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The Story of Yoga

Can yoga wreck your body? A recent article in the New York Times argues that it can, quoting the increase of yoga-related injuries in recent years as the number of yoga practitioners has soared.

Indeed, the number of yoga injuries treated in emergency rooms or doctors’ offices rose to 5,500 in 2007, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. The same year, the number of yoga practitioners reached an estimated 15.8 million. That pegs the number of injuries at 0.035 percent, or about 3.5 out of every 10,000 practitioners.

Can weight training wreck your body? Between 1990 to 2007, an estimated 970,000 weight training-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms, according to the American Journal of Sports Medicine. That’s an average of 57,000 injuries per year among an estimated 37 to 45 million practitioners, or roughly 0.12 to 0.15 percent, about 1.2 to 1.5 out of every 1,000 practitioners.

Can golfing wreck your body? In 2007, an estimated 103,000 of the nation’s estimated 26.2 million golf players visited the emergency room for golfing-related injuries, according to data from the Consumer Products Safety Commission. That’s 0.39 percent, or 3.9 out of every 1,000 golf players incurring an injury.

Any type of physical activity aiming to increase fitness carries with it a certain degree of risk. Pegged next to the injury rate of common physical activities like weight training and golf, however, yoga comes across as far safer than even a relatively innocuous activity like golf (ignoring for the moment that yoga is not just about fitness).

Exercise improves health by challenging the body, triggering changes that make the body stronger: increased muscle mass, stronger bones, greater flexibility, coordination and range of motion — depending on what is targeted. That is the core of what makes exercise work, but that is also what makes any type of exercise program carry some degree of risk.

As the above statistics indicate, however, making claims about the injury risks of yoga without backing them up by the relative percentage risk is at best poor reporting, at worst could discourage someone from trying yoga who might otherwise benefit from the practice.

Yoga has more than 50 well-documented health benefits according to Dr. Tim McCall, author of Yoga as Medicine. Numerous studies on yoga as therapy demonstrate that yoga offers not just effective stress management, but also is a useful complement in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, MS, heart disease, back pain and many more conditions. Physicians, for example Dr. Loren Fishman, have effectively used yoga in the treatment of numerous debilitating musculoskeletal issues, including rotator cuff tears, back pain, sciatica and much more.

That being said, any type of physical activity that challenges the body should be practiced with awareness and caution. To help you develop the safest possible yoga practice, follow these five tips:

1. Adopt a beginner’s mind. You wouldn’t go into an advanced ballet or kickboxing class without working your way up through the basics first. Yoga may look comparatively more simple, but it’s not. Start with a series of yoga classes targeting beginners, which introduces you to the basics in a systematic way. Not all studios offer intro courses for beginners, so look around. Make sure you build a solid foundation of knowledge of alignment before you try your hand at more challenging classes like a rigorous Vinyasa flow class or a hot yoga class.

2. Learn to listen to your body. In any yoga class, your body, not the teacher, is the real guide to what is best for you. Listening to your body and honoring its signals is key to a safe practice. If something doesn’t feel right, ease out of the pose. If something feels like a strain, you’re pushing too hard. If your body feels like it needs a break, relax back in child’s pose.

3. Do your own pose, not your neighbor’s. For most of us, the mind tends to overrule the body. So if the person next to you gets her face all the way down to her shins in Paschimottasana (seated forward bend), by golly, you’re gonna get there too, no matter how much your hamstrings howl. However, yoga at its essence is about getting in tune with your body. The only right way to practice a pose is to practice it in the way that honors where your body is at, and not trying to force yourself into your neighbor’s pose.

4. Look for your intelligent edge. Look for the sweet spot in every pose. That is where you are challenging the body and yourself, but still staying completely within your comfort zone. Your intelligent edge is that place in the posture where you are feeling a soothing stretch and your muscles are working, but there is no pain, strain or fatigue.

5. Pick the right teacher and approach. When it comes to practicing and teaching yoga, it’s not a one size fits all. Yoga teachers vary in approach, style, experience and training. If you’re young and fit, you will be able to handle a wide range of yoga styles and classes. On the other hand, if you’re a 50+ year old male with super tight hamstrings just starting out, it may be better to start with individual yoga sessions with an experienced teacher. The same thing applies if you have any injuries or physical limitations you’re working with. Let your teacher know before the class, and don’t be shy to ask if the class will still be suitable for you. If the teacher isn’t able to offer specific feedback related to your condition, that’s a good indication the teacher might not a good fit for you.

