Thursday, January 10, 2008

Yoga for Fun and Profit

stress levels around the world are on the rise. In order to deal with this, relaxation and stress reduction therapies have sprung up from everywhere. yoga instruction is no longer just a fringe population idea. It is now a mainstream fitness methodology. yoga certifications are now available from many places in north America. As a result of this, yoga instructors are now available everywhere. Each gym now offers yoga classes from certified yoga instructors. Its time we understood what this is all about and where we are going with respect to the fitness industry.

The word yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning joining or union. What are we joining? The human being consists of several entities commonly referred to as body-mind-spirit. An integrated human being is the goal of yoga. We are joining the different pieces of the human being to make an integrated, holistic being that is attuned to one goal. The body, mind and spirit are all integrated with a common attitude and viewpoint. This is different from the state of being where the body wants to satisfy one need and the mind another and the spirit yet a third. This is the state during which mental storms occur and the body responds in turn with a manifestation of that mental vortex.

yoga seeks to align the human being using its own tool of breathing. When we breathe rhythmically, our body is more in tune with itself. We function better as an integrated being in a holistic way. yoga was invented in India, about 5000 years ago, precisely to achieve the goal of integration. When our being is aligned our interaction with the world will be more efficient. We perform better at work and in our home life. Rela-tionships become easier. This is what yoga achieves.

In India, yoga is taught and researched as a science at a place in Bangalore called the Swami Vivekananda yoga Anusamdhana Samsthan (SVYASA). This means yoga Research Institute. One can obtain intensive instruction in yoga and therapy techniques using yoga. Recently, I completed a month long certificate course for yoga instructors at this institute. The yoga that is taught here is not just about the physical poses. The idea of yoga from the original meaning is to really integrate the whole human being. This involves all of our activities in life. We must be aligned and integrated during all of our tasks during the day. All of our activies can be divided into several broad categories. All actions like going to work, eating breakfast are classified as Karma yoga. All philosophical discussions are classified under Jnana yoga. Any devotional activities such as the singing of hymns or prayers are considered part of Bhakti yoga. The physical poses of Western ideas of yoga are a part of Raja yoga, which includes other methods for gaining mastery over the physical body. This is the original concept of yoga from India and is taught in that form at the SVYASA Institute.

The institute is named after Swami Vivekananda who was a monk and scholar of Indian philosophy. In 1893, Swami Vivekananda was invited to speak at the Parliament of Religions, held in Chicago, on the topic of Hinduism. His speech became famous for explaining the unity of religions as many paths to God, and that Hinduism in its original sense encompassed that view. Swami Vivekananda wanted the Western world to understand Indian spirituality in the correct view, as a synthesis of the four types of yoga, which ultimately leads to the goal of spiritual evolution. SVYASA is dedicated to the education and research of yoga in this context. The school retains strict attention to the original sources of yoga from Sanskrit scripture.

The teaching styles of the school and environmental factors do not cater to the Western lifestyle. Those who come from abroad must acclimatize themselves to the pure Indian way. Meals are served on the floor and must be eaten using the hands. Vegetarian Indian food is served. No cutlery is provided. Footwear must be left outside of all classes. Be prepared to literally be on your feet for long amounts of time. While the majority of the students are comfortably able to sit on the floor during the long lecture sessions, chairs are available for those who will not be able to survive in that position. The philosophy of discipline is everywhere, starting from the boot camp like nature of the roll call before each session. Students who miss a portion of the attendance will not receive their certificate. Attendance is considered a very important factor of the study. In addition, a strict code of uniforms is enforced. Women must wear the Indian dress of salwaar kameez, which is a tunic, and pant set made of 100% cotton. This dress could be modified to be more forgiving for yoga poses. Men must wear loose fitting track pants and t-shirt. This is more conducive to rigorous physical activity. It must be noted that everywhere the students of the yoga instructors course can be identified by their uniform.

As attendance is strict, so is the keeping of students on the grounds. While exceptions can be made for justifiable reasons, students cannot usually leave the campus for any reason after the start of the course. The campus is 32 km north of the major city of Bangalore. Fortunately, Bangalore boasts many amenities including an international airport. The city of Bangalore itself is very multicultural. One can find the modern world mixed with the original flavour of India everywhere. The SVYASA institute has a city office in Bangalore from where a bus is arranged to take travellers to its campus outside the city in a place called Geddallahalli. The name of the campus is Prashanti Kutiram, which means abode of peace. While the name is very amenable to yoga studies, I found that one needs to practice yoga in sincerity to find the true peace, which is only inside the human being.

