Enlighten Up

 
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That's what I'm talkin' about.

 Too bad... google Namaste Yoga and see for yourselves.

It gets even WEIRDER. There's a dude out there who claims that he has a martial art and meditative discipline, based on the Norse Runes, that was handed down to him by his ancestors from before the Christian invasions of Northern Europe - the "Northern Crusades", when Europe's indigenous religions were repressed by the church (but they've come back).

Take something perfectly good for ya, like yoga, and there's always going to be somebody who wants to stick their little pinhead deity into it. I love yoga, and it doesn't take an Operating Thetan to help me understand why it's useful. It's MORE useful, in fact, when the religion salesmen keep out of it.

There is, however, a more profound issue in the general milieu of this question: does a meditative physical activity contribute to a higher consciousness? YOU BETCHA. But it can be anything. I'm keen on yoga, but I have a soft spot for sword-fighting, too. In grad school, back-country skiing was how I got my Universal Yah Yahs. In fact, those were the deepest and best Secret Journeys of mine - just a day out in the mountains on my telemark touring skis. Whispering snow (the voices of the True Gods), the sun shining, the blue sky deepening, and absolute silence. I miss those days.

I think its true that a strong body is required for clear thinking. I generally distrust the academics (with whom I've worked, my chiseled cheeks against their flabby jowls), because they're essentially a flaccid lot. They view their bodies as merely conveyances for their heads. Silly people. Mayonnaise is their weapon of mass destruction.

A focused body is a the ideal home for the focused mind. Yoga does it. Biking does. Skiing does. Sword-fighting. Karate. Swimming. Surfing (BIG TIME). A body in motion tends to remain in motion.

And with that, I think a walk is in order.

Stoney~ there is a branch of yoga called V-Twin.  It is more home grown;it originated in and around Milwaukee. It requires outstretched arms,and generally legs,too. It settles the mind,focus of attention straight ahead(mostly),and devotion to,ah,repetitive motion...and chrome.

and I like that bit of cucumber in my yoga rt

Ommmmmmmmmmm-
Namaste.
Praise the Lord
Jambo
G'day, Shiela,
Bore da
Guten tag-
How about it?
What are people waking up & saying to one another in our pick&mix world?
Does it matter? Will the Pope be criticising people who eat pasta without embracing Catholicism?
Many years ago I taught evening classes loosely based on Hatha Yoga; the Hindu origins of this practice were given honourable mention. I wasn't a guru, I was an alternative keep fit instructor.
I think I mentioned in a previous post that attempts to get feet 'round the back of necks resulted in a lot of farting & laughter. An enduring benefit of regular practise is the continuing ability to sit in bed in a half or even full lotus, which facilitates the use of my lap-top. Don't put the lap-top on the duvet, you'll overcook the insides- get an old tea-tray or something so there's air-space underneath!
 
A young doctor who came to check me out when I was perched in a hospital bed assumed I was an amputee as he couldn't discern any legs under the bedclothes!

HAZEL:  Applause, Applause ... Bang Away Hazel !!!
 
GOOD  ON  YOU !!!

Jalopkin,   your  comment  "Bang  away,  Hazel"  could  EASILY  be  misinterpeted  if  quoted  out  of  context...lol
 
Ivan,  I  think  Hazel  is  a  delightful  treasure.....more  later  after  I  deal  with  Monday's  trypical  work  crisis.....
 
I  have  no  problem  getting  INTO  the  lotus  position.....getting  OUT,  now  that's  sometimes  problematic.....lol

t-y-p-i-c-a-l .....need  dark  roast.

YOGA & MEDITATION can be very beneficial, very healthful, and a great way to relieve Stress and Lower one's Blood Pressure ...  It is important to know that the Psycho-BioPhysical Responses to either Disciplne, or both(when employed together) ... are NOT   "NEW AGE"   discoveries or inventions ... The New Agers (and that is as kind as I can be) simply assumed a number of Rites, Rituals and ideas that had existed since Time began, and because they work, for lack of a more involved term, they became arrows for the New Age Quiver, to help push a Godless Agenda, where everything becomes about Self, rather than the Creator ... 

If one can get past all the NEW AGE crap that is spewed, and look with a Scientific Eye at the basic concepts and truths about Yoga, the Human Body, the Psyche, and the myriad of consequences from ill-advisedly and insufficiently educatedly practicing the different Techniques of Yoga and/or Meditation (Meditation is not as simple as one might think) one can avoid becoming a victim of destruction to his Body, Mind, and Psyche ... which certainly can lead to the proverbial Rubber Room  ... and enjoy the Benefits of proper Understand and Practice ...

