The Yoga of Forgiveness

Today I read an online story about an aging racist who now regrets the violence he committed against black people during the civil rights era. He has been offering personal apologies to those he has wronged, including one who is now a Congressman that he had punched in the face, a neighbor he had threatened for objecting to an effigy hung in his yard, and many others.

As this man asks for forgiveness and blessing, and receives it, he says he feels as if a great burden has been lifted from his body. He was sure that if he died without making things right with those he had hurt he would spend eternity in Hell. Now, he feels more at peace and doesn't even know why he originally felt such anger and hatred towards black people.

In the tradition of Ayurveda, of which Yoga is considered part, anger and hatred would be considered "tamasic". Tamas is a quality of heaviness, darkness. In some ways, tamas is useful; it provides a grounding quality to our lives, it allows for manifestation of ideas. But in excess tamas creates inertia, lethargy, negativity.

To create balance in our minds we need the quality of sattva, or light. By associating with positive people, watching uplifting or inspirational programs, listening to beautiful music, even thinking positive thoughts we create a lightness of being that counteracts the darkness that sometimes settles in. Even just taking a walk in the garden on a sunny day raises the spirit after a long period of cloudy weather.

And finding the courage to ask for forgiveness from someone we have wronged unburdens not only our soul but that of the one who grants it.....

Ahimsa in Real Life

If you've been following the news lately, you're aware of the latest scandal/crisis/political football. The financial meltdown now occurring is a wonderful opportunity to learn how NOT practicing ahimsa (non-harming) in your life and work can have horrible consequences.

Unfortunately in our system of government/finances/daily life those responsible may not be held accountable for what they've done to others (unless the fallout causes widespread collapse and causes EVERYONE to suffer). But it's easy to see the damage done to those least able to save themselves - those whose investments have been wiped out, whose jobs have been eliminated, who have lost their homes. The ripples are now spreading to businesses once thought strong - a Pennsylvania department store chain that made the mistake of starting an aggressive expansion into Maryland and now is out of business, not only laying off hundreds of workers but shuttering stores which were anchors at the malls they inhabited; a major energy company abruptly sold when it couldn't raise enough cash to cover their short term debts; and there will be many more before the damage is done with and order is restored.

Ahimsa as a spiritual practice first begins with the self - how can I do business without harming myself? and should then progress to one's inner circle - how can I do business without harming those I do business with or who work for or with me? and should finish with the effects on the wider community - how do I do business without harming those who may depend on how I do business and how well I do with my business?

In the current crisis, many business people thought only of how they could do well for themselves and did not consider how their actions would affect others. Now that the harm is becoming impossible to ignore these same business people are now seeking to avoid taking responsibility for their actions while simultaneously pushing the burden on the wider community for decades to come.

If you are of a certain age, you should remember that this has all happened before. The Savings & Loan scandal of the '80s was another recent example of how greed caused seemingly upstanding citizens to harm others in their quest for more than they really needed. The Great Depression of the 30's (which is now being resurrected as an image of where we might be headed), the Teapot Dome, countless sack and plunder operations big and small through the ages only illustrate the continuing need for human beings to continually train their minds, their egos, and abilities to remember that every being wishes to live well and be happy while providing the same to their families.

Every religion and ethical system on this Earth provides guidelines for ethical living: Buddhism's Eightfold Path, Christianity and Judaism have the Ten Commandments, Yoga has the Yamas and Niyamas. It shouldn't be that difficult to implement these guidelines; all it takes is ongoing guidance from parents (as well as parents providing the appropriate examples) during childhood and the inner strength to know that doing right by others equals doing right by oneself.

The rewards may not be as financially lucrative but the rewards of helping others rise as you do (as opposed to rising by pushing others down) will ultimately strengthen us all and keep us safe from such meltdowns in the future.

okay, so it's been awhile!

I've got some good excuses - my dialup account went belly-up so now I have to pay more than double for broadband (on the bright side, it's faster most of the time, on the dim side it goes out every time it rains...); I've been busy trying to find new places to teach (in a down economy, so many give up what can keep them calm and focused because it seems expensive - but how expensive is failing physical and/or emotional health?).

