By Dada Vedaprajinananda

Yoga is more popular now than it has ever been. Famous entertainers and other celebrities practice it and thousands or perhaps millions of other people are also doing yoga exercises in one form or another. Yet, despite this widespread popularity, yoga is still misunderstood. Many people think that yoga is primarily a physical activity, something that they can use to get their body in shape. While it is true that yoga has a great role to play in the physical realm, yoga is much more than this.
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Imagine, going on a yoga retreat in Egypt and combining it with a tour of all the great sites of ancient Egypt. It sounds like the treat of a lifetime, and it is. Some of my colleagues are offering a Yoga retreat in Egypt combined with a Nile tour. It will take place from 28 November through 11 December, 2006. For more information visit the website http://www.nilebliss.com

P.S. I will also be at the retreat

I guess there are many people who begin the practice of yoga or of meditation and wonder “will this work?” It’s a natural thought because in the first stages you may not feel that you are making any progress.

Noticeable results come only after days and months of steady practice. It is best to practice on a daily basis (rather than only when you visit a yoga class). Learn a few asanas (yoga postures) and practice them at home on a daily basis. Learn a meditation technique and also practice that every day.

Actually learning the asanas or the meditation technique is not difficult (even children can learn them) the difficult part is to do it daily. It takes a bit of “work” but if you can put aside some time every day, you will surely be successful in moving towards your goals.

By Dada Vedaprajinananda

Ahimsa is the first of the moral principles that form the basis of yoga. It means not to hurt others by thought, word or deed. It sounds simple enough, but through the ages there have been different interpretations of Ahimsa and even today there are a lot of questions about the application of this yogic principle. Let’s take a look at a definition of Ahimsa that is suitable for the 21^st Century.

We shouldn’t hurt others, but what does this mean? Does “others” refer to other human beings only, or does it also mean other living beings. In the past, followers of an extreme interpretation of Ahimsa did not even want to plow their land, because they didn’t want to kill a worm or other small living beings. In the same vein, some people wore face masks so that they would not kill tiny creatures when they took a breath of air. If this version of Ahimsa was widely adopted, then humans would hardly be able to exist.

Later on the idea of not causing pain was restricted to humans only, and the slaughter of animals was considered to be OK. However, no animal voluntarily gives up its life to come onto our dinner table, and they do suffer when they are slaughtered. In today’s world, in which the idea that animals do indeed have rights is starting to be recognized, the best approach is to choose our food wisely and to consider whether it is really necessary to take the life of an animal in order to sustain our own lives.

In the 20^th Century Ahimsa came to be associated with non-violence and to the total non application force in intra-human relations. But here too, the application of Ahimsa becomes difficult if it is followed rigidly and without discriminating intellect. If someone strikes you, do you have a right to resist and defend yourself? If another country invades your country, does your country have the right to resist the attack? Clearly, a totally non-violent response in these extreme conditions would not be in your best interests or in the best interests of humanity at large. A sensible approach here is not go out of your way to fight with others or inflict pain, but when faced with an attack to defend yourself.

Taking harsh or disciplinary measures against attackers or criminals is not against Ahimsa because the intention is not to harm someone but to defend or protect individuals and society. Thus, it is not forceful action itself that is outside of Ahimsa, but it is forceful action with the deliberate intention to cause pain for no reason at all.

There is an old Indian folk tale that illustrates the proper approach to living in the world and following the principle of non-harming or Ahimsa.

Once there was a village that was being tormented by an extremely unpleasant snake. Whenever anyone went near the snake, the snake would bite that person. One day a yogi came to the village and the leaders of the village requested the yogi to do something about the troublesome snake.

The yogi looked around and found the snake. The yogi was highly developed and could communicate with the snake. He told the snake not to bite any of the villagers from then on. The yogi came back to the villagers and said that they shouldn’t worry about the snake any longer.

At first the villagers didn’t believe that the yogi had really done anything. But when they approached the snake, he did not rear up and threaten an attack. Gradually the boys of the village became bold and went very close to the snake and were not attacked. Then they grabbed the snake by the tail and swung him around, and the snake did nothing. They hurled the snake against some rocks, and tormented him. Still the snake did nothing.

A few weeks later the yogi returned and wanted to know how things were going in the village. The village chiefs said that all was well and that no one had been bitten by the snake since the last visit of the yogi. The yogi then went to see how the snake was doing, and found the poor creature near death. The yogi asked what had happened and the snake said that he was following instructions and not biting the villagers, but that it had all gone very bad for him as the boys took advantage of his completely passive response.

The yogi looked at the snake and said “I told you not bite, but I didn’t tell you not to hiss.”

