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Posts Tagged ‘Hinduism’

The Rich Traditions Of Yoga From The Perspective Of A Long Island Yoga Studio

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Want to go to some Long Island yoga classes, but you don’t even know what it entails? Read on about Yoga’s rich history and see if what’s worked for thousands of years and millions of people will work for you.

Yoga is so ancient that it was developed well before even the written word. Stone carvings depicting figures in Yoga positions have been found in archeological sites in the Indus Valley dating back 5,000 years or more. There is a common misconception that Yoga is rooted in Hinduism; on the contrary, Hinduism’s religious structures evolved much later and incorporated some of the practices of Yoga.

While you can find books that teach Yoga, the traditional means for learning Yoga is to have a teacher pass his knowledge onto his students through oral lectures and practical demonstration. The many techniques that encompass Yoga are based on the collective knowledge and experience of many, many teachers over the course of several thousand years.

One of the earliest texts having to do with Yoga was compiled by a scholar named Patanjali, who set down the most prevalent Yoga theories and practices of his time in a book he called Yoga Sutras (“Yoga Aphorisms”) as early as the 1st or 2nd century B.C. or as late as the 5th century A.D. He wrote about a system known as “Asthanga Yoga”, which means “the eight limbs of Yoga”.  This is what we refer to when we speak of Classical Yoga today. Most practitioners of Yoga today use some form of the system Patanjali recorded.

There are eight steps to Classical Yoga.  These are:

1. yama, the showing of restraint in engaging in such activities as violence, casual sex, the hoarding of possessions, lying, and stealing.

2. niyama, meaning “observance” — purity, contentment, tolerance, study, and remembrance.

3. asana, which means the physical exercises you should routinely do.

4. pranayama, meaning “breathing techniques”.

5. pratyahara, which refers to preparing the mind for meditation.

6. dharana, the ability to concentrate and focus the mind on a specific object for a set amount of time.

7. dhyana, the supreme meditation.  This is focusing your mind on one thing indefinitely.

8. samadhi, which means to absorb into one’s self.  This is the focus on the inner self.

Modern western Yoga classes generally focus on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th steps.

Yoga has been in the United States since the late 1800s, but it did not gain in popularity until the 1960s. Yoga eventually gained acceptance as a great means of reducing stress and improving health as its beneficial effects became widely known.

Ready to find out what Yoga has in store for you? Get to your local Yoga studio and get involved! Love to sweat?  Give Long Island hot yoga a try, and you won’t be disappointed!

Sole Pilates and Yoga is the hottest Long Island yoga studio on Huntington. Visit their website and come to one of their Long Island yoga classes soon!

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Meditation- A Way To Contemplation

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Meditation an ancient practice is rooted in Vedic Hinduism. It is a state in which the mind dissolves and is free of thoughts.

Full fledged in Western culture, meditation is a common practice known to everyone. It includes a wide variety of spiritual practices that masters on the mental activity of a person. Most of them approach Meditation for achieving peace of mind.

Types of Meditation: is on the basis of different religions-
• Bahai faith
• Buddhism
• Christianity
• Gnostic
• Jainism
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Judaism
• Sikhism
• Taoism
• New Age
Just thinking on one topic is Christian type of meditation. In this, mystics reach a state of achieving complete silence of mind known as contemplation. In Hinduism, meditation by the repetition of mantras is introduced that induces a positive energy. In Buddhism, meditation masters on breathing.

Repetition of Mantras help one to be free from thoughts and helps to reach a sound feeling peacefulness on mind. Different postures are followed for meditation. A comfortable position should be attained before practicing meditation that helps to relax oneself from the meddling matters of the daily life.
Meditation helps one to find a positive attitude towards mind and enriches personal growth.
Prayers: meditational prayers are related to one religious background. It is one of the contemplative prayers that connects one to the cosmic powers.

Declaration and visualization: makes one to deepen the relationship with the devotional powers. The positive visualization that one wishes to reach should be done along with the meditative prayers should be done.

