Yoga

Malaysia's top Islamic body banned Muslims from practicing yoga, saying the Indian physical exercise contains elements of Hinduism that could corrupt Muslims. The national council that has the authority to rule on how Muslims must conduct their faith, issued a fatwa, or edict, saying that yoga involves not just exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship. Decisions by the council in Malaysia are not legally binding on Muslims, who make up nearly two-thirds of the country's 25 million people, unless they are enshrined in national or Sharia laws.

News and notes on L.A. night life: Make that drink with Chartreuse Do the Carthusian monks, who produce Chartreuse, add their secret-recipe herbal liqueur to cocktails? If not, they should now. The Chartreuse Sweet 16 Competition, held at the Doheny on Aug. 10, produced several interesting cocktails by local bar superstars including Damian Windsor (Roger Room), Matty Eggleston (Wurstküche) and Chris Bostock (the Varnish). Matthew Biancaniello, of the Roosevelt Hotel, eventually won the final round with a bell-pepper cocktail, but it was his Grapes of Wrath drink, made with Concord grapes, lemon juice, agave, Hendricks gin and Chartreuse, that really had us smitten.

Re: "Yoga mats in the outfield," Aug. 3: You brought back memories for me of days gone by, as the Angels and I back in the 1950s practiced yoga together at the request of Gene Autry and commissioned by the city of Palm Springs. The Angels and I were 50 years ahead of our time in the Asiatic studies of yoga. Many thanks for your interest. Jean Farrar Palm Springs

Opening a second restaurant is like having another baby: Some agonize over it and others are set on a large brood. Jonathan Chu knew Buddha's Belly -- his affordable pan-Asian joint on Beverly -- had to spawn, but it took two years before he found the right location: 2nd Street in Santa Monica. "It's like yoga row right up the street," Chu says, pointing out the mat-toting lovelies who wear a path to and from power yoga every hour. And customers have been wearing a path of their own to Buddha's door since the new spot opened in January, according to Chu. When it came to his next location, Sang Yoon of Father's Office was the ruminating kind: "I didn't think I had the first one down until two years ago."

Does she need an introduction? Martha Stewart, lifestyle queen of television, magazines, books and just plain living, has prepared for the future. She's hit the Internet, video-on-demand, bought Emeril Lagasse's TV and cookbook franchise and is providing a food line through Costco. "The Martha Stewart Show" will air its 500th episode Thursday. We talked to her -- she was on speakerphone in her offices -- just after yoga. How's your day? It's on its way. Partially over. So how is yoga going after last year's hip surgery?

Women age 65 and older can improve their fitness through yoga classes, according to a small, preliminary study. Researchers from Temple University in Philadelphia studied 24 older women to see if a nine-week modified Iyengar program would produce benefits. Presenting at a recent meeting, they reported a variety of gains. Participants' average gait speed went from 1.04 to 1.09 meters per second, and stride lengths went from 1.11 meters to 1.16 meters on the left foot and from 1.12 to 1.

With gasoline prices racing to new highs weekly, it's crunch time for many gyms. Consumers looking to tighten their belts are giving up on tightening their buns in gyms, yoga classes and personal training sessions. Instead, they're exercising the old-fashioned way: sweating for free at the beach, parks or on the street. Canceling a monthly gym membership -- which ranges from about $25 to hundreds of dollars -- may not seem to shave much off the budget. But for some, it's enough. "I know it's next to nothing, but when you're a starving artist, every little bit counts," said Ashley Brooke Moore, an aspiring dancer and actress in her 20s who canceled her $36-a-month membership at Bally's about eight months ago. She then signed up for yoga classes, but when that got too expensive, she quit those and started going to free yoga classes at Runyon Canyon Park.

THE notion that yoga is a tonic for the mind, as well as the body, isn't such a stretch anymore. Practicing yoga may boost a neurotransmitter associated with regulating depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new report in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass.

I have heard so many great things about yoga, and I would like to try it, but I am confused about what type I should take. I know I should start with a beginner class, but there seem to be so many different styles. Can you provide me with some guidance? Kristen Irvine Yoga, which originated in India more than 5,000 years ago, is derived from the classical Sanskrit word for "union" and can provide a host of physical and mental benefits.

In these enlightened times, it doesn't take a guru to know the best age to start learning downward facing dog is as a young pup. This month, Kidspace, the 28-year-old Pasadena children's museum with the emphasis on arts, science and the humanities, begins offering five-week sessions of yoga for children. Classes start Tuesday for youngsters ages 3 to 5. The following day, kids ages 6 to 9 can begin to get a leg up -- and possibly over their heads -- en route to exact chakra location.