| Yoga Study Books | |
In February, we began our study of the original yoga knowledge, and building a bridge to our JudeoChristian traditions. The 196 yoga sutras, or little lessons, were compiled some 500-800 years before Christ. You can find many translations and interpretations on the Internet for free if you'd like to follow along. Sanskrit is hard to translate into English. However, I enjoy these two translations as the commentators often set the lessons in a Christian context. Here are my picks for the best two:
How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali
by Swami Prabhavananda by Vedanta Press & Bookshop
Paperback 
List Price: $10.95
Our Price:
New and used from $7.55 Buy Now
Below is a brand new translation/commentary--the one above was written in the 1930s I believe. The cover is a bit scary for Westerners, but the commentary makes the sutras, well--rather enlightening!
The Wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: A New Translation and Guide by Ravi Ravindra
by Ravi Ravindra by Morning Light Press
Hardcover
List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $11.21 Buy Now |
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Spiritual Formation |
Yoga Sutra I.47 In reaching samadhi {union with God} the mind becomes pure.
Last Friday, we examined the concept of purifying the mind to be as clear as crystal. When we can learn to purge all random human thoughts during meditation, only then can we hope to find God. This is so difficult to achieve, but so well worth the effort. Too often when we try to still our minds, we are bedeviled with thoughts that clutch at us. Learning to still the mind in the meditation process is very much like driving safely down the highway in Las Vegas, where I am writing this right now. You try to keep your eyes on the road ahead, yet your vision can be led astray by countless distracting billboards. I briefly watched the news last night and learned of a gigantic fatal pile-up on the edge of town. Not surprising, with all the larger-than-life showgirls on the signs! "Hot babes direct to you. Call 24/7." I'm not publishing the phone number!
If we can learn to set aside all petty distractions during our prayer time, we can settle into a truly joy-filled place and simply abide in God's love.
(from BibleGateway.com)
Key Bible passage: James 4:8
8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4 is a great lesson on purification. "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."
TODAY'S CONTEMPLATION
Take a few minutes during your day today to follow James's instruction and see what happens. Come near to God.
From the last verse of the old hymn, Nearer My God to Thee:
There in my Father's home, safe and at rest,
There in my Savior's love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee. |
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| Is Your World Upside Down? Well, It Should Be! | |
Yoga postures provide so many benefits that other exercise programs just don't have. If you haven't tried the many wonderful inversion postures that get your head below your heart, you're missing out! If you are feeling mentally sluggish at work, spending a few minutes in a simple Forward Bend can help your circulation and energize the brain. Downward-Facing Dog is another simple inversion pose anyone can try. Inversions help you relax muscles that normally carry tension during a workday: clenched jaw, hunched shoulders, or lower back.
Going completely upside down in Shoulder Stand, my favorite pose Headstand or a supported Handstand helps with digestion and elimination. I've not done a survey, but I've never met a constipated yogi!
We naturally develop muscles in the legs through normal daily walking. Inversion poses strengthen upper body and torso muscles as they take the lead role of supporting the body. One of the best arm and upper back strengtheners I know is the supported Handstand. Crouch down on the floor about a foot away from a clear wall behind you. With palms down firmly on the floor, simply walk your feet up the wall. This pose is easier the farther your hands are from the wall, so you can start with your body in a 90-degree position, arms down and legs extending straight out from the hips. As you get comfortable, move your arms closer to the wall which will uses your shoulder muscles more. We do this in my Seniorcize class, so YOU should be able to do this as well. Good stuff!
NOTE: For safety's sake, you should not try a Shoulder Stand, Headstand or full Handstand for the first time without a yoga coach & spotter handy. Once you learn the mechanics in a class, then you can incorporate them into your home practice. If you have neck issues, you should stick with the simpler inversion poses mentioned above.
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Shoulder Stand | |
Here is a great inversion pose, but you need to learn to tuck the chin and breathe deeply through the pose so you get adequate oxygen.
Click here for instructions (photo and instructions courtesy of Yoga Journal).
If you'd like a more structured way to practice yoga, try the new Redeeming Yoga Workbook and Journal, now available for sale on-line. It contains an 8-week program of meditations, health tips, Bible study, plus room for journaling. Click here to order now! |
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Thank you so much for spending time here today. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to E-mail me at sarah@redeemingyoga.com. I'm obligated to say that none of the information contained in this E-letter should be construed as medical advice. Before you modify your diet or fitness regimen, please check with your doctor.
Sincerely,
Sarah Riehm
Redeeming Yoga |
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