Yogi Imperfect

Lingering Lifetimes in Laos ~ 10 Things to Stop Landmines

2010-01-26T11:20:00.001-08:00

Lingering in Laos

An echo of a memory, something familiar, but unplaceable...this is in part what many think of when they hear about Laos.

It is a small strip of a country sandwiched between the mighty kingdom of Thailand and heritage abundant Cambodia. Laos runs along the Mekong river, and is scattered with Buddhist and Hindu temples dating to the 8th century. Many of us in the West remember only a vague something to do with the Vietnam/American war...

Cambodia and Laos are covered with landmines from the Vietnam War, but Laos’ history is particularly oppressive, and it is one of the world's poorest nations and yet, Southeast Asia's most prolific land of unexploded bombs and landmines.

Laos is threatened by millions of unexploded small bombs that were dropped by the United States during the secret war in the 1970s to prevent communist and Vietnamese influence in the country. More than half of Laos's 236,800 sq kms, in 12 of 18 provinces, are littered with unexploded bombs.

The US dropped two million tons and 580,000 bombing missions - the equivalent of a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years in a secret bombing campaign from 1964-1973.

Legacy of Landmine

The bombing was an effort to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines and fend off the North Vietnamese Army. The Ravens, U.S. pilots in Laos, flew 1.5 times the number of air sorties flown in all of Vietnam.

Each cluster bomb scattered several hundred tennis-ball-sized bomblets (in Laos known as bombies) over 5000-sq-meter areas. About 260 million bombies fell over Laos with an estimated 53 million bombies dropped within one kilometer of inhabited villages.

Up to 30% of the bombies didn't detonate, leaving estimated 86 million unexploded bombies buried in fields, roads, forests, rivers and villages. Laos continues to have the largest unexploded landmines and bombs of any nation.

http://www.legaciesofwar.org/traveling-exhibit/history/history-bombing-laos

The “Dark Period” after 1975 with the dethroning of King Vatthana put the country into a highly socialised trade relationship with Vietnam which cut off trade with any other nation. Economic restrictions loosened in the 1980s and Laos was admitted into ASEAN in 1997. In 2005 the US establish trade relations, ending punitive taxes, and opening up tourism into the country. Now there is the beginning of an influx of tourists from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.

Fearlessness & Protection Mudra

In Sanskrit Abhaya means fearlessness, and Abhaya mudra symbolises protection, peace, and the dispelling of fear. The gesture is ancient, showing the hand empty of weapons, indicating friendship and peace. The gesture implies fearlessness before a potential enemy. In Buddhism, it is a symbol of the fearlessness and spiritual power of the one who makes it.

According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha made this gesture after enlightenment. When the Buddha was attacked by an angry elephant, he held up his hand in Abhaya mudrā and immediately calmed it.

The mudra is usually made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, arm bent with palm outward, fingers up and left hand down. When the right hand is in the abhaya mudra, the left hand usually makes the varada mudra (gift-giving gesture).

No War

In Laos, this mudrā is shown with both hands making a double Abhaya mudrā that is translated as "No War". The abhaya mudra on a (standing) walking Buddha is called 'the Buddha placing his footprint' and is unique to this region.

In a region that has suffered colonialism, civil war and the largest bombing mission throughout the American-Vietnam war, this is a particularly poignant symbol.

Laos is one of the poorest countries in the world, yet the people are celebrated for their passive and benevolent nature. It has the dubious distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in history, yet no war was ever declared on Laos. According to the United Nations Development Program, at current funding, the cluster bomb removal program in Laos may take up to 100 years to complete.

Don’t use landmines: not now, not ever again

The United States has not signed the International Mine BanTreaty

156 nations have signed the treaty, including Afghanistan, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, all of Europe except Finland, all of sub-Saharan Africa except Somalia, almost half of the Middle East and North Africa (including Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Algeria), and the entire Western Hemisphere, except for the United States and Cuba.

International Land Mine Ban Treaty

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is a global network that works for a world free of antipersonnel landmines and cluster munitions. The Campaign was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizein recognition of efforts for the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. The organisation has been advocating for the treaty to become a reality, demonstrating civil society has the power to change the world.

A member of the Cluster Munition Coalition, the ICBL is engaged in the global effort to ban cluster munitions and address their humanitarian impact.

We can help build a world free of landmines and cluster munitions. The strength of change comes from US at local, national and international levels.

10 Things You Can Do

1. Learn about landmines and cluster munitions

Visit the ICBL site, read about the latest global developments in theLandmine Monitor Report, have a look at list of links.

2. Join a local campaign or start one

Contact one of the national campaigns to ban landmines. If there is no campaign in your country then consider starting your own! If you are from an international organization, contact us to learn more about affiliation.

3. Sign the People's Treaty

Help put pressure on governments by signing the People's Treaty to ensure the Convention on Cluster Munitions enters into force as soon as possible.

4. Send a lobbying letter

Write to one of the countries that have not joined the treaties. Urge them to get on board!

Write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of treaty members states and urge them to lobby the non-member states to join. Read writing tips and sample letters.

5. Get the word out

Write to a local newspaper, call up a radio station, and send information to your friends. The ICBL Campaign Kit is filled with tips

6. Organise a public event

Raise awareness in your community! Organise a photo or art exhibition, arrange a film screening, start a landmine and cluster munition awareness day/week, set up a letter-writing event, hold a public demonstration, host a benefit conference.

7. Stay informed

Subscribe to ICBL newsletter

8. Volunteer

If you are as passionate about this issue as we are and willing to dedicate some of your time, volunteer or intern for ICBL

9. Contribute to Landmine Monitor

Consider providing information for the Landmine Monitor Report. Find out about their research network and whether you can contribute by looking at the Landmine Monitor website or writing to lm [at] icbl.org.

10. Make a donation

Support the ICBL online, by mail or by telephone. Every bit counts!

Peace is Possible

Southeast Asian countries know landmines are a threat to their people and to national stability. Thailand will begin to de-mine borders with Laos and Cambodia. The entire Southeast Asian region may not be entirely free of landmines, but Laos and Cambodia play an important role to demonstrate how the commitment of countries and agencies can collaborate for change. Asean, the Asean Region Forum, and the Committee on Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific are working together to combat this issue.

Other Landmine and Cluster Munitions Agencies:

Antipersonnel Mine Ban Convention - Official Website

Cluster Munition Coalition

E-Mine (United Nations' Electronic Mine Information Network)

Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Office for Disarmament Affairs - United Nations Office at Geneva

Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty - Official Webpage

Australian Government Aid

Handicap International

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

CORA WEN grew up with a Buddhist nun and was influenced by Master Hsuan Hua as a child. She took refuge in the Buddha as a teen, sowed wild oats in New York City throughout the late 70s, and had 2 successful careers in the Fashion Industry and Corporate Banking. She grew up in Hong Kong, Europe and the US, and has travelled extensively in Southeast Asia. Since 1994, Cora has taught Yoga internationally, mentored by America’s most influential Yoga lineage. Cora went to Laos for the first time in 2009, and has worked since 2002 in support of indigenous culture for exiled Tibetan people and Cambodian land mine victims. Cora is registered ERYT500 with Yoga Alliance, CYT with Internatianal Association of Yoga Therapists.www.corawen.com

The Sacred Number 7 Seven

2010-01-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.
- French Proverb

Sacred Number Seven

Seven is commonly thought of as a mystic or sacred number. It is four and three, which were considered lucky numbers by Pythagoras

A few days ago, I celebrated my 49th sun and 50th moon cycles. Being Chinese, I look at our traditional system of aging and based on the Chinese lunar calendar, I am 50 and my birthday passed in Dec, but according to the Western Gregorian calendar, my birth date is in January, and I am 49.

Now this is a basic question – how old are you? Yet I am not sure…

So this has made me think of movement of life and the meaning of numbers. Turning 50 has always been celebrated in Western culture as a significant passage – it’s half a century, and in ancient times, we were clos

er to death than to life.

So on my 7 x 7 Jubilee year, I wanted to share some sweet sacred sevens…enjoy!