Jal~ & Bert~ that was a nice ego-massage- have you ever thought of going into the therapy trade?
 

Hazel -- Good morning to you.  What a delightful post and cuts through all the crap too.  So tiresome when once again religion pops up.  I too had always understood yoga to be excellent for exercise, disciplining the body and clearing the mind.

Very bad joke:-
Q: What's a Hindu?
A: Lays eggs.

Road  Yacht:    V  Twin?   V  Twin isn't  meditation,   it's  the  motorcycle  that  "Flo"  the  girl  on  the  Progressive  Insurance  Company  commercials  drives.....

Hazel:   Sometimes  I  feel  that  I  already  am  in  the  "therapy  business."    It's  about  impossible  to  accomplish  good  results  with  those  with  whom  I  work  unless  first  they  can  accept  who  they  really  are,   identify  their  inner  demons,  and  focus  on  solutions  {other  than  merely cutting  their  losses,  and  next  time  trying  not to  get  caught}.   Interdisciplinary  law  is   an  informal  art  form  that  I  mentor  to  new  lawyers.....

Once you names it, someone claims it. Hot Yoga TM Instant Karma. East vs. West. The Doobie Brothers wrote of such consternation in China Grove. Sometimes I take the Interstate to get there faster sometimes I take the backroads to see the sites. Same destination though the name may have been changed to protect he innocent. Phil Jackson makes his form of Zen Christianity work in basketball, a form of Vertical Yoga. 

I may ramble a bit, so I apologize in advance. My thoughts are literally all over the map with this one, mainly because I do have familiarity with Hinduism (and one certain Hindu, but that's another story). From what I've learned, Hindus believe that there are many spiritual paths and everyone is charged to find their own. Tommy alluded to that in his post above. Even yoga itself has different forms. Hinduism is also unique as a religion in that its followers are seekers and generally are not out to convert anyone. To do so would be a sin because that person may have already found his own path. The Indians I encountered in my travels encouraged me to do yoga knowing full well that I was a WASPish Christian from the USA. For these reasons, I think the Hindus who are truest to their beliefs would have no problem with the philosophies or lack of them that have been discussed here. There are several other tangents I could go off on, but I think I'd rather just put on some ghazals and enjoy a cup of chai. 

Hazel -- I'd read this blog just for your posts! You always make me smile...

My experience with Yoga has been a way to get out of myself and thereby seeing and knowing what is going on around me.  Remeber Shirley MacClaine's book Out on a Limb?...it got alot of criticism.  Granted, it's about her experience with Transcendental Meditation, but I have had the same out of body experience with Hatha Yoga.  Unconditionally yours. 

I agree with you Kristina; reading Hazel always makes me smile, too.  The thought just occurred to me that the farting and laughter of trying to achieve certain yoga poses may just be what enlightenment is all about......such a scenario reminds me of 5 and 6 year old children without a care in the world laughing at whatever amuses them - and a lot does (or should).  Would that we could all let our responsibilities and worries go just enough (and more often) to carry us back to those carefree days.
 
 

If I remember correctly, there was a charcter named Mr. Natchural(sp),and it may have been an R.Crumb comic(fabulous furry freak brothers)who always said "be like two fried eggs,and keep your sunny side up".....I interpreted that as the yoga position of choice,and still do.  But as I get older, contemplating my navel is a more daunting task

Yoga was always my favorite Star Wars character.
 
What's that?  Oh.  Never mind.

IF I were to try the lotus position these days......there would lots of pointing and staring and of course the calls to 911 to unfold me

 
This does work and though blonds are not a natural weakness of mine, this one is exceptionally spiritual:


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5959677173592591818#

Mid morning music break
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztAcZLhlwdY   ;      Chopping wood has never brought me to know enlightenment, however, I would know it if I saw it.

Oh, that (original topic) is such BULL! That is like claiming that every time a person is on their knees, they're praying to the Christian God. Well, I'm sorry, but I am more likely to be repairing something than praying when I'm on my knees.

Stupid short desks with sticky drawers . . . .

Yoga can be a wonderful activity for clearing out the mind and body. But religion is a matter of choice, and whining because someone is standing, stretching, or moving in a certain manner without the religious part is childish. It is akin to a kid complaining that his friends aren't playing UNO the same way he does with his grandma (who always lets him win).

Jonathan,  if  mayonnaise  is  a  weapon  of  mass  destruction,  may  I  avoid  that  fate  by  shifting  over  to  Miracle Whip?

