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Yoga

lopaka

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Sep 17, 2001
Messages
2,011
aka Mix 'n' Match Traditions for Fun & Profit

Wednesday, 04 May 2005

The Essence of Kabbalah Unites with the Wisdom of Yoga in First-Ever Fitness DVD Titles

WOODLAND HILLS, CA, (NAMC) - With the trend of today's celebrities, including Madonna, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, embracing the practice of Kabbalah and the timeless techniques of yoga, Americans welcome the mixture of inspirations. Gracing the covers of magazines and inspiring beauty and home decor, Kabbalah is impacting all areas of consumers' lives. TRU Company, a leading publisher and distributor of home entertainment DVD and VHS titles, is releasing a first-ever, 2-title DVD series: "KABBALAH YOGA(TM): Ambitious Beginners" and "Attainable Advanced" from fitness producer Kevin Weaver -- Kabbalah asks why; yoga shows you how. For the first time ever, these challenging workouts connect the ageless practice of yoga with the fundamentals of The Kabbalah, the ancient Judaic wisdom, and are available May 31, 2005, in national retailer outlets.

"`KABBALAH YOGA' offers an added dimension to the traditional yoga workout by stimulating the spirit and the body," said Charmaine Klohe, Partner in TRU Company. "We have received an overwhelming, enthusiastic response from the retail community to these new titles, and we believe the consumer will be inspired and challenged to push themselves in each workout."

Kabbalah means "to receive," and in these energizing and strengthening workouts, users are challenged to resist the negative and focus on becoming one with spirit and body. Choreographed and co-produced by yoga teacher and Kabbalist Carla Berkowitz, "KABBALAH YOGA" offers the benefits of yoga's proven techniques combined with the basic tenets of the Kabbalah, which are mentioned and incorporated into the poses. The traditional poses are designed to help the user become a better version of oneself, inside and out. The renewing and restorative messages of The Kabbalah are highlighted throughout each DVD.

"KABBALAH YOGA: Attainable Advanced" (SRP: $19.98, 60 minutes) includes an advanced version of the program for those who have yoga experience and want to continue to the next level. Demonstrated by instructor Ariella, "Attainable Advanced" provides the user with a more sophisticated yoga routine that incorporates the essential teachings of The Kabbalah. Featuring invigorating music from leading musician and Kabbalist Jai Uttal, the "Advanced Attainable" workout offers an 11-section first course explaining to the beginner what Kabbalah is and how it is currently helping millions of people of every religion, and a special bonus of a series of 6 additional Asanas by Ariella for the more advanced practitioner.

"KABBALAH YOGA: Ambitious Beginners" (SRP: $19.98, 60 minutes) features a modified version of the program for those who have no yoga experience and want to begin with the basics. Providing a basic yoga routine with traditional poses, "Ambitious Beginners" also gives the user an 11-section first course explaining to the beginner what Kabbalah is and how it is currently helping millions of people of every religion, and a special bonus of a series of 6 additional Asanas by Ariella for the more advanced practitioner.

Both "Ambitious Beginners" and "Attainable Advanced" are available in English and Spanish, and can be purchased at Target, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com, Best Buy and more. For more information, please visit www.kabbalahyoga.com.

Producer Kevin Weaver's credentials include more than 75 fitness productions. Weaver has worked with countless fitness celebrities, including Denise Austin, Donna Richardson and many others, and his productions regularly appear on the videoscan fitness charts. Weaver said: "The initial response to `KABBALAH YOGA' has been overwhelming. The public's curiosity is at an all time high as both celebrities and the general public are discovering the secrets and benefits of the Kabbalah."

Established in 2002, TRU Company, a publisher and distributor of home entertainment products, specializes in providing high-quality DVD products spanning numerous genres. TRU's Fitness Division boasts several product lines, including "The Total Circuit Training Series," the ever-popular "Basic Series" and the soon-to-be-released "KABBALAH YOGA" series. TRU focuses on providing superior fitness content to consumers everywhere in over 25,000 retail storefronts across the United States and Canada.


Contact:
M. Craig & Associates
Sheryl Craig or Donald Wilson, 310-899-2900
Jennifer Craig, 212-410-0842

http://press.namct.com/content/view/932/2/
 
Yogic-Combat?

What makes me despair is that this blatant exploitation adds another layer of false mythology and practice to something that is worthy of consideration; that is, the eastern concepts of physical training linked to mental discipline.

"Is it from the East? Hell - make it easy for a numbskull from California to swallow, set up a website and persuade a few rich idiots to pay you an initial investment. Does it work? Who cares? Claim it makes them slim. Claim it makes them lucky. But get the cheque!"
 
Coming soon: Kabbalah Yoghurt™ and Kabbalah Kola™ (not to be confused with Qibla Cola™).

:roll:
 
From the Enlightened folks who brought you the workout video????