Bible

In the Bible there are Seven days of Genesis, Seven days in the week, Seven graces, Seven deadly sins, Seven years of famine, Seven years of plenty, Seven divisions in the Lord’s Prayer and Seven gifts of the Holy Ghost

In the Apocalypse, there are Seven Churches of Asia , Seven candlesticks, Seven stars, Seven trumpets, Seven spirits, Seven horns, Seven vials, Seven plagues, Lamb with Seven eyes and a Seven-headed monster. Seventy Israelites go to Egypt with an exile lasting Seventy years, there are Seventy elders, Seventy languages and Seventy nations upon earth.

Seven Last Words are the last utterance of Christ on the cross – “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mark 15:34 and Matt. 27:46

Ancient Hebrews had Seven names of God: El, Elohim, Adonai, Yhwh (Jehovah), Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyer, Shaddai, and Zebaot.

Every Seventh year was sabbatical, and Seven times Seven years is the jubilee, along with Seven days are the celebration of weddings and mourning for the dead.

The three great Jewish feasts Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Sukkot (Festival of Booths) last Seven days; and between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are Seven weeks. The Talmud has Seven stages in the life of man, and the Seventh son of a Seventh son is thought to have mystical and magical powers.

Biblical purifications last Seven days; Balaam had Seven alters, and sacrificed Seven bullocks and Seven rams; Naaman dipped Seven times in the Jordan river; Elijah prayed Seven times, and sent his servant Seven times to look for rain.

Seven Deadly Sins – pride, covetousness, lust, gluttony, anger, envy and sloth

Seven Principal Virtues – faith, hope, charity, prudence, temperance, chastity and fortitude

Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost – wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, godliness and fear of the Lord.

Mythology

Arabians have Seven holy temples and Persian legends talk of Seven caverns which aspirants must pass in Seventy years.

In Egypt, Seven is sacred to Osiris and there are Seven Hothors who predict or bestow a newborn’s fate. Pharaoh had a dream where he saw Seven years for his wives, and Seven priests with Seven trumpets marched round Jericho once every day, but Seven times on the Seventh day.

Samson’s wedding feast lasted Seven days; on the Seventh he told his bride the riddle, he was bound Seven times, and Seven locks of his hair were cut off.

Nebuchadnezzar was a beast for Seven years. Astrologers and alchemists recognized Seven planets, and there are many ancient theories connecting seven with the human body and phases of development and formation

In Greco-Roman mythology, Apollos harp has Seven strings, and according to Orphic legends, was torn into Seven pieces Pan has Seven reeds in his pipe.

Seven Sages Name given by Greek tradition to Seven men of practical wisdom–statesmen, law-givers, and philosophers – Solon of Athens, Thales of Miletus, Pittacus of Mitylene, Cleobulus of Rhodes, Chilon of Sparta, Bias of Priene, and Periander of Corinth.

Arabians have Seven holy temples and Persian legends talk of Seven caverns which aspirants must pass in Seventy years.

In Egypt, Seven is sacred to Osiris and there are Seven Hothors who predict or bestow a newborn’s fate. A whirling dervish turns Seven times toward heaven before spinning

Pharaoh had a dream where he saw Seven years for his wives; Seven priests with seven trumpets marched round Jericho once every day, but Seven times on the Seventh day.

Samson’s wedding feast lasted Seven days; on the Seventh he told his bride the riddle, he was bound Seven times, and Seven locks of his hair were cut off.

Folklore

Snow White had Seven Dwarfs helping her and there is The Island of the Seven Cities. This is a land of Spanish fable where Seven bishops founded Seven cities. The legend says that whoever visits the island never leaves it.

A collection of tales, Seven Wise Masters is about a sultans sons education in the Seven liberal arts by Seven wise masters. Also known as The Seven Viziers, The Story of the Seven Sages, or Sinbadnameh. During Seven days when the prince w

as ordered to maintain silence, his stepmother tried to seduce him. Having failed, she tried to accuse the prince and sought to bring his death by telling Seven stories. Each of her narratives was confuted by Seven sages, who in turn told tales. There are variant versions of these stories and the oldest text is in The Thousand and One Nights

A traditional English rhyme:

As I was going to St. Ives, I met a man with Seven wives.

Each wife had Seven sacks, Each sack had Seven cats,

Each cat had Seven kits, Kits, cats, sacks, wives–

How many were going to St. Ives?

Seven Dwarfs – are two S’s, two D’s, and three emotions. Two S’s: Sleepy and Sneezy; two D’s: Dopey and Doc; and three emotions: Happy, Bashful, and Grumpy.

Literature

The Hawthorne tale House of Seven Gables is considered a classic of American literature.

Shakespeare made literary use of Seven in King Lear and most frequently quoted line is from “as You Like It”, and refers to the Seven ages of man: infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloon, and second childhood, “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything”.

History

Seven Champions are the mediaeval patron saints of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Spain, and Italy – 1) St. George of England was Seven years imprisoned by Almidor, the black king of Morocco 2) St. Denys of France lived Seven years in the form of a hart 3) St. James of Spain was Seven years dumb out of love for a fair Jewess 4) St. Anthony of Italy, was enchanted into a deep sleep in the Black Castle, and was released by St. George’s three sons, who quenched the Seven lamps 5) St. Andrew of Scotland delivered six ladies who had lived Seven years under the form of white swans 6) St. Patrick of Ireland was immured in a cell where he scratched his grave with his own nails 7) St. David of Wales slept Seven years in the enchanted garden of Ormandine

Early Rome was ruled by a succession of Seven kings. 1) Romulus (founder of the city) 2) Numa Pompilius 3)Tullus Hostilius 4) Ancus Martius 5) Tarquinius Priscus 6) Servius Tullius 7) Tarquinius Superbus

Seven Year’s War (1756-1763) against Fredrick the Great of Prussia was waged by France, Austria, and Russia. England.

Religion

Seven Senses – the “inward holy body” are Seven properties under the influence of the Seven planets. Fire animates, earth gives sense of feeling, water gives speech, air gives taste, mist gives sight, flowers give hearing, the south wind gives smelling. Seven senses are animation, feeling, speech, taste, sight, hearing, and smelling.

In Buddhism Seven represents ascent toward the spiritual center which occurs in Seven stages. Muslims have Seven heavens and a whirling dervish turns Seven times toward heaven before spinning.

Seven Heavens is a concept of ultimate spiritual bliss based upon the Koran. Muslims believe Allah created Seven heavens, on above another, and that the Prophet Muhammed was carried there on his horse Borak.

The Muhammadan Seventh Heaven, is said to be “beyond the power of description.” One goes after death to the Heaven he has earned on earth, and the Seventh Heaven, ruled by Abraham, is the ultimate one, a region of pure light lying above the other six, the Heaven of Heavens.

In India, there are Seven Chakras (energy centers) in the body which correspond to states of consciousness, developmental stages of life, archetypal elements, body functions, colors, sounds, and more. They are a formula for wholeness and a template for transformation.

Japanese have Seven gods of luck known as the Shichi-fuku-jin. They are comical deities depicted on a treasure ship. The Shichi-fuku-jin are personifications of earthly happiness in Japanese folk religion.

Hotei ~ laughing Buddha of mirth and merriment
Bishamonten ~ watchman
Fukurokuju ~ god of longevity
Jurojin ~ god of scholorship
Daikoku ~ god of nutrition
Ebisu ~ god of fishing
Benzaiten ~ goddess of music

7 More Sevens

Seven Liberal Arts – classification of the educational curriculum in the West during the Middle Ages, from the late fifth century AD onwards. The name ‘liberal arts’ originates with Aristotle who talks of the basic knowledge needed for a properly educated citizen. They were divided into the trivium, namely grammar (i.e. literature), rhetoric, and dialectic, and the more advanced quadrivium, namely arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.

Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin, published in 1849 – Sacrifice, Truth, Power, Beauty, Life, Memory, and Obedience.

Seven Seas – Arctic and Antarctic, North and South Pacific, North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean.

