WELCOME TO 2012! SCAN WHIRLTAGS TO WIN PRIZES! eat big FIND IT ALL ON WHIRLMAGAZINE.COM

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2 PUBLISHERS PAGE WELCOME TO 2012! WE ARE KICKING OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A NEW DESIGN OF WHIRL MAGAZINE. With more editorial content, high quality images, and exciting advertising, WHIRL is taking the forefront in the regional publishing industry. We are excited to introduce our WHIRLTAG in this issue. Just download a QR Code reader for your smartphone, and scan our WHIRLTAGS for contests, quizzes, links, and other cool digital drives. We had fun creating the WHIRLTAGS and are looking forward to seeing them in action. As a group, we put a regular emphasis on health in our office. So it is no surprise that several of us are yoga regulars. In our practices in yoga studios throughout Western Pennsylvania, it is clear that the yoga scene is thriving in Pittsburgh. With classes in every Christine & Jack Tumpson discipline, and for every age, yoga has the power to transform lives as well as bodies. We know we watched it happen to ourselves! Check out the New WHIRL Yoga Guide on page 55 for studios, classes, and Sanskrit terms to get started on your own yoga journey. Cover story Cameron Alborzian is the Yogi to the stars, with a personal history that includes working with Madonna and Lenny Kravitz. Alborzian brings the yoga path full circle with mind, body and spirit, and with a quiz to determine your dosha on page 52. Rumor has it that 2012 could be the end of the world as we know it. Then again, it could be a big bust à la Either way, we are going to continue to keep pushing the limits of creativity to bring you the best information on exciting people, places and things that make Pittsburgh so special. eat big HERE S TO 2012! Christine and Jack Tumpson ON THE COVER: Yogi Cameron Alborzian photographed by Ari Michelson. Special thanks to Melinda Mullin and Caroline Corbitt of HarperOne. W SCAN WHIRLTAGS TO WIN PRIZES! TICKETS, MAGAZINES, BOOKS, AND MORE! SIGN UP FOR THE IT S YOUR WHIRL NEWSLETTER TO KEEP UP WITH THE LOCAL HAPPENINGS www. bigburrito. c o m FIND IT ALL ON WHIRLMAGAZINE.COM 10 W H I R L JANUAR Y 2012

3 YOGI TO THE STARS CAMERON ALBORZIAN JOIN THE AYURVEDIC LIFESTYLE FOR ACHIEVING NIRVANA BY NICOLE BARLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARI MICHELSON

4 Everybody s living in a material world at least, that s the sentiment made omnipresent by Madonna and her infamous song from the 80s. In many ways, that phrase resonates even more strongly today. For those of us looking to find happiness elsewhere, Yogi Cameron Alborzian is sharing his message of finding peace and love through yoga. By turning away from our possessions and looking inward to focus on the important and intense connection between our mind, body, and spirit, therein lies real joy. If you put happiness and contentedness at the top of your list, then no matter what happens in your life, you ll always be aiming high for that rather than owning things, he says. Alborzian is a fashion model turned yogi and Ayurvedic teacher, and before stepping onto the path to enlightenment, Alborzian played the starring role in the Material Girl s video for Express Yourself in (If you ve not seen it, the video was directed by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo s director, David Fincher, with leading lady/factory owner Madonna selecting Alborzian as her concubine for the evening. Racy!) He has also appeared on the cover of Vogue, was cast in ad campaigns for Levis, worked the runway for Chanel, Versace, and Valentino (among other fashion houses), and was awarded Best Male Model at The Fashion Industry Awards in But, after traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1998 to participate in a fashion benefit for the Mandela Fund, Alborzian decided it was time to call it quits in the fashion industry. I thought, This work isn t going to get any better, [in terms of] doing a bigger campaign or commercials. He met Nelson Mandela, and was struck by the peacefulness of the man who had become president of the country that put him in jail. He realized, Okay, I ve been doing my yoga and mentored in spirituality. I think it s time for me to move on and find my path. Now, his accolades stem from achievements in the world of health and wellness. He s been hailed for his life-changing work by Extra co-host Maria Menounos, appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, is a contributing writer for The Huffington Post, and now, has a book aimed at helping us unlock the powers of health and healing within The Guru in You: A Personalized Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Soul. The book is a guide for people who really want to change. It is not a book for you to pick up if you ve got other spiritual books. It is a book for you if you really want to learn and if you want to apply because it s an application book, he says. The application-focused aspects of this book go beyond what happens on your yoga mat. Alborzian acknowledges that the physical benefits that accompany yoga practice are many, however, he makes clear that it s more than a physical practice. That is where his Ayurvedic expertise comes in. It s a lifestyle and spiritual calling that combines diet (including fasting and eating locally grown, seasonal foods), balancing doshas (three energies that AYURVEDA IS DEFINED AS: An ancient Hindu system of medicine aimed at balancing the three doshas in the body pitta, vatta, and kapha with the elements in the external world through diet, yoga practice, and holistic remedies.

