Posts Tagged ‘yoga should’

Yoga for Christians – is it Bad?

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Sangeetha Saran

For some Christians, the question of whether Yoga and its religious roots can be separated, poses a stumbling block. However, the practice of Yoga does not contradict Christian beliefs. Rather, Yoga can be used as an aid to living a more Christ-filled life.

The origins of Yoga should not be a problem for a Christian who is using the relaxation and exercise techniques to deepen his or her awareness of the Christian life. Yoga is a philosophy, and a way of life, not a religion. Yoga is a system of practices for the development of human potential and has become a valuable practice in the lives of people of all religious faiths.

Yoga can enrich the spiritual life of a Christian the same way as for a practicing Hindu or Buddhist. Yoga aids all who practice religion, by balancing the nervous system and calming the mind through its postures, breathing control, meditation, stretches and meditation. The practice of Yoga is comprehensive enough so that anyone can find techniques that will not conflict with his or her personal beliefs.

Practicing Christians should take from Yoga what makes sense to them and deepens their own faith and spiritual commitment. Today, Hatha Yoga is practiced by Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Moslems, Hindus and people of no particular religious affiliation.

Hatha yoga, originally developed to help people sit in meditation with a calmer body and a quieter, more focused mind, has all the elements of other forms of Yoga. Outside of India, the enhancement of spiritual beauty is rarely taught in Hatha Yoga.

For a Christian, two of the biggest obstacles to prayer are a restless mind and a restless body. Yoga addresses both of these obstacles. Physiologists tell us that the most effective way to unload tensions is through contraction and relaxation of the muscles and deep breathing; these are two basic elements of Hatha Yoga.

Practicing yoga has healthful benefits for everyone. The deep breathing, stretching, and strength-training exercises are wonderfully relaxing and beneficial to spiritual and emotional health. Yoga is unequivocally good for Christians when they use the elements of yoga to improve their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

By reducing tension and stress, Christians are able to give more time to prayer and Bible study. The meditational component of yoga can be used to meditate on biblical truths or passages, leading to peace and contentment. Yoga does not take anything away from Christians, but rather enables them to focus more deeply on their spiritual lives.

Yoga is India’s gift to the world, and it can be used selectively with benefits by people of different religious and philosophical beliefs.

© Copyright 2011 – Sangeetha Saran / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

YOGA AND CANCER

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

FORGOTTEN RESEARCH IN MEDICINE

By Peter Havasi

I have decided to write this essay about Yoga and Yoga’s linkage with cancer – an epidemic chronic lifestyle disease. I believe that cancer seems to be the most researched disease in the commercial world today; the reality is that it’s the most neglected, the most ignored, and most probably, one of the most feared topics among society in the western world today. Since I am specializing in detoxification, de-parasite, nutrition therapies, cancer prevention, and treatment – all of these belong to my main studies, as well as other related autoimmune diseases, such as Arthritis, Eczema and others. Consider my work as the missing key, or better said, the forgotten research in medicine today. I have not applied for this course to become a Yoga instructor, but to apply Yoga lifestyle to my therapy approaches.

Before we start this essay, I need to highlight that the best doctor, the best nutritionist in the world, is each one of us. This statement might be a little bit misleading, since what we eat, how we practice, and how we live, in general, depends on the information we receive. Let’s take the most absolute, ideal information technology – with its perfect communication channels.  We would realize that it is only us who hold the power to heal ourselves.

Even if we do not live in a perfect world, under ideal conditions, I still believe that people should stop being patients, and start being people. At least they should have an option to choose when their health gets too far. Why not be healthy and happy? Well, the cure is not always easy; and in relation to chronic diseases, the treatment is a long-lasting process. The best cure is the prevention when the risks are educated beforehand. Prevention is  fairly easy; we remove the toxins by changing our lifestyles, we eat better, we awaken spiritually, we start practicing, we start looking trimmer, feeling better, living longer, and save money. We get the enormous satisfaction of having it done by ourselves. How complicated is it to eat right and drink vegetable juices? In today’s world, we have the internet; the biggest library mankind has ever had. You don’t need a degree to know that! It’s cheap, it’s simple, it’s safe, it’s effective. The only reason why people aren’t doing this is due to constant commercial pressure, because people do the same as animals – searching the most convenient way. Last but not least, it requires taking responsibility.

