 In my previous blog, I discussed how modern day yoga has a focus on Asana -- the yoga of postures. Many modern Hatha yoga postures are less than 100 years old, and many others were invented by the 19th century British YMCA. The Yogasutras of Patanjali dates back to 400AD, and it outlines the 'eight limbs of yoga.' In my last blog, I pointed out that meditation comprises 3 of the 8 limbs! I also covered 3 more limbs: Pranayama, Pratyahara, and Asana. In this blog, I will cover the other two limbs, Yama and Niyama. I consider these two limbs to be the limbs of religion (Niyama) and ethics (Yama), which, between the two of them, comprise 25% of yoga.
0 Comments
 After traveling the world for a year, living the life of a movie character, averaging under $100 for each of my flights, and living for free in the homes of locals through 24 countries, I wrote a "How To" book to teach everyone how they too can see the world on a shoestring budget while having rich experiences at the same time. This small book is an easy read, and it is loaded full of all the latest and greatest web sites, social networks, and travel apps to make your smartphone a personal travel agent. It also goes in depth about mindfulness strategies to help you go deeper on your next trip. Check out the press release from Spin the World Around. Or, just go straight to Amazon.com and get yourself a copy. Guaranteed you will save more money in a single transaction during your travels than you spend on this book.
The stage is set for some terrific jazz festivals in the next few months! Which will have you grabbing your saxophone and dancing in the streets? I know this article gets me to want to start jamming on mine! Holiday Lettings picks some of the best from New Orleans to Nice. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, USA Photo credit: Rande Archer (license) via flickr.com 24 April – 3 May Every day is a jazz festival in New Orleans, but it’s not often that you get to catch Tony Bennett and Cassandra Wilson, two of the highlights scheduled for 2015’s event. This is also a great opportunity to discover the local culture, whether you dig into alligator pie or watch Cajun musicians crafting accordions. There’s music everywhere in the city 365 days a year, and drifting around Frenchmen Street to spot street performers is great fun. While you're at it, join a ghost and vampire tour to see another side of this city’s unique spirit. Of course, if you’re into New Orleans’ elaborate parades, you’ll appreciate the extravaganza at Mardi Gras World.  An awesome yoga teacher of teachers!
This spring, I have been earning a Yoga Teacher Certification from Robin Bruce's course. I am enamored by this training because it not only focuses on ease, but it also covers all the bases of Yoga. We spend lots of time on meditation, Kundalini, yoga history, the kosha model, energy work, anatomy, savasana, pranayama, and even the business of yoga! Robin recommended I sit in on a lecture from Dr. Ellen Stansell, PhD of Indian Philosophy who lectures at Texas Universities. I was so blown away by her inspiration and my further research that I had to share it with the world!
Most Yoga Studio Poses are Less than 100 Years Old! The latest Asana (click to view)
Nowadays, Western Yoga class is based on a branch of yoga called "Hatha Yoga." Almost all of the classes at the gym fall under this category: Yin, Vinyasa, Flow, Bikram, Kundalini, Forrest, etc... All are branches of Hatha, and all are based on bending our body into different positions (called Asanas) anywhere from a pretzel to a log. People are considered 'good' at yoga if they are flexible enough to reach the craziest position, and many are discouraged by yoga because of the limited flexibility of their body. To you, I say, fret not! This is only a modern phenomenon, and it is actually only a small part of Yoga! History shows that doing all of these crazy poses is less than 100 years old! Let me repeat: MOST POSES IN YOGA STUDIOS ARE LESS THAN 100 YEARS OLD! Yes, I was blown away by this fact as well. Let's start at the beginning though, to give you context of how we got here.
 Eight months after quitting alcohol and three months into not smoking weed, I embarked on a 21-day cleanse from the supplement company Standard Process. In addition to thirty herbal pills a day for the first week, it entailed eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, lentils, and rice for the first ten days. I don’t even particularly like lentils. It was my first time on this particular cleanse. I’d done a 5-day juice cleanse with colonics in Costa Rica, as well as a 48-hour dry fast, but this would be my longest conscious dietary cleanse ever. This is the first of a series of travel blog posts I'll be hosting in partnership with a subsidiary of TripAdvisor, one of the Internet's greatest travel sites. Let us take you away! As a company out of the UK, please excuse the British spelling, but if you hear the English accent in your mind's voice, it's all the better! Tired of tinsel and turkey? Fancy a Rudolph-free zone? Join Holiday Lettings in some alternative holiday destinations, from Istanbul to The Bahamas. The Maldives Photo credit: Mac Qin (license) via flickr.com Why dream of a white Christmas when you can bask on a beach with sand as white as alpine snow? In the Maldives the sapphire skies meld beautifully with the azure ocean waves and the palm trees sway gently on the shore. Just sit back with a coconut cocktail and watch a mesmerising sunset turn both sky and sea a gorgeous golden hue. If you can drag yourself off the beach, dive into the warm water to see the neon-coloured fish and coral reefs. Feel the breeze in your hair as you try your hand at surfing or sailing. Then fall hook, line and sinker for night fishing (and the taste of your own barbecued fish).  Robin and I just got back from a weeklong trip to Mexico initiated by some frequent flyer miles and an urge to go someplace tropical in December. We visited the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, the tourist mecca of Playa del Carmen, and the party town of Cancun. Between the beach and sun, there was plenty of raw energy from the Mayans, the locals, the great food, and a huge fart I left in the bathroom one day. Here's our story.
 I took a trip to London this past October for a conference called Tech Crunch. It was with my good friend, Zed, who had triggered me to take my journey around the world last year. At this conference, we presented a new musical technology and met some interesting people! Here's the full story!
|
RussCategories
All
Archives
March 2017
Copyright (c) 2015 Russell Eric Dobda
|
RSS Feed
