...ind and body.

Spiritually, Iyengar meditation is based upon Patanjali's eight limbs of raja yoga. The first is Yama, meaning physically and mentally abstaining from the following five things: violence toward others and oneself, from coveting others' belongings, from sexual intercourse, from attachment to possessions and anything that is untrue.

The second limb is called Niyama, referring to the five observances: cleanliness of body and mind, satisfaction with what one has, penance and mental control, introspection and surrender to God. Asana refers to posture and position (ideally an erect stance with relaxed muscles) and Pranayama is the directed control of one's breath, which is so vital to successful yoga practice.

Pratayahara calls for the quieting of senses connected with the outer world. Only then will Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (oneness with the Supreme Being) naturally follow.

In practice, Iyengar yoga is characterized by the use of belts, straps, sandbags, benches and blocks to aid in performing 200...more

Yoga - A Brief Historic Perspective

... as "mind boggling expressions of truth", or aphorisms. It is rumored that if one understands all the Sutras, divine revelation follows by default. There are several hundred Sutras.

This brief historic perspective of yoga is not complete if it stops at the classical stage of yoga. At the turn of the millennium, yoga spread in different forms. Theory states this occurred because of the need for standardization. Many different schools of yoga came into existence of which many continue to exist in our day and age, think of Hatha or Tantra Yoga, for example, or Kriya Yoga.

In his autobiography, Paramahansa Yogananda explains that he was the second master to have been given the task of making yoga known to western civilization. The first was Swami Vivekananda, the sanskrit term "swami" could be translated as "master", who went to America in the late nineteenth century. In more recent decades, yoga has greatly and swiftly evolved. From being an occult science only accessible to the brahmin caste of India it has become a mainstream activity that can serve the purpose of helping every living individual evolve beyond maya.more

Yoga and The Da Vinci code

...ou want to do the research. The History Channel has done some interesting work of separating myth from the facts. Also, there are reputable books available that go into detail about the Gnostic Gospels, the Cathars, and the Templars.

Look back into history objectively, and you may wonder what Roman Emperor Constantines real agenda was at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. What was the real purpose of gathering all of the christian sects under one roof? It possibly has more to do with power than it has to do with purity or protection.

So what in the world does this have to do with Yoga? Beware of organizations that desire to bri...more

Keep Fit With Yoga or Pilates for Maximum Spiritual and Physical Benefits

...In the wake of films like Morgan Spurlock's "Super size Me" and increasingly worrying figures on the level of global obesity, the world seems to have been delivered a swift electric shock and told to get back into shape - or else. But if you think that keeping fit is all about bench-pressing and weight-lifting in soulless gyms, you might be surprised to learn that you're more suited to a comprehensive Yoga or Pilates regime. A dedicated stay fit routine has to involve a lot of effort if it's going to work; but, if you choose to take up fitness regimes like Yoga or Pilates, you'll be sure to have a fulfilling spiritual experience as well as a physical one.

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