You don’t sweat much when you do yoga postures, nor do you burn a lot of calories, however, yoga can definitely help you to lose weight. Yoga is more than just a few stretching exercises, it is a complete system which can help you to find inner peace, maintain harmony with everyone around you, and gain control over your mind. Believe me, if you accomplish all these things, it is quite easy to make the small changes in lifestyle that will help you to reduce your weight.

But although I say “believe me,” it is not a question of belief. Rather it is a question of doing yoga and getting the results. I recently wrote a book which offers a simple yoga program that helps people to lose weight. Try it out and see for yourself. For more information visit the Yoga Weight Loss Secrets Website

If you just look at someone doing yoga postures you might think it would be quite difficult to lose weight with yoga, because the exercises are gentle and you don’t see a lot of sweating or effort that is normally associated with exercise. However, there is more than meets the eye and yoga can play a part in a program of healthy weight loss. (more…)

“It is action that makes a person great. Be great by your sádhaná, by your service, by your sacrifice.” — Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

This is a quote from my spiritual teacher. He always emphasized action as opposed to theory and said that yoga is 90% action and 10% theory. So, there is no need to read tons of books on the subject. Rather, you should do your spiritual practices (sadhana), serve other human beings and make some sacrifices for the good of humanity. Lots of good advice in a single sentence. Enjoy your day!

Many people like to go on long trips to holy sites to try to “find God” but according to yoga this is not necessary. You don’t have to travel anywhere, at least in an outward direction. You have to travel inside and you will find what you are looking for.

This is how my spiritual teacher, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, describes it:

“The Supreme Consciousness is there in you as the oil is in the oilseed. Crush the seed through spiritual practice (sádhaná) and you attain Him; separate the mind from Consciousness and you will see that the resplendence of the Supreme Consciousness illuminates your whole inner being. He is there like butter in curd; churn it and He will appear from within. Churn your mind through spiritual practice and God will appear like butter from curd. He is like a subterranean river in you. Remove the sands of mind and you will find the clear, cool waters within.”

(Subháśita Saḿgraha IV, 126)

If you are interested in this spiritual approach to yoga, then vist the meditation website of Ananda Marga

7000 years ago, or so, Sadashiva, the founder of yoga, said that one of the seven secrets of spiritual success is to have a balanced mind.

What does this mean? One should not have a superiority complex, nor should one have an inferiority complex.  Everyone knows that a big ego is an impediment to spiritual growth. However, just as the “umbrella of ego” can prevent you from feeling the rain of spiritual grace, an inferiority complex can cause you to stop striving for perfection.

The balance between the two extremes is hard to achieve but it is possible.  The best way to achieve it is to remember that you are the son or the daughter of the Supreme Consciousness. If you remember this, you can never harbor an inferiority complex. Similarly if you remember this, you will be reminded that whatever strength you have has been provided by the Supreme Consciousness.

About 1500 years ago Caetanya Mahaprabhu gave a wonderful and concise formula for achieving this balanced mind. He said:

Trńádapi suniicena taroriva sahiśńnuná
Amáninaḿ mánadeyaḿ kiirtaniiya sadá harih.

One should be as humble as the grass and as tolerant as the trees, one should give respect to those whom no one respects, and always do kiirtan to the Lord.

So, when your vanity rears up, just remember the example of the humble, but strong, blades of grass that absorb a lot of wear but always bounce up again. Remember the example of a tree that gives everything to people but asks for nothing in return. Turn your attention to the people in society who are neglected and in all your spare moments, sing a spiritual song to God.

Any yogi can tell you that yoga will help you to become calm and overcome stress and depression. but up until now there has not been enough scientific proof to convince the skeptics. This may be changing, take a look at this excerpt from the Los Angeles Times:

Study Shows Hard Evidence That Yoga Elevates State of Mind

THE NOTION that yoga is a tonic for the mind, as well as the body, isn’t such a stretch anymore.

Practicing yoga might boost a neurotransmitter associated with regulating depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new report in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., used magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging to measure levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, in the brains of eight regular yoga practitioners. They found that the yoga group experienced a 27 percent increase in GABA levels after an hour of yoga, while 11 control subjects, who read for an hour, received no such benefits.

“The study shows that there’s a neurochemical response to the practice of yoga that’s similar to neurochemical responses we see when people are treated with antidepressants,” says lead author Dr. Chris Streeter, an assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine.

Although yoga has been associated with a reduction in depression and anxiety, the study is one of the first to provide hard evidence. “This is a behavioral intervention that you can use to augment treatment,” Streeter says. “I would recommend it.”

– Los Angeles Times