Transformation through meditation: positive will of the person together with the meditation makes one to achieve developmental transformation in oneself.

Different techniques:

Many simple techniques are there that can be practiced. A place with little distraction preferably a prayer room with icons, incense or something is the finest place for meditation.
• Hearing the silence- with less distraction.
• A comfortable posture should be attained for better meditation.
• It is advised to meditate twice a day for better results.
Common postures:
1. Cross legged posture
2. Seated posture
3. Kneeling posture
4. Lying down posture

The three stages of meditations:
1. Dharana- complete concentration of mind
2. Dhyana- contemplation or worship
3. Samadhi- complete merging into a spiritual freedom

Benefits of Meditation:
• Controls stress- the person finds to manage the root causes of the stress in his life.
• Pain Management- the proper practice of meditation helps one to manage chronic pain that persists on and other psychic disorders connected to it.
• Physical healing- heals cancer, high blood pressure, infertility, respiratory problems, premenstrual Syndrome etc
• Gain repressed memories
• Handle pain attacks

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Dev Sri provides Kerala tour and travel information through The Kerala Tourism website. Check out the website to find cool places, genuine Ayurvedic centers and Kerala travel packages. Website built, hosted and promoted by Aienet Communications. Website: www.aienet.com/

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Touching On The History Of Yoga

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

The History of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. The earliest Yoga started some 5000 years ago since human civilization begun. The scholars have believed that Yoga was originated out of Stone Age Shamanism.

This is because there were some cultural similarities between Mehrgarh which was a Neolithic settlement and the Modern Hinduism. The shamanistic culture of Mergarh was in fact influenced by Hindu principles, symbols and rituals of the present. The ancient shamanism and early Yoga had so much similar for the reason both wanted to go beyond the human condition.

Shamanism’s principal goal was to heal the members who were in their community and at the same time act as the religious mediators.

Archaic Yoga also had the same objectives as they were community oriented and they aimed to establish the enormous order through senses and inner vision which then can be applied to our daily lives.

As time went on, Yoga has progressed and has regarded the inmost occurrence. Yogis then have been persistent on trying to improve the individual explanation, recovery and salvation.

Yoga’s evidences were first tracked in the archaeological evidence which was found in stone seals that were dug up from the Indus valley. Yoga postures were traced and seen from the figures which were illustrated in the stone seals. The artefacts were placed on History books circa 3000 B.C., which was linked to the great Indus-Sarasvati Civilization which was known to be the largest civilization that existed in the ancient world. The Indus-Sarasvati, being a nautical society, exported goods all over Africa and the Middle East. They build up sewage systems and put up geometrical brick roads and constructed multi-story buildings.

The Vedas are known as the oldest scripture in the world which were the earliest texts, and was brought by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. It was a collection of hymns that commends a high power which included the oldest recorded tradition in Yoga. They have considered this the divine revelation. The intelligence of the Vedas was known as the Pre-classical Yoga or the Vedic. This was described by the ritualistic ceremonies that the Yoga practitioners have required in order to go beyond the boundaries of the mind.

The history of yoga would not have been completed in the classical stage of yoga. After the time and turn of the millennium, yoga and its spread in different forms have come up with the need for standardisation. This is significant so that the people will be aware of it and can be applied by them. Due to this, during the second century, C.E., Patanjali composed and collected seminal text that was the Yoga-Sutra, which had defined the Classical Yoga.

At the age of Postclassical Yoga in the enormous history of Yoga, it gave rise to some industrious literature, which included the Tantra and the Hatha that are famously known these days. They were taught in schools for Yoga and practiced by many. Therefore, post classical Yoga is described to the adaptation of our present state. It is the time when yoga has evolved very much and introduced to people. It has then been applied in the United States since the 1800’s.

Now in the recent decades, yoga has greatly and speedily evolved. Swami Sivananda was one of the prominent gurus ever to master yoga. He has served as a doctor and he has generously opened up schools in Europe and America.