I have been steadily acquiring private clients - those who not only have the money to invest in their personal well-being but the dedication to practice what they are taught on their own between sessions. Unlike many who take a group class one or more times per week, these folks are learning to really "listen" to their bodies and pay attention to what happens when they practice. This leads to a greater understanding of their "routine" beyond mere memorization.

One of my most recent clients, a young mother whose fitness had declined after birth (happens so many times, as personal desires are sublimated to the needs of the child) has begun to realize that her nature is to push too hard and this is what leads to injury. Coming to this insight on her own is much more meaningful than having anyone simply tell her about it or suggesting that she back off. Now she KNOWS because she has learned to observe her self in action. Now comes the struggle to learn to control her impulses before she goes too far. Since she is highly motivated to do this she should master self-control fairly quickly. She has already gained a great deal of strength over a mere five weeks of training!

A new development is in the works - adding classes for credit at another local university. I have very much enjoyed teaching my two for credit sections at the University of Maryland Baltimore County twice per year. The students may not come to class with yoga experience (some do) or a high level of fitness (some are very fit, others not so much) but they do come with alot of enthusiasm (though I did hear one young woman say after an early class (she thought she was out of my earshot) "that was SOOOO boring!"

My approach to these classes is to start from the very beginning (and slowly - it's not easy recovering from a 2 or 3 hour class!) and give them just enough to begin practicing on their own. Since each section meets twice per week, the students are asked to practice an additional 4 times, just the first sun salutation, until it's fairly easy. I make sure to add that this will make them less sore, since we add on to the routine very quickly.

Some students have reported losing weight during these classes - most recently, one student said she lost 7 pounds in the first three weeks of class! Since I also discuss proper diet (cutting out processed and refined foods in favor of natural whole foods, etc) and good sleep habits even those who don't lose weight report building strength, endurance, flexibility, clearer thinking, calmer demeanor, and deeper sleep.

In a world seemingly falling apart, it is important to practice "inner cultivation", as my Qigong master Zhongxian Wu says. Those who learn to keep their own lives together will be the ones to put the world back together again once the mindless masses figure out that their mindless attachments to material gain and power over others are not working out for anyone...

The Whole Human

"To be human
is to become visible
while carrying
what is hidden
as a gift to others."

excerpt from What to Remember When Waking by David Whyte, contained in the collection The House of Belonging published by Many Rivers Press

To be a "whole" human, according to the principles of Yoga, is to unite body, mind, and spirit. True health cannot separate any of these three components; if one is weak, the others will eventually weaken. As we learn to strengthen one area, often the others will follow. There is no one right way to begin; some begin by strengthening the body, others the mind, and still others focus on the spirit.

The Ashtanga Yoga method, taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, begins with physical training; a strong, supple body becomes a fit vehicle for the spirit and trains the practitioner to apply the principle of non-harming first to the self and then by extension to others.

The word "ashtanga" means "eight limbs" in the Sanskrit language. The physical limb, "Asana", is the 3rd limb or component of the complete practice. The other limbs are:
Yama (personal ethics)
Niyama (personal observances)
Asana (physical training)
Pranayama (proper breathing)
Pratyahara (withdrawal from negative influence, opening to positive influence)
Dharana (concentration)
Dhyana (meditation)
Samadhi (union)

The physical practice of Yoga is mere gymnastics if the other limbs are ignored; one need not be perfect, everyone's growth will not be at the same rate. Some will become quite proficient at advanced postures but run the risk of developing an egotistical attachment to their demonstration and the attention that the less gifted may bestow on them. Others may be unable to perform even the simplest postures while developing formidable intellectual talents. And how many of us have had the honor of being in the presence of a "saint"? These saints live in bliss and feel unconditional love for all they meet but they often have no formal education and may never practice a formal asana routine. Some may even be physically disabled.

As you begin your own practice, avoid judging yourself by what you see others do. Concentrate on your own practice, and each time you finish simply note what you have accomplished without applying a value to it. Your practice is not "good", or "bad", or "fruitful", it simply is what it is today.

The longer you practice, the more you will see the wisdom in it and the more you will be able to see how to apply the principles to every aspect of your daily life.