If people were studying this topic, we would realize that there is no magic pill for cancer or heart disease; but there is a lifestyle change that prevents, arrests, and reverses, serious chronic diseases in this life and future generations.

TRUTH ABOUT GENETICS

’Common medical knowledge says you inherit certain conditions from your ancestors, that you have certain genetic predispositions’. This is only what is being told by the medical practitioners and researchers, as well as business men, selling products. The fact is that it’s a half-truth – a very misleading half-truth – forcing people to believe that there is nothing they can do. It is the biggest and most profitable tool for making people sick and making people pay. The problem with conventional ‘knowledge’ is that the masses accept it, without challenging or questioning it. This is dangerous. It does not matter what anyone says; only you are ultimately responsible for the physical manifestations you experience! Your thoughts, both directly and indirectly, affect your health. This is where Yoga comes into play. A big part of Yoga practice is mainly about meditation, positive attitude, and proper belief. The movie called, “THE SECRET,” carries a message, which has been used by the leaders for centuries. It is known for a long time that thoughts somehow indirectly affect our state of health – stories abound as to how people ‘healed themselves’ of life-threatening conditions, by applying certain thought processes.

Today’s material world tends to believe only in what has been properly measured, calculated, and scientifically proven. People should stop believing in science, since it is founded by massive corporations – mostly for a single purpose – commercial stimulation.

Nevertheless, an exception has been found at Human Genome Project, which discovered that your genes do not just express themselves according to some ancestral ‘programming’. What is interesting, what determines the way your genes are expressed, are your thoughts. It is specifically – your perception of things. Let’s take an example – If your Dad suffers from cardiovascular disease, and his father (your grandfather) died from the same condition, conventional thinking says ‘it runs in your family’. Current science now proves that ‘it runs in your family’ because your affected family, and family members, have accepted it as their fate. According to the message carried in The Secret movie – you get what you believe. Your belief becomes your reality. You are what you think. If your perception of a diagnosis of breast cancer is one of acceptance and resignation, you’ve effectively written your death sentence. You must have heard of at least one person who ‘had a fighting spirit’ and so ‘overcame’ or ‘conquered’ the same malignancy. The person was successful because of his strong belief – presented as a fighting spirit. At this stage, we come to the following:

We can literally modify the way our genes express themselves.

Yoga brings the same message to us. If I was a doctor, I could examine you and give you a diagnosis that I’ve been trained to give you. However, you have the option to accept my words as the final word on your condition, or you can choose a better ‘diagnosis’ and prognosis for yourself. Even if something ‘runs in your family’, you can decide to end it right now. You can go for that trend by being the first person free from that condition. Now, this is much easier said than done; but it sure beats the alternative. Plus, if you persist in re-programming your mind, and re-conditioning your thoughts, you will definitely see the results you desire. This takes commitment and persistence, and a stubborn determination – that no matter how things look on the outside, you will stick to your inner vision of perfect, true health – until it manifests on the outside. Can you do it? You bet! Is it going to take work on your part? Absolutely, but isn’t it worth the effort? Aren’t you worth it? You deserve to be perfectly healthy, to function the way you were created to function. So take the first step today, and decide to modify your genetic (and other) expressions.

If people would cultivate this Yoga attitude with heart and soul, you would become something special. If the mass society would cultivate this attitude, many industries would find themselves out of business, and the economic situation would probably experience another crisis. Therefore, this information is being held in secret, and it is going to be held in secret, by any means necessary. Regardless of this, Yoga belongs to one of the oldest physical and mental disciplines mankind knows. Therefore, Yoga should be studied, worshipped, and followed, with belief and respect.

