Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz7YhbJw2cU

RASTAFARI YOGA :WORD +SOUND=POWER | MEZMUR DAWIT CHANT MEDITATIONS | MAR-6 | PSALM 85
Steel Pulse - Chant a Psalm (iTunes)

By: Ras Mikael Raah Selassie

Read more:

RASTAFARI YOGA :WORD +SOUND=POWER | MEZMUR DAWIT CHANT MEDITATIONS | MAR-6 | PSALM 85 - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIoMsfkaXIk

Yoga With Sapna - Headstand Tutorial
Sapnas demonstration on learning the Shirshasan - the headstand.

By: Yoga With Sapna

Original post:

Yoga With Sapna - Headstand Tutorial - Video

Bikram Yoga Founder Bikram Choudhury Established late 20th century Practice emphases Unchanging sequence of postures in a heated room, designed as a rejuvenating exercise to strengthen the entire body, from head to toe.

Bikram Yoga is a system of yoga that Bikram Choudhury synthesized from traditional hatha yoga techniques[1] and popularized beginning in the early 1970s.[2][3] All Bikram Yoga classes run for 90 minutes and consist of the same series of 26 postures, including two breathing exercises.[4] Bikram Yoga is ideally practiced in a room heated to 40C (104F) with a humidity of 40%.[5] All official Bikram classes are taught by Bikram certified teachers, who have completed nine weeks of training endorsed by Bikram.[6] Bikram certified teachers are taught a standardized dialogue to run the class, but are encouraged to develop their teaching skills the longer they teach. This results in varying deliveries and distinct teaching styles.[5]

Bikram Choudhury, founder of the Bikram Yoga system, is also the founder of the Yoga College of India. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began practicing yoga at age four. He practiced yoga 46 hours every day. At the age of thirteen, he won the National India Yoga Championship. He was undefeated for the following three years and retired as the undisputed All-India National Yoga Champion. Bikram later devised the 26 postures sequence and founded Bikrams Yoga College of India. He has also written books and sings.[7]

As of 2006, he had 1,650 yoga studios around the world.[8] In 2012, there were 330 studios in the United States and 600 worldwide.[9]

After practicing Bikram yoga three times per week for eight weeks, a 2013 study of healthy adults found that deadlift strength and flexibility improved, and participants lost a small amount of body fat. However, they found no improvements on cardiovascular measures.[10] The same researcher found that women burned 330 calories and men 460 per 90-minute session, roughly the equivalent of walking briskly at about 3.5 miles per hour for 90 minutes.[11]

Other claimed benefits include enhanced strength, increased flexibility, improved posture, mental clarity, a balanced blood pressure and improved ability to concentrate,[citation needed] fewer toxins and impurities,[12] and Bikram claims specific poses can help clean out the veins and arteries.[13]

Excessive sweating caused by the hot and humid conditions of a Bikram yoga room can result in dehydration. There is also a risk of hyperthermia: overheating of the human body. Symptoms include nausea, dizziness, fainting, and potentially heat stroke. A strong focus on hydration before and after class, combined with listening to one's body and resting during class when necessary, reduces these risks.

Various conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and some cardiac complications can cause unique sensitivities to heat. Those struggling with these conditions are encouraged to check with their doctors before beginning hot yoga.[14] Additionally, those who take medications for depression, nervousness, or insomnia may also wish to check with a doctor to determine if the heat will exacerbate any medical conditions.

According to an article in the Huffington Post, The health benefits of the additional heat are "largely perceptual", because "People think the degree of sweat is the quality of the workout, but that's not reality. It doesn't correlate to burning more calories.".[15] A small study by the American Council of Exercise found "found no difference in the increase in core temperature or heart rate between the two 60-minute sessions.".[15]

In Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class (First Edition), Choudhury claims he conducted medical studies at the Tokyo University Medical School validating the medical benefits of his 26 postures. During one of the lawsuits, defendants demanded copies of the "medical" studies and Choudhury claimed he could not find them. In Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class (Second Edition), Choudhury removed all references to medical studies.[16]

See original here:

Bikram Yoga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Out of every 100 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, 11 to 20 have felt the life-altering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Many cope with depression, short-term memory loss, headaches, numbness, anger, and insomnia. Some have turned to substance abuse and suicide.

Once vibrant and healthy, these men and women now live with nearly constant fear and anxiety. In many cases, theyve tried everything and have lost hope.

Marsha Lockom, an instructor with the Shore Bliss Yoga studio in Apollo Beach, is offering them a second chance. On the second Sunday of every month, Lockom teaches two intensive yoga classes specifically designed for recovering veterans. Both classes are completely free to all military and former military personnel.

Lockom says her main goal is to help them become more aware of their potential for happiness even after life in combat. She specializes in a type of yoga dealing with techniques such as guided meditation, and poses designed for grounding.

I use teaching methods that help the veterans be present in the moment and in their bodies: feeling whats happening when they move a certain limb, an arm or a leg, Lockom said. For example you wouldnt see a lot of balancing poses that would put people on edge. You would see them very connected to the ground.

