Over the past few years, the number of people watching the sport has exploded, and many are also using it to keep in shape.

Dr. Meena Sran, president of the Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia and an expert in treating spinal injuries and pain, talks to the Straight about what she knows best.

Leonard Angel doesn’t mind if his “religion”, philosophical mysticism, never takes off. As the director of Douglas College’s Wisdom Institute, he is pioneering a practice that unifies his two lifelong interests: seeking to understand the universe in a rational and scientific way, and mysticism, an ancient tradition of connecting with the ultimate reality. To him, it’s personal, but he also thinks he might be on to something bigger.

Think of the human body as a telephone cord that gets tangled up and needs unwinding. Or a computer that stalls, requiring a restart. Physiotherapist Fred Samorodin uses such analogies to explain the benefits of craniosacral therapy, a gentle body-work treatment so subtle that a patient might not feel what’s going on until a session is over.

True or false: a vegan diet is a very healthy diet.

It could be claustrophobia, a fear of heights, or just a conviction that the plane will crash. Learn how to leave your worries on the tarmac.

Yes, working out to gwen stefani or kanye west really can improve your fitness.

According to the definition offered by the Canadian Reiki Association on its Web site (www.reiki.ca/), reiki is a Japanese “light-touch, energy-based modality”.

Minerals is the magic word of the moment in makeup. Calgary’s Teye International, debuting its whopping new makeup collection at Holt Renfrew, has minerals galore. The company’s Web site (www.teye.ca/) extols the virtues of minerals: they allow oxygen and nitrogen to pass through makeup to the skin; they shield the body against ultraviolet rays; they’re anti-inflammatory agents; and they’re antibacterial. Plus, that light-reflecting quality makes us look radiant.

Swimming is something we can all enjoy, from when we’re little tykes to just a tad more elderly.

Punjabi-style fitness is dancing near you.

Jenny Hu is a registered acupuncturist at the Royal City Natural Health Clinic in New Westminster (255–550 6th Street, 604-528-9869), and has been an elected board member of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia since 2005. She has worked in traditional Chinese medicine in Vancouver since 1992, after completing her training in Shanghai.

Forget the swinging watch. In his West Broadway office one afternoon, Vancouver hypnotherapist Rob Hadley handed an MP3 player and a set of headphones to a male client who was seeking to overcome a drug addiction.

Caught up in the daily whirl of thoughts and activities, few people access the tools they own to cultivate an awakened mind.

Despite gusts of wind that downed trees and knocked out power in many neighbourhoods, the Art of Loving’s Tantric Massage on Women class attracted a full house the evening of January 14. It’s obviously a hot topic. As the storm blustered outside, nine single men and two male-female couples sat on folding chairs and listened to store co-owner Vera Zyla describe how to create an erotic ceremony for women.