Ashton Kutcher and Kabbalah Energy Drink Make a Splash


Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) May 30, 2005 -- Watch out, Red Bull: Kabbalah Energy Drink has hit the beverage biz with the power of Kabbalah behind it. The citrus-flavored drink, which beats Red Bull nine out of ten times in taste tests, is infused with Kabbalah water and is the drink of Tinseltown celebrities and Kabbalists such as Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Madonna and Guy Ritchie. Even Paris Hilton was seen sipping it in Las Vegas last week.

Kabbalah Energy Drink, which is packaged in a red, white and blue can, contains taurine (which helps regulate heart rate, maintain cell membrane stability and detoxify the body), B vitamins and caffeine.
Produced by Powerbrands and 7-Up, and distributed by Kabbalah Enterprises, the drink is expected to sell 20 million units in its first year. It retails for an average price of $1.99. It’s available in both regular and sugar free.

Distribution has already begun in Southern California and will roll out in more than thirty markets in the United States and also Canada, Mexico, South America, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and South Africa by the summer.

There’s a huge bus for tourists in Las Vegas emblazoned with the Kabbalah Energy Drink logo and colors that drives up and down the strip twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

"Kabbalah Energy Drink has a light citrus taste and no after-taste like so many other energy drinks," says Darin Ezra, the director of the company. "You get the power of Kabbalah water, incredible energy and a great taste," adds Ezra, of the drink which sports the tag line "Source of Power!"


###

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/5/prweb245215.htm
 
Sometimes I think this MB should be subtitled: The Place for Sh!t You Just Can't Make Up. Madonna. Aston Ktcher. Katherine Harris. Quack Medical Fraud

Florida Lawmaker in Flap Over 'Holy Water'
Katherine Harris Recommended Kabbalah Drops for Trees


By STEVEN I. WEISS
July 15, 2005

Rep. Katherine Harris, the Republican best known for her controversial role in the Florida recount battle, is at the center of a new flap — over a report that she pressed the state to treat trees with Holy Water.

Harris reportedly helped associates of the Kabbalah Centre to get officials in Florida's agriculture department to test the water as a potential curative to the canker disease then plaguing orange groves. At the time, in 2001, Harris was still serving as Florida's secretary of state, the same post she had held during the post-election fight in 2000.\

According to a July 6 report in the Orlando Sentinel, at Harris's urging, state researchers worked with a rabbi and a cardiologist to test Celestial Drops — a product "promoted as a canker inhibitor because of its 'improved fractal design,' 'infinite levels of order' and 'high energy and low entropy.'"


Harris reportedly recommended Celestial Drops to the state's agriculture department after learning about the product from Rabbi Abe Hardoon, now head of the West Boca Kabbalah Learning Centre. Harris denies having known that the product was associated with the Kabbalah Centre.

In a statement to the Forward, Harris asserted that she decided to recommend Celestial Drops after being told that "Israeli scientists" had produced the product. She made a statement: "I deeply value Israeli technology, as it helped save my family's groves through drip irrigation technology decades ago, which is why I forwarded the information to the Department of Agriculture, as I frequently do with constituent interests and requests."

The Sentinel obtained memos and letters detailing a six-month discussion among scientists and officials over the Celestial Drops. Among the documents was a warning from Wayne Dixon, the state's chief of entomology, nematology and plant pathology, in which he declared that the "product is a hoax and not based on any credible known science."

The testing of Celestial Drops was a departure from standard protocol; the state usually demanded that producers test products themselves, Sentinel reporter Jim Stratton wrote. He added that Celestial Drops was likely the same as the Kabbalah Centre's highly publicized Kabbalah Water, which sells for several dollars a bottle and is purportedly blessed. "The traits attributed to so-called Kabbalah water — 'elegant crystalline structures' and 'high energy and low entropy' — are virtually identical to those of Celestial Drops," he wrote.


According to the Sentinel report, when asked if Celestial Drops was actually Kabbalah Water, Hardoon responded, "I can't really give you that information."

According to a report in Radar Magazine, the marketers of Kabbalah Water assert that it has healing powers, including the ability to cure cancer, AIDS and SARS.

Hardoon would not respond to a media inquiry from the Forward, referring the question to the Kabbalah Centre's public relations officer, Lisa Kessler.

Kessler told the Forward, "I don't know about that and cannot comment on that." She said she would pass on the inquiry to someone who could comment, but no one from the Kabbalah Centre called back by press time.

Copyright 2005 © The Forward

http://www.forward.com/articles/3655
 
Dahnak: a form of yoga created by Korean Ilchi Lee, creator of "Peaceology for Earth Humans" and the science of "Brain Respiration". Is it simply a harmless (if rather kooky) New-Age exercise routine, or a dangerous and manipulative cult?

