Yogis of all kinds will bring good vibes and positive energy to Houston during the Texas Yoga Conference this weekend. The event will emphasize yoga’s transformative powers in connection to the mind, body, and soul during sessions that combine physicality and spirituality. Even practical lessons such as “Confident Handstands” and “Get Your Stretch On” are rooted in self-empowerment.

The conference will also highlight the importance of creating inclusive spaces where all yogis, especially women, can thrive. The Red Tent initiative offers a safe space where women are free to be themselves and support one another. And a session called “Embodying the Goddess Within” will invite both men and women to tap into their inner goddesses.

Attendees can keep these lessons going strong long after the last namastes have been exchanged. “Let’s take YOGA beyond ASANA: Yoga Gives Back Special Talk” will encourage yogis to support women and children in India, the birthplace of the ancient practice.

The Week Ahead:

February 25-28: As the largest academic meeting of minority physicists in the United States, the National Society of Black Physicists’ 2015 Annual Conference in Baltimore will challenge scientists of color to stand at the forefront with the theme “Re-Visioning the Future of Scientific Leadership.” “We believe that in order for the American scientific community to continue down a positive path of growth, we must revise and alter the current path of scientific leadership,” NSBP President Paul Gueye says in an address in the conference program.

February 27-March 1: The 67th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education in Atlanta will focus on the four principles by which members abide: the Moral Imperative: Diversity and Inclusion; the Profession Imperative: Marketing and Promoting the Profession; the Curricular Imperative: Innovative Practices That Embrace the New Landscape of Teaching and Teacher Education; and the Research Imperative: Measuring the Impact of Teacher Education.

Down the Line:

February 28-March 3: The 46th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in Orlando will encourage attendees to strive for excellence with the theme “Beyond Our Oath: Integrity, Intensity, Professionalism.” As program chair Dr. Ron Brodersen says in a program message to attendees, “In the media and society at large, there are groups that are confronting the role of the veterinarian as an authority on animal well-being … I challenge our association to improve our image as respected professionals on the health and welfare of the pig.”

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