tanya-b urban legend, Jamie Lugo.

Thus, the modern yogi is a brave seeking-spirit who is willing to try and fall, over and over again. As a labor of love, with each step on the mat, we grow and remind ourselves to love each and every day, moment by moment. Yoga is the practice of NOW.

Introducing tanya-b

As each yogi on the path will tell you, feeling good about your yoga instructor is very important. Meniscus had a chance to sit down with one such yogi whom a whole lot of people resonate with. Pure Yoga instructor Tanya Bolton’s intention is simple: To guide her students to stay present in their experiences—both on and off the mat. Looking at Pure Yoga NYC’s roster of instructors, you will find an incredibly deep portfolio, with each instructor having their own divine flair. Tanya holds down a very special corner of that tapestry of yogis.

Extending her creativity off the mat, Tanya is now unveiling her new line of yoga wear called tanya-b, an authentic, well-designed activewear collection for the modern woman looking for a unique way to express themselves.

When we asked why she started her new yoga line, Tanya explained “It was a purposeful calling, to bring in everything my heart and soul desired from the community, creativity, and connectivity. I wanted women to feel sexy and feminine in the clothes while keeping the brand and yoga accessible to everyone.”

It did not come without its challenges however.

“Starting a business is about getting over your doubts, fear, and shame…TRULY believing in yourself.”

Sound familiar?

Challenges, on and off the mat

The idea originally came to Tanya when she was living and teaching yoga in Hong Kong. She discovered that it was a long process of research and connecting with the right people that enabled her to bring the idea to fruition. She had a very specific sensation around what the brand was about. “It needed to FEEL right,” she remembers.

Once Tanya’s father passed away, she found herself with a greater sense of resolve and focus to make it happen.

“In trying moments, there can be great inspiration,” she explained.

With this new tanya-b yoga line, she is encouraging a paradigm shift away from yogawear brands that are mass-produced, to brands that are more personal and connected. “I believe people are craving community and connectivity, which is why many people are drawn to doing yoga in the first place,” she said.

Here are a few selects from the current tanya-b collection.

Students of Tanya’s Hot Power Vinyasa classes at Pure Yoga NYC can certainly feel her energetic state, which is why her classes are constantly packed. Tanya feels the reciprocal energy and the cycle continues.

Doing Good

One of our favorite topics at Meniscus is prosumerism, which in short, is supporting brands you believe in with your wallet instead of corporate behemoths that do not align with your personal ethics. The idea is that we can change the world in a truly capitalistic manner by supporting brands that support our own philosophy and ideals. Tanya-b is one of those brands that we feel aligned with and it is in a large part, due to that reciprocal relationship with people. She is she is leaving the planet with more positivity and wellness than when she found it.

“There’s a responsibility to stay connected to your customer,” Tany explains, “to find ways to share with others so they feel invested, and truly a part of it.”

If you are in the New York City area, please join cofounders Tanya Bolton and Anna Chung for the debut of the Tanya-b line at Pure Yoga on Tuesday Feb 24th at 6:15 where Tanya and urban legend Kay Kay Clivio will co-teach a hot power vinyasa class to officially kick it off.

Please check out the line at tanya-b.com and stay connected with her on Facebook here.

- Interview with Tanya Boulton
- By Jon Heinrich

You are not alone. In this interview with Prosumer Coach, Jon Connors, we explore how that is all changing.

Fortunately for all of us, there is a new economic system generating momentum that represents an evolution of the knowledge and technology we have created as a human race.

Introducing Prosumerism: the combination of the Producer and Consumer

Prosumerism was first coined by futurist Alvin Toffler in the late 1970’s but the history goes much farther back. In what Toffler refers to as First Wave, timed in the Agricultural Era, people produced what they consumed.

In Toffler’s Second Wave, the era of Industrialization, we saw a split from the producer and the consumer. Now fast forward 60 years and this is where we are at right now, where the majority of the world are consumers. Unfortunately, it is not sustainable and most money and resources are centralized to a few mega-corporations and banks.

Right now with the Information Era upon us, we have the opportunity to evolve—to once again combine the producer and consumer while bringing a new level of actualization because of humanity’s great technological innovations. Prosumerism is how we capitalize on all progress we have made as mankind and will usher in a new era of abundance for everyone who participates. This is our chance for an industrial leap forward!