Food

The politics of food in this country encourages large corporations to gobble up smaller ones (economy of scale), large "farmers" to buy up small family farms and mechanize the operations, or companies to purchase produce and meat from cheaper foreign farmers. The goverment has declared food to be a commodity - food is merely food, it matters not, it is simply fuel, a calorie is just a calorie. Shove it in your mouth, it goes in one end and comes out the other eventually.

Ancient wisdom teaches us differently; we are what we eat. This is why all traditions teach us to say "grace" before meals - we should be grateful for the bounty of the Earth, the sacrifice the living things have made for us so that we may continue our own existance and spiritual development. We need to remain mindful of the source of our food, how it is grown, how it is prepared, how it tastes.

The best food for us is that which is fresh, seasonal, and local. If it has been grown in good soil, it will be full of nutrients. Good, balanced soil doesn't need fertilizers; the plants will be strong and healthy and will not attract pests that "require" harmful pesticides. The farmer can rely on natural methods that attract beneficial insects and birds to the land. After harvest, what is left is returned to the soil to enrich it for the next crop. The natural farmer also interplants crops that are beneficial to each other as well as to the human, and allows for continual harvests.

Commercial farms, by contrast, plant "mono-crops" - one thing such as a single variety of corn (often genetically engineered) which is susceptible to blight, drought, insect infestation. The cycle of plant, harvest, spray, leave the field bare depletes the soil within a few years; how depleted do you think the corn is? Then the corn is further "refined" - stripped of its nutrients (what might be left) - as it's made into cereal, and then a few vitamins and minerals are added back in. By the time you get that box of cereal from the store, that corn may have spent months on its journey from the field.

Then there's the issue of compassion for animals raised for meat, egg, and dairy consumption. Yes, animals have feelings - how many of you have animal companions? Have you ever watched a nature program that shows how wild animals raise their young? Domestic animals are the same - given the choice, they will care for their children as tenderly as any human parent. They feel pain, they feel love and affection, they feel resentment and anger. They deserve to be given adequate shelter, space to move, and the opportunity to socialize with others of their kind. When their time comes, it should come swiftly so they feel as little pain and fear as possible. The Jewish and Muslim rules for slaughter teach this. Tribal peoples taught this as a rule for hunting, as an animal which suffered was unfit to eat. This issue of compassion for animals has caused many to become vegetarian (one who may eat eggs or dairy) or vegan (one who eats no eggs or dairy).

It is not impossible to wean yourself from the Big Farm Diet. Begin with small things like vegetables (you will find that buying local produce is often cheaper - no plastic packaging!), especially once the farmers' markets open. Consider joining a CSA (community supported agriculture) group in your area - you can join with other families in your block and pool your resources and divide what you get. The farmers will often give you recipes for anything unfamiliar, give you samples to taste, may even host cooking lessons!

Then, invite your friends over for dinner and share your newfound cooking skills and hook them onto the Think Global/Buy Local express!

Those who are born are born of food.
Whoever reaches this Earth, from then on they subsist on food.
And in the end, they go back to it.
Food is the eldest among created things,
That is why it is called the universal medicine.

Tattiriya Upanishad

Seven Practices for Peacemakers

by Deepak Chopra

How to end war
One person at a time

War is the plague that human beings bring upon themselves. It is also a plague we might be able to end. On any given day since you and I were born, some part of the world has been at war–in 2003 the total number of open conflicts was thirty. In the twentieth century at least 108 million people died in wars. Of the 20 largest military budgets on earth, 14 belong to developing countries. The United States spends more on its military than the next 16 countries combined.
That war is the major problem in the world is undeniable.
The need for a new idea is just as undeniable.
The new idea is to bring peace one person at a time until the world reaches a critical mass of peacemakers instead of warmakers.

"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." – Mahatma Gandhi

Why Ending War Hasn't Worked
Peace movements have tried three ways for bringing war to an end:
Activism, the approach of putting political pressure on governments that wage war. Activism involves protests and public demonstrations, lobbying and political commitment. Almost every war creates some kind of peace movement opposed to it.
Why has it failed?
Because the protesters are not heard.
Because they are worn down by frustration and resistance.
Because they are far outnumbered by the war interests in society.
Because their idealism turns to anger and violence.
Activism has left us with the ironic picture of outraged peacemakers who wind up contributing to the total sum of violence in the world.