Most veterans with PTSD deal with a symptom called hyper-vigilance, a term Lockom describes as a constant awareness of potential danger at any time. She says simply taking care with their positioning in a room is incredibly important; for example, she makes sure their backs arent to the door during class by placing herself between them and the exit.

Most of Lockoms teaching methods were learned through a program called Warriors At Ease. The nonprofit foundation trains yogis in the art of veteran healing. Since 2006, Warriors At Ease has worked with the U.S. Department of Defense to research and develop techniques that help veterans overcome their mental and physical instabilities.

Lockoms dedication to helping the injured began with her own journey of recovery after she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a little over 15 years ago. An avid cyclist, a near-fatal slip on ice left her with a broken tailbone and ruptured spinal membranes. A common cold or flu virus seeped into her spinal cord, she said, which led to fibromyalgia and extreme pain.

I was so weak, even unloading a dishwasher was hard. I didnt like the way my life had changed.

In the same way many veterans are placed on endless medications to help deal with their daily trauma, Lockom was given pills to help her constant pain.

Go here to read the rest:

Yoga instructor hopes to help veterans heal from trauma of war

On a recent Sunday at Limber Tree Aerial Yoga Studio, colorful nylon fabric attached to a steel frame suspended a group of aerialists above the floor as they worked in extra practice.

Marina Nunez, who took her first aerial class in December 2014, was working on a pose called vampire.

Pulling out the cloth, she lay on her back in the hammock, the cloth stretching the length of her body. Then, slipping her feet into the fabric, she flipped her feet over her head, stretching the hammock around her body with them. Straightening out again, she hung suspended from her shoulders, arms and feet, her face inches from the wooden floor.

Ooh, I did it. Yes! she said.

The first few times she had tried the pose were intimidating, Nunez said, but the satisfaction of overcoming the apprehension was exhilarating.

Youll feel fear a little bit, and then youll feel amazing, she said.

Rise of a practice

This new form of yoga is turning the ancient art on its head.

Aerial yoga, or anti-gravity yoga, is a contemporary cousin that originated in the U.S. during the 1990s. It incorporates elements from Pilates and dance.

During a session, teachers and students make loops on different parts of their bodies with soft nylon cloths. As it is stretched out, twisted or wrapped, aerialists are able to rise and fall above mats, getting high off the ground and sometimes upside down.

Here is the original post:

Aerial yoga turns ancient practice on its head

BANGALORE:If India's idea of an International Yoga Day has found easy acceptance in the UN, much of the credit must go to Paramhansa Yogananda, India's first yoga guru in the U.S. whose 62nd death anniversary falls.

Unlike Swami Vivekananda, Yogananda is not that widely appreciated although he played a huge role in laying the foundation for yoga in the United States a century ago.

Yogananda, born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, sailed to the U.S. in 1920 and remained there until his death in 1952. In that sense, he was also one of India's earliest longest serving NRIs.

Yogananda toured the U.S. extensively, teaching meditation and Kriya Yoga to tens of thousands of American men and women in packed halls.

Unlike now, that was no easy task. Yoga was unknown in the West, and many Americans looked down upon Hindu holy men, yogis included.

The Kriya Yoga is a lesser-known yoga science based on special breathing techniques to help in self-realisation.

Yogananda left the U.S. to visit India only once, during which period he taught Kriya Yoga to Mahatma Gandhi at the latter's ashram in Wardha.

What really made Yogananda an iconic figure globally was his "Autobiography of a Yogi", declared one of the 10 greatest spiritual classics of the last century.

Since it was first published in the U.S. in 1946, the book became an instant hit, got translated into over 20 languages worldwide and has sold millions of copies. It remains a bestseller.

After his autobiography was published, Yogananda spent the last years of his life devoting himself to literary work. He withdrew more and more from public life.

See the article here:

Paramhansa Yogananda: India's First Yoga Guru In The U.S.

The SADAY School, an institution that serves differently-abled children, recently honoured Dr. Meena Ramanathan, yoga therapist at the Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER), at the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute.

Dr. Ramanathan was felicitated on her services for the past 11 years of teaching yoga to differently-abled children of the school, and on her completion of a Ph.D in yoga.

The function was led by Dr. M. Sugathan, founder-director of SADAY School and Asha Sugathan, trustee.

R.R. Dhanapal, President and Dr. Sita, Vice-president of SADAY, highlighted the services done by Dr. Meena for special children and senior citizens.

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Meena Ramanathan explained the various benefits of the art and science of yoga as a complementary therapy.

The event was made memorable by special children who gave a demonstration.

Please Wait while comments are loading...

1. Comments will be moderated by The Hindu editorial team. 2. Comments that are abusive, personal, incendiary or irrelevant cannot be published. 3. Please write complete sentences. Do not type comments in all capital letters, or in all lower case letters, or using abbreviated text. (example: u cannot substitute for you, d is not 'the', n is not 'and'). 4. We may remove hyperlinks within comments. 5. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name, to avoid rejection.

