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Go Straight to Video for Yoga Training

The various postures of yoga have long been used as a basis for the stretching moves that are prescribed for athletes or used in other forms of exercise. It's no surprise, then, that a flood of yoga tapes is hitting the market.

There are tapes for Olympic-level athletes and tapes for rank beginners. There are tapes that will challenge your strength and endurance, and tapes that will lull you into blissful relaxation.

Here's a look at four yoga tapes, from the most difficult to the most basic. The only thing you need to get started is comfortable clothes and a non-skid surface like a sticky mat.

Embracing Power Yoga
This tape, led by Los Angeles instructor-to-the-stars Mark Blanchard, is the yoga version of boot camp. It's 85 challenging minutes of constant movement designed to build strength and endurance, with Blanchard leading a class of 13 men and women.

The tape is billed as appropriate for all levels, and there's a 5-minute segment at the beginning that offers a quick summary of how to do many of the basic yoga poses in the tape.


But that's not enough for novices, and the rest of the tape is far too strenuous for those who aren't extremely fit. You can tell that Blanchard isn't very interested in newcomers to yoga because he ignores the poor, fumbling fellow in the back row who has little flexibility.

Despite these deficiencies, this tape is wonderfully challenging and effective workout, judging by the sweat that pours off the members of the class. But unless you're already in good shape -- and by the standards of this tape, that means you can do push-ups, balance easily on one leg and have abs of steel -- you'll be better off with an easier tape.

Yoga Zone: Power Yoga for Strength and Endurance
This routine provides a great introduction to the strength-building postures of power yoga. It's taught by Lisa Bennett, who leads two exercisers through the 55-minute class.

One exerciser is a beginner; the other is more advanced. Beginners will be heartened to see that Bennett devotes plenty of time to helping Gina, the beginner, find modified versions of the postures that allow her to complete every segment of the routine. And veterans can learn much from her work with Charles as she guides him into more challenging moves.

One of Bennett's major strengths is her ability to provide clear, detailed descriptions of proper form, from the angle of a bent knee to the direction of an extended arm.

Though there's hard work to be done in this routine, Bennett's comforting tone and understanding demeanor make it pleasurable.


 
 
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Energetically, this weekend is no ordinary weekend, and Saturday's
full moon is no ordinary full moon, it's a Super Moon!  This is
what the NASA Science website says about it: 

"If a moonbeam wakes you up on the night of May 5th, 2012, you
might want to get out of bed and take a look.  This May's full Moon
is a "super Moon," as much as 14% bigger and 30% brighter than
other full Moons of 2012...on May 5th at 11:34 pm Eastern Daylight
Time.  Only one minute later, the Moon will line up with Earth and
the sun to become brilliantly full.  The timing is almost perfect."

May 5-6 is also the peak of the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.
Unfortunately, the light of the beautiful Super Moon will wash out
the opportunity to see all but the brightest meteors.

On a spiritual note:  Wesak occurs on the first full moon in May,
(Saturday in the US) and is considered to be the most powerful full
moon of the year.  It's a time when Buddha, Christ, and the entire
Spiritual Hierarchy of Ascended Masters come together in the Wesak
Valley in the Himalayas to bless humanity.

The clear, high energies of a full moon are ideal for burning off
the old and letting go of all that no longer serves us.  It's also
a potent time when various matters can come to the forefront to be
healed and manifested.
 
 
 
 
_The Energy Channels of Jesus

[Originally printed in time turning 03/2008 vision and 03/2008]
www.kaleshwar.org

The Indian master Sri Kaleshwar talks about his "short cut" to the divinity of Jesus Christ and about ways to be happy.

In his ashram in southern India Penukonda teaches the 35-year-old masters student of Sri Kaleshwar western Indian medicinal knowledge that is transmitted in the age-old palm leaves. Sri Kaleshwar publish soon a book about Jesus, his life and enlightenment in India and the meditation techniques that you can connect directly with the Divine. He believes that a spiritual master must bring his students to the same level of mastery.

Question: Your spiritual work focuses primarily on students from Western Europe and America. Can people who have grown up in the West, received the blessings of Indian tradition?

Sri Kaleshwar: I gave my students a lot of western energy channels and processes for cleaning and so set a very strong detergents in their lives going. Thousands of people have done it and achieved great success. You have followed a very disciplined way full of joy and now know what is the meaning of their lives. They are for themselves, but at the same time for others.

