1
2. Introducing Kristin McGee – The Queen Yogini Of The West

And now for the remaining part of our interview.

DelhiPlanet(DP): Kristin, you are an incredibly fit person, do you diet or avoid any particular kind of foods. Also do you suggest any diet to your students so that they can achieve the true benefits of your program. We recently talked to our readers regarding the Paul McKenna theory of “eat whatever you want, whenever you are hungry but in the right amounts“. Do you also believe in this.

Kristin: I really believe in the “everything in moderation” approach. I try not to label foods as bad and good but as how do I feel when I eat this. Sometimes my body craves a good steak. Most often I really love fruits, veggies, yogurts, fish, chicken, whole grains and tofu, oh yeah and a glass of wine and dark chocolate! I think Paul McKenna is right when he says listen to your body and try and go off of internal cues when you are hungry eat and stop when you are full and listen to your body if it tells you it wants something let it have it but also know how much is right for you.

DP: “Everything you could possibly ever want, have or need is right here inside of you“, happens to be one of your favorite quotes which was actually created by you. In today’s world there is so much greed, want and desire and every person is just chasing material benefits. How do you think one can overcome this and actually get to feel the way your quote describes. How does yoga help in achieving Mind Control

Kristin: I think the benefits of yoga are very subtle and it’s not so much about controlling the mind but getting to a mind state where you start to realize that truly all we really need is to take care of our health and our self, be with the people we love, do something we really enjoy in order to have food and shelter and certain treats and other than that there isn’t much more to life. I’ve been realizing after 14 years in NY that I really don’t need all that much. I love teaching yoga, I like staying healthy, I love my boyfriend, my family and my friends and I just keep trying to remind myself every day how lucky I am to be alive and breathing. When you are more conscious of your breath in yoga practice, you become more conscious of each awesome breath you take each day and you don’t feel you need much more to make you happy.

DP: Please Describe what a normal Kristin McGee Working Day is like.

Kristin: I wake up very early and sometimes do stomach churning. Then I have a nice healthy breakfast—my favorite meal of the day—then I’m off to teach. I walk everywhere or take the subway to and from client’s homes and the gyms and studios where I work. I always carry snacks for mid morning and mid afternoon and I usually have a healthy sandwich of tofu or hummus for lunch. I do my own practice sometime during the day and when I get home at night I check my emails and write for Veria where I have a blog. I make a healthy dinner and read some of my yoga magazines or do a crossword puzzle. I’ve been trying to make more space for mediation and if my honey is in town we share a glass of wine and take a walk along the river on the West Side highway. I’m in bed around 10 or 11 most nights.

DP: Yes folks, we forgot to mention that Kristin is a great writer too and has her own blog here. Kristin, please tell us something about your retreat workshops. We know that you recently held a retreat course at Morgan’s rock in Nicaragua and prior to that in Marrakesh, Morrocco. What kind of retreats would you like to do in future ?

Kristin:I met a woman named Erica who leads retreats to exotic locations through her company called Escape To Shape and she hires me as their premier yoga instructor. I loved the trip I did in Sicily and Morocco was very interesting. I’m teaching at Kripalu in September and next June was asked to lead a retreat in Nicaragua. It is such a great way to see a new part of the world and wake up and do yoga every morning and meet wonderful people from all over the world. I would love to do a yoga/wine retreat or a yoga/chocolate retreat. I will look in to organizing that and I’d also love to do something like that out in Sun Valley, Idaho where I’m from and maybe combine it with sking in the winter or hiking in the summer.

DP: That’s sounds great, you surely are Uniting the world with Yoga. Tell us, do you believe that in order to be true yogi it is necessary to shed all materialistic desires and lead a very simple life devoid of any body pleasures. This happens to be a kind of impressions a lot of people have about yogis.

