Yoga East Meets West

  THE BODY AS CENTRAL The Secret of Embodiment: MACROCOSM & MICROCOSM The body (deha) which stems from the verbal root dih - to smear or be soiled - hints at the defiled nature of the body. Yet, the same verbal root (dih) can also signify to anoint or that which is anointed. The older Sanskrit word for body which is sharira derive from the verbal root shri meaning to rest upon or support - here the body serves as a prop or framework by means of which the self can experience the world. This has led Tantrics to see the body as the "temple of the divine." Tantra has a body positive approach If the world is real, the body must be real as well If the world in essence is divine, so must the body be divine If the world is an aspect of the divine power of shakti, then our body is likewise a divine power of shakti  When we truly understand the body, we discover that it is the world which in essence is divine  Because the human body has a complex nervous system allowing higher expr

  Is Selfless Service Possible? When selecting your karma projects, keep in mind that  you are attempting to define and participate in "selfless service".  This participation will be the starting point for your continued REFLECTION on the idea of "karma yoga". Later in the term we will deal with this topic through an analysis of some of the major works of yoga philosophy. You will be required however to give an  INITIAL 3 paragraph analysis of selfless service when you turn in your Karma Project Proposals. (due on 2/11)...see below. Read this article for some ideas about reflection! http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cui-bono/201305/selfless-service-part-i-is-selfless-service-possible and then read this!!!!!! http://www.dailygood.org/2014/03/07/a-25-year-old-s-stunning-talk-on-selfless-service/ and then….yup, you got it…these! http://www.sanatansociety.org/yoga_and_meditation/karma_yoga.htm#.VA9urEtCbwI http://www.ramameditationsociety.org/karma-yoga-selfless-givin

  film on Vipassana in Prisons  and in the UNITED STATES Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an  Art Of Living . This non-sectarian technique aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation. Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion. The scientific laws that operate one