Are we able to substitute the western lifestyle with the Yoga lifestyle? Can we change ourselves? Yes, we can. This world is in a constant evolution process, and people’s nature is to search for the‚ Ideal. We make mistakes, but that’s how this universe works. The end of the universe we live in is going to happen, only when all becomes perfect.

Before it comes to a massive change of believes and attitudes, there has to come an action of high intense. Only a high level of external stimulation \ irritation (understood as pain), will change the way of our thinking. Pain is the strongest education – an evolution tool that mankind,  together with the animal kingdom, can ever experience. At the present, I believe that the only long-term solution is to face the truth, change the lifestyle, and search for ways how to become more synchronized with nature, than it is now. Nature, with all its cruelty, brings ultimate solutions. Yoga is a big step for us to get closer to nature.

Conclusion

I cannot take responsibility for the health of others; however, I can show people the path. (My job is to take care of my health at the best possible level) At this stage, there is a long journey ahead of us. As you can see, there is a significant difference between a man and an animal’s lifestyle in the world today. I am afraid that a man is one of the dumbest of all animals. People started comparing thinking, slightly differently, than other animals, since modern homo sapiens species – about 195,000 to 200,000 years ago. Thanks to the sophisticated thinking, he became superior towards other species, which can be seen on an everyday basis. Man, with his technology, literally squeezes every drop of nature’s resource. With industrialized, advance technology, we stopped thinking the animal way. We stopped feeling and understanding the laws of nature, like the animals do. Suddenly,we are facing various mysterious illnesses and diseases. Many people are dying, even more suffering. The life quality is decreasing with a fast pace. (see Statistics at the end of this document). What can we do, people ask? The Doctors tell you, it’s genetics. Industry says, it’s business. I say, it’s your decision. Ultimate question, what would you do if you knew the doctor’s statement was a misleading half-truth or even incorrect?

What is cancer disease? It is very simple. It is not an illness – it’s just nature’s survival mechanism launched – due to extreme conditions. Cancer is a toxic build-up. It is a failure of respiration of the cell. It is, literally, sugars that ferment in the body. This is a problem for people who have very few bowl movements. This infrequency of bowl movements causes the inability to move waste out of the body, and to have toxicity build up in the body. Less urination, too little water, too little hydration, lack of proper nutrients, and foods that are so synthetic and chemically laced. This can only  have a negative effect.

Oxygen Association defines cancer as follows: The cause of cancer is clear. It is poor diet, lifestyle, poor mental attitude that results in a toxic build-up – that overloads the cell’s cleaning mechanism of the cells. Cancer is the manifestation of long-term nutritional, and environmental interruption, and irritation.

We haven’t been told these things? No – why? It is because cancer is a money maker. If you stop and think, you realize that cancer is something that is prevalent everywhere. Yet, they use all types of treatments, where none get well. We see people change immediately, when they change how their bodies have been formed. With those cells exchanged every 16-18 months, your stomach lining is less than 4 days, and skin 28 days. Imagine your possibilities. You can get your body to oxygenate; but you have to remove the problematic causes – or anything you try to do as positive is going to cause you to be interrupted and incomplete. So, we need to look into is the frequency of bowel movements that are needed, that we are getting the hydration we need, that we are getting the mineral content we need, so that the minerals can help to exchange everything across the cell’s wall.

Shouldn’t we all act as if we are prone to cancer, or we have the possibility to get cancer? It is very simple. It we just properly maintain our bodies, we can properly maintain these great plagues of cancer that everyone has seen. It’s just like heart disease. Heart disease doesn’t occur by luck; it’s earned. It’s about what we do or not do. It’s our actions, it’s our being lazy to maintain this vehicle that has to travelled the road we call life. People say that life is a road of very rough edges, and deep path holes, and so on. It’s not the road at all. It’s the vehicle traveling the road!

