| Welcome |
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Purna Yoga teaches the mind, the body and the emotions how to be at home with the spirit. |
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| Dear Students and Friends on the path of yoga,
Thank you for all your wonderful comments on this newsletter! We love hearing from you each month. A few weeks ago, we started a movement called "Opting out of the Recession." While it was launched on my Facebook page, we are also posting it in the studio. Since our consciousness creates our reality, we must be very careful about the thoughts we think and the power we give to the mass fear in the world today. By choosing to opt out of the recession, we reclaim our power to choose how we want our world to be. Feel free to join us!
In joy and light,
Mirra and Aadil |
| Pranayama |
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Pranayama and Belly Breathing
A teacher once asked me about Ujjayi pranayama. He had a student who was feeling anxious doing "belly breathing," as he called it. He said it taxed the student's nervous system too much. "Is this breathing safe?" he asked. His question helps clear up a common misconception about pranayama. Ujjayi pranayama is not  belly breathing. Belly breathing is not yogic, but a variation used for people who have excessively shallow and high breathing in the upper thoracic cavity, so that they may learn to move their breath lower into their lungs. In martial arts, "belly" breathing is done to cultivate the lower vital force for combat. Yoga does not promulgate combat; hence we breathe in the chest cavity, where the wisdom of the heart, and the Soul, dwells (besides, the lungs are in the rib cage, not the belly!). Our aim is to expand the potential for access to the Divinity within, so, yogic breathing is done in the chest. |
| Philosophy |
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| A Yoga Philosophy in the Modern World
In our internet economy where movies, music, and books are so easily and  readily available for download, it may be easy to forget asteya, one of the Yamas or Universal Principles, which means to not take what is not yours ("a": not, " steya": stealing). There is no doubt that stealing is stealing, whether what's taken is money or music. Timeless truths must be obeyed, and we all know they feel correct when we look in our hearts. Of course it is stealing to copy a CD or share music files when there is the understanding from the seller that the files are for personal use only. Asteya cannot be compromised unless it is for the greater good of humanity, which trivial money-pinching actions certainly are not. If you know you are willfully taking that which does not belong to you, the action of asteya, then it hardly matters what form it takes. Stealing is the result of a belief in lack, which is counter to the universal law of abundance. First, reject the urge to take what is not yours, then work on changing the inner belief of lack that leads to that urge. |
| Meditation |
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| The Purpose of Meditation
When people think of meditation, they usually think of people sitting quietly for long periods of time in an attempt to remove or quiet any thoughts or activity of the mind. The focus stays in the mind and thoughts. However, as Sri Aurobindo wrote, "Meditation is a  process leading towards knowledge and through knowledge it is a thing of the head and not the heart....Concentration in the heart is not meditation, it is a call on the Divine, on the Beloved." So, what is the difference? Purna Yoga Meditation teaches how to concentrate in the heart with the intention of opening the Heart Chakra, the doorway to the soul in the body, and your connection to Wisdom, Truth, Love and Light. Instead of working to quiet the mind, we work to bring the mind's energy and its ability to focus and concentrate into the Heart Chakra, reminding us that truth lies in the heart and not in the mind. |
| Nutrition and Lifestyle |
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| The Menstrual Cycle
Some teachings say that the reason women typically live longer than men is that they cleanse through their menstrual cycle on a monthly basis. The length of the blood flow during menstruation indicates the level of internal toxicity. The more toxicity there is for the body  to release, the longer the blood flow will be. (Tampons are very bad for the body because they trap and hold toxicity in the body.) When women improve their diet and eat Sunrider, for example, typically their period shortens. During menstruation, it is very important to take time to rest, reflect, and meditate. It is also important to drink plenty of water, fresh juice, and Fortune Delight (a Sunrider product). The soul is more available during the menstrual time, so it is a wonderful opportunity to do spiritual healing on oneself. |
| Mirra Recommends Movies |
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Married Life
Beautifully acted by Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson,  Rachel McAdams, and Chris Cooper. This movie reminds us that, through the power of choice, we can choose our destiny and have control over our own life. Be sure to watch the three alternate endings to see how powerful your life choices can be!
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| News from Yoga Centers |
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Upcoming events:  Jehangir Palkhivala (Aadil's brother), will be giving a talk at Yoga Centers on Wed, April 8 to discuss recently discovered new text from Sri Aurobindo.
Aadil is an Elite Amabassador for lululemon. He will be teaching, speaking, and hold a book signing at lululemon's regional event in Bellevue on Saturday, April 25! Come and join us!
Aadil is also featured in the May 2009 Yoga Journal magazine, (His interview is located inside the back cover). |
| The Purpose of Now |
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| An Excerpt from Fire of Love
Whatever my tasks, I must do them with joyous  attention and loving care. Nurturing children, being pleasant and competent at work, tending the body - all these are expressions of the dharma of the now. Yes, I have made mistakes in the past, and I take full responsibility for their current consequences. I embrace mistakes (though I do not invite them) because my soul learns from them. We must take responsibility for all our choices that have led us to this moment, and act in the most noble way possible.
-by Aadil Palkhivala
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