Dahnhak sued after member dies trying to master art
The Journal News, Westchester NY/August 7, 2005
By Shawn Cohen

Julia Siverls was hiking up Casner Mountain in the Arizona desert, hauling a backpack full of rocks and taking only occasional sips of water.

The rocks, she was told, represented loved ones and a vision for the future, and she was ordered to never put them down, a companion said.

Several hours into the daylong, 20-mile trek, she collapsed under the scorching sun.

"She began to give up and we begged, pleaded and yelled for her to keep moving," Robert Rueb, one of four people with her, told police last month. "We had to keep moving."

But the 41-year-old college professor from the Bronx stumbled one last time. She started shaking, lost consciousness and died. Before paramedics had time to arrive, two of her companions emptied the rocks from her pack and one had Rueb turn his shirt inside out, hiding embroidery of a flame, triangle, square and oval — the symbol of an obscure Korean group called Dahnhak.

The coroner concluded that Siverls died from heat exhaustion, but police reopened their investigation into the July 2003 incident after Rueb, a resident of Queens, came forward with new details.

The hike she was on was supposed to break her down so she could achieve heightened spiritual awareness and become a "master" of Dahnhak, which has centers around the country — including Greenburgh and Bedford — and is led by a self-styled guru who markets his own brand of yoga and says his mission is to start an "enlightenment revolution."

Siverls' death provides a rare glimpse into a group that has maintained a shroud of secrecy since coming to the United States from South Korea a decade ago. Dahnhak rejected requests by The Journal News to interview its founder, Grand Master Seung Heun Lee, saying he was "too busy."

Dahnhak operates 160 yoga and tai chi centers in mostly affluent communities, opening 40 in this country in the past year alone.

Mind-control experts say it is a destructive cult that uses the centers to lure members and convince them to give up time and money. They say members have left behind families, considered divorcing their spouses, or changed careers to focus on the group.

Last month, Siverls' family filed an $84 million lawsuit blaming Dahnhak for her death, accusing the group of forcing her to continue the hike and engaging in brainwashing that included lacing her food with drugs.

"They told us she died peacefully," said her sister, Veronica Siverls-Dunham of Salisbury Mills, N.Y. "Then we got the police report. Give me a break. She was in pain, burning up. I protect my baby sister, and it's my job to not let this just disappear. This must not be allowed to happen to anyone else."

Dahn leaders say the allegations in the lawsuit are false.

"We are very saddened any time a member dies, and we believe proper care was taken under the circumstances," said Steve Kim, a Dahnhak spokesman.

Cult expert Rick Ross said Lee, the founder and leader, reminds him of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the Korean-born founder of the Unification Church.

"But Rev. Moon openly acknowledges that he is a religious leader and that what he teaches is a religion, whereas Dahnhak is very vague about this," Ross said.

"They won't admit it openly that there is a belief system behind these centers," he said. "Instead they portray it as yoga, meditation, martial arts or whatever exercise is popular."
Lee's teachings

Lee also uses the name Dr. Ilchi Lee. Ilchi is his chosen spiritual name, meaning "a finger pointing to the truth." He claims supernatural powers, including the ability to heal, see ghosts and diagnose diseases. He teaches members to control their thoughts through a process he calls "brain cleaning."

He shuns organized religion and says his mission is to inspire 100 million "earthhumans" over 10 years to join him in an "enlightenment revolution" that will transform governments, end wars and lift humanity to a higher spiritual plane.

He says people can accomplish this through "brain respiration," a Dahn breathing technique.

"Through brain respiration you will become a New Human, a spiritual person whose primary goal is to create harmony," Lee wrote in his book "Healing Society."

"And when enough New Humans join together in a worldwide spiritual-cultural movement, we will effect the grandest revolution in the history of humankind, a revolution that will usher in a new era of spiritualism," he wrote.
The centers

Dahnhak starts people with basic classes, then encourages them to join workshops and retreats that cost as much as $10,000. They target some to become masters, who teach classes for little or no pay.

The centers generally blend into their communities. The Greenburgh site is in a strip mall on Central Avenue; a sign out front advertises yoga and tai chi.

People enter through the back, where a Korean woman in a white robe leads them into a softly lit room and guides them through a series of exercises. They stretch and pound their abdomens to facilitate the flow of "Ki," or life energy, before they lie down, close their eyes and breathe deeply as soothing music plays.

She then places "power brains" on their chests that shoot vibrations through their bodies. Everyone is instructed to smile.

The experience leaves participants deeply relaxed. Afterward, she invites them to the lobby for a special, calming tea.

Newcomers go through the same routine, but in private. Then the woman has them sit at a table, sets down a contract and encourages them to sign up for a program that will change their lives.
The believers

"I see him as one of the effective spokespersons on this planet, urgently urging the world to find its path to peace," said Neal Donald Walsh, author of "Conversations with God," who has lectured with Lee. "He's simply a gentle, peaceful man who sincerely seeks to assist people in finding inner and outer peace."