Seven Natural Wonders of the World – 1) Mt. Everest 2) Victoria Falls 3) The Grand Canyon 4) The Great Barrier Reef.5) The Northern Lights.6) Paricutin 7) The Harbor at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – 1) Pyramids at Giza, Egypt 2)The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Asia Minor 3) The Colossus of Rhodes 4) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon 5) The Statue of Zeus at Olympia 6) The Pharos of Alexandria 7) Mausoleum at Halicamassus, Asia Minor

Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages – 1) The Colosseum of Rome 2) The Catacombs of Alexandria, Egypt 3) The Great Wall of China 4) Stonehenge 5) The Leaning Tower of Pisa 6) The Porcelain Tower of Nanking.7) The Mosque of Hagia Sophia

The Seven-year itch has been synonymous for sexual desire since 1660. When first recorded in 1899, it meant “a type of itch allegedly requiring Seven years of healing.” Influenced by the sense of itch as sexual desire, it came to mean a married man’s urge to roam after Seven years of marriage, a meaning popularized by The Seven Year Itch (1955) with Marilyn Monroe.

Hope all y’all had fun with these numbers….I did!

The years between fifty and Seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down.
- T.S. Eliot

Winter = Kidney Kindness

2010-01-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/12/chinese-winter-begins-on-solstice-nourish-kidney-chi/

by Cora Wen on Dec 20, 2009 | Elephant Journal

Winter

Element – Water, Colour – Black, Nature – Yin

Organs – Kidney/Bladder Emotion – Fear/Willpower
Taste – Salty, Condition – Cold, Direction – North

Today is the shortest day and longest night of the year ~ Winter Solstice. In Chinese Medicine the short day and long night is the balance point of Yin and Yang. With the Solstice today, we are officially in Winter.

Winter is full Yin and has the characteristics of inactive, cool, damp, slow, feminine, and quiet as everything slows down. Our bodies instinctively want to rest, reflect, conserve and store energy. Giving ourselves time for introspection, rest, and conserving energy (Ch’i)prepares us for the outburst of growth and activity in the new year.

This is the season of Yin (darkness and conservation) dominating over Yang (light and movement). Chinese Medicine sees Nature and its patterns, forms and seasons reflected in our bodies and emotions. Each season is associated with an element, emotion, organ, and taste, so if we are in harmony with our environment, we adapt better and stay healthy.

The change from Autumn to the colder, darker days of Winter changes or emotions, and we can feel moody, depressed and lethargic. This is the time to store and conserve, much as bears hibernate or farmers prepare for winter. The more we understand the energy of Nature around us, the better our emotions will be in balance with the world.

Winter is the Water element, and associated with kidneys, bladder, and adrenal glands. According to Chinese wisdom, Kidneys are the source of all energy (Ch’i), and store Ch’i for times of stress and change, to heal, prevent illness, and help aging.

Kidneys govern the low back, so be mindful with the snow and cold, and conserve your Kidney Ch’i by treating back injuries quickly as they can persist in winter. This final part of the year can be filled with a hectic pace of shopping, socialising, travelling, decorating and other high energy consumption, so find time to slow down and get in sync with Natures cycles.

It is important to nurture and nourish your Kidney Ch’i and keep this area warm and covered, since this energy can be easily depleted.This season also stresses the ears so cover your head and neck to fortify kidney energy. In Winter, digestion slows and heart function is at a low ebb so your circulation also slows. Sugar lowers the white blood count, so moderation is key. Watch the Holiday goodie intake!

This is the perfect time to treat yourself to some Restorative Yoga to nourish your spirit. To activate digestion and keep the spine awake and healthy, infuse your Yoga practice with twists. Activate Kidney Ch’i as you twist from the belly and back body. Forward folding is another way to focus awareness inward, but make sure you keep the heart lifted in forwards bends or the practice can become melancholy, and exacerbate emotions of fear and depression in the Kidney. Here’s some tips on Yoga for Solstice

Chinese believe we can live in harmony with the cycles of Natures to be healthy. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down, and our bodies instinctively understand the principles of winter. This is the time to reflect, replenish, and conserve energy and strength.

Here are a few tips to staying healthy this season:

Emphasize warming foods like hearty soups and stews, whole grains, roasted nuts, root vegetables, beans, garlic, ginger, miso and seaweed. Helps warm the core and nourishes Yin.
Sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend less energy. Restores Kidney Ch’i.
Find ways to relax and release stress on a daily basis. Include yoga, meditation, relaxation therapy or nap. Releases stress and pressures of life.
Share thoughts and release emotions that are stuck or repeating, and find moments for meditation. Nourishes and strengthens wisdom/willpower.
Seasonal acupuncture help tonify the organ system. Preventative treatment for body harmony.
Some Solstice Yoga tips.
Some Chinese Medicine tips

The human body is a microcosm of the universe, and finding equilibrium is a powerful and natural way to health and well being. Connecting and understanding the body within Nature strengthens this house for the spirit to bloom…

“The wise nourish life by flowing with the four seasons and adapting to cold or heat, by harmonizing joy and anger in a tranquil dwelling, by balancing Yin and Yang, and what is hard and soft. So it is that dissolute evil cannot reach the man of wisdom, and he will be witness to a long life.”

~ Huangdi Neijing Suwen

Bend, Breathe, Bloom..!

Traditions, Reflections and Cyber Sangha Love on this Blue Moon New Years Eve, by Cora Wen DECEMBER 31, 2009 in YOGADORK NEWS, HOLIDAY 2009

2010-01-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

And now….New Years traditions and reflections by the one and only sirsa queen, the gracious and inspiring yogacrone, Cora Wen!

Do You Believe in Magic? Standing in the Full Blue Moonlight

Oak Moon, Bitter Moon, Snow Moon, Long Night Moon, Cold Moon, Rain and Wind Moon - these are some traditional names given to the December moon. Tonight we have the unusual event of a second full moon in a calendar month, known as a Blue Moon.

As the saying goes, magical things happen once upon a blue moon, and it is a rare lunar event to coincide with New Years Eve ~ there won’t be another New Year Blue Moon until 2028!

This Blue Moon got me reflecting on the years 40th anniversary of the moon landing and the 400th anniversary of Galileos telescope to see the moon clearly for the first time. Interesting coincidences…moon sighting, moon landing, moon blue as we shift into the teens of this millennium! (http://wechoosethemoon.org/ )

This year was a wild ride ~ the first multicultural leader of a democratic society, a global economic shift that changed our perspective like a gigantic “reset” button, and many childhood icons of contemporary culture from television, film, music and social consciousness left this life. The natural storms and disasters that come with each passing year, and corporate giants storming through huge shifts and changes.

I am not one for resolutions, or regrets…Buddhist training has tied me into the present, and Yoga has reminded me to stay in the breath. Not the last or next breath, but this one right now. So resolutions seem too distant and regrets have never proven useful.

My biggest and best resonance of the year was discovering and developing the incredible cyber sangha on the web…wonderful connections and new friends through Yogadork and cyber communities of Elephant Journal, Facebook and Twitter. YogaDawg and other blogspots have connected me into communities across the globe, and as last week’’s map showed; our community is growing and moving across the world! Rocking the planet one yogadork at a time…sometimes even on our heads!

Developing sincere friendships with Tweet peeps like @innerspaceyoga, @yoga_mydrishti and @ashdyogi are some of my best memories of 2009, and the cyber sangha has sometimes proven a greater support than studio communities. We have reminded each other in “being” rather than “doing” Yoga; joining together in a true vision of connection and sharing that defines Yoga as something greater than exercise.

Teaching, learning and sharing through Youtube, blogs, Ning and other mediums has connected us in ways that are truly magical. I can demonstrate how to use a chair for scorpion to someone in Connecticut, Oklahoma. London and Australia in one day! How much more magic is needed than that?

Discovering these connections and developing community is like seeing and landing on the moon in one sweep! Ashtangis, Anusaraians, Bikrams, Iyengarites, Vinis and others discussing asana, Sutra, Gita and more has been a bright light; much like the upcoming full moon rising tonight. Our journey is a bit faster than Galileos telescope to NASA, but in some ways, the journey has been longer in the 5000+ lineage of Yoga to join us together in our innovative virtual shala!

As a Chinese born Yogini living in California celebrating the New Year in Ireland, I am reminded of how closely connected we are… There is an Irish tradition of banging doors and walls with bread to chase away bad luck and bring good spirits into the New Year. Perhaps my “banging” on Twitter to the newfound cyber sangha will bring abundance in 2010 too!

