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Yoga is also misunderstood today. Its outer physical side sometimes serves to cover over its many other aspects of profound thought, creative expression and deep meditation. These should always go together. Our body is a temple for the deity that is our own inmost consciousness. - David Frawley
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As part of the International Day of Yoga celebrated in June, Time Magazine reporters asked some traditional yoga teachers from India about Yoga. Here's what some of them said:
Dr. Rajalakshmi, instructor, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute
“Your body is the first instrument given to you to understand this world and yoga helps you use it in the best way to maximize your experience. But to do that you need to focus on multiple things: the mind, the body, the spiritual and the physical. Getting in to the correct asana is good but you must also train your mind not to oscillate.“
Swami Hari Om Ananda, instructor, International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
“Yoga is a medium. It helps connect your body to your mind, and on a larger scale it connects the micro, which is you, to the macro, which is the universe. It helps practitioners experience the world around them from within and not base their lives solely on external objects.
The problem now is that courses are designed without knowledge of basic elements and that can lead to health problems. Your mind and body need to be free of toxins, otherwise the energy in your body will clot. And bad energy in the system can harm you. Being aware of traditions is useful in having a holistic experience.“
Swami Sarvapriyananda, minister and spiritual leader, Vedanta Society of New York
“There is some vulgarization and distortion of yoga today and that’s sad. The motivation seems to be commercial. I think there needs to be some level of standardization and it’s encouraging to see the Indian government take steps in this direction. But on the other hand, we have to acknowledge that yoga is continuing to thrive and survive because the global community has embraced it. It’s important to recognize the freedom to innovate and share yoga to ensure it reaches as many people as possible.“
( read more at : http://time.com/5315571/international-yoga-day-2018/ )
Dr. Rajalakshmi, instructor, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute
“Your body is the first instrument given to you to understand this world and yoga helps you use it in the best way to maximize your experience. But to do that you need to focus on multiple things: the mind, the body, the spiritual and the physical. Getting in to the correct asana is good but you must also train your mind not to oscillate.“
Swami Hari Om Ananda, instructor, International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
“Yoga is a medium. It helps connect your body to your mind, and on a larger scale it connects the micro, which is you, to the macro, which is the universe. It helps practitioners experience the world around them from within and not base their lives solely on external objects.
The problem now is that courses are designed without knowledge of basic elements and that can lead to health problems. Your mind and body need to be free of toxins, otherwise the energy in your body will clot. And bad energy in the system can harm you. Being aware of traditions is useful in having a holistic experience.“
Swami Sarvapriyananda, minister and spiritual leader, Vedanta Society of New York
“There is some vulgarization and distortion of yoga today and that’s sad. The motivation seems to be commercial. I think there needs to be some level of standardization and it’s encouraging to see the Indian government take steps in this direction. But on the other hand, we have to acknowledge that yoga is continuing to thrive and survive because the global community has embraced it. It’s important to recognize the freedom to innovate and share yoga to ensure it reaches as many people as possible.“
( read more at : http://time.com/5315571/international-yoga-day-2018/ )
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This is my secret: it is very simple. You can only see well with your heart. The essence of things is invisible to the eyes. - A. De Saint-Exupery
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This small plant had become unhealthy inside my home. I'm not sure why as I watered it carefully, provided nutrients and kept it in a sunny window. Eventually all the leaves fell off and it was a stick. I was about to toss it when I decided to experiment and see what would happen if I placed it outside. It's been in my back yard 3 weeks now and is coming to great life. I expect it will completely fill out and be one of the strongest plants I have the pleasure of nurturing.
Ayurveda, India's ancient wellness system, strongly advises that humans spent as much time out side as possible for the simple reason that it's good for body, mind and spirit. Swami Sivananda, a medical doctor prior to embracing his life's work as as a spiritual teacher said one could eliminate many medical expenses by simply being outdoors more often.
