| 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,
Let us welcome spring with yoga! It is a wonderful time for renewal.
In the budding emergence of the Spirit,
Mirra and Aadil |
| Asana and Philosophy |
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Asana is not yoga. Asana forms an introduction to yoga for the physical body. Eventually, asana opens the channels of energy that flow through the body so that yoga can be practiced. Asana is not life; asana gives us the ability to enjoy life in the physical body. Patanjali made certain assumptions when he wrote the Yoga Sutras. He assumed that we led an active, physical life, that the body was strong and able. That is no longer  true, since most people lead very sedentary lives. So, when people dismiss asana as unimportant in yoga, and base that dismissal on the Yoga Sutras, it is because they do not recognize Patanjali's assumption. The human body is not to be ignored--it is part of the whole path of yoga. Many modern saints have had very serious physical problems, often because they did not involve their bodies in the yogic process, and the descent of the spirit was too much for the physical body to handle. The most conscious matter we can control is our body, and we take an evolutionary step by readying it for the descent of the soul. Spirit will not enter into that which is not aligned, tuned, cleaned, and prepared to live in Truth. That is why the asana we do in Purna Yoga does not build flexibility and strength for the physical benefits alone; the greater purpose of the asana is to allow the Divine energy to flow through us. |
| Meditation |
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| Truth
Every moment, the Divine voice speaks to us in our hearts. This inner wisdom, though gentle and loving,  yearns to be heard. Only a mind that is flexible can surrender dogma and doctrine long enough to hear the whispers of the inner voice. Only a mind that is strong will act on the message. Truth, by nature, is mutable, multi-layered, and contradictory. What was true yesterday may be untrue today, and true again later. Whenever we find a truth and make a conclusion, we must keep in mind that at some point, this conclusion is no longer going to be true. Indeed, if we are evolving, it must become untrue. Purna Yoga Meditation reminds us to continue to surrender our mind's attachments and its need to have conclusions, and to stay in the present. |
| Nutrition and Lifestyle |
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| Time For Vegetables
Now is a great time to increase your intake of vegetables! Here are a few of my suggested guidelines:
Organically grown, well-washed raw vegetables are rich  in enzymes and fiber, and should be eaten but chewed very well. Do not eat raw foods if you are in any hurry. Mastication is very important in general, but indispensable for raw foods, including salads. If you are in a rush, juice the raw vegetables, add much or all of the pulp back in, then drink it slowly. If you have a sluggish digestion, lightly steam vegetables and chew them well. Deep green leafy vegetables are critical for keeping the blood clean (kale, chard, red chard, turnip greens, collard greens, beet greens). Root vegetables are excellent for grounding, such as onions, rutabagas, yams, red potatoes, carrots, beetroot, radishes. Vegetables such as cauliflower, red cabbage, green cabbage, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts have been shown to be anti-carcinogenic. Nightshades should be avoided, in particular, eggplant, tomatoes (especially cooked tomatoes, raw seem to be fine). Potatoes and  capsicum (green, red peppers) are part of the nightshade family, so use them sparingly. Above all, feel your body's response to the foods you eat. Every body is different and the suggestions above are merely guidelines.
As beautifully as these organic fruits and vegetables are grown, it is still important to wash them before you eat them! We recommend Sunrider's Fruit & Vegetable Rinse for two  main reasons. First, it actually kills the bugs, bacteria, germs, parasites and their eggs within 2-5 minutes. Most other washes on the markets may be less expensive but they contain primarily surfactants that wash off the dirt, but do not address the bacteria or parasites. Second, it is completely harmless to the body if ingested. It neutralizes after one hour in water so it is safe for septic tanks and regional water runoff. It can also be used indoors to clean surfaces as a nontoxic cleaner or as a safe pesticide on plants! It is highly concentrated so use one capful per gallon of water for general use, or two capfuls when used as an insecticide.
For information on how to order please email Sara at Aadil's office: sara@aadil.com |
| Mirra Recommends Movies |
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The Future of Food
This amazing documentary delves deep into the dark  story behind our food production, showing how our power of choice and free access to the food supply is being manipulated without scrutiny. This movie is a powerful call to action for anyone--and this is all of us--concerned with the availability of organic, natural, and healthy food.
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| Regaining Control |
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| An Excerpt from Fire of Love
Studies have shown that when we feel out of control, the brain starts to produce a hormone that begins to deplete our immune system. Thus, the anxiety from  being out of control creates more than just mental stress; the stress also eats away at the very cells of our bodies. We hear people say, "He lost his job and then became quite ill." Or: "After his wife died, he became very sick." In part, this is because the immune system has been diminished by anxiety, wasted by stress. On the other hand, when we feel that we are in control and exploring options, the production of the predatory hormone is stopped and the immune system can relax, can regenerate. So, in times of stress and anxiety, how can we regain the feeling that we are in control?
We are taught that we regain control of our lives through bold and forceful actions. Yet our desire to be forceful is actually an expression of our feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. Our show of power is merely a cover-up for these emotions, and is repressive in its attempt to become impressive.
Only when we are totally sensitive do we have the potential to be totally in control.
-by Aadil Palkhivala
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