In Asia, children jump up and down at midnight to grow tall, and sunrise celebrations honoring ancestors and elders bring luck. There are diverse traditions and celebrations to wish good luck for the New Year around the globe, and many include foods both savory and sweet. From pigs to grapes to honey drenched balls of fried dough, these dishes ensure a sweet and successful year. Holiday traditions vary with countries and cultures, but all have in common the sharing of warm wishes with friends and family for happiness, health and prosperity in the New Year.

So on the eve of 2010, as we pass into the teens of the new millennium, let us watch this blue moon arise and celebrate a beautiful open exchange of ideas, information, insight and inspiration. Like the astronauts felt when they walked on the moon, I have hope and delight in this virtual community for us to collaborate and connect and keep rocking the cyber sangha…

Keep sharing and caring in our cyber sangha, and keep viewing the world from every angle…especially upside down! We have until 2028 to see the next Blue New Years Moon ~ can we fill the world with laughing, smiling Yogadorks spreading the message that Yoga heals and connects, and more than ever, Peace IS possible!

with love and pranams,
Cora, the Yogacrone
www.corawen.com

http://www.yogadork.com/2009/12/31/traditions-reflections-and-cyber-sangha-love-on-this-blue-moon-new-years-eve-by-cora-wen/

Meet Cora Wen! And the Sirsasana Challenge, It’s On 2010! DECEMBER 15, 2009 in YOGADORK NEWS, PUBLIC DISPLAY OF YOGA

2010-01-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

She calls it Sirsa Graffiti Around the World. We call it Awesome! Meet Cora Wen!

The world traveling yogini who makes it her business to share her ever expanding knowledge of yoga through teacher trainings and workshops all

over the globe, and on her head! See if you can spot the stillness of a yogi in the video above.

We love Cora for her buoyant spirit and infectiously zestful cheer. Having studied with the likes of Erich Schiffmann, Patricia Walden and Judith Hanson Lasater, Cora is a

teacher’s teacher and we greatly admire her contribution to the world of yoga. AND for telling us all about our mudr

as - a fave of her recent blog posts, Mudras and Meaning. But what really has us going bonkers? Cora, upside do

wn, all over the world! Cora Wen is the sirsa garden gnome of yoga! –Do not try (most of) this at home yogadorks.

Recently spotlighted on comedic cohort yogadawg.com, and prominently featured on our conscious big brother elephantjournal.com, it’s Sirsa Graffiti all right, and it sparked the rumbles of a DIY challenge! Are you up for it?

Sirsa Snapshot Challenge: It’s simple. Grab a camera, a pal to take the pic, and you know the rest! Of course, this is all for fun and not a contest so get creative, but please, as conscious yogis, be safe and mindful! Maybe even wear your #yogadork tee to make it extra dorkie. This is way easier than our impromptu yoga video challenge (hopefully).

Then post your photos on your blog, as fan photos on the yogadork facebook page or Cora’s page.

Let’s make this a challenge for the new year and see if we can keep it up through 2010. OK go!

Scroll down for our favorites in the Sirsa collection and go to Cora’s facebook album for the full set.

http://www.yogadork.com/2009/12/15/meet-cora-wen-and-the-sirsasana-challenge-its-on-2010/

Yoga in the Himalayas

2010-01-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

Do Yoga. Sit in Stillness. Do Good Works.

Bordering Tibet and nestled between Nepal and Bhutan, lies Sikkim. An independent Buddhist kingdom until 1975, Sikkim now welcomes a few visitors to share its beautiful mountain setting covered in flowers and forests, with hidden valleys, mystical monasteries and snow-fed lakes. The remoteness, spectacular mountain terrain, varied flora & fauna and ancient Buddhist monasteries makes Sikkim a Shangri-La in the Himalayan region.

The first part of the trip is in Sikkim with our thangka painter friend Tseten Dorjee. His wife Tsongmo will give us Tibetan cooking classes. Sikkim is like Tibet was before the Chinese invasion, since there are so many Tibetans there. It is known as the last best place in India, with very little tourism. The trip will be worth the effort because of the beauty, the people, the itinerary, the yoga and discussions. If the skies are clear, we will see the breathtaking panoramic views of the Kanchenjunga range, with verdant hills and valleys steeped in colour, rolling into emerald tea gardens.

The second part of the trip is Bhutan, which will be well worth the travel, as the beauty of Bhutan is legendary. People call it Shangri-La.

Cora, born in China, is a real peace missionary between Chinese people and Tibetans - she seeks to create understanding between both sides - and to let the Tibetan people know that not all Chinese approve of their government's policies toward Tibet.

We will visit the site of the Tibetan Children's Education Foundation's next project - a hostel for the Children of itinerant Tibetan families. This hostel will have an emphasis on art and on elders. Tseten and his family will be managing the hostel. We will include an elder's hostel for the many Tibetan elders who have become stranded in India without relatives or finances.

We hope you will join us - you won't regret it!

For full itinerary and more information, email cora@corawen.com or info@featheredpipe.com.

Call (406) 442-8196 with questions or to register.

My Favourite Bhagavad Gita भगवद्गीता

2009-12-15T16:38:00.000-08:00

Bhagavad Gita भगवद्गीता

Chapter 6 ~ Samkhya Yoga

The Science of Self Realisation

In chapter six Lord Krishna reveals astanga Yoga, and the exact process of practicing such yoga. He explains in detail the difficulties of the mind and the procedures by which one may gain mastery of their mind through Yoga which reveals the spiritual nature of a living entity.

uddhared ātmanātmānaḿ

nātmānam avasādayet

ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur

ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

uddharet — one must deliver; ātmanā — by the mind; ātmānam — the conditioned soul; na — never; ātmānam — the conditioned soul; avasādayet — put into degradation; ātmā — mind; eva — certainly; hi — indeed; ātmanaḥ — of the conditioned soul; bandhuḥ — friend; ātmā — mind; eva — certainly; ripuḥ — enemy;ātmanaḥ — of the conditioned soul.

TRANSLATION

Only by the Self can one uphold oneself, and only by the Self can one degrade oneself. Self is the friend of oneself, and its enemy as well.

The word ātmā is body, mind and soul. In Yoga, the mind and the conditioned soul are especially important, and liberation of the mind is Yoga, so ātmā is the mind.

The purpose of Yoga is to see the mind clearly and to draw it away from attachment to sense objects. It is stressed the mind must be trained so well, it can deliver the soul from the mire of ignorance.

In material existence one is influenced by the mind and sense perception. We are entangled in the material world because the mind is in false ego, which desires and grasps.

The mind can be trained so that it will not be attracted by the material world, and the conditioned soul may be liberated from bondage.

The more one is attracted by sense objects, the more one becomes entangled in material existence. The best way to disentangle is to keep the mind focused in pure consciousness.

http://www.bhagavad-gita.us/

"For man, mind is the cause of bondage and mind is the cause of liberation. Mind absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage, and mind detached from the sense objects is the cause of liberation." ~Amrta-bindu Upanishad

mana eva manuṣyāṇāḿ

kāraṇaḿ bandha-mokṣayoḥ

bandhāya viṣayāsańgo

muktyai nirviṣayaḿ manaḥ

Mitakuye Oyasin ~ We are all related ~the Lakota people

2009-12-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

1. “The voice of the land is in our language." --From the National First Nations Elders/Language Gathering, M'igmaq Nation [Canada]

2. "Our languages are the cornerstone of who we are as a people." --Mary Richards and Ida Bear, Winnipeg [Canada]

3. “Your language. Your tradition. Your family, All the relations of the World. We are not by ourselves. We are in Unison, Watch...” --From a poem by Damon Clarke, Hualapai [USA]

4. The indigenous languages of the original inhabitants of the Americas must be revitalized and perpetuated.

5. Of the more than 6,000 languages currently being spoken, fewer than half are likely to survive the next century. When a language is gone, it is gone forever. - Terra Lingua website 6. In the United States there are 19,000 speakers of Dakota. Including Canada, the total population of speaker of the Dakota language is 23,000.

7. Dakota is spoken in Northern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, North and South Dakota, and Canada.

