Yoga Day

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

June 21st (Summer Solstice) has been declared by the UN as The International Day of Yoga. 

Yoga is the science of creating mental and physical harmony. Yoga (to unite) seeks to unite diverse aspects of our personality. Basically it is a practice to unite the lower self into the higher self.

Yoga does not mean only asanas (postures). Yoga includes moral and mental discipline and also a disciplined lifestyle. Violence, lies,  greed, sexual promiscuity and other forms of indiscipline are to be avoided completely.  A healthy (preferably veg) diet is also a must. Once this is followed, one could take up asanas (postures) and later breathing exercises (Pranayama).  After that comes concentration and meditations (Dhyana).   Once the lower self is merged with the higher self (Samadhi)...the process is complete.

Yoga probably has its beginnings in the Indus Valley days around 2500 BCE.  It is normally seen along with its sister philosophy, Samkhya....which is considered the theory while Yoga is the practice.  Most Jain and Buddhist teachings adopt the Samkhya as their base. 

Pathanjali, an ancient sage, consolidated some schools of Yoga in his Yogasutras. This is known as the Ashtanga Yoga (eight stages yoga).  Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and other schools also exist. Many other schools also existed but most ancient texts have been destroyed by later muslim invaders. 

For information.

Cheers.

Sriram

   

[Rhiannon]

Without applying too much of the self-discipline ideas, my children's school has regular yoga days once every half term. It also runs two yoga clubs, one for juniors and one for seniors.

[Sriram]

Without applying too much of the self-discipline ideas, my children's school has regular yoga days once every half term. It also runs two yoga clubs, one for juniors and one for seniors.

Its nice that Yoga has really taken off in a big way...without rubbing the religion aspect the wrong way.  It is however important that the lifestyle issue is also taught to the children as possibly more important than the postures.

[Shaker]

Without applying too much of the self-discipline ideas, my children's school has regular yoga days once every half term. It also runs two yoga clubs, one for juniors and one for seniors.

While I fear I'm not supple enough for yoga (I have a few books on the subject) I pursued tai chi for a while and that was lovely. I'd get back into it if I had the space.

[BashfulAnthony]

Without applying too much of the self-discipline ideas, my children's school has regular yoga days once every half term. It also runs two yoga clubs, one for juniors and one for seniors.

While I fear I'm not supple enough for yoga (I have a few books on the subject) I pursued tai chi for a while and that was lovely. I'd get back into it if I had the space.

    I expect you'll be reading them as soon as you've finished all the books ever written on philosophy:  that will be sometime tomorrow afternoon!

[Rhiannon]

Without applying too much of the self-discipline ideas, my children's school has regular yoga days once every half term. It also runs two yoga clubs, one for juniors and one for seniors.

Its nice that Yoga has really taken off in a big way...without rubbing the religion aspect the wrong way.  It is however important that the lifestyle issue is also taught to the children as possibly more important than the postures.

I think if it is practiced regularly one flows into the other. I know when I practice yoga (which I haven't done for a bit due to a back problem) I eat a better diet, I sleep better, and I find meditation more tempting than Minecraft.

[Shaker]

I think if it is practiced regularly one flows into the other. I know when I practice yoga (which I haven't done for a bit due to a back problem) I eat a better diet, I sleep better, and I find meditation more tempting than Minecraft.

If you were minded to take it up again surely there's a gentler, low-impact form that you could adopt without doing yourself further damage?

[Rhiannon]

I think if it is practiced regularly one flows into the other. I know when I practice yoga (which I haven't done for a bit due to a back problem) I eat a better diet, I sleep better, and I find meditation more tempting than Minecraft.

If you were minded to take it up again surely there's a gentler, low-impact form that you could adopt without doing yourself further damage?

Problem with being in the sticks is that classes are few and far between. But it's on my to do list once I have more time.

[Sriram]

Without applying too much of the self-discipline ideas, my children's school has regular yoga days once every half term. It also runs two yoga clubs, one for juniors and one for seniors.

