With all the thousands of books written on the teachings of the Buddha and mindfulness practice, it is still a simple matter of attending to the breath, being present to reality as it is, here and now. - Sister Ocean
With an every increasing numbers of people diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Dementia - a rapidly growing group - it's time to re-visit traditional yogic teachings about brain health. One pose, in particular, is beneficial: sirsasana commonly referred to as headstand. In his book, Yoga For Physical Fitness, (published in 1964) early American Vedic teacher Richard Hittleman explains the power of this pose to build brain health: "Bringing the blood directly into the head benefits the sedentary worker greatly: nothing else can so quickly revitalize the brain. In addition to revitalizing the brain, the Head Stand has brought about improvement in vision, hearing and breathing. The Sedentary worker will quickly recognize the Head Stand as one of his best friends and will undesrtand how foolish are those who consider it a form of madness." Mindfulness helps us freeze the frame so that we can become aware of our sensations and experiences as they are, without the distorting coloration of socially conditioned responses or habitual reactions. - Bhante Gunartana
Harsh language hurts others and debases you. All unnecessary speech not motivated by generosity, loving-friendliness and compassion is harmful. - Bhante Gunartana
It is better to create opportunity for good causes and conditions than to idle away waiting for them to occur. - Hsing Yun
In the teachings of the Buddha, ease and joy are elements of enlightenment.
- Thich Nhat Hanh Karunavirus—as in karuna, the Sanskrit word for compassion—is a new website that hopes to highlight stories of compassion in the news. Launched in mid-March by volunteer charity organization Service Space, the website hopes to shine a spotlight on uplifting stories in the coronavirus era, without ignoring the widespread reality of the mass suffering caused by the pandemic. “While our site is clearly meant to be uplifting, it’s not necessarily the kind of ‘happy news’ that turns a blind eye to our grief and suffering,” the website reads. “Rather it invites us to a more expansive space—that crucible of benevolence within ourselves—which can hold these challenges with uncommon grace.”
(source: www.tricycle.org) During the times when we are free to do whatever we please, we are often deceived by this freedom into wasting time. - Cheng Yen
The people who make a positive difference in this world have big hearts. - Pema Chodron
Inconsiderate manners often reveal bad character. - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
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Victor M. Parachin ...is aVedic educator, yoga instructor, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of a dozen books. Buy his books at amazon or your local bookstore. Archives
April 2024
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