Humanitarianism, the approach of helping the victims of war. Bringing relief to victims is an act of kindness and compassion. As embodied by the International Red Cross, this effort is ongoing and attracts thousands of volunteers worldwide. Every nation on earth approves of humanitarianism.
Why has it failed?
Because humanitarians are wildly outnumbered by soldiers and warmakers.
Because of finances. The International Red Cross's annual budget of $1.8 billion dollars is a tiny fraction of military budgets around the world.
Because the same countries that wage war also conduct humanitarian efforts, keeping the two activities very separate.
Because humanitarians show up on the scene after the war has already begun.

Personal transformation, the approach of ending war one person at a time. The prevailing idea is that war begins in each human heart and can only end there. The religious tradition of praying for peace is the closest most people will ever come to ending war in their own hearts. Most people have actually never heard of this approach.
Why has it failed?
Because nobody has really tried it.

"Can you be the change that you wish to see in the world?" – Mahatma Gandhi


Why War Ends With You
The approach of personal transformation is the idea of the future for ending war. It depends on the only advantage that people of peace have over warmakers: sheer numbers. If enough people in the world transformed themselves into peacemakers, war could end. The leading idea here is critical mass. It took a critical mass of human beings to embrace electricity and fossil fuels, to teach evolution and adopt every major religion. When the time is right and enough people participate, critical mass can change the world.
Can it end war?
There is precedent to believe that it might. The ancient Indian ideal of Ahimsa, or non-violence, gave Gandhi his guiding principle of reverence for life. In every spiritual tradition it is believed that peace must exist in one's heart before it can exist in the outer world.
Personal transformation deserves a chance.

"When a person is established in non-violence, those in his vicinity cease to feel hostility." – Patanjali, ancient Indian sage

Seven Practices for Peace

The program for peacemakers asks you to follow a specific practice every day, each one centered on the theme of peace.
Sunday: Being for Peace
Monday: Thinking for Peace
Tuesday: Feeling for Peace
Wednesday: Speaking for Peace
Thursday: Acting for Peace
Friday: Creating for Peace
Saturday: Sharing for Peace
Our hope is that you will create peace on every level of your life. Each practice takes only a few minutes. You can be as private or outspoken as you wish. But those around you will know that you are for peace, not just through good intentions but by the way you conduct your life on a daily basis.

Sunday: Being for Peace
Today, take 5 minutes to meditate for peace. Sit quietly with your eyes closed. Put your attention on your heart and inwardly repeat these four words: Peace, Harmony, Laughter, Love. Allow these words to radiate from your heart's stillness out into your body.
As you end your meditation, say to yourself, "Today I will relinquish all resentments and grievances." Bring into your mind anyone against whom you have a grievance and let it go. Send that person your forgiveness.

Monday: Thinking for Peace
Thinking has power when it is backed by intention. Today, introduce the intention of peace in your thoughts. Take a few moments of silence, then repeat this ancient prayer:
Let me be loved, let me be happy, let me be peaceful.
Let my friends be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let my perceived enemies be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let all beings be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let the whole world experience these things.
Any time during the day if you are overshadowed by fear or anger, repeat these intentions. Use this prayer to get back on center.

Tuesday: Feeling for Peace
This is the day to experience the emotions of peace. The emotions of peace are compassion, understanding, and love.
Compassion is the feeling of shared suffering. When you feel someone else's suffering, there is the birth of understanding.
Understanding is the knowledge that suffering is shared by everyone. When you understand that you aren't alone in your suffering, there is the birth of love.
When there is love there is the opportunity for peace.
As your practice, observe a stranger some time during your day. Silently say to yourself, "This person is just like me.. Like me, this person has experienced joy and sorrow, despair and hope, fear and love. Like me, this person has people in his or her life who deeply care and love them. Like me, this person's life is impermanent and will one day end. This person's peace is as important as my peace. I want peace, harmony, laughter, and love in their life and the life of all beings."


Wednesday: Speaking for Peace
Today, the purpose of speaking is to create happiness in the listener. Have this intention: Today every word I utter will be chosen consciously. I will refrain from complaints, condemnation, and criticism.
Your practice is to do at least one of the following:
Tell someone how much you appreciate them.
Express genuine gratitude to those who have helped and loved you.
Offer healing or nurturing words to someone who needs them.
Show respect to someone whose respect you value.
If you find that you are reacting negatively to anyone, in a way that isn't peaceful, refrain from speaking and keep silent. Wait to speak until you feel centered and calm, and then speak with respect.