What about children and cancer? When children get cancer, let me share something with you. Let’s go all the way back to the Dad, before the sperm enters the egg. What he’s been doing to affect the DNA, and the ability to be carried completely, and the way it should be designed to be put into that egg, when that egg is fertilized. What about the mother, what she’s been eating during pregnancy? Two or three days of the wrong nutrition, during pregnancy, can change the way the child is formed for the rest of its life – for eternity. When children get cancer, it’s a prolonged thing. It started back at the responsibility of the parents. After all, the mother‘s nutrition is what forms that child. That DNA is potentiated to step up, or step back, or to be more dominant or less dominant – or should we say turned on or turned off by how much of nutrition you have? So, when children get sick, it’s not their fault; it isn’t luck that was planned parents. We need to take the responsibility for what happens to our children. If they have growing pains, their diet’s wrong. If they are constantly sick, and have a cold, they have the wrong foods going in. I see children cured all the time from chronic colds, sicknesses, and flues, as well as constant long problems, by just getting them off dairy. So imagine what could happen.  Cancer is pretty much a choice by the parent, or by the individual doing what they are doing, and not eliminating. Take charge, make your own research , check out this info by Bill Blass, Otto Warburg, and others. These people know, and they make it very simple.

Men come to the knowledge of taking responsibility, and changing their own destiny, that millions will die until that time. Are you one of those who wants to suffer?

STATISTICS

List of illnesses linked with a lifestyle; especially wrong nutrition habits.

Acid Reflux

Acne

Allergies

Anemia

Angina

Appendicitis

Arteriosclerosis

Arthritis

Asthma

Autoimmune diseases

Autism

Back problems

Bedwetting

Bowel Disorders

Bursitis

Cataracts

Cholesterol Problems

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Depression

Claudication

Cognitive dysfunctions

Colic

Colitis

Colon Polyps

Congetive heart failure

Constipation

Crohn’s Disease

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Diabetes

Diarrhea

Diverticulosis

Ear Infections

Early sexual maturity

Eczema

Esophagitis

Fibroids

Fibromyalgia

Gallbladder disease

Gallstones

Gastritis

Gout

Gum diseases

Headaches

Hearing loss Heart Disease

Hemorrhoids

Hiatal hernia

High Blood Pressure

Hormone Imbalances

Hot flashes

Hypertension

HypoglycemiaImmune deficiency

Impotence

Indigestion

Intestinal distress

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Joint problems

Kindey Failure

Kidney Stones

Late Menopause

Lumbar spine syndromes

Lupus

Macular degeneration

Malabsorbtion

Menopause problems

Migraines

Mood Disorders

Multiple Sclerosis

Musculoskeletal pain

Myxedemia

Obesity

Ostearthritis

Oseoporosis

Polyps

Premenstrual Syndrome

Prostate Enlargmenent

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Schyzophrenia

Senile Dementia

Sexual dysfunction

Sinus problems

Skin disorders

Spinal disk deterioration

Strokes

Tonsillar infections

Ulcers

Uterine fibroids

Vascular Diseases

Varicose veins

CANCER

Bladder

Brain

Breast

Cervical

Colon

Endometrial

Esophagal

Gall Bladder

Intestinal

Kindey

Leukemia

Liver

Lung

Lymphoma

Mouth

Oralpharyngeal

Ovarian

Pancreatic

Prostate

Rectal

Skin

Stomach

Testicular

Thyroid

Uterine

Vulvar


Author: Peter Havasi BSy (Hom., Natur.)

Health Specialist and founder of www.leoalpinum.com.

Yoga and its Relation to Health (2)

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

triangleWritten By Guenevere Milne

Before I began planning the outline for my essay, I was thinking about yoga, and what I thought of yoga and its relation to health from my own personal journey. I came up with lots of examples of how Yoga has helped me in relation to health on so many levels throughout my life journey thus far.

I have seen and felt the physical, mental, emotional and last but not least, the spiritual health benefits from my own practice. For what ever time, phase, and stage of my life I have gone through, Yoga has been there to guide me through it, and as my needs have changed, so has my practice.

