Journey into the Bhagavad Gita

We started this week a book club or better said discussion group on the Bhagavad Gita.  We took the time to cover the story that leads to the Bhagavad Gita - from the epic Mahabharata.  The name Mahabharata means "great (story of) Bharatas"  which are the early ancestors of the Pandavas and Kauravas.  However, the word is also used for the Indian race, so the Mahabharata is sometimes referred to as "the great story of India".

The story begins with King Shantanu, the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinupara.  One day he went to the forest on a hunting trip and met a beautiful woman on the banks of the river Ganga.  He fell in love with her without realizing that she is no ordinary woman but the incarnation of the great Mother-Goddess, River Ganga herself.  He wanted to marry her and she said she would, only if he doesn't inquire about her and would not stop her from anything she wanted to do.  If he breaks the promise she would leave him forever.  King Shantanu agreed and they married.  For seven years they had a child each year and every time a child was born Ganga would drown the child into the river.  When she tried to put the eight child into the river, the devastated King Shantanu tried to stop her.  She told him that she was mother Ganga and was cursed by Lord Shiva because she fell in love with him.  She was sent to Earth to marry him but the eight children they had were Eight Vasus (gods) who were cursed to be born on Earth.  She would drown them in the water in order to release them from the curse.  She said that now that he, King Shantanu, had broken his promise to her, she had to leave and take the child with him.  However, she said that her son will come back to him when the time is right.  The king became very sad for losing his child and wife and stopped caring for his kingdom. 

When King Shantanu's son - Devavratha - had grown up he was reunited with his father.  Together they ruled the kingdom.  One day the king went to the jungle and met a beautiful woman.  He was captivated by her fragrance and beauty and he asked her to marry him.  Satyiavati was the adopted daughter of a fisherman and her job was to take people across the river.  (In reality, she was the daughter of the Chedi King Vasu and a cursed aspara and was brought up as a commoner.  Initially, the smell emanating from her body was that of a fish.  When she was a young woman she met the wandering rishi Parashars, who fathered her son Vyasa out of wedlock.  In return, he gave her a musky fragrance which captivated King Shantanu).  Satyiavati said that he had to ask her father.  The ferryman refused to give his daughter's hand to Shantanu on the grounds that his daughter belong to the low cast and since the king already had an older son his grandchildren would be slaves to the king's son.

The King went back to the palace but his son saw that his father was very unhappy.  The priest told him the story of Satyiavati and Devavratha sought out the girl's father.  He promised him that he would never take a claim on the throne, implying that the child born to Shantanu and Satyavati would become the ruler after Shantanu’s death. At this, Satyavati's father retorted that even if Devavratha gave up his claim to the throne, his (Devavratha's) children would still claim the throne. Devavratha then took the vow of lifelong celibacy, thus sacrificing his 'crown-prince' title and denying himself the pleasures of conjugal love.

At that moment was a big storm and the gods blessed him and he became Bishma (Bhishma means "he of the terrible oath").  He was also granted the boon of having control over the time of his death - he could choose when to die.  So Bhishma took Satyavati to the palace and she married his father.  They had two sons - Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.  Chitrangada died childless in a war.  When it was time for Vichitravirya to get married Bhishma heard that the king in the next kingdom had three daughters that were on the look for a husband.  Bhishma went and abducted the Princesses Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika to marry Vichitravirya.  The oldest princess Amba said she already has chosen a husband and Bhishma allowed her to go back.  The man she had chosen however rejected her as he considered her spoiled (he was also defeated by Bhishma in  a fight so he was ashamed of the defeat).  Amba is later on the cause of Bhishma's death. 



Vichitravirya married the other two sisters but died shortly after so the throne was left with no heir.  Vichitravirya's half brother Vyasa was summoned to father the children for the throne.  When Ambika came to him, because of shyness and fear, she closed her eyes and she bore a blind son - king Dhritarashtra.  When Ambalika came to Vyasa because of fear she became pale and she bore a sickly child - king Pandu.  Vyasa told Satyavati to send the girls again so that a healthy child can be born but out of fear the two sisters sent a maid and she bore a healthy child named Vidura.  Even though Dhritarashtra was the first born, because he was blind Pandu was chosen to rule the kingdom. 