8. Dakota is related to Lakota, another Siouan language. In the United States, there are 6,000 total Lakota speakers out of a total 20,000 population including Canada 9. Lakota is spoken in Northern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, North and South Dakota, northeastern Montana

10. The importance of language in human life and in determining the place of humans in the world is stressed in most past and present cultures on earth. In many religious traditions the spoken word is creative power. …. Among peoples as different as the Dogon of Nigeria and the Navajo of the southern United States, elaborate theories of language exist that see language as the means through which the world is created, organized, classified, and beautified. -Terra Lingua website

Thinking of the 5 Subjects for Frequent Recollection...

2009-12-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

Jarādhammomhi jaraṃ anatīto/a

Vyādhidhammomhi vyādhiṃ anatīto/a

Maraṇadhammomhi maraṇaṃ anatīto/a

Sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo/a

Kammassakomhi kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇo yaṃ kammaṃ karissāmi kalyāṇaṃ vā pāpakaṃ vā tassa dāyādo bhavissāmī

Evaṃ amhehi abhiṇhaṃ paccavekkhitabbaṃ

I am of the nature to age, I have not gone beyond ageing
I am of the nature to sicken, I have not gone beyond sickness
I am of the nature to die, I have not gone beyond dying
All that is mine, beloved and pleasing, will become otherwise, will become separated from me

I am the owner of my kamma, heir to my kamma, born of my kamma, related to my kamma, abide supported by my kamma. Whatever kamma I shall do, for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.

Thus we should frequently recollect.

Stillness and Motion in Laos

2009-12-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

This is shot in downtown Luang Prabang at the old bridge for motobikes and bicycles. It is one of the busiest intersections in this heritage town and we thought it was a good place to see a different view..!

Jack says that I usually pick quiet, peaceful spots and suggested a less relaxing spot to strike a pose. We ended up walked across town one day and I saw this spot and thought it met his description for less quiet and relaxed...

Can you find the yogini?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtV4OAuNG0I

What Colour is Your Prayer Flag?

2009-12-06T08:48:00.001-08:00

Images of colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind, a dance of shadow and light against the majestic Himalayas. These speak of freedom and wishes for goodness and peace on the planet

In the high mountains, it is a simple way to gain merit by putting up prayer flags for the benefit of all beings. Prayer flags are ancient Buddhist prayers, mantras and symbols that have a powerful spiritual vibration carried by and into the wind.

Prayer flags date to ancient Tibet, China, Persia and India, and the texts and symbols are based in Buddhist philosophy. Pre-Buddhist shamanistic priests used colored flags in healing ceremonies, arranging them around a patient harmonising the elements for physical and mental health. Colored flags were used to appease gods and spirits of the mountains, valleys, lakes and streams, thought to cause natural disasters and disease.

Tibetan word for prayer flag is Dar Cho

“Dar” ~ increase life, fortune, health and wealth

“Cho” ~ all sentient beings

Traditionally, prayer flags are in sets of five of five colors. The colors represent the five elements, and the Five Pure Lights and are arranged from left to right in specific order. Chinese medicine trusts health and harmony are produced through balancing these 5 elements.

The order of color is always: yellow, green, red, white and blue. In vertical display yellow goes at the bottom and blue at the top. For horizontal display the order can go from right to left or left to right.

Nyingma (Ancient Ones) School:

Blue ~ sky/space

White ~ air/wind/cloud

Red ~ fire

Green ~ water

Yellow ~ earth

When raising prayer flags proper intention is important. If they are put up with “I will benefit from this” – which is an ego-centered motivation, benefits will be small. If the attitude is “May all beings everywhere receive benefit and find happiness,” the virtue generated by such motivation increases the power of prayers.

Tibetan tradition considers prayer flags to be holy, and they bear sacred texts and symbols that need to be treated respectfully. They should not be placed on the ground or put in the trash. When disposing of old prayer flags the traditional way is to burn them so the smoke may carry their blessings to the heavens.

Prayer flags move with the wind, quietly harmonising the world, impartially increasing happiness and good fortune to all beings. These prayers are blessings borne on the breath of nature. All beings touched by the wind are uplifted and a little happier. As a drop of water resumes into the ocean, prayers dissolve in wind extend to fill space.

May the winds rise to carry happiness along...

"For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world" - Shantideva prayer

Mudras and Meaning

2009-12-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

A mudrā Sanskrit: मुद्रा, lit. "seal", is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. A mudrā is a spiritual and energetic seal in the spiritual practice of East Asian religions. Some mudrās involve the entire body, but most are shown with hands and fingers.

Some important mudras are:

Dhyani Mudra Gesture of Meditation

Vitarka Mudra Gesture of Teaching

Dharmachakra Mudra Turning the Wheel of Dhamma

Bhumisparsha Mudra Gesture of Touching Earth - Enlightenment

Abhaya Mudra Gesture of Fearlessness/Protection

Varada Mudra Gesture of Granting Wishes

Uttarabodhi Mudra Gesture of Supreme Enlightenment

Anjali Mudra Gesture of Greeting and Veneration

Vajrapradama Mudra Gesture of Unshakable Confidence

Maha Mudra Gesture of Supreme Wisdom

Dhyani Mudra

In this mudra, back of right hand rests in palm of other with tips of thumbs lightly touching. The hands rest in lap. The right hand, resting on top, symbolizes state of enlightenment; the other below, the world of appearance. This gesture expresses overcoming the world of appearance through enlightenment, as well as the enlightened mind where samsara and nirvana are one.

In a special form of this mudra, middle, ring, and little fingers of both hand

s lie on top of one another ande the thumbs and index fingers of each hand, touching each other, form a circle, which symbolizes the world of appearance and true nature of reality.

Vitarka Mudra

Right hand up, left down; both palms turned out. The thumb and index finger of each hand form a circle. Right hand is shoulder level, left hand is hip level. A variant is left hand rests palm up in lap, and right hand raised to shoulder level with thumb and index finger forming circle. Another form is with index finger and little fingers of both hands fully extended, middle and ring fingers curved in. The left hand points up, right points down.

Dharmachakra Mudra

The left palm is turned in (toward the body), right out, and circles formed by thumbs and index fingers of each hand touch.

Bhumisparsha Mudra

Left hand rests palm up in lap; right hand, hanging over knee, palm in, points down to earth. Sometimes left hand holds a begging bowl. This is the gesture Buddha summoned Earth as witness to realization of buddhahood. It is a gesture of unshakability; Akshobhya (the Unshakable) is depicted with this mudra.

Abhaya Mudra

Right hand is raised to shoulder height with fingers extended and palm turned out. This is gesture of Buddha Shakyamuni immediately after attaining enlightenment.

Varada Mudra

Right hand, palm facing out, is down. When Shakyamuni is depicted with this mudra, it symbolizes summoning Heaven as witness to buddhahood. In a variant, thumb and index finger of down extended hand touch. Frequently abhaya and varada mudras are combined: right hand makes gesture of fearlessness, left of wish granting.

Uttarabodhi Mudra

Both hands are held at level of chest, two raised index fingers touch, remaining fingers are crossed and folded down;thumbs touch at tips or crossed and folded.

Mudra of Supreme Wisdom

Right index finger is grasped by five fingers of left hand. This mudra represents the realization of unity in the manifold as embodied in Buddha.

Anjali Mudra

Palms held together at level of chest. This is customary gesture of greeting in many Asian countries. Used as a mudra, it expresses "suchness" (tahata).

Vajrapradama Mudra

Fingertips of hands are crossed. This is gesture of unshakable confidence.

No War - Mudra of Laos - Legacy of War

2009-12-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Abhaya mudrā ("mudrā of no-fear")

In Sanskrit Abhaya means fearlessness, and the abhaya mudra symbolises protection, peace, and the dispelling of fear.

The gesture is ancient, demonstrating that the hand is empty of weapons, indicating friendship and peace. The gesture implies fearlessness before a potential enemy.

In Buddhism, it is a symbol of the fearlessness and spiritual power of the one who makes it. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha made this gesture after enlightenment. When the Buddha was attacked by an angry elephant, he held up his hand in the Abhaya mudrā and immediately calmed it.

It is usually made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, the arm bent and the palm facing outward with the fingers upright and joined and the left hand hanging down while standing. When the right hand is in the abhaya mudra, the left hand usually makes the varada mudra (gift-giving gesture). In Japan, Abhaya mudrā is with the middle finger slightly forward, a symbol of Shingon sect. (Japanese: Semui-in; Chinese: Shiwuwei Yin)

In Laos, the mudrā is shown with both hands making a double Abhaya mudrā that is translated as "No War". The abhaya mudra on a (standing) walking Buddha is called 'the Buddha placing his footprint' and is unique to this region.