Anybody old enough to have read "Zen and the Art Of Motorcycle Maintainance"?
 
Bert~ Ye Gods & little fishes! The "interdisciplinary" word makes me shudder. Do you find that the different "disciplines" guard their territory (funding) like Rotweillers over a food-bowl? What a challenge mentoring wanna-be Lawyers into Nice People.... I salute you.
 
RY~ Oh.... the Fabulous Furry Freaks! lol
 
rapidgirl~ What's WASP? I did try a search & got very confused.
 
Thanks, Kristina & Shandonista. The latter, your remark about the care-freeness of kids. The teacher Jesus said that unless we become like little children, we will be unable to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Recently, on a day when I was a bit burdened by my own troubles, I took a walk on the beach with a 5 year old. He was so into every moment of the pebbles, the sea-shells, the rock pools, the tiny baby fishes in the shallows - he healed me from a day of the "black glooms", bless him.
 
 

paolos~ The times I have chopped wood with an enormous splitting axe to burn off anger. Wood splitting is good & gives you a nice warm feeling later when the logs get into that greedy wood-burning stove.

Hazel, I split wood for recreation and physical maintenance. 

I have read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance when it first published.

It helped me through
many repair issues with unwieldy equipment that needed work. 

I consider
myself to have no mechanical aptitude, but I’ve yet to encounter something that
I could not fix given the proper tools and parts, except maybe a broken
heart.  I might have missed the sequel Zen
and the Art of Spiritual Surgery. I have it on good authority that duct tape
and WD-40 are useless  in that regard.

DPR:  Good to see you Sir !!!  Are you just passing thru the Village, or are you here to stay for a while ???  Obviously, you have been Blessedly Busy .......
 
BERT:  Miracle Whip ???  That is as bad as Margarine ... "Better Living Thru Chemistry" ...
As a Lawyer, you don't ask Questions that you don't already know the Answers to ... As a Consumer of Foodstuffs, you shouldn't eat things that you don't know the Contents of ... Besides, it has no real Nutritional Value at all ... Stuff tastes like the smell of those cheesey plastic Slip-On Seat Covers from the 50's, and it doesn't cook right in Recipes ... Do your insides a favor, use Real Mayonaisse ...
 
HAZEL:  Read that Book so long ago, I had forgotten all about it ... Strangely, it made a lot of sense ... 
 

V-twin? I'm more in to 'behind the wheel - V8 therapy' myself. Me and my lead foot, windows down (can't hear the dual exhaust with 'em up) and the Ventures to get the motor warmed up and humming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqC3BjIyq_0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev9OmNcR2t8

I'm feeling better already just thinking about it! *ahhhh…* all the stress and brain fog: GONE.

'Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind
There's a world outside every darkened Door
Where blues won't haunt you anymore
Where the brave are free and lovers soar
Come ride with me to the distant shore
We won't hesitate
Break down the garden gate
There's not much left today ...'

paolos~ the big bits that need sawing are great as the base for a outdoor fire, potatos baked in butter & two layers of tinfoil, lumps of meat cooked on long sticks - fire & food is so ... primeval.

Paolos~when your only tool is a hammer,it makes all your problems seem like nails...but then, I seem to remember Mystic tape....and it came in many colors,so it probably repaired the soul of problems too dark for anything else....

HAZEL:     I  think  the  general  public  deserves  lawyers  who  can  be  more  than  just  "mechanics."   Clients  need  holistic  solutions  to their  problems,   not  just  a  technically  correct  answer  that  either  lets  them  "beat  the  charge,"  or  "cut  their  losses."   Clients  don't  typically  get  into the  system  in  the  1st  place unless  something  other  than  the  official  charge  is  happening  to  them.   People  need  to  deal with  substance  abuse  issues,  disfunctional  families,   parenting  issues,  unemployment/underemployment,   faulty  systems  of  picking  partners  for  relationships,   illiteracy,   or  the  absence of  a  spiritual  dimension  in  their  lives.   So  I'm not  fighting  with  other  resource  people  or  institutions,   more  like  trying  to  come up  with  a  comprehensive  plan,  so  that  Johnny  won't  be  right  back  in  the  prisoner  transport  van  with  the  overnight  lockups  a  week  after  he's  out  of the  system  today.   We're  all  in  this fragile  lifeboat  we  call  "America"  together,  so  the  theory  is  that  fixing  any  part  helps  the  whole.