Now as we move on with the yoga practices that we have today, it is much helpful and easier to understand if we looked back on the history of yoga.

Article Source: http://www.hobbyarticledirectory.com

Clive Harman www.site4information.com/yoga/

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Tibetan Buddhist Meditation

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

The History of Meditation

Tibetan Buddhist meditation has a long history, but not as long as the history of meditation itself. Buddhism was a branch of Hinduism and so meditation was practiced in Hinduism before it was practiced in Buddhism. Buddhist thought is that there are three things one must accomplish before enlightenment. Virtue, Wisdom, and Meditation. Meditation is practiced in many of the eastern religions, and even in western religions. But I will focus this article on Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism meditation practices.

Hinduism is the oldest living religion that practiced meditation. Meditation in Hinduism is thought to have developed out of man’s need to find Brahman (God’s) true nature. Hindu practitioners would sit and think about who God really was, and by sitting for hours like this they began to have moments of clarity. These moments of clarity are what many practitioners even today are trying to achieve through meditation.

The difference in meditation in Buddhism and in Hinduism is that Buddhist practitioners did not believe that meditation is a means by which to be closer with God, but that it is instead a way for those meditating to become closer with everything on earth. It is said that Buddha (Siddhartha) found enlightenment by meditation underneath a Bodhi tree.

Meditation in yoga

In yoga, meditation is practiced after breathing exercises, or pranayama. The original philosphy of yoga was that is was important to meditate after practicing asanas, or the physical aspect of yoga, because the body would be prepared to relax and loose enough that sitting on the floor would be comfortable. Breathing before any type of meditation is a good practice, because slow breathing slows down your heart rate and calms the mind so that the body is able to move into a tranquil place.

Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism was formed out of the principles of yoga and of Buddhism, which arrived in Tibet from India beginning in the eighth century. Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is focused on tantric principles, and another name for Tibetan Buddhism is Tantrayana Buddhism. One purpose of tantra is to help turn the base human desires such as greed and envy into something good, like love and compassion. There are many steps in tantric Buddhism, these include lamrim (things that should be reflected on and meditative activities), preliminary practices, contemplation, Dzogchen (an advanced step which is the last step on the Tantrayana Buddhist practitioner’s path).

Ways to Meditate

In Tibetan Buddhism many forms of meditation are comprised of thinking about certain things in order to clear your mind and help make the path to enlightenment open. Some topics to meditate on include being charitable to others, seeing yourself and those around you as equal, and developing compassion.

In yoga and Hinduism, meditation is the path and the goal. There are many different forms that yogic meditation can take. Because meditation in yoga often starts with pranayama, or breathing exercises, meditation can also start with the breath. There are also forms of meditation where you meditate on a mantra, or prayer. There is meditation through kirtan, singing. There is also meditation on sound that can occur with music or in a kirtan session. And in both Hinduism and in Tibetan Buddhism there is meditation on an object, such as a Buddhist statue or a Buddhist thangka or a dorje or other symbol.

There are many different forms of meditation in both Hindusim (yoga) and Tibetan Buddhism. Whichever path one chooses in meditation, it is important to first find a spiritual guide. A spiritual guide can help you understand how to meditate and help guide your meditation path in ways that we cannot do on our own. Remember, even your spiritual guide started with a spiritual guide of their own at some point.

The History of Meditation

Tibetan Buddhist meditation has a long history, but not as long as the history of meditation itself. Buddhism was a branch of Hinduism and so meditation was practiced in Hinduism before it was practiced in Buddhism. Buddhist thought is that there are three things one must accomplish before enlightenment. Virtue, Wisdom, and Meditation. Meditation is practiced in many of the eastern religions, and even in western religions. But I will focus this article on Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism meditation practices.

Hinduism is the oldest living religion that practiced meditation. Meditation in Hinduism is thought to have developed out of man’s need to find Brahman (God’s) true nature. Hindu practitioners would sit and think about who God really was, and by sitting for hours like this they began to have moments of clarity. These moments of clarity are what many practitioners even today are trying to achieve through meditation.