Credit to:  Eva Norlyk Smith, Ph.D.

Carlos Barrios, Mayan elder and Ajq’ij (is a ceremonial priest and spiritual guide) of the Eagle Clan. Carlos initiated an investigation into the different Mayan calendars circulating. Carlos along with his brother Gerardo studied with many teachers and interviewed nearly 600 traditional Mayan elders to widen their scope of knowledge.

Carlos found out quickly there were several conflicting interpretations of Mayan hieroglyphs, petroglyphs, Sacred Books of ‘Chilam Balam’ and various ancient text. Carlos found some strong words for those who may have contributed to the confusion:

Carlos Barrios: “Anthropologists visit the temple sites and read the inscriptions and make up stories about the Maya, but they do not read the signs correctly. It’s just their imagination. Other people write about prophecy in the name of the Maya. They say that the world will end in December 2012. The Mayan elders are angry with this. The world will not end. It will be transformed.”

“We are no longer in the World of the Fourth Sun, but we are not yet in the World of the Fifth Sun. This is the time in-between, the time of transition. As we pass through transition there is a colossal, global convergence of environmental destruction, social chaos, war, and ongoing Earth Changes.”

He continues: “Humanity will continue, but in a different way. Material structures will change. From this we will have the opportunity to be more human. We are living in the most important era of the Mayan calendars and prophecies. All the prophecies of the world, all the traditions are converging now. There is no time for games. The spiritual ideal of this era is action.”

Carlos tells us: “The indigenous have the calendars and know how to accurately interpret it — not others. The Mayan Calendars comprehension of time, seasons, and cycles has proven itself to be vast and sophisticated. The Maya understand 17 different calendars such as the Tzolk’in or Cholq’ij, some of them charting time accurately over a span of more than ten million years.

“All was predicted by the mathematical cycles of the Mayan calendars. — It will change –everything will change. Mayan Day-keepers view the Dec. 21, 2012 date as a rebirth, the start of the World of the Fifth Sun. It will be the start of a new era resulting from and signified by the solar meridian crossing the galactic equator and the Earth aligning itself with the center of the galaxy.”

At sunrise on December 21, 2012 for the first time in 26,000 years the Sun rises to conjunct the intersection of the Milky Way and the plane of the ecliptic. This cosmic cross is considered to be an embodiment of the Sacred Tree, The Tree of Life, a tree remembered in all the world’s spiritual traditions.

If the people of the Earth can get to this 2012 date in good shape without having destroyed too much of the Earth, we will rise to a new, higher level. But to get there we must transform enormously powerful forces that seek to block the way.”

The date specified in the calendar Winter Solstice in the year 2012 does not mark the end of the world. Many outside people writing about the Mayan calendar sensationalize this date, but they do not know. The ones who know are the indigenous elders who are entrusted with keeping the tradition.

Carlos tells us: “The economy now is a fiction. The first five-year stretch of transition from August 1987 to August 1992 was the beginning of the destruction of the material world. We have progressed ten years deeper into the transition phase by now, and many of the so-called sources of financial stability are in fact hollow. The banks are weak. This is a delicate moment for them. They could crash globally, if we don’t pay attention. Now, people are paying attention.”

The North and South Poles are both breaking up. The level of the water in the oceans is going to rise. But at the same time land in the ocean, especially near Cuba, is also going to rise. Carlos tells a story about the most recent Mayan New Year ceremonies in Guatemala. He said that one respected Mam elder, who lives all year in a solitary mountain cave, journeyed to Chichicastenango to speak with the people at the ceremony. The elder delivered a simple, direct message. He called for human beings to come together in support of life and light.

“Right now each person and group is going his or her own way. The elder of the mountains said there is hope if the people of the light can come together and unite in some way. We live in a world of polarity — day and night, man and woman, positive and negative. Light and darkness need each other. They are a balance.”

Just now the dark side is very strong, and very clear about what they want. They have their vision and their priorities clearly held, and also their hierarchy. They are working in many ways so that we will be unable to connect with the spiral Fifth World in 2012.”