Here is Prosumer Coach Jon Connors on Prosumerism Defined:

Moving forward, Meniscus will be working with Mr. Connors to dissect the different components of this philosophy and you are invited to join the journey forward, out of the current crumbling political economic era of the Second Wave—where we are forced through our distribution system to support companies that we may not believe in. Instead we are moving to an economy where people only support with their wallets, companies and people they resonate with.

Jon Connors walks through the foundations of Prosumerism, in the first video in the series above. Next, stay tuned for the next installments, “Why ‘The Third Wave’ is Coming and No One Can Stop It” and “‘The Lean Startup’- Innovation Accounting to Build ‘The Third Wave.’”

As for now, take note how you are prosuming right now—on social media! Think about it, we share stories, spread the ideas of others, and sometimes we directly prosume products and services from our friends. Your homework is to think about what ‘best practices’ we use in social media that we should employ to create a new prosumption marketplace. We can all contribute and benefit from this new way of thinking, please join us!

-An interview with Jon Connors by Jon Heinrich

Get in touch with Jon Connors on Linkedin, Facebook or Vimeo.

- Photo by Jon Heinrich

Taking the floor, Kiril Ravensong and Jon Connors posted a question to the crowd: “Who here believes that the government and corporations are going to take care of everything and it will all be fine?” The room burst out in absurd laughter. The truth is, we all have to take care of ourselves, or even better, each other.

Prosumerism is proactive consumerism, utilizing the “master mind” group to create a conscious economy where we only give money to people and organizations we believe in. After all, how many of us claim to be against big energy companies or Monsanto but still give them our hard-earned money? Does that make sense? No, of course not, but the distribution channels makes it very difficult to choose otherwise. And that is where Prosumerism comes in.

“We are here to help you,” says Jon Connors with intense conviction. “We are a team supporting this new paradigm.” This is not something that will happen overnight, but the seeds have been planted and a community exists to plug into when you are ready.

Emotional Intelligence in the cards

After introducing the concept, it was time to dive deep into some tools and introduce some team members here to spread insight. Alexander Dunlop stepped into the limelight next, introducing foundational concepts about what it takes to succeed in this prosumer economy. In order to embrace the concept, there are a few key things to understand.

First of all, the prosumer community is largely capitalistic—quite the contrast to the perception that “prosumer” means “commune.” They are very different.

Second, one must embrace the entrepreneurial approach. To be successful, one needs to understand all aspects of business administration, specifically marketing, since everyone needs to get their own message out there.

This is where emotional intelligence comes in.

Marketing in a freelance entrepreneurial environment means being very present in all interactions to recognize when an opportunity presents itself. Then be empathetic enough to read how to best approach the situation without sounding “salesy” or being pushy.

Alexander led the group through some excellent advice on nurturing your EI, or Emotional Intelligence. He talked in depth about his mystical card reading practice, to help each of his clients find their most powerful virtues. (Highly recommend checking out his site for more info at spiritualnutrition.org/

Conscious Marketplace

While there are many facets of Prosumerism emerging, the quickest way to get involved is by going to a marketplace to buy your products, curated based on prosumer principles. Ascention Marketplace, also presenting that evening, is dedicated to providing products that support a higher state of living for not only the producer, but also the consumer. Their site is in process right now, and it will be a great resource for those looking to start feeding this positive new economy.

Charmaine Waldrop, the other co-founding pillar of Convergence, presented her gift to the world as well, CoCreate Sacred Scents. She uses her knowledge of integrated health and aromatherapy to custom blend essential oils specifically for each wearer. Charmaine not only participates in the marketplace but is integral in organizing the group.

How to make a difference right now

It can be frustrating as an awakened soul, navigating life in today’s consumerist, materialist society. It is hard knowing the economy we participate in is run by giant chemical, energy and pharmaceutical corporations with values that may not resonate with our own.

Right now, it is time to stop feeding companies that do not share your values. The philosophy of prosumerism is about using your dollars to support organizations & people that you believe in. And it is about finding our own individual craft to contribute to the prosumers out there.

If you would like to learn more, events are taking place in New York City starting this week (December 4, 2014). For more information, check out the flier below, their Facebook page or you can call 646.535.0325.

- By Jon Heinrich