I believe Yoga to be an intuitive quest for each of us, that provides us with any and all of the tools we need to gain optimum health at any stage of life, or situation in life that we might encounter along our individual journey .We only need to tune in and listen to its call. I will outline the way I have chosen to write this essay, as to what points and topics I will cover in each paragraph.

My outline is as follows: Firstly, I will discuss the ancient history of Yoga, and where it was derived from. I will then explain a little about Patanjali and his relationship to Yoga as we know it today. The next paragraph will discuss Yoga’s arrival to the Western world and BKS Iyengar influence on the landing of Yoga in the US, and his impact at that time in the 1960′s, and his continuing influence today. Lastly, I will bring us up to date with the development of yoga over the past 15-20 years, and how in the past decade, yoga has become an almost household name.

Yoga is recognised in schools, hospitals, institutions, and practiced widespread with no discrimination by people from all different religions, background, and ages. Yoga’s beginnings are traced back to the ancient study of Ayurveda, dating back 5000 years. Ayurveda was considered the “science of life” in India, and dealt with body, and spirit. Ayurvedic belief explains the body and its functions relating to the earth’s elements, and also food and body types that need balancing. The scriptures where we came to understand and learn about Ayurveda were called the Vedas, of which there are four.

These Vedas are the body of the Vedic religion. The Veda’s were broken down into four main texts. They are listed as follows: Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. The Rig Veda was to be the basis for the yoga sutras that Patanjali compiled many moons later, dating somewhere around 150 BCE. Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, divided the Sutras into four sections.

1. Samadhi Pada- Refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One with higher self, or God.

2. Sadhana Pada- refers to the practice of yoga, kriya (selfless acts and service to others) and ashtanga (the Eight Limbs of yoga that constitute raja Yoga).

3.Vibhuti Pada- refers to the manifestation of supra-normal powers, which pupils are advised not to be tempted to try to acquire, but merely to understand that they do exist and will become stronger as one becomes more liberated.

4. Kaivalya Pada-Refers to being liberated from the earthly self to ones transcendental self. (Moksha).

He also explained the Eight Limbs of Yoga, known as Ashtanga. These break down the overall lifestyle a yogi should pursue; from what one should abstain from, and the other rules, non-violence, honesty in word and thought, non-desire, celibacy or monogamy, non-possessiveness. It also breaks down the practice of Asana, Pranayama, and Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses). The cleansing practices are listed also.

Lastly, the forms or disciplines of meditation and the ultimate goals of meditation are explained- Dharana (steady eye gazing) meditation of an object, or mid-point of eyebrow, or an image of deity. Dhyana single pointed meditation where one remains separate from object of meditation, and Samadhi, oneness with the object of meditation.

Yoga. In its traditional philosophical Hinduism form involved meditation, ethics, metaphysics, and devotion to Brahman (God). As explained, the sutras taught yogis many years ago how to practice for betterment of health, but the physical benefits were only look upon as an aid to the strength required for the strenuous meditation practice, which was always the ultimate goal of practice.

One’s physical health prepared for mental health which prepared for spiritual health. That order was important to the traditional yogis. One’s body fitness was not looked upon as an aesthetic aim as it is today, as peoples’ lives didn’t reflect those materialistic intentions and focus on body image as the modern trend of human development has grown into.

Today, many people stumble upon yoga looking firstly for physical betterment (tight bum and a six-pack), and look at the mental health benefits as a bonus, then the spiritual sometimes creeps in unexpectedly if not having had become intentional from realising one’s truth through their practice. It usually will get them discovering sooner rather than later if they are consistent in their practice!

Most Yogis draw from Patanjali as a historical teacher of Yoga, therefore the sutras are viewed as the original texts and instruction manuals for learning, living and teaching Yoga.

One of the most influential Yogis of the 20th Century is BKS Iyengar. Here is a quote from Iyengar about Patanjali. “Patanjali fills each sutra with his experiential intelligence, stretching it like a thread (sutra), and weaving it like a garland of pearls of wisdom to flavour and savour by those who love and live in yoga.”