“On the light side everyone thinks they are the most important, that their own understandings, or their group’s understandings, are the key. There’s a diversity of cultures and opinions, so there is competition, diffusion, and no single focus.”

Carlos believes the dark side works to block unity through denial and materialism. It also works to destroy those who are working with the light to get the Earth to a higher level. They like the energy of the old, declining Fourth World, the materialism. They do not want it to change. They do not want unity. They want to stay at this level, and are afraid of the next level.

The dark power of the declining Fourth World cannot be destroyed or overpowered. It’s too strong and clear for that, and that is the wrong strategy. The dark can only be transformed when confronted with simplicity and open-heartedness. This is what leads to unity, a key concept for the World of the Fifth Sun.

Carlos said the emerging era of the Fifth Sun will call attention to a much-overlooked element. Whereas the four traditional elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water have dominated various epochs in the past, there will be a fifth element to reckon with in the time of the Fifth Sun — that element is ‘ETHER’.

The dictionary defines Ether as a “hypothetical substance supposed to occupy all space, postulated to account for the propagation of electromagnetic radiation through space.” Perhaps it could be defined as the “space between space”. I would suggest it could be manifest as the alignment of charged particles from our solar system (Sun), and our galaxy (Milky Way) surge. The Ether element represents spiritual energy.

“The element of the Fifth Sun is celestial. Within the context of Ether there can be a joining of the polarities. No more darkness or light in the people, but an uplifted unity. But right now the realm of darkness is not interested in this. They are organized to block it. They seek to unbalance the Earth and its environment so we will be unready for the alignment in 2012.”

“We need to work together for peace, and balance with the other side. We need to take care of the Earth that feeds and shelters us. We need to put our entire mind and heart into pursuing unity and unity now, to confront the other side and preserve life.”

“We are disturbed — we can’t play anymore. Our planet can be renewed or ravaged. Now is the time to awaken and take action. Everyone is needed. You are not here for no reason. Everyone who is here now has an important purpose. This is a hard but a special time. We have the opportunity for growth, but we must be ready for this moment in history.”

Carlos says: “The prophesied changes are going to happen, but our attitude and actions determine how harsh or mild they are. We need to act, to make changes, and to elect people to represent us who understand and who will take political action to respect the Earth.”

“Meditation and spiritual practice are good, but also action. It’s very important to be clear about who you are, and also about your relation to the Earth. Develop yourself according to your own tradition and the call of your heart. But remember to respect differences, and strive for unity. Eat wisely — a lot of food is corrupt in either subtle or gross ways. Pay attention to what you are taking into your body. Learn to preserve food, and to conserve energy. Learn some good breathing techniques, so you have mastery of your breath. Be clear. Follow a tradition with great roots. It is not important what tradition, your heart will tell you, but it must have great roots.”

“We live in a world of energy. An important task at this time is to learn to sense or see the energy of everyone and everything — people, plants, animals. This becomes increasingly important as we draw close to the World of the Fifth Sun, for it is associated with the element ‘ether’ — the realm where energy lives and weaves. Go to the sacred places of the Earth to pray for peace, and have respect for the Earth which gives us our food, clothing, and shelter. We need to reactivate the energy of these sacred places. That is our work.”

“One simple but effective prayer technique is to light white or baby-blue colored candles. Think of a moment in peace. Speak your intention to the flame and send the light of it on to the leaders who have the power to make war or peace.”

Carlos reminds us this is a crucially important moment for humanity and for Earth. Each person is important.

He said the elders have opened the doors so that other races can come to the Mayan world to receive the tradition. “The Maya have long appreciated and respected that there are other colors, other races, and other spiritual systems. They know that the destiny of the Mayan world is related to the destiny of the whole world.”

“The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It’s not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It’s encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way.”

2012 Apocalypse or New Sun

FORTY DAYS

There is a magic time period in yoga that will change your life forever.

40 DAYS

If you practice yoga consistently everyday for 40 days, you will create the opportunity to implement any change you want in your habits, your relationships, and even the way you see yourself.

Yogis have known this for thousands of years, psychologists have proven it in the last century, and even Jesus had this one down.

Any behavioral change, according to psychologists, requires approximately six weeks (40 days) to shift. This includes breaking a bad habit like addictions or starting a good habit like yoga. ‘’This six-week period allows the body and mind to go through all of its biorhythms and cycles to initiate the possibility of a permanent change.