Pandu married Madri and Kunti.  One day, while hunting in the forest he mistook a rishi for a deer and shot arrows at him.  The dying rishi cursed him that whenever he approached a woman with the intent of love making, he would die.  Pandu renounced the kingdom and went to live in the jungle, where his two wives followed him.  Kunti was blessed to have kids and prayed to the god Sun to be granted her blessing.  First she prayed to Lord Yama (god of Death) and had her first son Yudhishtira.  Then she prayed to the Wind god (Vayu) and the son born was Bhima.  Then she prayed to Lord Indra (the god of all gods) and she got Arjuna.  Kunti initiated Madri into the mantra, so Madri had twins - two sons Nakula and Sahadeva (they were celestial beings - Aswini kumara).  One day, king Pandu felt strongly attracted to his wife Madri and when he tried to be intimate with her he died.  Madri, out of repentance and grief, committed sati, burning herself alive on her husband's funeral pyre.  Kunti, took the five children and returned to the palace.



In the meantime, Pandu's brother Dhritarashtra had taken over the kingdom.  He had married his first wife Gandhari who had blinded herself determined to see the world as her husband saw it.  They had 100 children - the first born was Duryodhana.  Dhitarastra had also another son Yuyutsu from his second wife Vaishya.  So when the Pandavas returned to the palace, a crisis arose as to the succession of the throne.  The Kauravas kingdom was separated in two, with the Kauravas keeping the better half.  The Pandavas accepted the arid and fallow region that was offered to them and build a prosperous kingdom.  Duryodhana's jealousy and anger was stirred and he tricked the Pandavas in a game of dice.  They lost their kingdom and were forced to live for 12 years in the jungle plus one year in hiding.  If they survive they could come back and reclaim their kingdom.  The Pandavas survived the thirteen years of exile and returned to claim their kingdom back.  However, the Kauravas refused to give them even the smallest portion of the kingdom and this is the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita. 




Parents sue school for teaching yoga to children

The parents of two California grade school students have sued to block the teaching of yoga classes they complain promote eastern religions, saying children who exercise their choice to opt out of the popular program face bullying and teasing.

SAN DIEGO—The parents of two California grade school students have sued to block the teaching of yoga classes they complain promote eastern religions, saying children who exercise their choice to opt out of the popular program face bullying and teasing.

The Encinitas Unified School District, near San Diego, began the program in September to teach Ashtanga yoga as part of the district’s physical education program — and school officials insist the program does not teach any religion.

Lawyers for the parents challenging the yoga program disagreed.

“As a First Amendment lawyer, I wouldn’t go after an exercise program. I don’t go after people for stretching,” said lawyer Dean Broyles, who heads the National Center on Law and Policy, which filed the suit on Wednesday in a San Diego court.

“But Ashtanga yoga is a religious-based yoga, and if we are separating church and state, we can’t pick and choose religious favourites,” he said.

The lawsuit is the latest twist in a broader national clash over the separation of religion from public education that has seen spirited debate on issues ranging from the permissibility of student-led prayer to whether science instructors can teach alternatives to evolution.

The lawsuit, which does not seek any monetary damages, objects to eight-limbed tree posters they say are derived from Hindu beliefs, the Namaste greeting and several of the yoga poses that they say represent the worship of Hindu deities.

According to the suit, a $533,000 grant from the Jois Foundation, which supports yoga in schools, allowed the school district to assign 60 minutes of the 100 minutes of physical education required each week to Ashtanga yoga, taught in the schools by Jois-certified teachers.

Broyles said that while children are allowed to opt out of the yoga program, they are not given other exercise options.

“The kids who are opting out are getting teased and bullied,” he said. “We have one little girl whose classmates told her her parents are stupid because she opted out. That’s not supposed to happen in our schools.”

Encinitas schools Superintendent Tim Baird said the suit was unfounded and that the district had worked with parents who had concerns as they developed and implemented the program.

“We are disappointed by the suit. We thought we had worked well with the concerned parents and had resolved their concerns,” he added.

Encinitas resident Dave Peck said his law firm had offered to represent the school district for free but was turned down and is now working with parents who support teaching yoga in schools. He called the lawsuit “a tortured attempt to find indoctrination where none exists.”

“There is really no dispute as to the physical and mental health benefits of the yoga program — teachers and parents throughout the district have raved about noticeable improvement in the students’ focus,” said Peck, whose children attend Encinitas schools.