Lee's greatest admirers are members of Dahnhak.

"You never get tired of listening to him," said Joe Lo Grasso, 62, a retired builder from Paramus, N.J., who has attended retreats in Sedona and has paid $10,000 for a course that claims to teach members how to heal themselves. "He kind of makes you open up your senses so your speech and thoughts flow."

Dahnhak's Web site posts testimonials from members who credit the program with helping cure conditions ranging from gastritis to heart disease. Lo Grasso said he no longer needs prostate medication.

The master of the Bedford center, a Korean woman named Shim who runs a brain respiration class for children, said the program helps them overcome such conditions as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. "It improves their physical health and mental concentration so they are able to control their minds without taking any medicine," she said.

Debra Goldstein, a Dahn member in Scarsdale, is among those who avoid the retreats but go to the classes because they find the exercises a great way to decompress after a hard day.

"I have a very stressful job," said Goldstein, 50, of White Plains, who works in direct marketing. "When I go there, I just sort of put my mind in a blank once I get to that second half of the class so I can sleep at night."
The skeptics

Some ex-members call Lee a fake who left them in debt and isolated from friends and family.

Web sites have been appearing, seeking to debunk the organization, and the controversy is raging in South Korea.

"If you go over there, you're either going to find people saying it's the best thing in the world or it's a cult," said Will Berkhardt, a Dahn master and former spokesman in Sedona.

Cult experts issue stern warnings.

"I believe it is a destructive cult, complete with a charismatic figure who claims to be enlightened, deceptive recruitment and (questionable) techniques that make people dependent and obedient," said cult deprogrammer Steve Hassan, who has worked with former Dahnhak members.

Charles Laquidara, a former Boston radio announcer, sought help after his 25-year-old son Ari canceled plans to attend graduate school and opened a Dahnhak center in Andover, Mass., instead.

"This is not the son I knew," said Laquidara, who briefly joined Dahnhak to see what it was like.

Hassan confronted Ari Laquidara in December. For six days, Hassan showed him videos about cults and had him speak with ex-Dahn members.

But the efforts to get him to abandon Dahnhak failed.

"I was just saying, 'I'm so sorry you were hurt, but it's not my experience here in my community,' " Ari Laquidara said. "I am connected to people who really care for me."

He acknowledged criticism that Dahn leaders exert too much control, pressuring certain masters to remain celibate for years at a time, while judging their spiritual worth based on their fundraising prowess.

He countered that celibacy was not required, but rather an "intention or wish," designed to keep them focused on deeper, more spiritual pursuits. He said most masters he knows were single because "marriage takes a lot of time and energy on one person, whereas we have to focus on guiding, helping and healing far more than one."

And the masters' success at raising money is crucial, he said, because it enables Dahnhak to reach more people.

Iris Song, a former member from Phoenix, said a Dahn instructor told her she should divorce her husband, who resented her devotion to the group. At the time, Dahn leaders were trying to convince her to become a master.

"(A Dahn instructor) said my spirit was too pure to be tied down," Song said. "They made me believe this was my destiny; that I needed to leave my family."

She quit after Rick Ross, hired by her husband and father, confronted her for three days of "deprogramming."
'Pseudoscience'

Though he calls himself a doctor, Lee has no medical degree —only an honorary doctorate from a California university.

Critics question his claim that "brain respiration" increases brain functioning and induces "hyper-sensory perception."

"Pseudoscience would actually be a generous term for what they do," said Brian Cummings, a scientist at the University of California at Irvine, where Lee gave a demonstration two years ago. "The real term should be that this is a cult or religion of some sort."

At the university's Institute for Brain Aging, Lee attempted to demonstrate the power of brain respiration by holding up cards and having his child "trainees" see through them and identify objects on the back side.

It didn't work, Cummings said.

"He was there for two reasons: One, to advertise that he was invited to give a lecture at UC Irvine so he could have an official brochure saying he went there and, second, to convince us that there's something to this brain respiration and that we should study it," he said. "It was just silly."

source

How yoga class got personal

By SHAWN COHEN
[email protected]
THE JOURNAL NEWS
Related Articles:

• Founder peddles belief in 'ancient healing'
• Dahnhak sued after member dies trying to master art
(Original publication: August 7, 2005)

Ben Lucal of Brookline, Mass., joined Dahnhak in December after finding a flier on his doorstep advertising yoga. He started attending classes daily, but said he was pressured to get more involved.

"The masters would regularly take me aside and ask me personal questions and see if they could get me to sign up for more stuff," the 21-year-old said. "They'd really try to frame it as things in my life needed to be solved by doing their practices. Everyone seemed really nice. They talked a lot about trusting."

He signed up for a series of workshops, one called "initial awakening" and another called "shim sung," Korean for true self. The latter was held in Cambridge, where the group rented a big hall for the weekend.