Bert~a task(s)worth a lifetime of dedication. Thank you.   As one who has met many atty's (they hire me,not the other way around,thank you)I am here to say there are some real scumbags with a J.D. after their name;greedy,opportunistic,inconsiderate,and those are the things I can say in polite company....But I have met many more,like you,who have devoted their efforts to help,heal,and make whole. On behalf of we,who could always use a helping hand,thanks

RY~That tape inspired van morrison once also...are you ready for another music break? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6FPsRk-HHE   ;

CYNTHIA:   Straight On !!!  Good Stuff, indeed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Nothin' like a Road Trip to clear the head ... The roar of a well built Flathead, a pair of brand new Smithys sing a Baritone that reverberates all around you, and splatters slightly when you lift off for a moment or two, especially when driving thru the woods .......  Lovely .......

I  remember  that  book,  Hazel.

Road Yacht:   I  don't  care  much  for most  attorneys,  or  for  that  matter,  for  most  doctors.   These  days,  it's  about  "cashing  out,"  $$$$$$,  not  about  truly  being  by my  definition  a  "helping  profession."   It's fine  to  earn  a  decent  living,  secondarily  to  doing  what  you  supposedly  raised your  right  hand  &  swore  to  do,  after  you  graduated  &  passed  your  profession's  licensing  exams.   Thanks  for  the  kind words,  my  friend.

I used to do hatha yoga after my physical therapist recommended it for getting flexibility back after I injured my shoulder for the third time back in the late 90s. I do not practice hinduism but I did enjoy the classes . It did help with the flexibility issue but I never could manage the lotus or even half lotus position (if you have hips that naturally rotate inwards like mine, its pretty much impossible). I found it relaxing and fun but I never did get into the spiritual/enlightenment side of it.
 
Since then I've changed over to scuba diving as my exercise of choice. Now, I could go on for hours about the way floating weightless in 75 feet of water watching a huge southern stingray undulate across the sea floor is a pathway to nirvana, but I'll refrain... especialy since it's most likely mitrogen narcosis. :)

jd~ WELCOME! Good to see you!

I'm just pit-stopping in to say hello and tell y'all I love reading along on my phone as I'm going through my day.

DK~ Physical therapy following a neuromuscular illness got me into my current workout routine as well. It was a wonderful thing that my Pysical Therapist is also a personal trainer and referred me to a friend with dual backgrounds as well. They got me out of the wheelchair and walking again in around 7 months, and now almost two years later I'm in better shape physically than I've ever been. I still have to deal with residual stuff but it's a wonderful way to feel "control" over my body.

Bert, the last I checked, Miracle Whip was something the Pope used on himself, behind closed doors, when nobody else was watching. You mean there's an edible substance called that, too?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
Mr. Isles !!!  That is so damned funny, I wish I had thought of it myself !!!  With your permission, I will repeat it, in some places where it will do the most Good !!!!!!!
 
Good On You, Sir !!!!!!!

Jalopkin,  as  a  Roman  Catholic, my  understanding  is  that  "Miracle  whip"  may  have  been  a  tool  of  the  inquisition......
 
JaxZ:   Nice  seeing  you  again,  have  you been  staying  out  of  trouble?   Or  having  fun?  lol
 

Bert: Neither, but I'll refrain from further comment on the grounds that it might incriminate me....

I'm off to my grandson's band recital {{hunting for earplugs}} where I will practice deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques, and perhaps sneak peeks at the Eye when he's not actually playing. No , really, I absolutely would NOT do that..... See you later on the Train.

jd : What horse did you ride in on?  Glad you could make it. 

The greatest Yogi of all time teaches us that… You
can observe a lot by watching.

Although he was also the first to admit that…I
really didn’t say all those things I said.

I think he developed the lotus position for catchers.

Yeah Bert, along with Mothers-in-Law and Thumbscrews ... Throw in some Bubble-Wrap, Baby Oil and Feathers, and the possibilities are endless ...

I don't know much but I do know my body can accomplish more and  feeI better mentally and physically by silencing my thoughts and simply opening the gates and allowing  muscle memory to run free.

Mr Isles~ The cats bolted through the cat flap in a panic 'cos I was laughing so much. And you, Bert, made it worse.
Where's Michael?~ Tell us more about the sticky drawers....
JaxZ~ Nice to see you, enjoy the band music.