The tradition that I teach, is a short cut. If you are this way and clear the energy channels do, you can make an incredible spiritual experience. Without experience, it is difficult to open the heart. Jesus e.g. has helped his students some experience and that was the reason why they firmly believed in him and followed him.

You seem to admire Jesus very much. You call him the "big boss" in your ashram and have even built a temple which is dedicated to Jesus. What is the relationship you have with Jesus?

I saw him, his energy on this planet very much. He is a very powerful being, and he helped me with problems of different people. He is a wonderful friend, a champion. Jesus Christ predicted that his students are more powerful than he could master. That is true. It means that a part of his soul energy to other souls, to its students transfer to awaken them and give them specific skills.

Today there are many different opinions about the life of Jesus Christ. Who really believes in Jesus and think of it, should not be deterred by all these conflicting points of view. So you can make your soul happy.

You believe that Jesus came to India and studied with various masters, and attained enlightenment and healing capabilities in India. You have also taught special channels that you are "Jesus-channels" call ...

What I saw in my meditation, I learned that Jesus came to India and traveled to India. He has worked with many beautiful souls. You'll see very soon is his true life story come to the public. The world is now ready for it - the hearts are now open. People want to know the truth.

Does that mean that something new is developing in the West?

Yes. There are already quite a big success in the West. The Western students are very beautiful souls, but so far no one was strong enough to deal with them. The master must understand the needs of its students and concerned mostly with their feelings. Only then will you have for your students with a powerful, successful champion.

I have a lot of drug addicts, alcoholics, and Crazy Woman hero encounters. I will bring them to gradually stop it, so they come back to him and go into deep tranquility. This is important. The mind relaxes by reciting certain mantras and prayers, and thus receives certain vibrations in the soul. The increasingly brings inner peace. This is enough: Inner peace. What else does a man in the world?

What do you think is the biggest problem in Western countries?

There is not enough love. Most people want to dominate others, they want power.

Is there a cure for the many broken hearts?

Yes. Anyone suffering from a broken heart, should spend much time in nature and remain calm and peaceful with himself alone. This is a very good solution. When these people begin to be very quiet and peaceful in itself, automatically starts the healing. Inner Silence has a lot to do with spirituality. God does nothing but peace and love. When people start loving yourself and deal with the company, they will behave over the world over very carefully. Then they will be armed with plenty of love in a position to resolve any problem.

In the West, sometimes there are prejudices and fears towards the concept of a guru and his students. How important is a guru in the spirituality of our time?

A guru to his means that he must take care of his students.

Today, many gurus are criticized in a very weird way. Partly it is the fault of the student, the perfect treat to bring in their control and sometimes want to take advantage of it, if the master is very kind to them. Then also attracts the master benefits from its students. It does not happen only on one side, both sides are involved. A champion must be totally disciplined, strictly keep their distance while being friendly - then there are no controversial points of view.

Do you really need a master or guru in order to reach God?

In the early stages, yes, because you need someone. A Master to have does not mean that you need him for a lifetime. This concept is wrong. He is your friend, your helper who guides you, until you can take care of you later for yourself. If you want to learn anything special, you need someone who will help in the initial phase.

Some Western students are powerful healers and masters. They also have very much confidence. So there is not only Indian saints and gurus. There are many different masters in the world, but the message, the information they receive from God and the cosmic energy is the same.

You say that it is important not only to God in a vision, but to see with our physical eyes. God is not simply formless energy?

You can see him both ways, but it is advisable to have a really powerful experience. Perhaps you dream beautiful dreams or see a beautiful light and the divine in some way. There are many levels. I am now writing a new book about how you can connect to the channels of the Divine Mother.

What is the ultimate goal in spirituality?

Knowing who you are and what job you have.

What is the most important message you want to give the world?

Everyone needs to bring peace on earth. We need to take care of us all around each other. You have to take care of the pain of others. Even if you have many problems, you have to help somehow, if someone is in trouble. That is why we are here. Prema Loka created, the planet of pure love. Win Friends who are in any position to you. Trying to win as many sincere, frank, and really loving friends as possible. This is heaven. All the best.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you also. It was a nice interview.
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_
"Each morning when I open my eyes
I say to myself: I, not events, have the
power to make me happy or unhappy
today. I can choose which it shall be.
Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't
arrived yet. I have just one day, today,
and I'm going to be happy in it."

Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx

1890-1977, Comedian and Film Star
 
Insomnia 04/16/2012
 
_
Sleep is an essential part of good health. A good night's sleep can help you feel good, look healthy, work effectively and think clearly.

But sleep is not always so easy to come by. If you sometimes have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you're not alone. A 1991 Gallup study found that more than one-third of all Americans suffer occasional or chronic insomnia.
People often are surprised to learn that daytime drowsiness is not an inevitable, harmless byproduct of modern life, but rather a key sign of a sleep problem that could be disastrous if not treated.


Recent figures show that nearly a quarter of the population regularly cannot go to, or remain asleep, and every year doctors write out more than 14 million prescriptions for sleeping tablets.

The causes of sleeplessness are many and varied. 'It can be due to a medical condition, such as chronic pain from rheumatism or arthritis,' says Professor Jim Horne, who runs the Sleep Research Laboratory at Loughborough University. 'Or it can be chemical, as a result of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol.

Chronic or long-term insomnia is often associated with depression or anxiety, and environmental factors certainly contribute.' And sleepless nights, staring wild-eyed into the darkness, are worse than bad dreams,  for too many people--an estimated 9 percent of the American population--a good night's sleep is an elusive goal.

The consequences of fatigue from chronic sleeplessness include accidents in the car and at work, a dramatically increased risk of major depression, and worsening physical illness.

Immediate relief is available, in the form of hypnotic agents, for persons who have difficulty in falling or remaining asleep or who cannot obtain restful, restorative slumber.

However, long-term improvement usually involves behavioral therapy. These therapeutic approaches must be integrated if the patient's short- and long-term needs are to be addressed.

 
 
_Yoga for Modern City Life: Yoga is now a Lifestyle
Is it any surprise models are wrapping their wrists in mala beads, fashion designers are heading off to India for yoga retreats and there's a new line of active wear that takes its name from the Sanskrit mantra om.

To the uninitiated, yoga is pretzel-like poses and a dim memory of the Beatles visiting the Maharishi in the 1960s.
Gurmukh Kaur, the Center for Living's white-turbaned founder, travels by limo -- in a blaze of camera strobes -- with one of her students, singer Courtney Love.
What she does is kundalini yoga, Ms. Love told a reporter covering the bash for fashion-bible Women's Wear Daily. It's better for me than Prozac -- and the clothes are nice, too.

Ms. Love is hardly the only celebrity singing the praises of yoga -- or helping to catapult the 5,000-year-old practice onto the cutting edge.
Yoga Zone, a hip New York yoga studio with a half-hour show weekdays on cable's Health Network, has an entire catalog dedicated to the joy of yoga. In addition to the predictable range of videotapes, nonslip mats and meditation cushions, there are multiple pages of clothing and accessories.

Cotton-Lycra hipsters are the definitive Yoga Zone look for practice and beyond. Spaghetti-strap camisoles and halter tops with subtle embroidered logos come in black, slate, garnet, moss green and other quiet but current colors.
Even the jewelry has a fashion angle: Pendant necklaces with the Chinese symbol for clarity or the Sanskrit symbol for om are crafted by the hot fashion duo Me & Ro.


 
 
_Prevention of Heart Attacks

Strict changes in diet and lifestyle can not only prevent heart attacks, but can reverse the clogging of the arteries, according to a small but pioneering study.

The study showed that a vegetarian diet, moderate exercise and an hour a day of yoga and meditation could produce a reversal of atherosclerosis, a blockage of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack, in men and women who were strict in following the daily regimen.

Experts say this is the first study to report that such blockage can be reversed without using cholesterol-lowering drugs or surgery.

The study, which was conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish, director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., was presented at the meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. 

This is a tremendously important study in the control of heart disease. It's the very first study indicating regression of coronary heart disease without pharmaceutical intervention. The results also suggest that the current medical guidelines for changes in the habits of people with severe heart disease do not go far enough.

Previous studies have shown that exercise and diet changes can slow the progression of heart disease, but not reverse it.