Unfortunately, most Americans now spend more than 90% of their time indoors. This in itself can be the reason people are sick, sad, and overweight. Here are just a few of the many benefits to be gained by getting outside and staying there longer:
Ayurveda, India's ancient wellness system, strongly advises that humans spent as much time out side as possible for the simple reason that it's good for body, mind and spirit. Swami Sivananda, a medical doctor prior to embracing his life's work as as a spiritual teacher said one could eliminate many medical expenses by simply being outdoors more often.
Unfortunately, most Americans now spend more than 90% of their time indoors. This in itself can be the reason people are sick, sad, and overweight. Here are just a few of the many benefits to be gained by getting outside and staying there longer:
- Indoor pollution is much worse than any outdoor pollution. The California Air Resources Board also estimated that indoor air pollutant levels are 25-62 percent higher than outdoor levels.
- More natural vitamin D. Sunlight hitting the skin begins a process that leads to the creation and activation of vitamin D. Studies suggest that this vitamin helps fight certain conditions, from osteoporosis and cancer to depression and heart attacks.
- Faster healing. In one study, people recovering from spinal surgery experienced less pain and stress and took fewer pain medications when they were exposed to natural light.
- You will feel happier. Light tends to elevate people’s mood, and there’s usually more light available outside than in.
- Fewer colds. You are more prone to cold when you are indoors or in air-conditioned places. That's why it is a good idea to spend some time outdoors, as the sunlight contains ultraviolet rays that can kill cold-causing viruses and bacteria.
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The credit for the growing awareness and appreciation of Ayurveda in America belongs to Dr. Vasant Lad. Born in India in 1943, Dr. Lad has made it his life mission to bring India's ancient, natural and holistic healing system to the United States.
The seed was planted in him in the 1970s by an American visitor named Lenny Blank. After attending many of Dr. Lad's lectures on Ayurveda in Pune India, Blank invited Dr. Lad to teach in America assuring him the country was ready for Ayurveda. Hesitant, Dr. Lad responded that Americans are "so advanced scientifically. They have gone to the Moon and put the American flag on the Moon. I have much love and respect for America, but they are quite advanced in modern science and Ayurveda is a 5,000 year-old science that must seem outdated. Why will they welcome me?" Blank was persistent and sent Dr. Lad a plane ticket to the United States. Here's Dr. Lad's account of what transpired:
I went to New York and stayed with him in a tiny apartment on East 11th Street. I would teach seminars there. Then we started traveling. From New York, we went to Chicago and Houston and then to New Mexico.We were driving in his car; a small Volkswagen that was like a little, white bug. I would sit in the back, and he and his girlfriend were in the front. I would to sleep there in that tiny car. I saw all the seasons from the back seat of that car. In Santa Fe, we visited the Santa Fe College of Natural Medicine. Dr Scott and Vivian were running the school. He liked Ayurveda and we became very close friends. His wife was a loving lady and wanted me to teach there. I did some seminars, but I was homesick. I told them I should go back to India, but they said, “Stay here and we will sponsor you.” They sponsored me and I began to teach regularly in their school. They had 200 students and the school was flourishing but it eventually closed.Then I began teaching at the Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM). In the evenings, people in the neighborhood would come to me for a consultation. I would treat them with simple herbs, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric and I became somewhat famous in Santa Fe. I even had clients coming from Albuquerque.
Over time, I realized that I was homesick and wanted to go back home. I was alone here, without my family. Additionally, Santa Fe was very cold, being more than 7,000 feet above sea level. I was very nervous and anxious, so my family came over. My children were small and it was still cold in Santa Fe. Then ITM closed and I interpreted that as a message to start my own school. Because Santa Fe is at such a high altitude and people feel breathless there, there was much discussion about where to locate the school. Then Jim Skilling, a dear friend who lived in Bernalillo, said, “Dr. Lad, you have started your foundation here in New Mexico. You should move to Albuquerque. It is 10 degrees warmer than Santa Fe and the airport is close.” That was becoming quite important, because every weekend I would fly to another city to give a seminar or workshop. Because of these considerations, we ended up in Albuquerque and The Ayurvedic Institute was established here.