“We reject the argument that yoga poses constitute the practice of Hinduism as both a matter of law and common sense,” he said. “There is absolutely nothing religious or spiritual about the classroom instruction.”

Source:  http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/02/22/parents_sue_school_for_teaching_yoga_to_children.html

Bhujangasana, Cobra Pose

How to do it: Lie on your stomach. Place hands next to your shoulders. On an inhalation, roll the shoulders back and down and straight your arms as much as you can without straining your lower back. Hold the pose for 15 to 30 seconds before releasing back to the floor.




Benefits :
 

Cobra Pose strengthens the lumber spine, relieving pain and combating slipped or herniated discs, scoliosis and arthritis in that region.

Other important benefits include improved digestion, relief from menstrual disorders, improved appetite, and raising low blood pressure.

Cobra Pose also improves the functioning of the liver and spleen.

Downtown Yoga Holistic Centre 30-Day Yoga Challenge

• Are you ready? The Downtown Yoga Holistic Centre 30-Day Yoga Challenge commenced on January 9th. You may ask why take the challenge. Research shows that it takes 30 days to fully develop a new life-promoting habit or to drop a current destructive one. It is a great way to strengthen the body, unburden the mind, and begin a daily commitment to yourself. And you can enjoy a great price - $75 for unlimited yoga. To join the challenge all you have to do is register at the front desk and your name will appear on the board where you will indicate every time you come for a class. There are weekly prizes to win – e.g. a gift certificate for “Under the Volcano”, Thai Yoga Massage, an eco-friendly yoga mat, a yoga mat bag.

The challenge will help you experience:

• increased strength
• improved flexibility
• possible weight loss
• definite stress reduction
• improved focusa
• better body image
• improved sleep patterns
• improved eating habits

Welcome to a new YOU!!!

Please feel free to share your stories and experience in this blog.

Dolphin Plank Pose

Start in Dolphin Pose, knees bent. Then walk your feet back until your shoulders are directly over the elbows and your torso is parallel to the floor.

Press your inner forearms and elbows firmly against the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back and spread them away from the spine. Similarly spread your collarbones away from the sternum.

Press your front thighs toward the ceiling, but resist your tailbone toward the floor as you lengthen it toward the heels. Lift the base of your skull away from the back of the neck and look straight down at the floor, keeping the throat and eyes soft.

Stay anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. Then, release your knees to the floor with an exhale


Benefits

•Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
•Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches
•Strengthens the arms and legs, and core
•Helps prevent osteoporosis

from:http://www.yogajournal.com/

Recapture Those Great Childhood Summers!

When we were children, summer meant no school, running through sprinklers on hot days, and riding our bikes with friends until the street lights came on. Unfortunately, as adults, our summer experiences are a bit different. They usually include racing our children to baseball and soccer, covering for work colleagues who are fortunate enough to be away on holidays, and mowing grass that never seems to stop growing! Those long, carefree days of our childhood seem far away. But it is possible to experience those great childhood summers once again. All we need to do is take our cue from our kids!

• Take time to daydream
When we were children, daydreaming was a big part of our lives. As adults, we still daydream, but we call it by another name – visioning. Your vision is your dream of what your future is going to look like. It motivates you to get out of bed in the morning, and forms the framework for your goals and plans. So spend some time sitting quietly and daydreaming about your future. Then, take the time to write it down and review it every day.

• Take time to explore
Summer is a wonderful time to let your adventurous side take over. A great way to get started is to make a list of all the things you would like to see, do, and accomplish in your lifetime. Review your vision for ideas. Then, take tiny steps toward achieving them.

• Take time to nap
Everyone needs time to themselves to rest and recharge their batteries. Give yourself permission to set some time aside each week that is just for you. Sit in the sun and read a book. Soak in the tub. Or yes, even take a nap. Setting aside and taking time for yourself isn’t selfish, it’s demonstrating self-respect. It gives you the energy you need to be there for others when they need you the most.

Cathy Obright is a Stress Relief and Life Coach with Brighten Your Future Coaching

Reiki - what is it and what are its benefits?

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "Life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

A treatment feel like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

While Reiki is not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony with others. Dr. Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system of natural healing, recommended that one practice certain simple ethical ideals to promote peace and harmony, which are nearly universal across all cultures.

from: http://www.reiki.org/faq/whatisreiki.html