Its nice that Yoga has really taken off in a big way...without rubbing the religion aspect the wrong way.  It is however important that the lifestyle issue is also taught to the children as possibly more important than the postures.

I think if it is practiced regularly one flows into the other. I know when I practice yoga (which I haven't done for a bit due to a back problem) I eat a better diet, I sleep better, and I find meditation more tempting than Minecraft.

Yes...you're right. Regular Yoga practice could bring about a healthy lifestyle.  However its also important to emphasize  self discipline and mind control as important components of not only spiritual growth but also good health. Mind and body are intimately connected.

[OH MY WORLD!]

Mind control should never be taught to anybody. People should learn about the very real dangers of yoga and mind control. Just google!

[Shaker]

... and we have a winner, and from such a sterling advert for lack of any mind control at all.

[Rhiannon]

Mind control should never be taught to anybody. People should learn about the very real dangers of yoga and mind control. Just google!

He doesn't mean using it to control the minds of others, he means using it to discipline our own mind so we don't slip into unhelpful thought patterns or obsessions.

[floo]

I am not into yoga, but see no harm in it at all.

[Sriram]

Mind control should never be taught to anybody. People should learn about the very real dangers of yoga and mind control. Just google!

What?!   Mind control is what makes us civilized humans in the first place.  Otherwise we would be grabbing food from others and jumping on every woman we see on the street.

Learning to discipline our mind and emotions further is a natural progression to becoming more civilized. Spirituality is really about self development and becoming more and more civilized and refined. 

[Sriram]

In today's CNN news. Does Yoga lead to happiness besides good health.....yes.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/12/health/yoga-happiness/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool&iref=obnetwork

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Devoted yogis will tell you that yoga is not only the path to enlightenment but also happiness. Numerous studies support this claim, pointing to yoga as a general practice for quelling stress, easing anxiety and elevating mood.

Although there's no scientific analysis of whether particular yoga poses make us happy, research shows that certain body posturing, respiration and thinking positively influence our physiology. When we feel any emotion at all — happiness, unhappiness, anger, etc. — we experience specific hormonal reactions that feed each feeling and prompt unique mental and physical manifestations, such as smiling when happy, crying when sad or crossing our arms when angry or defensive.

Science has shown that we can effectively, and quite quickly, reverse the emotion-to-body-response process by leveraging our physical and mental states to alter our emotional state. For instance, even forced smiling in stressful situations immediately lessens your stress response and elicits happy hormone production. As such, my yoga for happiness sequence is based on poses, breathing and meditation proven to boost feel-good physiology within minutes.

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Read the full article...its good.

[Leonard James]

Useful for those who are not naturally optimistic and well-balanced.

[BashfulAnthony]

Leonard isn't either of those.  Maybe he could start his own yoga, based on his personality:

You Only Grow Arrogant.

[Shaker]

Lenny strikes me as a preternaturally cheerful old stick, and well-balanced to boot.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Lenny strikes me as a preternaturally cheerful old stick, and well-balanced to boot.

And he thinks the world of you too, Shakes.

[Shaker]

Good taste - another of his many fine qualities.

[BashfulAnthony]

Lenny strikes me as a preternaturally cheerful old stick, and well-balanced to boot.

And he thinks the world of you too, Shakes.

It's a mutual sycophantic relationship.

[floo]

Lenny strikes me as a preternaturally cheerful old stick, and well-balanced to boot.

I agree. I believe he celebrates his 90th birthday this month and is our most senior poster. I wonder if the person who enjoys dissing him has as many marbles intact as our LJ? Somehow I rather doubt it!

[Shaker]

His 90th this month? 

[BashfulAnthony]

Lenny strikes me as a preternaturally cheerful old stick, and well-balanced to boot.

I agree. I believe he celebrates his 90th birthday this month and is our most senior poster. I wonder if the person who enjoys dissing him has as many marbles intact as our LJ? Somehow I rather doubt it!

I think the poster you refer to gets dissed by Leonard as much as he disses.  Do try and keep up.  Or, should I say, try not to be so blindly opposed to anything you don't even understand.

[floo]

His 90th this month? 

Yes I believe so.