Thursday: Acting for Peace
Today is the day to help someone in need: A child, a sick person, an older or frail person. Help can take many forms. Tell yourself, " Today I will bring a smile to a stranger's face. If someone acts in a hurtful way to me or someone else, I will respond with a gesture of loving kindness. I will send an anonymous gift to someone, however small. I will offer help without asking for gratitude or recognition."

Friday: Creating for Peace
Today, come up with at least one creative idea to resolve a conflict, either in your personal life or your family circle or among friends. If you can, try and create an idea that applies to your community, the nation, or the whole world.
You may change an old habit that isn't working, look at someone a new way, offer words you never offered before, or think of an activity that brings people together in good feeling and laughter.


Saturday: Sharing for Peace
Today, share your practice of peacemaking with two people. Give them this information and invite them to begin the daily practice. As more of us participate in this sharing, our practice will expand into a critical mass.
Today joyfully celebrate your own peace consciousness with at least one other peace-conscious person. Connect either trough e-mail or phone.
Share your experience of growing peace.
Share your gratitude that someone else is as serious about peace as you are.
Share your ideas for helping the world move closer to critical mass.
Do whatever you can, in small or large ways, to assist anyone who wants to become a peacemaker.

The Best Reason to Become a Peacemaker
Now you know the program. If you transform yourself into a peacemaker, you won't become an activist marching in the streets. You will not be "anti" anything. No money is required. All you are asked to do is to go within and dedicate yourself to peace.
It just might work.
Even if you don't immediately see a decline in violence around the world, you will know in your heart that you have dedicated your own life to peace.
But the single best reason to become a peacemaker is that every other approach has failed.
We don't know what number the critical mass is--the best we can hope is to bring about change by personal transformation. Isn't it worth a few moments of your day to end 30 wars around the world and perhaps every future war that is certain to break out?

"War is like cancer: it will only get worse if we don't prevent it and heal it." Deepak Chopra

Right now there are 21.3 million soldiers serving in armies around the world. Can't we recruit a peace brigade ten times larger?
A hundred times larger?
The effort begins now, with you.

"It is an illusion to think that military strength and weapons create security. Security and peace can only be obtained by those who are peaceful and defenseless."
Deepak Chopra

Sun Salutations

To see the original, go to their website - they also have an mp3 file of the chanting that is done with each position. This Surya Namaskar is like a cross between the Ashtanga A & B and a little easier to do (except for the chanting performed at the same time!) You don't have to a million yourself, just do what you can and be consistent and then report what you do each week to their website (listed below. be sure to register with them!). Namaste hon!)
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (USA)

Invites everyone to participate in
Surya Namaskar Yagna
(Sun Salutation to manifest the Divinity within)
Date: Jan 13, 2007 to Jan 28, 2007

(Makar Sankranti to Ratha Saptami)
Ø Introduce and practice Yoga in our daily life
ØSimple asanas for physical and intellectual development
ØLead a very healthy lifestyle with eternal bliss

To participate in the yagna:

1. Visit Shakha/Balagokulum near you or http://www.hssus.org/sny
2. Learn how to do Surya namaskar
3. Do Surya namaskar at home everyday and keep count
4. Give the total count to your coordinator

v Goal: 5000 Participants and 1,000,000 Suryanamaskars

v Participating kids will receive a certificate

Contact Address


Email: sny@hssus.org

http://www.hssus.org/sny




Surya Namaskar Positions

10
ॐ Mitraaya Namah
ॐ Ravaye Namah
ॐ Suryaaya Namah
ॐ Bhaanave Namah
ॐ Khagaaya Namah
ॐ Puushne Namah
ॐ Hiranyagarbhaaya Namah
ॐ Mareechaye Namah
ॐ Aadityaaya Namah
ॐ Savitre Namah
ॐ Arkaaya Namah
ॐ Bhaaskaraaya Namah
ॐ Shree Savitru Suurya Naaraayanaaya Namah
9 1
8 2
7 3
6 4
5