सदगुरू

Is this body you?

Or does this body belong to you?

Or is it neither?

Forget what you have heard.

Tell me what you actually feel and experience.

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因舍而得

There are thousand different paths.

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In the end they lead nowhere.

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But the only one worth walking is the path with heart.

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{Don Juan}

To Go Somewhere Different...

... our minds have to change.

{Peter Thomson}

What Yoga Do You Do?

Ever so often, someone would ask: "What kind of Yoga do you do?"
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A question which is almost impossible to answer, for the mere posing of the question is in itself a sign of confusion.
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A true Yogi - who practices authentic Yoga with sincerity - may practise Karma, Bhakti, Jnana and Raja Yoga in some combination. One Yogi encountering another Yogi is unlikely to ask such a meaningless question.
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Nine out of ten times, the inquiry is a misled one and is directed as to which of the many modern or funky adaptations of postures does one practise.
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Indeed, the typical public perception of Yoga has shifted a great deal in the recent years (akin to that for Tantra, but that's another topic altogether). As Swami Rama highlighted in Lectures on Yoga:
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"The word Yoga is much used and much misunderstood these days, for our present age is one of faddism, and Yoga has often been reduced to the status of a fad.
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Many false and incomplete teachings have been propagated in its name. It has been subject to commercial exploitation, and one small aspect of Yoga is often taken to be all of Yoga.
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For instance, many people in the West think it is a physical and beauty cult, while others think it is a religion.
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All of this has obscured the real meaning of Yoga."


Of course, the human body is a beautiful instrument and should be taken care of.
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However, the body is merely an instrument, and is not itself the goal of traditional Yoga. The excessive focus on, and obsession with, the physical body in modern Yoga vulgarises the tradition.
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In fact, work on the body is but one small part out of the four paths of Yoga. Together, these four paths of Yoga are aspects of a whole that is called Yoga. The four paths of Yoga work together, like fingers on a hand.
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So the next time someone asks me That Question, do not be offended if I simply wave my hand.
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~ Thanks to Kung Fu Master for triggering this. ~
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Yoga Is Optional Today

Full and new moon days are traditionally observed as yoga 'holidays'. Why is this so?

Like all things of a watery nature - human beings are about 70% water - we are affected by the phases of the moon.

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These phases are determined by the moon's position in relation to the sun.

- Full moon occurs when they are in opposition.

- New moon emerges when they are in conjunction.

Both the sun and the moon exert gravitational pull on the earth. Their relative positions create different energetic experiences that is akin to the breath cycle.

The full moon energy corresponds to the end of inhalation when the force of prana is greatest.

This is an expansive, upward moving force that makes us feel energetic and emotional, but not well grounded.

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The Upanishads state that the main prana lives in the head. During full moon phases we tend to be more headstrong.

The new moon energy corresponds to the end of exhalation when the force of apana is greatest.

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This is a contracting, downward moving force that makes us feel calm and grounded, but dense and disinclined towards physical exertion.

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Also, apana makes it difficult to maintain the abdominal locks which provide support for the belly and the back.

Thus, gentler forms of Yoga are recommended on these days. You can opt to take it easy with restorative poses, or simply lie down in Savasana.

Full Moon Days: 9 May, 7 June, 7 July, 6 August, 4 September, 4 October, 2 November, 2 December and 31 December 2009.

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New Moon Days: 24 May, 22 June, 22 July, 20 August, 18 September, 18 October, 16 November and 16 December 2009.

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Breathe In. Breathe Out.

We are all perfect expressions of One.

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Yours or Mine?

How people treat you is their karma;

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how you react is yours.

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{Wayne Dyer}

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Seed Nanotechnology

Shrink your ego as much as possible,

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to leave space to accommodate others.

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{Dharma Master Cheng Yen}

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