Kristin: Not at all. I think yoga fits in to any lifestyle. It is human nature to want nice things and we should give ourselves the things we like—body pleasures especially. People crave touch. Babies love to be hugged and nurtured. Adults love to connect on a physical level with each other and I think that is the most beautiful forms of union of them all.

DP: How affordable are the yoga classes that you take. Are the meant for only upscale New Yorkers or for the average man as well ?

Kristin: No. Classes range from as little as $15 up to $150 for privates. And many studios offer work exchange programs. I have a sliding scale for my private clients and try to accommodate everyone I can. Privates are definitely expensive but group classes and dvds and home practices are very inexpensive or free!

DP: Please share with us your experience of training the Winter Olympics particpants at Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002. Were any of the participants fitter than you .

Kristin: Oh yes! All the Olympic athletes are in incredible shape. I loved working with them and showing them ways to actually not push so hard but to feel good when they practice. The Olympics are all about competing, in yoga there is no competition so it was wonderful for them to drop that armor and just do something good for their bodies and minds.

DP: Do you believe in the concepts of Karma, Past Life and Re-Incarnation. Also would you like to be born again and if so as what and where ?

Kristin: Ooh that is a very tough question and one that I may not be able to answer until I’m in my 80’s! I think karma is real—what you give is what you get. I’m not 100% about the reincarnation. I kind of believe that we regenerate through nature and when my body decomposes it becomes part of the earth which makes beautiful flowers which bring sunshine and happiness to the next generations.

DP: You come from a family that loves music and we know that your father is a great piano player. Please name some of your favorite present day music artists. Do you also listen to Indian music.

Kristin: I love Indian music and often play a lot of Ram Das and Krishna Das in my classes. I know those are more chanting and I’d like to hear other types of Indian music when I come to visit India. I’ve always loved James Taylor and I like John Mayer and Coldplay and anything my boyfriend, Tim, plays. He is the real DJ in our relationship and he introduces me to great music all the time I just don’t remember the names of the bands half the time!

DP: Please tell us something about your hobbies. What else do you like to do in your spare time ?

Kristin: I love to ski and play tennis. I like to be in nature and hike and camp and fish and I’m rafting the Colorado River with my dad in the Grand Canyon for 19 days in July. I love to do crossword puzzles. I like seeing my friends and going to movies. I love going out to dinner and to the theater. I love to dance and I love to sing. I love when I’m home in Idaho with my whole family and we make homemade tacos and play board games. I like to read and I like to learn more about wines and cooking and I love to travel.

DP: Finally, What is the Dream or Mission of Your Life and How would you like to be remembered as ?

Kristin: My dream mission in life is to continually grow in to being a better person. I would hate to stop learning or discovering all that this world has to offer. I want to keep discovering my inner world, as wel, and share the most authentic me that I possibly can. I want to inspire people of all ages to do the same and to be happy and feel connected to their truest self. I want to build my Bendigirl brand and help build young girls and boys self esteem one breath at a time. I want to get married to my boyfriend Tim O’Shea and make little O’Shea babies so I can nurture them and bring them in to this incredible world. I want to be even half as incredible and amazing as my parents have been to me. I want to share what they’ve given me with my children and grandchildren. I want to give back to my parents as much as I can. That goes for my brothers and their wives as well anyone who has helped me continue on my path. I never ever want to take any of these people, Tim, mom, dad, Kraig, Kara, KT, KC, Kristopher, Julia, Daniel for granted.

I’d like to be remembered as a really good person, one who always tried her best and learned from her mistakes and who was truly wonderful and giving from the depths of her heart.

DP: Thank you so much Kristin for sparing some time for us, I am sure lots of people will benefit from your knowledge and you are really doing some wonderful work. I hope that you had a nice time talking to us.

Kristin: I want to thank you so much. The fact that we have already connected makes me feel like I’m on the right path and doing something good in my life. You inspire me to continue on this path. I want to visit you in India and I want to learn. Together you can teach me more and more about your culture and I can show you what I’ve learned so far in my Yogini life in NYC.