In a region that has suffered colonialism, civil war and the largest bombing mission throughout the American-Vietnam war, this is a particularly poignant symbol.

The US dropped two million tons and 580,000 bombing missions - the equivalent of a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years in a secret bombing campaign from 1964-1973.

Each cluster bomb scattered several hundred tennis-ball-sized bomblets (known as bombies in Laos) over 5000-sq-meter areas. About 260 million cluster bomblets fell over Laos with close to 53 million bomblets dropped within one kilometer of villages.

Up to 30% of the bomblets did not detonate on impact, leaving an estimated 86 million unexploded cluster bomblets buried in fields, roads, forests, rivers and villages. Laos continues to have the largest unexploded landmines and bombs of any nation.

http://www.legaciesofwar.org/traveling-exhibit/history/history-bombing-laos

Perhaps we can remember this reminder of how important it is to promote Peace on the planet.

...No War, Protection, Fearlessness, Benevolence to all beings...

Upajjhatthana Sutta - Five Daily Remberances

Kammassakomhi kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇo yaṃ kammaṃ karissāmi kalyāṇaṃ vā pāpakaṃ vā tassa dāyādo bhavissāmī...

I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related to my actions, abide supported by my actions. For whatever actions I do, for good or for ill, of these I shall be the heir.

Snake Oil Exists!

2009-11-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

OK folks...I have seen a Lot of weird things in my travels, but this one is pretty WILD!

A trip to the sacred Pak Ou caves up the river where locals have brought buddhas (4000+) for 100s of years is an awesome sight. Full of prayer and well wishes, these caves guard over the majestic Mekong and the Naga (mystical water snakes) protects the villagers.

In fact the villages near these caves believe in the magical power of the Naga so much that thy even make a whiskey that includes the venom of local snakes...this whiskey is used for medicinal benefit and is supposed to have the power to heal many illnesses. This snake medicine is primarily used for men and the illnesses served include arthritis, skin rashes and problems, and will help keep you virile into old age!

I am not sure about you, but I will stick to my organic Dr Hauschka creams!

Considered for a nanosecond or less to get one, but then thought about it breaking in my luggage....

Of course, they did have a <3oz>

Love and laughter from Laos!

Laughter and Love in Laos

2009-11-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have been dreaming of coming to Luang Prabang in North Central Laos where the Khan river flows into the Mekong. This was the former capital and until the "dark period" of communist takeover in 1975, it was the seat of government of the kingdom of Laos. The entire town was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, and opened for tourism around 2005. Luang Prabang is an wellpreseved and outstanding example of the fusion of French colonial architecture alongside traditional Lao structures. This is truly a magical romantic vision of Indochine.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-18183090.html

With the American/Vietnam War through the 60s and 70s

Pictures from Thailand Yoga Journal

2009-11-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures to share of the Yoga Festival in Bangkok!

Thailand Yoga Journal Festival

2009-11-17T02:35:00.000-08:00

Wow - what a busy weekend in Bangkok at the Yoga Festival - so many people to meet and share Yoga and connections.

The Thai people are so warm and welcoming.

There is something beautiful in receiving everyone you meet with anajali mudra (hands in prayer at the heart). Anjali means offering and as we bring our hands together in this offering at our mind centre, we connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain, unifying and yoking our active and receptive nature, nourishing us with awareness. This awareness and acknowledgement repeated as a daily salutation shifts my consciousness in a way that a simple Western wave of the hand does not.

Being surrounded by my own kind, so many Asian faces in bodies similar to mine...bendy over stable and seeking balance and sensation. I know these bodies, I live in this body. So much I want to share with my people, these beautiful, kind people...

And can you imagine being in a room full of 150+ yogis and as we begin in meditation, and come out... I am sitting in padmasana (Lotus) and fold forward and more than 80% of the people get into a quick lotus and fold forward too! That would NEVER happen in the US!! The Asian body and the Western body are very, very different, and I have been noticing and commenting about this for years. I've approached Yoga Journal and other magazines about discussing this, but we are so very PC in the US, that these types of subjects don't get discussed!

It is wild to see so many super flexible people...in one class, a young girl folded like a piece of paper into uttanasana (standing forward fold) and I noticed her ELBOWS were resting on the FLOOR. I have been teaching for 17 years and assisted many Yoga luminaries like Erich Schiffmann, Rodney Yee and Judith Hanson Lasater; all of these teachers have taught in large forums of 100+ in conference settings so I have seen a lot of bodies over the years, and I have never seen someone rest elbows on the ground in Uttanasana!

Thailand is a predominately Buddhist country and my journey in Buddhist studies began at 8, so it is lovely to use terminology and references without having to explain or define...

Many of the well known teachers in Asia are caucasian men and as in other countries, students are predominately women. It is an honor and a privilege to be here as an Asian female teacher sharing my experience and bits of information with this audience. Perhaps I am the Yin to existing Yang...balancing the equilibrium :)

So many visuals and experiences to share in teaching and developing community around the world.

Yoga unifies. It is the community that supports and is refuge for us. Helping to create a global Yoga community is an honor and a privilege.

Namo, I bow.

Looking for International Collaboration

2009-11-13T05:39:00.000-08:00

So, it's day 2 in Thailand and I dont know what day it is or what time or even where I am in this jet lag haze... Today was the search for international telecommunications.

Thinking I was clever, I picked up an unlocked international mobile phone a few years ago in India. India is one of the places where you can buy unlocked mobile phones and just add SIM cards and money to your account.

This has been particularly useful for my travels around the world. Even my great love for Apple products in general, and the iPhone in particular gets superseded by the need for connection. And connection at a low cost...remember I am from Hong Kong and born with the genetics of a bargain hunter!

Back to the hunt for international connections. So arriving last night in Bangkok, I discovered the iPhone didnt connect in any shape or form, and somehow, my Indian mobile had no charge at all! My iPhone had been apped up with all kinds of kool toys - currency conversions, Thai language tips, Lonely Planet guides and other fun and totally unnecessary tools for travel. In fact, I never had any of these tools or even looked at a guidebook in my backpacking days.

But now, I am lost without my connections, and that has added to my sense of being lost in space. I use the handy mobiles to keep me on time and to tell the time, and now 2 phones and a laptop later, and I have no idea what time it really is (Chicago songs singing in my ear...)

To add to this international confusion, my Indian mobile with the fancy devanagari numbers (sanskrit to you my friend), had been loaded with Euros in Ireland this summer. So...an Indian phone with Irish money looking for power in Thailand... is this becoming an international incident?

Charged the Indian/Irish phone and went to buy a SIM at the local 7/11...Yes, I said 7/11 - isnt that where YOU would think to go for a disposable phone connection? Think they always use that in Law & Order or CSI for the bad guys. This is where Ronald MacDonald gave me Namaste smiles, and I rather smugly and unyogically had all kinds of opinions and judgements about fast food, marketing imagery, and all the other politically correct, green, Yogi reasons to be smug! Indian/Irish/Thai phone resolved.

So on to the iPhone situ... And this is how a hi/lo tech geek yogini handles it - Call home!
Had a Skype to my partner Jack who called AT&T and I talked to them over Skype/mobile/wireless. Bangkok Yogini talking to Irishman in Cali talking to AT&T rep in call centerland (India..?!) Many moments later, iPhone connection resolved.

So now I am happy as a Yogi in Bangkok could be, right? Unless you manage to blow out the hotel electricity! Plugged one more little gizmo into the wall, and suddenly there is a fizz, bang and smoke coming out of the wall! Uuuuh, I think I did something wrong...now all the lights are out in the room!

Memories came flashing back of how I burned the wall socket in Delhi and blew out the entire hotel for our entire group...in TWO hotels! Wasn't as bad this time...I am in the land of smiles after all! The electrician came and fixed everything and gave me smiles and namaste greetings. And I was not smug with him or the 2 sweet Thai women who were helping to translate what happened. I didn't tell them about the smoke. Ssssh!

Maybe I shouldn't have been so smug to the Ronald MacDonald namaste giving smile. After all, he was smiling AND wishing me to see the divine in him seeing the divine in me, right?

