August 2001 Living Practice eNewsletter

Welcome to the Living Practice – August 2001

1. A Yoga Reminder by Sam Dworkis

2. Website Review by Dr. Kev

3. Is Yoga A Religion? by Georg Feuerstein

4. A Note from Jyoti

5. Interview With God brought to our attention by Jillian Pransky

6. Save our Whales and Dolphins brought to our attention by Merideth

7. A Special Warm Welcome from Yogaeverywhere

8. Yoga eVents

9. Past Issues of the Living Practice

Hi There Lovely Internet Yogis,

I have a very funny and true story to tell you. One day I was practicing my yoga in a park by the beach sinking into Utthita Parsvakonasana, Extended Right Angle Pose. From the corner of my eye, I saw a man walking towards me. The reason why I noticed him was because he appeared worn and disheveled. He was very hairy on his head and face, barely dressed in torn clothes. His eyes were clear and blue. He walked by me and quietly commented, “Bend your right knee and rotate your chest more”. I replied “Thank you” and smiled returning back to my breath.

At times, we are all teachers. Open your eyes, listen and practice keeping your heart soft.

In the course of the Living Practice, you will notice a variety of opinions on the different teachings and practices of yoga. As always, Yogaeverywhere and the Living Practice have the goal to bring you what you may need to enhance your own understanding of yoga. Enjoy what you will, investigate with clear intentions and observe your judgments. Your comments, suggestions and submitted articles are always welcomed amongst the Yogaeverywhere community. We are consistently growing and there is plenty of space for all of us to learn and be heard. Thanks for your wonderful participation!

Namaste,

Megan

A Yoga Reminder by Sam Dworkis

Yoga is not about how far down you can reach or how many repetitions you can do. It’s about paying attention to how your body is structured; how to move it without exacerbating preexisting injury or illness; how to correctly breathe; and how to integrate that breath with your body. Intelligent yoga does not cause you to force or strain. In other words, appropriate yoga is learning how to do less...which gets you more.

Paradoxically, by appropriately doing less, yoga enhances strength, flexibility and endurance. Accordingly, your body and mind become increasingly balanced and you will find that it takes less energy to move through your day. Yes, you really can do less…and get more.

Sam Dworkis is author of ExTension (Simon & Schuster 1994) and Recovery Yoga (Random House 1998). He instructs individuals and small groups in Wellington, Florida, conducts yoga trainings nationwide, and may be reached through his educational website,

Website Review by Dr. Kev

This month’s addition to my online yoga instruction list is www.learnfree-yoga.com.
Although only part of a more broadly focused video learning site they do a nice job of introducing yoga in a way that makes sense to the fitness-minded hoards out there. Some decent video clips are included as teasers for videos available for purchase.

You can see the full list of ONLINE YOGA INSTRUCTION sites at http://yogaclass.com/links.html

A Note from Jyoti

The following may prove to be of some help to those who (for one reason or another) do not understand what is Yoga. However, someone from the East may not fully understand a Westerner who says, "I do Yoga." Is it Hatha Yoga or Raja Yoga or, perhaps, Bhakti Yoga or Jnana Yoga? Thus, it is proper to prefix the word "Yoga" with the specific form followed.

The word "Yoga" means (spiritual) "union." It comes from the Sanskrit (the prayer language of Hinduism) "yuj" which means, "to-yoke" to the spirit. This is identical to the western word "religion" which means, "to-link" or "to bind together" ("religio") to the spirit. Thus, Yoga (by definition) is spiritual/religious. To achieve this spiritual-realization, one needs to take into account all aspects of one's being--physical, mental and emotional.

Therefore, there are many steps or facets to the path of yoga. It should also be obvious that the spiritual/religious path of Yoga is the religion known as Sanatan Dharma or Hinduism. All Hindus live (to one degree or another) a life following the various aspects of yoga. Sanatan Dharma is a Sanskrit word meaning "Eternal Truth/Teachings/Tradition." It is the original and still used name for the religion known, today, as Hinduism. Sanatan Dharma is also the origin of the Buddhist, Jain and Sikh religions--thus, these religions also utilize various facets of yoga. Does this mean that one has to become a Hindu, etc. to study any aspect of Yoga? No, of course not.

But, common sense dictates that the authentic teacher (as in any other religion) must be a qualified Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh. And, just as anyone can become a Christian, for example, anyone can become a Hindu. In Peace, jyothi

Save our Whales and Dolphins brought to our attention by Merideth

The U.S. Navy wants to deploy the "Low-Frequency Active" (LFA) sonar program across 80 percent of our planet's oceans. LFA sonar is designed to detect enemy submarines by flooding vast expanses of the oceans with sound. Leaving aside the military wisdom of this sonar -- which is still in dispute -- the environmental dangers are becoming increasingly clear, if approved, will soon be bombarding millions of whales and dolphins around the world with intense noise.

Here's the problem: LFA noise is billions of times more intense than that known to disturb whale migration and communication. Whales and dolphins depend on their sensitive hearing for survival. To put it simply, a deaf whale is a dead whale. Deafening noise from the LFA system will interfere with the vital biological activities of marine mammals. Scientists fear that long-term exposure to LFA could push entire populations over the brink into extinction. Voice your opinion and help save our whales and dolphins!

A Special Warm Welcome From Yogaeverywhere

Let us give a warm welcome to the following yoga teachers joining Yogaeverywhere’s Teacher Directory...

Marilyn Crucet, Yoga 4 Siva, yoga instructor in Miami, Florida.

Sam Dworkis, yoga instructor and author of ExTension Yoga and Recovery Yoga in Wellington – West Palm Beach, Florida.

Susi Engl , yoga instructor in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Karyn Prudhomme, The Yoga Room at THM Massage & Body Therapies in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

Nadia, Nadia’s Garden Yoga Studio, yoga instructor in Columbia, South Carolina.

Nic Freeman, yoga instructor in Balearic Islands/Ibiza, Spain.

It is our intention to recognize the new teachers joining our directory and encourage you to visit them when you are in their neighborhood. After all, yoga is everywhere!

Lastly, does anyone know of a yoga class near Mobile or Fairhope, Alabama. One of our viewers really wants to start studying with a teacher. Please ask around and let me know. Thank you.

With love,

Megan, Gary and Rose