Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Yoga and Christianity a Conflict?

Being a practicing Christian myself, there are very few things in Yoga that conflict with Christianity. Some critics argue that Yoga and Christianity cannot co-exist, and yet we know that Yoga is not a religion.

However, that depends on your opinion. Recently, I was reading about someone who claims Kundalini is new age witchcraft. Sorry to say, another person recently stated, Good Christians should avoid the devils exercise, in reference to Yoga.

Are the Salem witch trials still so close to our hearts? These claims are interesting because ministers and priests have been practicing meditation for centuries, without any complaints.

I suppose, if someone devoted enough time to meditating on bad thoughts, meditation would be a bad experience.

To be honest, it depends upon what you meditate about; and in truth, within some schools of Yoga, Hinduism, or Buddhism is taught. For me, this has always been a conflict, as I love Yoga, but have no desire to change my faith.

The many teachings of Yoga and meditation, are non-sectarian. Now, if Yoga were a religion, which would it be? The principles of Yoga are universal.

The Yamas and Niyamas are similar, in principle, to the Ten Commandments, but as a Christian you have the right to pick and choose what you want from Yoga. You also have the right to avoid sectarian ashrams.

Yoga practice, and meditation, give many Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Moslems, a closer connection to God, but there will always be someone who feels tempted to change their faith.

Lets be honest, the people who worry about a sudden change of faith are, for the most part, rooted in two distinct camps of thought.

1. Someone who is on the fence about their own religion and not quite sure where they really stand.

2. Severe intolerance of any idea that is new or might result in opening the mind.

Lets stop the intolerance now. When you are driving in your car, waiting in line, or come face-to-face with someone who is different from you, please set an example for your children and give the other person a break.

Paul Jerard, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

Easy Pilates And Yoga Moves On Dvds

Items And Topics That Are Related To Sharks

When people think about sharks, their mind gets filled with either Jaws the movie, shark attacks, shark themed jewelry or souvenirs such as shark mugs. Are these the only items and topics that are related to sharks? Of course not!

In fact, by the time you finish reading this article, you wont believe all that is related to sharks. As a matter of fact, you will not only discover a huge variety of items and topics that are related to sharks, but you will also discover something for everyone.

For instance, the computer expert can find some basking shark wallpaper, some great white shark backgrounds, a hammerhead clipart, great white shark animations, etc. The shark fanatic could select something interesting amongst the following items: some shark attack tattoo, the jaws theme song, some shark drawings, a bed hammerhead liner, some shark attack footage, some hammerhead shark news, etc.

Childrens interest would be tickled by Jaws the shark vs. Keiko the whale toys and Legos, some Jaws toys, etc. The fisherman would like some information about fishing for sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, the fishing regulations for sharks in New Jersey as well as acquire the best shark fishing rig available on the market.

The shark amateur who would like to see sharks first hand would enjoy tiger sharks in captivity in the saltwater sharks tank or observe a great white shark in the aquarium while benefiting from a discount at Monterey Bay Aquarium.

As you can see, as far as items and topics that are related to sharks, the selection is endless.

Namaste Yoga Studio Awakening Heart Yoga Cl Description