When I first came to America, it was a culture shock. In those days, there were no Indian grocery stores, so no Indian spices or Indian foods were available. We had to manage by going to the co-op and buying whole wheat flour and cinnamon, cardamom and so forth. Usha used to make chapatis and people loved them, so much that she would sell them to the students. In this way we started our journey and, although it was difficult in the beginning, with the grace of God and the grace of people’s love, the Ayurvedic Institute was established in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(source: www.ayurveda.com/about/about-vasant-lad )
{please feel free to share and/or link on your social media)
The seed was planted in him in the 1970s by an American visitor named Lenny Blank. After attending many of Dr. Lad's lectures on Ayurveda in Pune India, Blank invited Dr. Lad to teach in America assuring him the country was ready for Ayurveda. Hesitant, Dr. Lad responded that Americans are "so advanced scientifically. They have gone to the Moon and put the American flag on the Moon. I have much love and respect for America, but they are quite advanced in modern science and Ayurveda is a 5,000 year-old science that must seem outdated. Why will they welcome me?" Blank was persistent and sent Dr. Lad a plane ticket to the United States. Here's Dr. Lad's account of what transpired:
I went to New York and stayed with him in a tiny apartment on East 11th Street. I would teach seminars there. Then we started traveling. From New York, we went to Chicago and Houston and then to New Mexico.We were driving in his car; a small Volkswagen that was like a little, white bug. I would sit in the back, and he and his girlfriend were in the front. I would to sleep there in that tiny car. I saw all the seasons from the back seat of that car. In Santa Fe, we visited the Santa Fe College of Natural Medicine. Dr Scott and Vivian were running the school. He liked Ayurveda and we became very close friends. His wife was a loving lady and wanted me to teach there. I did some seminars, but I was homesick. I told them I should go back to India, but they said, “Stay here and we will sponsor you.” They sponsored me and I began to teach regularly in their school. They had 200 students and the school was flourishing but it eventually closed.Then I began teaching at the Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM). In the evenings, people in the neighborhood would come to me for a consultation. I would treat them with simple herbs, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric and I became somewhat famous in Santa Fe. I even had clients coming from Albuquerque.
Over time, I realized that I was homesick and wanted to go back home. I was alone here, without my family. Additionally, Santa Fe was very cold, being more than 7,000 feet above sea level. I was very nervous and anxious, so my family came over. My children were small and it was still cold in Santa Fe. Then ITM closed and I interpreted that as a message to start my own school. Because Santa Fe is at such a high altitude and people feel breathless there, there was much discussion about where to locate the school. Then Jim Skilling, a dear friend who lived in Bernalillo, said, “Dr. Lad, you have started your foundation here in New Mexico. You should move to Albuquerque. It is 10 degrees warmer than Santa Fe and the airport is close.” That was becoming quite important, because every weekend I would fly to another city to give a seminar or workshop. Because of these considerations, we ended up in Albuquerque and The Ayurvedic Institute was established here.
When I first came to America, it was a culture shock. In those days, there were no Indian grocery stores, so no Indian spices or Indian foods were available. We had to manage by going to the co-op and buying whole wheat flour and cinnamon, cardamom and so forth. Usha used to make chapatis and people loved them, so much that she would sell them to the students. In this way we started our journey and, although it was difficult in the beginning, with the grace of God and the grace of people’s love, the Ayurvedic Institute was established in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(source: www.ayurveda.com/about/about-vasant-lad )
{please feel free to share and/or link on your social media)
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Take an honest look at yourself. Where are you in your life? What have your priorities been up till now and what do you intend to do with the time you have left? We are a mixture of light and shadow, of good qualities and defects. Are we really the best we can be? Must we remain as we are now? If not, what can we do to improve ourselves? These are questions worth asking, particularly if we have come to the conclusion that change is both desirable and possible. The aim of meditation is to transform the mind. It does not have to be associated with any particular religion. Every one of us has a mind and every one of us can work on it. - Mattieu Ricard
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Oprah has embraced a path that is, in essence and fact, the Hindu philosophy of Advaita Vedanta, and those who have refused to respect multiple paths to God and the divinity in all beings are lodging the same attack on her that they have against Hindus for centuries.