"They had us standing and hitting ourselves in the gut really hard, standing in positions for a long time, screaming out things like 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want?' They were telling us these were healing techniques to get you to open up yourself."

Drums played as a woman over a loudspeaker shouted out, "Scream louder. Louder. Hit yourself harder. Harder," Lucal said.

"It's all very confusing, but you're given the feeling that something wise and bigger is at hand," he said. "All of the masters and mentors around are very confident that what's happening is really for the greater good, that life will be completely different now that you know your true self."

He went to a similar gathering in Sedona, called YEHA (Young Earth Human Alliance), at which Grand Master Seung Heun Lee addressed about 500 participants in Korean, using an English translator.

"We all had to rehearse standing in perfect lines and bowing," Lucal said. "We were told he was going to come in and that he would say this word in Korean, then we had to say some Korean words back to him. We basically were supposed to give him a Pope-like treatment. We were set up to receive him as this great messiah who had organized everything for us."

He said the programs were the first of many incremental steps toward him becoming a Dahn master who would work full-time for the group, a prospect he embraced because it appealed to his highest ideals.

"They were claiming to offer me an opportunity to be a healer and help people grow spiritually, improve lives and create a utopia on the planet Earth," he said.

But he was also a little skeptical, particularly after a Dahn master back home asked him to pay $10,000 for a series of private healing sessions — at $300 an hour.

"My whole body tightened up and I was like, 'Wow, what's happening?' " he said. "I had the gut feeling that something was really wrong."

At his parents' urging, he said, he reached out to a counselor who specializes in cults and also did his own investigating by speaking with former members about their experiences, then decided to leave the group earlier this year.

source

To read more of the philosophy of Ilchi Lee (including such nuggets of wisdom as "All people who live on the Earth are Earth Humans" and "One finger is just one finger"), visit http://www.healingsociety.org/healingso ... ciety.html

Also connected to the movement (although you wouldn't think it at first sight) is http://www1.brainrespiration.com/ (They seem very keen on getting children involved.)

Opinions?
 
"They had us standing and hitting ourselves in the gut really hard, standing in positions for a long time, screaming out things like 'Who am I?' and 'What do I want?' They were telling us these were healing techniques to get you to open up yourself."

Drums played as a woman over a loudspeaker shouted out, "Scream louder. Louder. Hit yourself harder. Harder," Lucal said.


Blimey! And all I got was a lousy lentil curry. :( [/b]
 
Yoga Day USA And The Distortion Of Yoga In America
28 Jan 2006

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medical ... sid=36747#

For thousands of years Yoga referred to the realization through direct experience of the preexisting union between Atman and Brahman, Jivatman and Paramatman, and Shiva and Shakti, or the realization of Purusha standing alone as separate from Prakriti. If you are not familiar with these or other such terms, and yet think you are familiar with Yoga, it may be because you have heard little of the more authentic meanings, goals and practices of Yoga, while also having heard little of the true roots of Yoga.

To see the distortion of Yoga in America over recent decades, one need go no further than Yoga Day USA, which is scheduled for January 28, 2006. In their website (www.YogaDayUSA.org) and press release the promoters state that the “Top 10 Reasons to Try Yoga” or “to ‘Make the Connection'” with Yoga are stress relief, pain relief, better breathing, flexibility, increased strength, weight management, improved circulation, cardiovascular conditioning, better body alignment, and focus on the present for health reasons. The authentic reasons for Yoga seem to be not even worthy of mention in their Top 10 Reasons for Yoga.

Yoga Alliance, the sponsor of Yoga Day describes itself on the www.YogaDayUSA.org website as “the leader in setting educational standards for yoga schools and teachers.” However, while they claim this authority, they do not see fit to acknowledge or include in their Yoga Day promotions the fact that the roots of Yoga come from the ancient tradition of Sanatana Dharma, out of which has grown Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other traditions. Interestingly, while the Yoga Day promotions do not acknowledge the root of Yoga, many religious leaders in America who are opposed to Yoga for religious reasons are very quick to point out the authentic roots of Yoga, effectively reversing the roles of promoters and opponents.

To counterbalance the recent distortion of Yoga in America, there is a slowly increasing presence of scholars, teachers, religious leaders, teaching institutions and organizations that are speaking out about the true nature of Yoga and its goals. Individual seekers and media who are interested in knowing more about authentic Yoga can easily find these organizations and their spokespeople.

http://www.swamij.com/ancientyoga.htm

Edit: changing title to "Yoga".
 
Anyone remember Naked Yoga on late night TV in the eighties? Channel 4, of course.
 
I'm not so sure about Yoga day, but there should definitely be a Yoda Day.
 
And there was me, thinking that yoga was the plural of yoghurt... :oops:
 
Indonesian clerics issue yoga ban
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7850079.stm

Some aspects of yoga contain Hindu devotional mantras
The top Islamic body in Indonesia has issued a fatwa banning Muslims from practising some aspects of yoga.