Namaste

Oh yeah and “Always always remember that everything you could possibly ever want, have or need is right here inside of you”.

Note: This is a DelhiPlanet Exclusive Presentation. Reproduction of this article in any form in full or in part without prior permission is prohibited. If you wish to spread the word, kindly link to the post.

Uniting The World With Yoga – An Exclusive Interview With Queen Yogini Kristin McGee, Part – 1

It is an ancient science that was crafted by the gods with the purpose of keeping all human beings fit and healthy. This science makes a person “aware” of oneself by uniting the body, mind and soul. It is known around the world as “Yoga“.

In today’s fast paced world, each one of us has so many desires and wishes and the only way one can work towards fulfilling them is to stay away from all kinds of health problems. One of the ways to stay fit, healthy and content is to become aware or as people would like to say become “yogic“. The word yoga has many mis-conceptions associated with it and many people think that “being yogic” means to shed all desires and lead a plain and simple life. Well, it’s time to clear those mis-conceptions and give you an insight into how you can become a Yogi In The 21^st century.

As promised earlier we are delighted to bring to you an exclusive two part interview with the world-renowned American Yogini Kristin McGee (read all about her in our introduction article here). We asked Kristin a range of questions about what she thinks about yoga, what it means in today’s world, her role in spreading the knowledge of yoga and her interest in coming to India. Ofcourse, we also peppered it up with some personal questions about herself and her life in one of the most happening cities of the world, NYC.

DelhiPlanet(DP): Namaste Kristin Ji, A very warm welcome to you from the entire team at DelhiPlanet and all the people of India. How do you feel about talking to us and connecting to the people in India ?

Kristin: I am super excited!

DP: Have you or anyone from your family ever visited India ?

Kristin: Unfortunately, no!

DP: So then, what places would you like to visit in India and how well do you understand Hindi ?

Kristin: I would love to visit Mysore since it is the home of Astanga and Patabi Jois. I’d also love to go to Pune where BKS Iyenger has his home. I would love a full tour of the country actually and am open to experience every part of the wonderful history and culture that you have. What are your recommendations for me?

I believe Hindi is the language still spoken by many Indians and it is a direct descent of the Sanskrit language which I use when I teach yoga asanas.

DP: Well, I am sure you would like to go the Taj Mahal in Agra. You should also visit Rajasthan, Kashmir, Kerala and ofcourse our city Delhi . Tell us something about your initial interest in acting. How were you drawn to it and what kind of roles did you enjoy doing the most.

Kristin: I wanted to be an actress from the day I was 4. I used to sing Shirley Temple songs like “on the good ship lollipop” to my dolls and perform in my bedroom. I’ve always loved live theater and musical theater and I think I would adore the glamour and beauty and drama of the Bollywood films produced in India. I like taking on any role that challenges me to open up more and find something new about myself. I think acting and yoga are very similar in that respect.

DP: Have You Seen Any Bollywood Movies. If so, please tell us which ones have you seen and which one is your favorite ?

Kristin: One of my all time favorite movies is Monsoon Wedding–I’m not sure if it is considered a Bollywood film or not. I love Mira Nair as a director. I love the colors and the sights and the beauty and the humor. I love how happy the Indian culture is and how they love to make things larger than life. They don’t settle for dull or mediocre. Please introduce me to some more Bollywood films that you recommend.

Recently, I just ordered 4 dvds from Hemalaaya all on Bollywood Dance. I can’t wait to try them!

DP: While still studying Acting at NYU you decided that you also wanted to master Yoga. What caused this sudden transformation ? Was it a desire to stay slim and fit or something else ?

Kristin: We were doing yoga in the morning to open us up and help us connect to our breathing which is very important for actors. I actually realized that staying slim and fit was just an added bonus to the focus and flexibility I was getting from the practice.