Iyengar is most widely and fondly thought of as the Yogi who brought Yoga to the West in the 1960′s. During this era, people were searching for alternative spirituality, alternative realities, with the drug revolution, and hippie movement, many of these paths crossed, as young people turned on, tuned in, and dropped out doing a lot of experimenting on various levels of consciousness.

Not everyone was taking the wild, easy yet deceptive route of psychedelic drug use, as some were genuinely interested in the benefits of Yoga, Eastern religion, arts and music that had been gifted to us from our new found Indian friends. Iyengar is very much given credit for the exposure of the therapeutic facets of Yoga, as he implemented the use of props such as blocks, straps, mats, blankets, and cushions to allow for more range of motion in those students who might otherwise feel restricted in their practice.

This brought more interest from not only fit, young people, but all of a sudden all ages and stages represented in life were knocking Yoga’s doors down!

In the past 10-15 years, however, the interest in Yoga an Eastern medicine has grown more than just peoples’ personal calling, to it gaining attention from many of those different medical professions. There have been countless studies and trial done on the effects of Yoga and mental health, Yoga and mental illnesses, yoga and physical ailments and diseases for its growing respect in its preventative and healing qualities.

One can even get Masters degrees in Yoga Therapy now, as it is a recognised degree and certification for those in Medical or psychiatric profession to obtain if interested in these effects Yoga has on different patients with different needs.

Yoga classes have been incorporated in hospitals for restorative work, physical therapy, for Cancer patients to help with the depression, and for countless other needs a hospital might encounter. The overall positive effects of Yoga relating to health is so obvious to most in the health of medical profession of today, that it hardly has any opposition to anyone that has an understanding of it.

A Harvard study was conducted where Vietnam veterans were introduced to Yoga practice, and by the end of the study, they noticed remarkable differences in the veterans sleeping patterns, having less insomnia, and less depression. They also seemed to have achieved a better sense of well being and general happiness.

Another way to view the health benefits of Yoga is to examine the systems of the human body and what particular effects yoga in known to have on these particular systems. In general, yoga has been recognised to increase one’s body’s overall fitness, and over a period of time, to be able to normalise blood pressure. It has also been recognised to help with sleep relief (insomnia), mental health, and has been noted to increase an overall sense of happiness and general wellbeing.

To be more specific about some of the effects yoga has on one’s physical body, the body systems will be broken down into four categories. Our cardiovascular system (our heart and arteries) benefit from the asana practice of yoga because asanas are isometric which means the muscles are tense but not contracted.

Therefore they rely on the muscle being held tight in a certain position that it might not ordinarily hold for a certain given length of time which helps cardio fitness and circulation. The digestive system also benefits from practice of yoga because the massaging effect of the surrounding muscles speeds up a slow or sluggish digestive system.

The overall muscular and skeletal systems are helped form yoga because one’s joints are moving through their full range of motion. This encourages mobility, increases one’s flexibility, and one gains endurance and strength over time from regular practice. In turn, yoga may help prevent osteoporosis, and at least help someone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis to have less pain in the back and spine, and improve posture.

The nervous system also reaps the benefits of yoga because of the improved blood circulation, the easing of muscular tension, the mental focus required along with the pranayama practice and asana practice. They all work together to soothe and restore the nervous system to a healthier state. Over the long term, the yoga practice of asanas and pranayama can reduce stress and anxiety in most if not all people.

Luckily today, it is widely known that almost anyone can practice yoga as long as certain factors are considered. Knowing that yoga is a non- competitive form of exercise, one learns and progresses at own pace and within one’s own limitations. Yoga should never cause pain, so therefore a person practicing can know to back off from a pose if there is pain involved.

No matter how young or old, fit or ailing, spiritual or atheist, male or female, one can benefit from the many multitudes of healthfulness that yoga can offer It is never too late or too early to rise to the occasion of yoga calling you to the path of health, longevity and happiness!

Guenevere Milne teaches Hatha Yoga in Australia.

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