The Council of Ulemas (MUI) said exercises containing Hindu elements such as chanting were forbidden and could weaken the faith of Muslims.

The move follows a similar ruling by the religious authorities in Malaysia last year.

Such religious edicts are not legally binding in Indonesia, but most Muslims consider it a sin to ignore them.

Maruf Amin, chairman of the MUI, said some yoga exercises involved the reciting of Hindu religious mantras, something which is forbidden, or "haram", in Islam.

"Muslims should not practise other religious rituals as it will erode and weaken their Islamic faith," he told AFP.

But he said yoga could still be practised if it was purely as a sport or a means of exercise.

Indonesia is officially a secular state but about 90% of the country's 235 million people are Muslim.

Mr Amin said that if any Indonesian Muslims refused to follow the fatwa, they would be committing a sin.
 
The Council of Ulemas (MUI) said exercises containing Hindu elements such as chanting were forbidden and could weaken the faith of Muslims.

A Jehoveh Witness colleague of mine wouldn't practise Yoga because of the same reason.
 
I'm very much enjoying the yoga programme that come with the Wii Fit.


This is possibly the most boring comment I have ever made on any FT thread. I think I'll shut up now.
 
zarathustraspake said:
I'm very much enjoying the yoga programme that come with the Wii Fit.


This is possibly the most boring comment I have ever made on any FT thread. I think I'll shut up now.

Its not boring after all.The boringness of the comment suggests that the yoga prog is controlling your mind.
 
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Before I damaged one of my left sesamoid bones in a drunken stumble, I praticed Hatha Yoga.

It was a genuinely amazing experience, quite physical at times, a lot of stretching, but the most amazing thing was the Pranyama or breathing exercise.

It became quite clear to me why the latin for breath is spirit.

Energising your body by breathing correctly as opposed to the shallow breathing that most of us do everyday is simple, yet extremely effective.

The relaxation exercise (or horizontal guided meditation) was possibly the most relaxing experience of my life.

I miss it, but sadly can't squat down or put much strain on my left foot, so I have to make do with self guided meditation and breathing exercises.

If you've never tried yoga, have a go.

It truly is amezzin. ;)
 
India inmates take yoga to reduce their jail sentences
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8472762.stm

Many successful inmates go on to become yoga instructors

Prisoners in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are being freed early if they complete yoga courses.

For every three months spent practising posture, balance and breathing the inmates can cut their jail time by 15 days.

The authorities say the lessons help to improve the prisoners' self-control and reduce aggression.

Some 4,000 inmates across the state are benefiting from the scheme, and many go on to become yoga instructors.

'Angry thoughts'

The state's inspector general of prisons, Sanjay Mane, said: "Yoga is good for maintaining fitness, calming the behaviour, controlling anger and reducing stress.

"When a prisoner attends yoga sessions and fulfils some other conditions, he will be considered for a remission if his jail superintendent recommends his case."

Prisoners can also gain credit for attending adult literacy courses or studying for degrees.

An inmate at Gwalior central jail, Narayan Sharma - who has now moved on to become an instructor - says it helps to banish the "angry thoughts" in his mind.

"It was these thoughts that made me commit crimes," he said.

"I hope that after we are released, we can use what we have learned and promote yoga in society so that people no longer commit crime."
 
Yoga's Ability To Improve Mood And Lessen Anxiety Is Linked To Increased Levels Of A Critical Brain Chemical
15 Nov 2010

Yoga has a greater positive effect on a person's mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, which may be due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA according to an article in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The article is available free online.

Yoga has been shown to increase the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity. GABA activity is reduced in people with mood and anxiety disorders, and drugs that increase GABA activity are commonly prescribed to improve mood and decrease anxiety.

Tying all of these observations together, the study by Chris Streeter, MD, from Boston University School of Medicine (Massachusetts) and colleagues demonstrates that increased GABA levels measured after a session of yoga postures are associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety. Their findings establish a new link between yoga, higher levels of GABA in the thalamus, and improvements in mood and anxiety based on psychological assessments. The authors suggest that the practice of yoga stimulates specific brain areas, thereby giving rise to changes in endogenous antidepressant neurotransmitters such as GABA.

"This is important work that establishes some objective bases for the effects that highly trained practitioners of yoga therapy throughout the world see on a daily basis. What is important now is that these findings are further investigated in long-term studies to establish just how sustainable such changes can be in the search for safe non-drug treatments for depression," says Kim A. Jobst, MA, DM, MRCP, MFHom, DipAc, Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Source:
Vicki Cohn
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207739.php
 
gncxx said:
Anyone remember Naked Yoga on late night TV in the eighties? Channel 4, of course.

:shock: :p

See, I knew I was right to think TV was better in the olden days!