Follow this link:

Yoga therapist honoured

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C03h4jHBV6Q

Buddhism Interview - 2

By: Neetya Shah

See the rest here:

Buddhism Interview - 2 - Video

Asia News Network Saturday 7th March, 2015

"I must say I ban any march. I will order police to prevent such activities. To the venerable, please go back to the temples," the prime minister said as the divide among monks deepens.

"Conflicts among monks are monks' own affairs. The government will step in only to do laymen's work," added Prayut, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order.

Martial law is still in place in most parts of the country. It prohibits gatherings of five people or more. Many monks, however, have openly vowed to stage rallies after the committee on the protection of Buddhism placed Dhammakaya Temple, its abbot Phra Dhammachayo and the Sangha Supreme Council under intense public scrutiny.

Several groups of monks and Buddhists warned that they would stage big rallies on March 12 if the committee were not scrapped.

After rocking the country's ecclesiastical circle, the committee decided to conclude its mission yesterday in the face of acute pressure.

"We're done," the committee's chairman Paiboon Nititawan announced at a press conference.

He said the committee had completed its study of Buddhism-related problems and submitted the report to NRC chairman Thienchay Kiranandana.

"We have also successfully raised public awareness of the need to protect Buddhism. So our mission is completed," Paiboon said.

He said altho...

Here is the original post:

Thai PM warns monks against protest march

By Risa Bramon Garca and Steve Braun | Posted July 31, 2013, 4:18 p.m.

No flakey New-Age voodoo here. Just five powerful affirmations about you and your craft that most actors choose to forget. So remind yourself on the day of the audition and on every other day.

1. You are unique to the universe. You carry with you a collection of experiences that no other creature in the universe carries. This is huge. This means that if you choose to bring your emotional truth to the audition, you will be profoundly different from everyone else in the waiting roomand the universe! Even if every other actor is also sad about the circumstances of the scene, your sadness will be unique. And it is being unique that books you the job. So show them you!

2. You have the power to change the room. Virtually every human walking the earth seeks emotional connection, and when they get it, they will invest in and fight for the person that's given it to them. You have the power to walk into an audition room full of grizzled, bitter network executives with the thickest of calloused exoskeletons from years of industry wear, and give them a human experience that moves them to vulnerability. By offering your emotional truth within a scene, you give them what they need on a very basic, human level. They need it like they need air, and you have the power to give it to them. So do it!

3. Feelings aren't forever. One of the main principles of Zen Buddhism is that if you face your feelings head onin quiet meditation without anything to protect your heartyour feelings will eventually move and become lighter. Feelings are transient. For most people, no matter what feeling comes upeven the most intense feelings of anxiety, nerves, sadness or anger due to the audition itself, not getting chosen, being dropped by your agent, etc.those feelings will move and become more manageable if dealt with and expressed. The earth won't shatter. You will still be whole. So go on and feel it all! Express it all! Walk into that audition room with the freedom of knowing that anything you feel before, during, or after the audition won't stay forever.

4. Your acting is important. In the often vain pursuit of booking that angsty teen drama or guest starring arc on one of the many crime shows, it's easy to forget that acting is important. You are part of an ancient tradition of artists whose duty it has always been to provoke feeling, mirror the soul of a community, ease the hearts of the emotionally hurt, and define a culture. From the dawn of humanity, the actors presenting evocative and educational narratives changed and defined how a community thought and felt. You were profoundly moved by a performance somewhere along the line. You know what that feels like and how that changes you. And right now, there's a little girl or an old man or a brilliant casting director in some town somewhere in Wilmington or Islamabad or Pretoria or Burbank who desperately needs to see you offer your emotional truth so that they feel less lonely about theirs so that they are reminded of their humanity. No matter what the project is, this matters.

5. This is the most fun anyone can legally have. Let's break this down. You get to walk into rooms all over town, yell, fall in love, get super sad, curse, flirt, be an absolute jerk, share your heart, etc., and then go home, drive to a 99-seat theater, dress up, put on make-up, walk out on stage in front of a bunch of people, yell, fall in love again, make those people feel a lot of things, go home, wake up the next morning, and do it all over again. And then one day, someone invites you to come to a big studio in the valley to dress up, put make-up on, yell, fall in love, etc.in front of a camera. Is it all champagne and red carpets? No. But it's just about the most fun anyone could ever have at a job.

Risa Bramon Garcia (casting director, director, producer, and teacher) and Steve Braun (actor, coach, and teacher) are partnered in a studio for actors, The Bramon Garcia Braun Studio, dedicated to actors whole journey. New career changing classes and summer workshops are happening now! Fallclasses are on the schedule.Career and audition coaching and taping are in full swing. For more go to http://www.bramongarciabraun.com.

Read the rest here:

5 Things To Remember Before Every Audition