5 THE SOLA YOGA PROJECT: Alborzian and humanitarian Amandine Roche have teamed up for this initiative, which aims to promote peace and non-violence in Afghanistan through yoga. The pair has traveled throughout the country teaching the practice to everyone from soldiers to children. Peace is within you, you don t have to go looking for it, you just have to practice, says Alborzian. The nice thing about going to that region is there s no word for meditation. They all have to experience meditation. You can t talk to them about it, you can t describe it. OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEBORAH ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY

6 MOST PEACEFUL POSE: Half lotus or lotus is always preferable. All postures are supposed to lead you to lotus posture, that s where you sit in cross legs and you are ready for breathing practices and meditation. The Yogi who codified yoga sutra, he said yogis looked at animals stretching. He said animals don t stretch with ego, they just stretch when their bodies get stiff from sitting around for too long. The end goal of doing yoga postures is just to sit in padmasana and meditate. determine your individual constitution and mental and physical disorders), and focusing on the mind-body-spirit connection. Included in the pages are yoga postures, diet recommendations, Ayurvedic remedies, and a number of anecdotes from Alborzian s past. There are some of my stories, so it gives you some encouragement when I failed at certain things. There was never really a failure because I tried. In not trying, I failed. And it brings that sort of message home to people. [The book is] useful for the person that wants to take it and use it, he says. And of course, Alborzian s message is aimed at helping us find contentment outside of our material possessions. If you re looking to let go of possessions, Alborzian says it must be a natural process in order to be a lasting reality. First of all, you have to ask yourself why do you want to do this. It s not because I said so or the yoga path said so. You ve got to have a reason. You need to know, Why am I giving these possessions away? he says. The reason you want to give them away is to live a lighter life. The paperback edition of The Guru in You: A Personalized Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Soul arrives in bookstores this month. For more information on Yogi Cameron Alborzian, visit yogicameron.com. YOGA IS ALL ABOUT HOW YOU LIVE, HOW YOU THINK, AND ULTIMATELY, MEDITATION. AND THE GOAL OF THIS BOOK IS TO BRING THIS AS A FEASIBLE THING FOR PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH AND INCORPORATE INTO THEIR LIFESTYLE. Scan to win a copy! Or, go to whirlmagazine.com to enter our book giveaway contest. PLUS! Read more about Ayurveda in the WHIRL Yoga Guide, page 55. TAKE THE QUIZ ON THE NEXT PAGE TO DETERMINE YOUR DOSHA!

7 DETERMINE YOUR Dosha BALANCE YOUR BODY AND MIND WITH THIS QUIZ FROM THE GURU IN YOU! YOGI CAMERON SHARES HIS QUIZ FOR DETERMINING YOUR PREDOMINANT DOSHA. PHYSICAL TRAITS: 1. How would you describe your bodily proportions? a. My body is medium size and symmetrical. b. My body is large and stocky. c. My boy is thin and lanky. 2. How would you describe your body s frame? a. My body is muscular. b. My body is thick and solid. c. My body is thin with little fat. 3. How would you describe your skin? a. My skin is soft and warm. b. My skin is oily and moist. c. My skin is dry and rough. 4. How would you describe your hair? a. My hair is fine and thin. b. My hair is thick and abundant. c. My hair is dry and brittle. 5. How would you describe your appetite? a. My appetite tends to be strong and excessive. b. My appetite tends to be low but consistent. c. My appetite changes depending on how I m feeling. 6. What sort of environment tends to cause you the greatest discomfort? a. I don t particularly like hot days. b. I don t particularly like wet and humid days. c. I don t particularly like cold days. MENTAL TRAITS: 7. What happens when you re under a lot of stress? a. I tend to be irritable and bad tempered. b. I tend to be lazy and lethargic. c. I tend to be nervous and anxious. 8. How would you describe your friendships? a. My friendships tend to center on shared purposes and functions. b. My friendships are long-lasting and intimate. c. My friendships tend to change from one period of my life to the next. 9. How would you describe your sleep habits? a. I tend to sleep soundly for an average length of time. b. I tend to be relaxed, sometimes leisurely energy. c. I tend to have frenetic, sometimes scattered energy. 10. How would your describe your general energetic state? a. I tend to have purposeful, sometimes aggressive energy. b. I tend to have relaxed, sometimes leisurely energy. c. I tend to have frenetic, sometimes scattered energy. 11. How would you describe your emotional traits? a. I tend to feel angry, jealous, passionate, and fiery. b. I tend to feel attached, possessive, compassionate, and understanding. c. I tend to feel unpredictable, fearful, enthusiastic, and adaptable. ONCE YOU VE ANSWERED THESE QUESTIONS, ADD UP HOW MANY A S, B S, AND C S YOU HAVE. A S B S C S If you have mostly a s, then your most excessive dosha is your PITTA ENERGY. If you have mostly b s, then your most excessive dosha is your KAPHA ENERGY. If you have mostly c s, then your most excessive dosha is your VATA ENERGY. If you have a lot of not just one but two letters, then there is a greater imbalance in both of those elements. KEY: PITTA ENERGY: The fire and water elements, representing heat and digestive fire in the body. KAPHA ENERGY: The earth and water elements, responsible for forming the body and keeping us grounded. VATA ENERGY: The air and ether elements, responsible for movement and elimination in the system. Excerpt of quiz reprinted from The Guru in You: A Personalized Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Soul with permission from HarperOne. 52 WHIRL JANUARY 2012