:lol:
 
McAvennie_ said:
gncxx said:
Anyone remember Naked Yoga on late night TV in the eighties? Channel 4, of course.

:shock: :p

See, I knew I was right to think TV was better in the olden days!

:lol:

It wasn't a series, it was a short film. I was staying up to watch Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex and when it finished, this Naked Yoga thing came on. Being a teenager, it was like all my Christmasses at once! It's listed on IMDB, but I don't know how scientific its methods were. Lynn Marshall would not have approved, I suspect.
 
gncxx said:
McAvennie_ said:
gncxx said:
Anyone remember Naked Yoga on late night TV in the eighties? Channel 4, of course.

:shock: :p

See, I knew I was right to think TV was better in the olden days!

:lol:

It wasn't a series, it was a short film. I was staying up to watch Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex and when it finished, this Naked Yoga thing came on. Being a teenager, it was like all my Christmasses at once! It's listed on IMDB, but I don't know how scientific its methods were. Lynn Marshall would not have approved, I suspect.

I recall watching that one with the sound down as a teen. Either I tuned into the wrong bit or it wasn't the full-on porn fest the 13-year-old me was hoping for.

:(
 
McAvennie_ said:
It wasn't a series, it was a short film. I was staying up to watch Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex and when it finished, this Naked Yoga thing came on. Being a teenager, it was like all my Christmasses at once! It's listed on IMDB, but I don't know how scientific its methods were. Lynn Marshall would not have approved, I suspect.

I recall watching that one with the sound down as a teen. Either I tuned into the wrong bit or it wasn't the full-on porn fest the 13-year-old me was hoping for.

:(

Yeah, it's more like Woody Allen's Dirty Joke Book with not much sex in it at all. But you don't watch the Woodster for that kind of thing anyway.
 
Moronic priest.

Southampton priest bans yoga from church hall
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19729211

Cori Withell said she was trying to combat an obesity epidemic

A priest has banned yoga from a church hall because the class was "not compatible" with the Catholic faith.

Instructor Cori Withell from Hampshire said her yoga and pilates classes at St Edmund's Church building in Southampton were cancelled with 10 days to go.

Father John Chandler said that the hall had to be used for Catholic activities, and he banned it because it was advertised as "spiritual yoga".

Ms Withell, 37, said it "seemed terribly petty to cancel the classes".

The ban is not Catholic Church policy and decisions are left to the discretion of individual priests.

Ms Withell, from Eastleigh, said the church accepted the booking two months ago and she paid £180.

No meditation
She was called later and told that yoga was "from another religion", so she could not have the hall.

Continue reading the main story
Yoga and religion


Yoga is one of the Shadh Darshanas (Six philosophies) of Hinduism
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna refers to every spiritual path as a Yoga and every chapter of the Gita refers to Yoga in a different form
Yoga is practised in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism
The 19th Century Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda is credited with introducing yoga to the western world
Meditation is an important part of yoga. Buddhists practice meditation as part of the path towards enlightment
Source: BBC Religion and Ethics

Find out more about Hinduism
Find out more about Buddhism
A separate pilates class she had booked was also cancelled.

Ms Withell said she did not use meditation in her classes, just exercises.

She added: "As a nation we have an obesity epidemic. I was trying to bring some exercise to the community and coming across blocks like this is frustrating."

Fr Chandler said the church was "misled" by Ms Withell's booking because he said at first the hall was booked for pilates and then he found out it was also for spiritual yoga.

He said: "Yoga is a Hindu spiritual exercise. Being a Catholic church we have to promote the gospel, and that's what we use our premises for.

"We did say that yoga could not take place. It's the fact that it's a different religious practice going on in a Catholic church. It's not compatible. We are not saying that yoga is bad or wrong."

A spokesman for Portsmouth Catholic Diocese said: "It's not possible for Catholic premises to be used for non-Christian activities, and there is a dilemma with yoga as it can be seen as Hindu meditation or as relaxation.

"There is no national policy on this and the decision is for each priest."
 
Nepal uses yoga to 'slim down' police
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22107127

Classes have already started in Kathmandu and the east - officers with big bellies are ordered to attend

The police force in Nepal has introduced yoga lessons in an effort to slim down some of its heavier members.

Officers at the Kathmandu HQ said they were concerned some staff were becoming too fat to carry out their duties.

Obesity is an issue for many of Nepal's male and female officers who, once qualified, often forego the daily physical exercise they had to take to qualify for the force.

Many get almost no exercise while working, as their jobs are desk-based.

Added to this is the popularity of eating large servings of white rice with every meal, as well as sweets loaded with sugar and milk.

'Large bellies'
Police spokesman Keshav Adhikari said almost all police stations in Nepal would start offering yoga to their staff.

"The police have become inactive because of unnecessary development of their body," he said.

Yoga classes have already begun in both Kathmandu and the east of the country.

