Posts made in July, 2011

Lately, India’s been in the news for a lot of conflict-related activity. First, the Union Minister made a blooper by calling homosexuality a disease– that too, in front of UN members gathered for a conference on HIV/ AIDS and health issues. Telangana is also a concern, with separatist movement gaining ground in the region of Andra Pradesh. Then, terrorist attacks on Mumbai, totaling 9 times in 9 years, with a death toll at approximately 100. Recently, it’s been mining corruption right here in Karnataka, with a Chief Minister (equivalent of Governor in the US) who says he deserves a Nobel Prize for his work in this state. Sure, he probably helped pave the way for a number of large hi-tech corporations to set up shop in the city. But Karnataka is...

I found them one evening while walking on the streets of my town, throwing fruit at each other– somewhat jovially, but also violently. My words on non-violence hit home to them, and they realized someone actually cared. So they began coming over for English lessons, when I realized how much I could actually help them. Their English is poor, despite attending English-medium Christian schools. While they can understand and communicate verbally, reading level and comprehension is sub-par. So are their mannerisms. They are not that much better in Kannada or Hindi. Through no fault of their own, their prospects are slim: they will end up working in blue-collar jobs after completing 10th standard, or 12th, if they are lucky. They might become electricians,...

I’m not sure how to answer this myself. It’s something I want to continue growing and researching and helping others understand too. Thus, I’m reaching out to you, knowing that together we are better! I’m looking for academic and non-academic papers and books, blogs, and anectodal stories from well-established mass-media sources (and another other relevant information) related to yoga & the following topics: children’s issues religious diversity environmental issues gender issues (women’s issues) natural resources self care health issues war, prisoners how different forms of yoga are used assist people to build peace Any thoughts would be appreciated! Share this:Facebook

Yesterday, I was joined for yoga class by a man who has been practicing for 20 years ish. He was looking for new ways to develop his yoga practice, stating that he had never really studied yoga formally. One topic that came up was what yoga is…. so I naturally started explaining the 8-limbed path of yoga (yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranayamas, pratyaharas, dharanas, dhyanas, and of course samadhi). Jokingly, the student stated that sitting in silence/ doing meditation or dhyana would be quite difficult for him, as he was used to doing things. But of course! A lot of yoga theories claim that there is a need for progression through the limbs, starting at yamas, and ending in samadhi, or bliss. However, this is not necessarily the case for all of us. In fact,...

Over the last few weeks, I’ve managed to gain more interest in yoga classes by individuals in Bangalore. It’s all been word-of-mouth, and a few simple ads on local websites. This weekend, I was joined  by four individuals who represent a global world. A young woman from Bangalore, a British man of Nigerian descent, and a couple who had most recently been living in Switzerland. The group also was of diverse religions. Yet we shared 90 minutes of yogic practices, including pranayama, asana, and dhyana, without a thought in the world as to our diversity. Actually, if anything, our diverse backgrounds stimulated conversation and admiration, as we shared stories of our travels, our experiences, and our lives. Yoga is not just for those who are skinny and...