A variety of personal interests and professional paths have led the author to her current role as a personal trainer and lifestyle consultant with over 20 years experience. Siva is an author, lecturer and Can-Fit-Pro certified personal trainer who specializes in body-mind-spirit consulting and training women. Currently she is writing a book entitled Body, Mind, and Spirit Fitness, which discusses her particular style of training the complete being, rather than just the physical body.

Siva is a yoga instructor, an expert on East Indian Philosophy and teacher of Sanskrit. She holds a doctorate in engineering from the University of toronto and has balanced her time between personal training and engineering for over 20 years. In February 2005, Siva spent an intensive month studying a course for yoga Instructors, at the Swami Vivekananda yoga Institute in Bangalore, India to further her interest in yoga as a science of holistic living and not merely as yoga postures.

For more information on yoga visit http://www.getshanti.com

Houston Yoga Teacher Training

What Exactly Are Scoobies

Scoobies are things that children enjoy all over the world, they are a recently new development but have become very popular with young children, especially during school time breaks. Scoobies are great for children to play with and also great "family projects".

Scoobies are basically just pieces of hardened string that have been formed to make fun shapes such as farm yard animals, hearts, people and other shapes that children may wish to create. The yare very simple to use and the materials needed can be found in most shops, they come in packs of "scoubidou" and are very cheap to buy.

Why Are Scoobies Good For Children

Scoobies are good for children because they offer a chance for young people to use their own creativity and mind to create things they like, for example, a child can create an animal they like and they do it by thinking about the shape and forming the shape using simple materials, in other words, they have to use their brain to do it, this can be great for educating and building a childs mind power, simple little things like this are very powerful.

Children can even enter "Scoobies competitions" in which they get the chance to not only challenge other people but also challenge themselves, they can train themselves to focus and concentrate more doing this and also have great fun at the same time.

Are Scoobies hard To Make

No, scoobies are actually very easy to make, when you do it once, you can nearly do it with your eyes closed, it's a very simple concept of forming shapes using string. There is loads of information all over the internet that will show you how to create scoobies and you can even come up with your very own shapes and forms to do, it's all about creativity.

To get started, all you need to do is buy some scoubidou, think of a shape, think of how to form that shape and do it, that's all it takes. You can make scoobies in less than five minutes or you can spend hours really perfecting your scoobies, it doesn't really matter, as long as you have fun doing it is all that's important.

Where Do I Learn How To Do It

Search the internet for the info you need, the net provides tons of free resources that you can use to learn things and follow instructions, I know for a fact that there are websites that will show you how to make scoobies because I have one.

Niall Mehaffey runs a website that gives you tips and info on how to make scoobies check it out at http://make-scoobies.blogspot.com.

Transcendental Meditation Yoga Meditation

Golf Event - Talk Business While Playing

Golf events are used for many different reasons, hosting promotional tournaments, weekend getaways, pro-am, or executive seminars. All of these events incorporate a business like atmosphere, and must be ran in order to achieve a certain objective. Golf gives business people the chance to talk business while playing a sport that is both mentally and physically challenging. business people use golf as a gateway to network, negotiate, and strategize about business.

executive seminar packages combine business and golf into a weekend getaway. this seminar is an ideal package that allows the clients guests to improve their golfing skills and their business skills. The pack age includes a motivational speech by a renowned athlete or business person. this talk will include advice on business in general, and specifically on how golf can be used to enhance business. The seminar also includes group instruction with one of the worlds top golf instructors. this will allow the clients team to not only feel comfortable talking business, but also feel comfortable playing a round of golf. A good golf game shows people that you have the patience and determination needed to focus on details and strive toward perfection.

Fantasy golf events could be used to reward a clients staff or impress their directors. With this package a client and their guests will attend a pristine sporting event in the United States. Packages are available for all four golf majors and the Ryder Cup, and could include other large sporting events like the world series and Super bowl. These trips are the perfect reward for a profitable sales team, or could be used to entertain potential clients. The fantasy packages will be designed along with the client and will include travel and hotel accommodations. Fantasy Packages give clients the chance to enjoy a major sporting event and relax while enjoying the service that the fantasy package gives to each client.

Golf tournaments are good tools to raise money for philanthropy, or entertain guests for a day. Tournaments take a lot of planning and resources to make them successful. The corporate hospitality packages help clients design and run tournaments down to the smallest details. The packages include assistance in selecting the course, selecting hotel and travel accommodations, and planning the hospitality area. this service is designed to ensure that guests enjoy their weekend trips to wherever the tournament is held. The hospitality program enables the client to impress employees or potential clients by organizing and operating a successful tournament where guests enjoy the amenities that accompany a good round of golf.

A golf event can serve many business purposes. To learn more about golf tournament planning or how to book a sports celebrity speaker, visit GolfPodium.com.

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