In the eastern district of Jhapa, more than 70 police officers and constables have been enrolled in a three-week yoga camp.

The yoga takes place early in the morning and includes special positions designed to reduce stomach size and obesity.

"I have ordered the officers and the constables who have large bellies to join this camp," Senior Superintendent Keshari Raj Ghimire told the BBC.

One of the participants, Sub-Inspector Bikram Khadka, said the yoga camp had helped him realise how to take his weight problem.

"I was not conscious about diet before but now I have got an idea to eat a useful amount only," he said.
 
Yoga guru 'detained at Heathrow'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24186532
Baba Ramdev

Swami Ramdevji, also known as Baba Ramdev, is a prominent Indian anti-corruption campaigner

A spiritual leader who was due to lead a 1,500-strong yoga class was detained at Heathrow airport for eight hours, his supporters have said.

Swami Ramdevji, 47, who is also known as Baba Ramdev, was expected to lead the class in Glasgow on Monday.

But his supporters said he was stopped at Heathrow Airport on Friday.

Ramdevji was given a 24-hour visa and instructed to return to Terminal Five on Saturday afternoon, when supporters fear he will be told to leave.

The organisers of his visit said they have contacted Hindu temples throughout the UK asking for supporters to protest at the airport against the move.

Ramdevji reportedly has an 85 million-strong worldwide following and his own television channel in India.

He has run prominent campaigns in India, including hunger strikes, protesting against corruption in government.

A trust run by Ramdevji bought the island of Little Cumbrae just off the coast of Largs in south west Scotland and established it as a yoga centre two years ago.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We would not comment on individual cases."

Media reports in India said Ramdevji was detained because he arrived at Heathrow on a visitor's visa instead of a business visa.

His spokesman SK Tejarawala was reported as saying: "It was not clear why the yoga guru was detained for over six hours at Heathrow. He was not carrying anything with him except a small bag of personal effects.

"It is for the British authorities to explain why he was detained."
 
Yoga guru Swami Ramdevji allowed to stay in UK
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24186532

Swami Ramdevji and Keith Vaz in a crowd, facing reporters holding out microphones and cameras

A spiritual leader who was detained at Heathrow airport for eight hours after arriving from India has been allowed to stay in the country.

Swami Ramdevji, 47, also known as Baba Ramdev, was stopped by officials at Heathrow Airport on Friday.

He arrived ahead of a 1,500-strong yoga class he was due to lead in Glasgow on Monday.

Ramdevji was given a 24-hour visa and instructed to return to Terminal Five on Saturday afternoon.

His supporters feared he would be told to leave but immigration officials ruled he could stay.

He arrived at the airport on Saturday with Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, and was mobbed by more than 150 supporters.

In the melee Ramdevji, who was dressed in sandals and an orange robe, nearly lost his clothing.

'Matter of concern'
Emerging from a brief meeting with Heathrow officials, Mr Vaz said the guru was now allowed to stay.

Continue reading the main story

Start Quote

No Indian citizen with a valid visa entering the UK for lawful purposes should be held in this way”

Keith Vaz
Leicester East MP
He added: "However, it is still a matter of concern to his many supporters and thousands of people who couldn't be here today that he should have been treated in the way he was treated when he arrived at Heathrow.

"No Indian citizen with a valid visa entering the UK for lawful purposes should be held in this way.

"This is a very serious situation that occurred."

Mr Vaz said he would pursue a fuller explanation later.

Ramdevji, who is only in the UK until Tuesday, said he had no problem with the UK government and added he would like to come back for up to three months.

Supporters have claimed he could have been targeted by the Indian authorities for speaking out about corruption back home.

The organisers of his visit said they had contacted Hindu temples throughout the UK asking for people to protest at the airport against the move.

Worldwide following
Swami Ramdevji holding up his passport, which has been stamped to show he has been granted a UK visa
Swami Ramdevji has been told he can stay in the UK
Ramdevji reportedly has an 85 million-strong worldwide following and his own television channel in India.

He has run prominent campaigns in India, including hunger strikes, protesting against corruption in government.

A trust run by Ramdevji bought the island of Little Cumbrae just off the coast of Largs in south west Scotland and established it as a yoga centre two years ago.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We would not comment on individual cases."

Media reports in India said Ramdevji was detained because he arrived at Heathrow on a visitor's visa instead of a business visa.

His spokesman SK Tejarawala was reported as saying: "It was not clear why the yoga guru was detained for over six hours at Heathrow. He was not carrying anything with him except a small bag of personal effects.

"It is for the British authorities to explain why he was detained."
 
Just my thoughts, but he was probably detained because he was only carrying a small bag. Not having any luggage can trigger off the 'profiling' by the security people.

I had it happen to me the one time when I flew to America. The airline lost my luggage, so I got the third degree from the Department of Homeland Security. Now it's happening here. :roll:
 
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