PETER LAKE:  Ah ... but just as you describe it, YOU are in control of all that goes on ... You are not, as the uninitiate usually are, chasing the spectre of some New Age Nuance, numbing the Chakras in the process ... Unfortunately, Euphoria can be produced a number of different ways ... I should suggest that your veteran status has modulated your approach to one of focus'd control in seeking Nirvana, rather than willy-nilly mantric chaseabout, like a moth in a room with a thousand lit candles ... Seasoning, and a little gray hair, with focus'd control ... enables one to tell the difference between a psychedelically colored , Electro-Vibro Buttplug, and a Cattle Prod's having been shoved up where the Sun never shines .......

I was afraid to ask if J Isles was speaking of self flagellation or some other form of benediction.

My sticky drawers are nobody's business but my own.

Peter Lake~ My Dad put up a little bookshelf by the loo & kept stuff like Reader's Digest magazines there. His daily meditations when locked in the bathroom "opening the gates and allowing muscle memory to run free" were accompanied by raucous chuckling as he read the silly pages.
A very Welsh teacher mystified a young English couple who had recently moved to Wales & enrolled their child in the local school. They told the teacher that they were trying to learn the Welsh language, to which the teacher replied: "Well, it's better to have a crap"!!!!!!!
The Welsh word for a smattering is "crap" Isn't life great?

IVAN.........the thought of a cattle prod anywhere near the nether region may have snapped shut that exit for ever....... but thanks for the vote of confidence. Connection to the universe is the oldest trick in the book.....it is achieved by sweet surrender. Peace out my friend

I paddled out on my longboard last year, away from the crowd, and rather than even look for a wave I just sat there almost nodding off from the heat and my out of "shapeness". I heard my breathing like never before mixed in with the other sounds and in the non-doing I felt incredibly like I was doing something. I don't mind the things that require skill and training like yoga but sometimes I get much more out of just being around in a Descartes sort of way. It's fun to think about nothing if that's possible.   

When I was about 12 I ordered a booklet (for 25 cents I believe) about Hatha Yoga.  It was cool, doing these strange 'exercises' with names like 'The Bridge' and 'The Fish' and so on (and each had the Indian words for them, too!).  I think my brothers and sisters and my mom and dad thought it was all a bit strange, doing all these contortions, but I found it very relaxing..... I think of my gym 'stretches' as 'first cousins' to my Hatha Yoga explorations.  If you don't think 'stretches' can be as complicated and mysterious as yoga, Google the words 'Iliotibial band stretch' !

Breathing from the diaphragm -- very slowly -- with one's eyes closed and with one's legs folded into the lotus position (palms upward with the hands resting on the knees) is very good for 'calming down'.  If you're trying to get your blood pressure down, it's a no-brainer (heh, heh, heh).  It's one step from there to sacking out for a very restful nap...... 

I'm not sure if saying 'Om' as one exhales is recommended, obligatory, or just 'the way grandma taught us', but it makes a lot more sense than saying 'cheese', or 'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' or 'If I could get my hands on him I'd strangle him!' I suppose 'Ohmygoodness!' would work but, 'Om' is good enough for me.... 

Hazel Leese - That's a good one.  Thanks for the chuckle.

Tommy Typical~ So you got into the headspace that other people pay good money for - for free!
Doc~ The thing that got me into Yoga was a musty old book from a second-hand bookshop.
 
It's past midnight here. Illuminating travels on the late train. Somebody has to say it - Will the last person to leave please turn off the enlightenment.

P.S. Michael~ On a practical note, if we are talking wooden desk drawers, get a candle or a kid's wax crayon & rub it on the bits of the drawer that are supposed to slide smoothly. I won't go into details on the other possibilities.

Amen Michael!  May I add, when I'm on my knees, it's because I'm playing with one of grandchildren

I've done a bit of yoga for kids with my preschoolers.....can't say that it does much more for them than do some imaginative stretching---but it sure impresses the living daylights out of adult visitors/observors to the classroom.  It enhances my well being because it naturally uses more soothing and relaxes music than the other movement activities that we do.

contemplating other's navels is part of the reason the internets got so popular....well, that and shoe shopping

Hazel, I realize it's terribly late for you, so you may not even see this, but WASP is an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Being more Mediterranean in origin, I don't quite fit the bill (hence the '-ish' suffix) but the Indians make no distinction. We're all goris. 

and even so, we are allowed the use of the afore mentioned Mystic Tape

It's what inside that counts. What one feels when enlighten. It's powerful. Yes it takes you to another place inside yourself. A place that no one can imagine.
 
Gale   Pa.

HAZEL:  In answer to your First Question ... I have always had an aversion to seeing the Title, TheRapist  behind my Signature .......