While the study did not determine what percentage of improvement could be attributed to the lifestyle changes alone, the researchers noted that stress-control methods have been shown to ease recovery from a variety of disorders, including hypertension.

But some experts are skeptical of the need for stress-management methods, which are not currently among standard recommendations for those with severe heart disease.

Some experts on cardiac rehabilitation question whether most people with heart disease could follow such strict changes in their habits.

 
 
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_Perfect Truths about Yoga

Turbaned gurus, sing-song mantras and bodily contortions . . . the promise of true enlightenment and omphaloskepsis (contemplation of the naval) completes the cliche. But don't knock yoga till you've tried it, and then only with respect.

Yoga means to bind together -- variously joining sun and moon, left and right, male and female, and any number of yins and yangs -- through ascetic techniques of meditation and exercise. The goal is physical and mental balance.

Indian Hatha' yoga is best known to Westerners. Double-jointedness isn't a prerequisite, but the classic lotus position, cross-legged on the floor, soles-up on the inner thigh, either comes naturally or doesn't.

Then there are more magical/mystical varieties of yoga for which people quit jobs and polite society and retreat to the Himalayas. But not everyone follows a spiritual guide beyond the Beltway; they'd rather take up the discipline at a local ashram or the

gym.

Committed practitioners claim yoga leads to intuitive awareness, spiritual harmony, perfect concentration. Others use it to lose weight or quit smoking. Some just like the lift they get from yoga asanas (positions) better than breaking into a sweat with pushups. In any case, it can't hurt, if done in moderation and with proper guidance.


 
 

It increases muscular strength. It reduces tension and stress. It has a low potential for injury, and it doesn't even look like exercise.

Why, then, don't more people practice yoga.

People think of yoga as being passive and mystical - an otherworldly activity that doesn't relate to their lives. People are experiencing a vacuum because of all the outward directed activity, and they are going to have to go back to the experience of self.

Although the Indian discipline of yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, in this country there are few followers. Almost half the American adult population swims and close to a quarter runs or jogs, yet only 2 percent practices yoga.

The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning to yoke or connect. Through yoga's various techniques, one is said to arrive at mental and physical equilibrium, better health and inner peace. It has been described as providing, in effect, a ''work-in'' rather than a workout.

There are at least eight main branches of yoga and several offshoots of each, but essentially there are only two concerned with exercise: hatha yoga and kundalini yoga.

Hatha is the most popular type of yoga in the Western world. It is a slow-paced discipline that emphasizes controlled breathing and assuming various physical poses. It is said to aid the nervous system, the glands and the vital organs.

Kundalini, which was introduced to this country in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, is more active, combining various modes of breathing, movement and meditation. It is based on the idea that body energy that is coiled below the base of the spine can be tapped so that it travels upward through different energy centers or chakras until it reaches the head. At this point one arrives at one's highest potential.

Classically, there are 84 basic yoga positions, or asanas, which are coordinated with special breathing techniques. The asanas range from simple bends and twists to pretzel-like contortions reserved for the most advanced practitioners. The various poses elongate the muscles and build flexibility. Along with the proper breathing, they help rid the body of tension. Static holds isolate and strengthen particular muscles.

Asanas have been evolved over the centuries so as to exercise every muscle, nerve and gland in the body. They secure a fine physique, which is strong and elastic without being muscle-bound, and they keep the body free from disease. They reduce fatigue and soothe the nerves. But their real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind.

 

    Author

    Sheilah Blaxill, Drs.D.D, Master Healer,  Distant Healer, Mat #7253  in private practice since 1993 in California and Hawaii..
    Multidimensional Healing, Ordained Minister, Doctor of Divinity (2004 current)  Universal Life Church the Monastery (Active Member)  Reiki Master Teacher, State of Hawaii Dept of Education Clinical Practice Instructor, Licensed Massage Therapist. Crainosacral Therapist, Integrated Massage Therapy. Seichem Reiki Master. Member of Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals since 1994.  WMA Member, IAHE, Member,  SAI Shakti Healer,  Currently working on my BA Degree in Philosophy from the University of Sedona, Arizona. 


    Topics on this site will be a wide variety of life changing and motivating articles and excerpts from different books I've read and enjoyed and feel can inspire and help transform blocks and pain. My Ministry is to give and heal through information. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

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