The difference in meditation in Buddhism and in Hinduism is that Buddhist practitioners did not believe that meditation is a means by which to be closer with God, but that it is instead a way for those meditating to become closer with everything on earth. It is said that Buddha (Siddhartha) found enlightenment by meditation underneath a Bodhi tree.

Meditation in yoga

In yoga, meditation is practiced after breathing exercises, or pranayama. The original philosphy of yoga was that is was important to meditate after practicing asanas, or the physical aspect of yoga, because the body would be prepared to relax and loose enough that sitting on the floor would be comfortable. Breathing before any type of meditation is a good practice, because slow breathing slows down your heart rate and calms the mind so that the body is able to move into a tranquil place.

Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism was formed out of the principles of yoga and of Buddhism, which arrived in Tibet from India beginning in the eighth century. Meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is focused on tantric principles, and another name for Tibetan Buddhism is Tantrayana Buddhism. One purpose of tantra is to help turn the base human desires such as greed and envy into something good, like love and compassion. There are many steps in tantric Buddhism, these include lamrim (things that should be reflected on and meditative activities), preliminary practices, contemplation, Dzogchen (an advanced step which is the last step on the Tantrayana Buddhist practitioner’s path).

Ways to Meditate

In Tibetan Buddhism many forms of meditation are comprised of thinking about certain things in order to clear your mind and help make the path to enlightenment open. Some topics to meditate on include being charitable to others, seeing yourself and those around you as equal, and developing compassion.

In yoga and Hinduism, meditation is the path and the goal. There are many different forms that yogic meditation can take. Because meditation in yoga often starts with pranayama, or breathing exercises, meditation can also start with the breath. There are also forms of meditation where you meditate on a mantra, or prayer. There is meditation through kirtan, singing. There is also meditation on sound that can occur with music or in a kirtan session. And in both Hinduism and in Tibetan Buddhism there is meditation on an object, such as a Buddhist statue or a Buddhist thangka or a dorje or other symbol.

There are many different forms of meditation in both Hindusim (yoga) and Tibetan Buddhism. Whichever path one chooses in meditation, it is important to first find a spiritual guide. A spiritual guide can help you understand how to meditate and help guide your meditation path in ways that we cannot do on our own. Remember, even your spiritual guide started with a spiritual guide of their own at some point.

Article Source: http://www.articlewarehouse.com

Sylvia Smelcer is the owner of Hinky Imports, The Singing Bowl Shop, Om Tibetan Jewelry, and Bodhi Seed Prayer Beads.

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Advantages Of Holistic Meditation

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Alternative methods of ensuring wellness have been around for thousands of years and they have been enjoying a resurgence in recent decades. Holistic meditation, for example, is becoming a favorite among fitness enthusiasts, thanks in part to the increasing popularity of yoga, tai chi and qigong. But what exactly is holistic meditation and what are its benefits? Here are things you need to know:

Holistic meditation
Meditation is an important component of many of the world’s religions and other spiritual disciplines, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Dervish and Asceticism. It is also practiced by followers of the New Age Movement.

The term ‘holistic’ is derived from the Greek word ‘holos’, meaning whole, total or entire. It is the belief that everything involved in a system are part of a whole and that understanding any one part or component requires understanding its relationship to the rest of the components.

Holistic meditation is part of a philosophy that focuses on the view that physical, spiritual and mental aspects should be considered in order to achieve healing and optimum well-being. Only when a balance exists among these three aspects will a person experience ‘wholeness’ and achieve healing through meditation.

Meditation is believed to encourage a strong body-mind connection. By meditating, people become more attuned to their bodies and develop a good understanding of what makes them healthy physically and mentally.