DP: Today if I were to take you back in time by 10-12 years and offer you a choice of being “Kristin McGee – The Great Actress” or “Kristin McGee – The Great Yoga Guru”, then which one would you choose.

Kristin: Most definitely Kristin McGee the Great Yoga Guru but I feel unworthy of such a title and feel like I don’t quite deserver the title of Guru how about Kristin McGee the Great Yogini !

DP: The past few years have seen the development and introduction of new yoga techniques in India where more time is devoted to intense breathing exercises than doing asanas. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of the Art Of Living Foundation has made Bhastrika and Ujayi breathing a part of his yoga workouts while Swami Ramdev teaches Kapalbhatti breathing. Do you constantly update and innovate with your Yoga workouts to include such elements or do they stay the same for long periods of time

Kristin: I completely agree with both Swami Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that the breath is the foundation of the practice and it’s important to incorporate pranayama such as kapalabhati and bhastrika in the asana practice. I’ve recently been doing an hour long pranayama class every Wednesday before a two hour asana practice and it is incredible. I love alternate nostril breathing.

DP: Yoga was like Love at First Sight for you. You were able to do the most difficult asanas after only a few classes. For the average person who is slightly above the recommended weight how long would it take to see the benefits of yoga, provided regular practice 3-5 times a week.

Kristin: Yes yoga was love at first sight for me but I definitely couldn’t do the most difficult asanas after just a few classes! I actually was good at the headstands and arm balances but it’s taken me years to get more open in my hamstrings and to develop strength in my core and lower back. I think the beautiful thing about the yoga practice is it is a life long endeavor and there is no end result we need to achieve. If you start doing yoga, you’ll feel so good you’ll want to do it as often as possible. Any time you do any asanas, even if it’s just 5 minutes a day, your body will feel and see the results. 3 to 5 times a week is great as well. Listen to your body and you’ll know when and how often you like to practice.

DP: The Girls and Women of today, around the world are highly influenced by Media and Television and choose unhealthy eating habits inorder to appear like the models and actressses that they see. What message do you have for such girls and women. Can one achieve the perfect model figure by healthy eating and yoga.

Kristin: I think there really is no such thing as “perfect” by other people’s standards. I try and tell everyone to just realize they are already perfect just as they are. The yoga practice helps us get more connected to our self and eventually we do what makes us happy as opposed to trying to fit some unreal image that they plaster in Hollywood magazines. I really hate to see what it does to people and I myself have struggled with eating disorders in the past and when I discovered yoga, I found that I need to love my body from the inside out first and foremost. The rest will start to take care of itself—I promise !

DP: You yourself are an extremely attractive and fit person, so do you ever worry about putting on weight or ageing ?

Kristin: I am a woman so of course I worry about all those things! But I look at the yoginis in their 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s and they’ve aged so gracefully and beautifully. I think laugh lines are gorgeous and I think even a little tummy filled with love is attractive. I’m trying to embrace more of myself everyday and do what feels good as opposed to worrying about the external fears and pressures.

DP: Many people in India and around the world believe that in order to enjoy the true benefits of yoga or anything spiritual one must completely abstain from all forms of non-vegetarian food and alcohol. Please share with us your thoughts on this.

Kristin: I try not to be too dogmatic in my approach and believe spirituality and diet and lifestyle are all very personal things. I don’t like to preach to my students and I think ultimately it’s best to do what makes you feel good. If you prefer to abstain from alcohol and red meat I think that is fine and if you like to eat hamburgers and drink a beer I think that is fine too!

Well, that’s all for Part – 1 of this series. Stay Tuned for Part – 2 and find answers to the kind of diet you should take while doing yoga, the effect of yoga on calming the mind, Kristin’s yoga retreats and much more (Catch Kristin in yoga action with young kids in the picture below ).

Note: This is a DelhiPlanet Exclusive Presentation. Reproduction of this article in any form in full or in part without prior permission is prohibited. If you wish to spread the word, kindly link to the post.