So lesson is...the divine is Divine, whether dressed as Ronald MacDonald or in saffron colored robes. This Yoga practice can help to change us, shift us to become better, to become ourselves, to become happy in all situations.

My life is blessed, and I am grateful for the ability to laugh on this side of the earth. It may not be as easy on the other...

Tomorrow the Yoga Festival begins, so will check in with all y'all later!

Yoga Journal My Mentor Column

2009-11-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

One Yoga, Many Approaches

Proficiency in differing styles and approaches to yoga can deepen your understanding and enhance your teaching.

By Sage Rountree

It's easy to see why many yoga teachers focus on one style of yoga. When you immerse yourself, you get a deeper understanding and are able to communicate it effectively. However, when you broaden your skill set to encompass more than one kind of yoga, you might find that both you and your students benefit. Although styles may at first seem disparate, each approach points to yoga's ultimate goal of union. Processing, integrating, and teaching in more than one style can both serve your students and enliven your own practice.

Johanna Andersson, who teaches yoga in her native Sweden and worldwide, has a packed weekly schedule that includes classes in vinyasa yoga, Yin Yoga, Forrest Yoga, hot yoga, yoga with kettle bells, yogalates, and dance. Such varied approaches can coexist in one week—let alone in one teacher's lesson plans—because, at the core, these are all variations on a single subject. Andersson says, "To me, it's all yoga! It's just different labels. We in the West have an issue with labeling things—saying this is that and not that, creating frames and boundaries to feel safe, to strengthen our identity, and to be part of a special group. The root of this is actually very beautiful: wanting to unite, which is what yoga is all about. But instead of uniting, this labeling only creates separation."

While the trend in yoga has been toward labeled or even branded style—Ananda, Anusara, and Ashtanga begin a list that contains more items than letters of the alphabet—many teachers draw on their study in more than one area to deepen their understanding of yoga. They can then teach classes with definitive titles tied to a particular style, or they can combine their experience into an eclectic approach, bringing their students exposure to more than one style. Teacher Chris Loebsack leads AcroYoga and restorative classes as well as vinyasa classes and classes for beginners, from studios in New York City, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In her opinion, "a multidisciplinary approach honors the styles, expertise, and knowledge of different teachers and lineages, giving respect to all."

Practical Benefits

From a practical perspective, proficiency in many styles can improve your job prospects. "The ability to teach multiple styles makes for a more valuable and marketable employee, one with the ability to teach a variety of classes and fill in on a moment's notice, regardless of the style required," Loebsack says.

Various approaches can also be combined in one class. For example, Loebsack will insert some restorative poses after a rigorous vinyasa class or incorporate AcroYoga in an alignment-focused class. "A multidisciplinary background provides for an expansive bag of tricks from which to draw and meet the specific needs of my students," she says.

Resolving Contradictions

How can you teach in many different styles without seeming like a dilettante whose knowledge is broad but not deep? By continuing your study and your own practice. Only through continued work with master teachers and through self-study (svadhyaya, outlined in the Yoga Sutra) can you truly process each approach, sorting out what is most useful for you and your students.

Cora Wen, a teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area, suggests you listen to each teaching, then check it out for yourself. "Don't just parrot back the answer," she says. "Teach what you know, not what you don't, and know it—don't just say it, know it."

Wen has assisted many Western yoga luminaries, including Rodney Yee, Erich Schiffmann, and Judith Lasater. "They're in the lineage of Krishnamacharya, so they do fit together in one very clear, precise way," she says. But at the same time, different teachers may have different opinions about alignment. Issues of alignment in poses as basic as Tadasana (Mountain Pose) can differ widely among styles. Wen recommends digesting each style of practice, seeing how it sits in your own body, then carefully observing your students to determine what is best for their individual bodies.

Loebsack agrees that her experiences as a student deepen her understanding of her own practice, and therefore of her own teaching. "Each new style I learn, each new class I take or teach, is part of a process of self-discovery and self-correction," she says.

This ongoing process of learning is what keeps the multidisciplinary teacher from being a "jack of all trades, master of none." Through the process of resolving contradictions among various styles, the teacher comes closer to an understanding of yoga as a whole.

Stocking Your Tool Kit

Exposure to many different styles will flavor your own yoga practice; it's similarly good for students to tour various classes. "We travel to different countries and get inspiration from different cultures," Andersson says. "Then we go home and season our dinner in a new way, with a twist, and we become creative! You can have a core practice and add principles from other styles."

After tasting various styles, you might then choose to study one thoroughly. Deep study in different styles will give you broad range and versatility as a teacher. Loebsack says, "You're not going to paint a masterpiece with a single brush. The best artists use different brushes to impart beauty and grace to their creations. They may use entirely nontraditional approaches, such as sponges, or even no brush at all. Having so many tools gives them the freedom to reach the highest realization of their specific potential."

You'll know you're ready to teach in a particular style when you feel well versed in its language—and, more importantly, when you see how it relates to the other approaches you've studied. Once you reach this awareness of a particular style, you can teach it with integrity. Your teaching will further deepen your understanding, creating a cycle of enrichment that will broaden your understanding of the practice.

Ultimately, it's all yoga. "Yoga is greater than one path—many waves, one ocean," Wen says. "Yoga is greater than one way."

http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2718

Land of Smiles and Airplane etiquette...

2009-11-12T13:03:00.001-08:00

I am leaving for Bangkok today to go teach at 2009 Yoga Journal Thailand Festival. Yes, that's right, there is a Thai edition of Yoga Journal and they have their own conference with Yoga teachers from Thailand, Japan, India and the US!

It will be amazing to return to Thailand and teach Asian yogis! I have had an opinion about different bodies and the cultural, emotional and anatomical differences in Asians, so there will be lots of bodies to see! And will blog about my observations, opinions and what I see, do and experience over here in the "land of smiles"

Yoga Journal tells me these conferences are set up differently, and there will be 200+ in each class...wondering if there wil be a translator? Or do I hope that my physical instructions suffice?

*************************

Just got off the plane after 22 hours of travel from San Francisco to Bangkok...uuuuhhh Where am I again? SO glad I booked an extra day to rest before teaching 200+ yogis as a fernagi in a distant land! But wait... aren't I Already a ferengi in the US!! Or am I always to straddle te two worlds and have to make sense of it all..

Here in Thailand, I will be a foreigner teaching about the tradition of Yoga, and in the US, I bring in my Chinese modalities and traditional wisdom and am seen as crossing the bridge... Are we ALL strangers in our own and other lands...?

Sooooo, my thoughts tonight are about the etiquette of the shared airplane armrest, and how to live in Yogic wisdom and kindness when the businessman and grandmother next to me are both spilling into the arm rest on the 18 hours of flying.

Do I smile and say Namaste, wishing all beings kindness? Or do I say what my loud inner American wants to and say "MOVE over...please..." and then nod and say Namaste...?

As my Tibetan friend Thinlay, the thangka painter said as I was bemoaning my unenlightenment and inability to sit still under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya... "I wish happiness for all living beings....except mosquitos!"

Tomorrow is a search to find a SIM card for my unlocked Indian mobile phone...cant get my super hi tech and groovy iPhone to work here without costing too many bahts! Will catch up with all y'all in the am!

leaving on a jet plane

2009-11-12T01:02:00.001-08:00

Getting ready this am was a bit scattered...had mostly packed and some little bits to through into my carry on and away we go....NOT

Realised I had not picked up the Yoga Dogz calendars from Dan Borris - I really wanted to bring these to the conference - they are funny and respectful, and think we all need top lighten up sometimes with Yoga - check out Anika above! If she doesnt give you a smile, hmmmmmm...?

Anyway, went for a coffee, and then realised I left my Asian phone at home, ran home to get the phone, picked up Jack getting coffee and then went to get the calendars....all this being a bit tight on California commute traffic

All I can say is the Gods were with me as there was barely any traffic, even the traffic update radio was commenting! ;)

Made the flights and got all the (heavy) bags on and am now tapping from Tokyo with an on the road update

Spent most of the time trying to get on wireless and try to ge tthe phone to work, so not much to report yet...

Lots of Asians all wearing masks to protect from the FLu - waaaaay better than when I was in Sinapore during SARS - That was wild!!