Uses of holistic meditation
Holistic meditation is one of the top approaches recommended by practitioners to people who wish to use it to address a medical, emotional or mental problem. It is a common component of a system of healing used for patient care, particularly because meditation helps reduce stress, increase calmness and encourage people to view things from a different perspective. As a result, they do not easily give in to anger, frustration, jealousy and other negative emotions.

Holistic meditation is also often recommended for people who are physically ill. It is believed that a calm, relaxed mind helps facilitate proper healing. Meditation is also believed to encourage a better mental state, allowing people to relax more and focus less on the negative issues.

Holistic meditation is not a method to treat diseases or conditions of the body or mind. The approach is to take care of all interconnected components involved in the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of a person so as to achieve and maintain good overall health. With holistic meditation, the process of healing does not only focus on the disease or condition but also on the overall wellness of the person.

Holistic meditation has grown in popularity in recent years. Find out what it is and why it works.

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Tracing The History Of Yoga

Monday, February 8th, 2010

The History of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. The earliest Yoga started some 5000 years ago since human civilization has begun. The scholars have believed that Yoga was originated out of Stone Age Shamanism.

This is because there were some cultural similarities between Mehrgarh which was a Neolithic settlement and the Modern Hinduism. The shamanistic culture of Mergarh was in fact influenced by Hindu ideals, symbols and rituals of the present. The ancient shamanism and early Yoga had so much similarity for the reason both wanted to go beyond the human condition.

Shamanism’s primary goal was to heal the members who were in their community and at the same time act as the religious mediators.

Archaic Yoga also had the same objectives as they were community oriented and they aimed to determine the enormous order through senses and inner vision which then can be applied to our daily lives.

As time went on, Yoga has progressed and has regarded the inmost experience. Yogis then have focused on how to improve the individual enlightenment, recovery and salvation.

Yoga’s evidences were first tracked in the archeological evidence which was found in stone seals exhumed from the Indus valley. Yoga postures were traced and seen fro the figures which were illustrated in the stone seals. the artifacts were placed on History books circa 3000 B.C., which was linked to the great Indus-Sarasvati Civilization which was known to be the largest civilization that exist in the ancient world. The Indus-Sarasvati, being a maritime society, exported goods all over Africa and the Middle East. They build up sewage systems and put up geometrical brick roads and constructed multistory buildings.

The Vedas are known as the oldest scripture in the world which were the ancient texts, was brought by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. It was a compilation of hymns that commends a high power which included the oldest recorded teachings in Yoga. They have considered this the divine revelation. The intelligence of the Vedas was known as the Pre-classical Yoga or the Vedic. This was described by the ritualistic ceremonies that the Yoga practitioners have been required in order to go beyond the limitations of the mind.

The history of yoga would not have been completed in the classical stage of yoga. After the time and turn of the millennium, yoga and its spread in different forms have come up with the need for standardization. This is important so that the people will be aware with it and it can be applied by them. Due to this, during the second century, C.E., Patanjali has composed and collected seminal text which was the Yoga-Sutra which had defined the Classical Yoga.

At the age of Postclassical Yoga in the enormous history of Yoga, it gave rise to some productive literature which has included the Tantra and the Hatha which is famously known nowadays. These were taught in schools for Yoga and practiced by many. Therefore, post classical Yoga is described to the adaptation of our present state. It is the time when yoga has evolved greatly and introduced to people. It has then been applied in the United States in the 1800’s.

Now in the recent decades, yoga has greatly and swiftly evolved. Swami Sivananda was one of the prominent gurus ever to master yoga. He has served as a doctor and he has generously opened up schools in Europe and America.

Now as we move on with the yoga practices that we have today, it is much helpful and easier to understand if we looked back on the history of yoga.

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Learn Meditation In 7 Amazingly Easy Steps

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

While meditation is an important spiritual element of major religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, it’s used every day by millions of people who meditate purely for it’s health benefits. Western medicine recognizes mediation’s positive, calming effects, with doctors advising patients who suffer from stress, high blood pressure and chromic pain to take a few relaxing minutes each day to meditate.