- Suhag A. Shukla
- Suhag A. Shukla
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Anyone grieving the end of a relationship whether through separation, divorce, death or other life endings such as a decline in health or loss of a job, ought to consider immediately doing yoga. Here's why.
First of all, yoga is a mind, body, spirit healing tool and when one grieves it is all pervasive affecting mind, body and spirit. Secondly, engaging even as little as 15 minutes doing yoga takes the focus off one's grief and on to one's well being. Thirdly, the simple movements of yoga dissolve stress and anxiety.
While all yoga poses will bring relief, the ones most beneficial for grief are those which open the chest such as:
(please feel free to share/link this on your social media.)
First of all, yoga is a mind, body, spirit healing tool and when one grieves it is all pervasive affecting mind, body and spirit. Secondly, engaging even as little as 15 minutes doing yoga takes the focus off one's grief and on to one's well being. Thirdly, the simple movements of yoga dissolve stress and anxiety.
While all yoga poses will bring relief, the ones most beneficial for grief are those which open the chest such as:
- cobra,
- up dog,
- cow,
- locust,
- sphinx
- bridge
- camel (using blocks for the hands)
- fish (supported by a bolster and held longer)
- warrior one with arms raised wider than the shoulders
(please feel free to share/link this on your social media.)
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India, in the process of shedding nearly 1000 years of colonization, is promoting and supporting it's ancient practices. Ayurveda, along with yoga, has been heavily promoted and supported by government agencies.
It was recently announced that dhe state government has planned Government Ayurveda Hospitals in 12 districts that do not have them at present in a bid to promote traditional alternative medicine. A budget has been sanctioned for the purpose. As many as 36 government Ayurveda hospitals providing dispensing alternative curative and preventive medicine or Ayurveda exist in the state presently with close to 2,70,000 patients visiting hospitals and dispensaries annually. Hospitals having 50 beds each will be set up in various areas currently without ayurvedic facilities.
“Twelve districts in the state do not have government Ayurveda Hospitals and the idea is to set up one in every district. Work has already started on some hospitals. We plan to have Ayurveda Hospitals on the same location as allopathy hospitals, something we refer to as co-location while there will be a few standalone buildings as well. The building and administration will remain separate in all cases. The process of land acquisition, structural design and construction will begin soon. For a start, we plan to begin with an Ayurveda Hospital in Surendranagar and make a model Ayush hospital,” Dr Dineshchandra H Pandya, director, Directorate Ayush said.
It was recently announced that dhe state government has planned Government Ayurveda Hospitals in 12 districts that do not have them at present in a bid to promote traditional alternative medicine. A budget has been sanctioned for the purpose. As many as 36 government Ayurveda hospitals providing dispensing alternative curative and preventive medicine or Ayurveda exist in the state presently with close to 2,70,000 patients visiting hospitals and dispensaries annually. Hospitals having 50 beds each will be set up in various areas currently without ayurvedic facilities.
“Twelve districts in the state do not have government Ayurveda Hospitals and the idea is to set up one in every district. Work has already started on some hospitals. We plan to have Ayurveda Hospitals on the same location as allopathy hospitals, something we refer to as co-location while there will be a few standalone buildings as well. The building and administration will remain separate in all cases. The process of land acquisition, structural design and construction will begin soon. For a start, we plan to begin with an Ayurveda Hospital in Surendranagar and make a model Ayush hospital,” Dr Dineshchandra H Pandya, director, Directorate Ayush said.
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Compassion is not merely concerned with a few sentient beings such as friends and relatives, but extends up to the limits of the cosmos, in all directions and towards all beings throughout space. - Dalai Lama (14th)