Through the centuries when yogis began a meditation practice, they would practice it for 40 continuous days in order to receive its full benefits. A yoga posture or sequence was only fully understood after experiencing it for 40 days.

Note that it is for 40 consecutive days–miss a day and the cycle has to start over again.

Students who do this often say that their 40-day practice gives them a consistent foundation to handle all the changes that occur in their loves.

The 40-day period also roughly corresponds to 1 ½ lunar cycles that include a New Moon to Full Moon or a synodic phase cycle.

You can apply this yogic technology in your own life by committing to a new habit or practice for 40 consecutive days. Even if you cannot make it to a yoga class every day for 40 days, you can practice yoga for a few minutes at home each day on the times in between.

CHANTS FOR PRECARIOUS TIMES – REPEAT 108 TIMES

OM GUM GNANPATAYEI NAMAHA

SALUTATIONS TO THE REMOVER OF OBSTACLES

OM SHATIT ON

OM PEACE OM

OM SHREE DHAVANTRE NAMAHA (HEALING)

SALUTATIONS TO THE BEING AND POWER OF THE CELESTIAL HEALER.

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAYA (LIBERATION)

SALUTATIONS TO THE INDWELLER WHO IS OMNIPRESENT, OMNIPOTENT IMORTAL AND DIVINE

OM RADHA KRISHNAYA NAMAHA

(JOY AND BLISS)

RADHA IS THE BLISS ASPECT OF THE DININE WHICH LEADS TO GOD REALISATION.

OM SHREEM MAHALAKSHMIYEI NAMAHA (ABUNDANCE)

SALUTATIONS TO THAT HEART CENTERED AND GREAT LAKSHMI MAY YOU POUR FORTH YOUR BELSSINGS UPON ME

OM KAMA PUJITAYEI NAMAHA

(SACRED LOVE MAKING)

SALUTATIONS TO DIVINE WORSHIP IN THE FORM OF LOVE MAKING.

Because Monks Meditate!

Harnessing energy to illuminate and heal the mind and the body.

Swami Vidyadhishananda is a Himalayan Kriya Yoga meditation master who will give a lecture titled, “Classical Lessons for a Yogic Lifestyle” at Heights School of Yoga, AUG 25th 7pm.

Swami Vidyadhishananda was required to sit for 50,000 hours of meditation just to be initiated as a monk. Annually he spends 3 thousand hours of silence and meditation and a similar number of hours in study of Sanskrit literature.

He hails from an esoteric lineage of monks who specialize in seamlessly combining three cardinal philosophies of the ancient Sanskrit heritage Vedanta, Yoga and Samkhya, whose roots date back to 3100BCE.

The monks that preserve these teachings often live in seclusion in deep mountains as high as 9000 – 18000 feet; you might say literally in thin air and metaphorically in thin air!

His teachings are exquisite and logical analysis on the essence of how to coexist in a synergistic and harmonious world. They are based in an ancient tradition and presented to students who are engaged in deep practice and are meant to inspire and articulate the nuances of the texts and provide fresh in sites into the path of yoga.

His teachings are full of parables, poetry and illuminating commentary on the practice of yoga posture, the art of sitting meditation and the study of wisdom teaching.

I met Swami Vidydhishananda in 2008 at a lecture given on the topic of sankalpa, or setting right intention. I was taken by his knowledge and sophisticated articulation of the English language. In June of 09 Swamiji invited me to teach vinyasa krama yoga asana for his 8 day retreat at the New Vrindavan Temple in West Va. Since then I have taught in Aug of 2009, 3 day retreat at the American Bodhi Center in Willis TX. In May of 2010, tadasana workshop in Santa Barbara where his monastery is located. This September 2-4, 3 day retreat in Wimberly TX. Please join us!

As a yoga teacher of 16 years I find that this wisdom teaching enriches my understanding of the healing purposes of yoga asana, pranayama, chanting and deep meditation. It enables me to present to my students the rich aspects of yoga as a practice on and off the mat and as a tool for a lifetime that is based in the time proven technique of meditation.

Classical Lessons for a Yogic Lifestyle

Thursday, Aug 25, 7pm – Studio B Heights School of Yoga- 1547 Rutland, 77008 713 301 9238 Pam