It’s like a trip to the gym for your brain – by focusing the mind on a single thought or image, even for only 10 or 20 minutes each day, you’re body relaxes, our mind becomes clear, and stressful problems become easier to manage.

Why meditation has a measurable effect on mind and body

To understand how meditation works, it helps to understand how the brain functions. The largest part of the brain is the cortex, divided into left and right hemispheres. The left side of the brain is usually dominant, controlling speech, logic, calculation and writing. The right hemisphere controls creativity, imagination and emotions. Researchers believe that when we meditate we create a connection between the two hemispheres. When subjects hooked up to ECG machines meditate, researchers can measure the intensity of alpha waves – the brain waves when we’re in calm, relaxed state – produced while meditating. During meditation, alpha waves are far stronger and more consistent between both hemispheres that during other forms of relaxation – even sleep.

When the brain is in an alpha state, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over – the part of the nervous system that conserves and restores energy, slows blood pressure and heart rate, and controls the digestion and absorption of nutrients by the body. When the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, the high-stress “fight-or-flight” response – which is accompanied by secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline, plus tension in the head, neck and lower back – is overruled, and the body releases other, more positive hormones that promote relaxation and healing.

Proof that meditation works

Medical researchers have done a great deal of study into the benefits of meditation. Studies show it encourages better brain function, improved circulation in the extremities, increased cerebral blood flow and lower levels of stress hormones. A 1987 found that people who practiced Transcendental Meditation – on where subjects used focused breathing and a repeated mantra, or sound) made less than half the number of visits to doctors and spent 50 percent less time in hospitals than people who didn’t meditate. than those who did not.

There are countless ways to meditate, and you can teach yourself how to do it from, books, tapes, or via the Internet in a very short time. There are often classes available at local community centers, holistic health centers and even community colleges, as well. Among the most popular methods of meditation are:

Mantra meditation: A word or phrase – your mantra – is repeated over and over, either out loud or in your head. You can choose a phrase that relates to your personal beliefs, one that’s a positive statement, or a one-syllable word-sound like “om” or “eng.”

Breath awareness: You concentrate on rhythmic breathing, possibly counting each breath in and out, often breathing in through the nose and out the mouth.

Object meditation: You focus on a specific object, noting each detail of its shape, presence and color.

Active meditations: Using rhythmic movements, like walking, swimming, t’ai chi or yoga to focus the mind.

A simple, 7-step meditation anyone can do

1. Set aside 10 to 20 minutes, once or twice a day.

2. Find a place that’s quiet where you are unlikely to be disturbed, and sit down. You don;t need to sit cross-legged, or in any special posture – a comfortable chair is fine. Wear comfortable clothes, and arrange your arms and legs in a relaxed posture.

3. Set an alarm so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of time. If you’re concerned that it may startle you, place it in another room or under a cushion, so the sound will be muffled but audible.

4. Breathe slowly and rhythmically, consciously relaxing your feet, legs, torso, on up your body until all your muscles are loose.

5. Choose a word to repeat to yourself. The classic mantra is “Om,” the Sanskrit word for perfection. Or you could choose a simple word that reflects what you hope to achieve in your life, like “calm,” “happiness” or “energy.” You could also, instead, count your breaths from one to 10, then over again and again. If thoughts drift into your mind, allow them to float gently out again as you re-focus on your word or breathing.

6. When your alarm sounds and you’ve finished, don’t jump right up – allow yourself to slowly open your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and rejoin the world in a relaxed manner.

7. Stretch your arms and legs, and stand up slowly.

Most people who start meditation find they have trouble motivating themselves to meditate, and letting go of the Western tendency to constantly think, think, think about every little thing. This is one reason why you might consider taking a class or using tapes – in can be valuable to have a guide to take you through meditation your first few times. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find meditation is simple and effective – and you can move on to more advanced techniques as you find yourself progressing.

Meditation Tips – Meditation Secrets – Meditation Advice
Read the amazing journey of a modern day athlete and her meditation journal!
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