Will tap more interesting news soon - gotta run and catch this next flight and head into the land of emerald Buddhas and beautiful landscapes....

l8r g8rs!

Yogi Imperfect = I'm perfect

2009-11-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

Just spell this differently...

imperfect

Perfect

I am definitely perfectly imperfect...

watch this vid that Jack shot of me talking about being imperfect at the Bantry House on the southern coast of Ireland...

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

2009-11-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

I love the Yoga Sutras and have over 20 different translations of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

This could be a forum to share discussions, translations, links, online resources and other commentary on the teachings

Please join in and add you thoughts....

Bend, Breathe, Bloom

Book 1 Verse 1

Atha yoga anushasanam
Now the practice of yoga begins.

*********************
This is the first of the Yoga Sutras.
It points out that everything following (the sutras) will define and explain the practice of yoga; it is the definition of yoga. It also suggests that to have the highest success with a path towards Self Realization, one has to be ready.

Listen to the Sanskrit:
http://www.swamij.com/Sounds/atha.mp3

Chinese Energy Meridians

2009-11-09T20:24:00.001-08:00

Are you interested in Chinese Energy Meridians? I have been fascinated since I was a child by the idea of energy running through my body, and have been feeling this energy in my Yoga Practice since I first started practicing. I remember sitting around as a child and putting my feet on my head and thinking - is This Yoga? And if it is, how Kool. And if it isn't... why are there currents flowing through my veins? As an adult when I started to do Yoga again, I worked on Rajakapotasana when you lay on the ground on your belly and bring your feet to your head.. and, again... it is an electric current. A thrill of Joy! Now I am playing around with these energy points and seeing how I can access them through my Yoga practice. Would love to hear about some of your experiences, so share some of your stories...!

morning Yoga class

2009-11-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

Last week @yoga_mydrishti @innerspaceyoga were tweeting about Yoga and they asked about Scorpion pose.

I gave tips on how to use a chair to practice the pose and Nancy asked for more info on how to use the chair. I decided to film a short vid this morning to help explain

The video is me in the am in my pajamas (Hindi word "paijama" - Pai = leg, jama = garment).

It is not meant as instruction, and there is lots more to teach about the pose than I am showing. Please recognise that you need to know your own limitations and capabilities.

As indicated I do recommend you have a strong headstand - 5 mins, forearm balance - 2-3 mins and be able to do handstand without help.

Hope this is helpful in some way for understanding of this pose.

Vrischikasana, Vrichikasana, Vrishchika Asana, Vischika or Vrishchik Asan, Pincha-Vrishchikasana. In Sanskrit, Vrishchikasana is scorpion

The position of the body resembles a scorpion when it gets ready to strike its victim by arching its tail above its back & and striking the victim beyond its own head. Before attempting pose you should be comfortable in holding Headstand for 5 minutes, Forearm Balance for 3 mins & and Handstand since these are ways to enter Scorpion.

develops sense of balance - internal and external
arched position of body increases flexibility and stimulates spinal nerves
strengthens shoulders, arms, abdominals and back muscles
Improves circulation and increases blood flow to brain and pituitary gland
Tones reproductive organs

This pose tones the spine and revitalizes all body systems and promotes balance and harmony to mind & body.

Deep Brain Stimulation Gives Hope For Very Severe Depression - Science Daily (Nov. 3, 2009)

2009-11-09T00:59:00.000-08:00

http://p8g.tw/?8Fw

Deep Brain Stimulation Gives Hope For Very Severe Depression

ScienceDaily (Nov. 3, 2009) — Thanks to a new method, there is a reason for hope for patients with very severe depression.

Physicians at the University Clinics of Bonn and Cologne have treated ten patients with deep brain stimulation. This involved implanting electrodes in the patients' nucleus accumbens. This centre has a key role in as the brains reward system, whose function may be impaired in depressive people.

Subsequent to this treatment, the patients' depression improved significantly in half of the patients. All patients had suffered from very severe depression for many years and did not respond to any other therapies.

The results of the study will be published in the journal Biological Psychiatry (doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.09.013).

In deep brain stimulation, doctors specifically target the impaired function of certain areas of the brain with an electric brain pacemaker.

For the purpose of this study, they implanted electrodes in what is known as the nucleus accumbens. That is an important part of the 'reward system' which ensures that we remember good experiences and puts us in a state of pleasant anticipation.

Without a reward system we would not forge any plans for the future as we would not be able to enjoy the fruits of these plans. Inactivity and the inability to experience pleasure are two important signs of depression.

A total of ten patients with very severe depression participated in the study. In all patients, symptoms did not improve despite many therapies using psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy.

Overall, all participants showed signy of improvement, in half of them symptoms of depression improved significantly. Initial effects could sometimes be seen just after a few days.

'Thus, inter alia we observed increasing activity of the patients,' Professor Thomas E. Schlaepfer from the Bonn Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy explains. 'This was so successful that some of them were even able to work again, after having been incapacitated for many years.

None of our patients had ever responded to any other therapy to a comparable extent before.'

Hardly any side effects

Five patients' well-being improved considerably and in a sustained fashion. Even after a year, the stimulation of the nucleus accumbens still had the same efficacy as at the beginning of the study.

During the study, the scientists also observed distinct anxiety-relieving effects which had not been observed in studies on deep brain stimulation to date.

'Severe anxiety is often an accompanying effect of depression,' the primary author of the study Dr. Bettina Bevernick explains. The overall brain function of the participants was not impaired by the treatment, some neurophysiological functions even improved.

Overall, the scientists only noticed minor side effects, e.g. as a consequence of the operation or after changing the electrical parameters of stimulation. However, these effects always wore off after short periods of time.

Stimulation changes the brain metabolism

But what is the exact effect of the stimulation of the nucleus accumbens? 'We were able to show using functional brain imaging methods that the stimulation changes metabolic rates of different areas of the brain,' Thomas Schlaepfer says.

'What is very important is that the metabolic changes do not just affect the nucleus accumbens itself but also other regions of the limbic system, where the brain processes emotions and that are known to be dysfunctional in depression.

Due to the small number of patients in this and similar studies, the scientists warn against exaggerated hopes.

Moreover, with brain surgery in psychiatric patients specific ethical issues have to be considered very carefully, not least because such an operation is always associated with risk.

'However, our study definitely shows that deep brain stimulation can help some patients with extremely severe forms of depression,' Thomas Schlaepfer stresses. 'That even goes for cases which were thought to be absolutely therapy-resistant up to now.'

Adapted from materials provided by University of Bonn, viaEurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Email or share this story:

|More

Seeing the world from upside down...

2009-11-08T23:10:00.000-08:00

Tat Tvam Asi

2009-11-08T22:30:00.000-08:00

Tat Tvam Asi

तत् त्वम् असि or तत्त्वमसि

translates as "Thou art that" "That thou art" "You are that" or "That you are" is one of Mahāvākyas (Grand Pronouncements) in Vedantic Hinduism.

It is Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 in the dialogue between Uddālaka and his son Śvetaketu.

The Self in its original, pure, primordial state is wholly or partially identifiable with Ultimate Reality, origin of all phenomena.

This is the experience of liberation - moksha मोक्ष, मुक्ति

Vedantic interpretations of Tat (That) Tvam (You) Asi (Are):

Advaita - absolute equality of 'tat', the Ultimate Reality, Brahman, and 'tvam', the individual self, jiva जीव
Shuddhadvaita - oneness in "essence" between 'tat' and individual self; but 'tat' is the whole and self is a part.
Vishishtadvaita - identity of individual self as a part of the whole which is 'tat', Brahman.
Dvaitadvaita - equal non-difference and difference between the individual self as a part of the whole which is 'tat'.
Dvaita - “Sa atmaa-tat tvam asi” in Sanskrit is actually “Sa atma-atat tvam asi” or “Atman, thou art not that”.
Acintya Bheda Abheda - inconceivable oneness and difference between individual self as a part of the whole which is 'tat'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta

Welcome

2009-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new Yogi Imperfect blog!

Come here for all sorts of information and helpful links about yoga provided by Cora Wen. Check in frequently for updates and news about upcoming events and classes. I look forward to hearing your comments and questions. Be well!