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Not only is the game of golf big business, but it's big IN business too. Millions of business transactions happen on the golf courses of the world nearly every day of the year. From sales negotiations to legal settlements, the golf club is as mighty as the pen when it comes to getting business done.

It's hard to separate the social from the business aspects of a workday spent on the links, and perhaps its better that way. You see, conducting business on the golf course is just as complicated as conducting business in the boardroom. Only the environment and clothing are different.

While nearly everyone can grasp the obvious benefits of playing golf in business sales and negotiation situations, fewer people understand how to find other ways to use golf in business to drum up new customers.

While anyone who plays can invite a colleague, vendor, or co-worker for a round of 18 holes, how can the lone golfer benefit from the magic powers of golf in business?

It seems that Portsmouth, N.H business woman Dianne Durkin has found a unique approach. According to Durkin, she has snared a number of new clients for her business consulting firm by simply approaching the first tee alone and then getting matched up with others players who need to round out a foursome. Sometime during the game the talk always turns to business, and Durkin gets a chance to make her low-key sales pitch. Now that's one smart golfer!

There are other ways to ride the golf in business success train even if you've never touched a set of clubs yourself. one Long Island business executive, who had no interest in the game himself, hires salespeople who play and lets them entertain prospective clients on the area's courses. The end result is more sales, with a higher average dollar amount per sale, and another example of a clever way to make money from playing golf in business.

No matter what size community your business is located in, there are advertising, marketing and sponsoring opportunities tied to golf in business as well. You can sponsor local golf tournaments, or even start a tournament yourself that carries your company's name. If your business is oriented towards school-age children, donating golf shirts to the high school golf club is a great way to reach prospective customers and grab some golf in business publicity at the same time.

custom-printed golf towels, golf balls, golf hats, and other golf accessories make fine golf in business gifts as well. There are plenty of advertising speciality companies that can print these golf in business items up in any quantity that you need.

The key to leveraging golf in business is to think outside the box. You don't have to be a player to reap the benefits. You just need a golf in business strategy that's capable of getting your name on to the links even if your body remains in the office.

Richard myers is a keen golfer and his web site http://www.thinkandreachpar.com and http://www.golfforleftys.com contains many free tips and great golfing advice plus training videos and DVDs to help you to improve your swing and lower your score using some very simple exercises.

# posted by 78202 @ 5:39 PM 0 comments

For many people, Yoga brings to mind an image of a man transformed into the shape of a pretzel. In fact, Yoga is a practice which has been developing for thousands of years, and there are new types of Yoga springing fourth generation after generation. One of the new types of Yoga to emerge recently is Bikram Yoga, and herein we will discuss what sets this Yoga practice apart, and also the many benefits of Bikram Yoga practice.

In Calcutta, 1946, Bikram Choudhury was born. It was quickly evident that he was a Yoga prodigy, and he began the formal study of Yoga at age four with acclaimed instructor Bishnu Ghosh. After several years of study, he won the National india Yoga Contest at the tender age of thirteen. At the age of seventeen an event occurred that transformed his life. While weight lifting, he had an accident and injured his knee badly. He was told that he would never walk again. Not to be deterred, he insisted on being transported back to his childhood teacher. Within six months he was completely healed, and this was the first documentation that Yoga could cure serious physical conditions. In 1974 he moved to california and founded the Yoga College of india in Beverly Hills. It was here that Bikram developed his unique Yoga program.

Before detailing what makes Bikram's Yoga different, it may be wise to consider the purpose of Yoga. Yoga comes from the same root as the english word "Yoke" and can be translated as "union". Hence, Yoga is really about the union of mind, body, and spirit. Bikram's Yoga is a type of Hatha Yoga which concentrates on the physical, or "body," element of this equation.

One difference of Bikram Yoga is that it is performed in a very hot room, usually heated between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It consists of Twenty-Six asanas (poses) that are performed in a specific order. While most Yoga classes differ from session to session, in Bikram Yoga the same asanas are followed in the same order each session. Each asana is held for a particular period of time and all poses are accompanied with Kapalabhati Breath (Breath of Fire). There are also two Pranayama (Breathing) exercises that are performed each session. The combination of the hot room, the special breathing, and the scientific approach to Bikram Yoga bring us to the benefits it can bring to Mind, body, and Spirit.

If you have ever performed Yoga before, you will know that there is an intense tightness in the muscles in the morning and at the beginning of your session. However, the heat of the Bikram Yoga studio, along with the "Breath of fire" actually warms the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and allows you to go deeper into a pose. This increased flexibility allows you to try poses you might not normally consider. The exercises are also designed to flush the body with oxygenated blood and increase circulation. The static holds increase muscle tone and bring a sense of vibrance and well-being to the psyche. The sweating cleanses the body of toxins, and for this reason be sure to drink plenty of water and carry your own towel to the class. Bikram actually guarantees that you will be relieved of the symptoms of disease if you follow his program exactly.

In the realm of fitness, there are new fads being developed every day. Every so often, a new system will emerge and everyone you know is discussing it. However, few of these new fads will withstand the test of time. Bikram Yoga is one system which is technically sound and which was developed in Yoga with the assistance of some of the greatest teachers of the 20th century. The benefits of Bikram Yoga are manyfold, and they are based upon its differences. Be sure to check for Bikram Yoga classes in your area and take advantage of this restorative practice.

Would you like to learn more about Yoga? Go to Matt Barlow's site right now and qualify for his free course on the seven practical steps to achieving radiant health. http://devotedtohealth.com

# posted by 78202 @ 2:19 PM 0 comments