Tuesday, March 13, 2007

standing on your head can solve your problems

Food issues can be overwhelming.
So take a deep breath, relax, and learn about something calming.
That feeling of stillness comes in the form of B.K.S. Iyengar. There is no doubt that the man is an outstanding individual. I mean, he's taught Aldous Huxley.
He is the founder of Iyengar yoga, a system that embraces the Yoga Sutras, the first known works of yoga philosophy by Patanjali.
Many people think that yoga is Lululemon and downward dog. In fact, there's more to it than that. The eight aspects of yoga are outlined in the Yoga Sutras:
Yama: a code of conduct that engages self-restraint
Niyama: religious observances - commitments to practice, such as study and devotion
Asana: integration of mind and body through physical activity (ie. the postures)
Pranayama: regulation of breath leading to integration of mind and body
Pratyahara - abstraction of the senses, withdrawal of the senses of perception from their object
Dharana - concentration, one-pointedness of mind
Dhyana - meditation (quiet activity that leads to samadhi)
Samadhi - the quiet state of blissful awareness, superconscious state
Non-violence is inherent in these eight limbs.
B.K.S. Iyengar was born in India in 1918. As a child, he suffered from malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis. After being introduced to yoga under his Guru, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, he gained strength and began to formulate a new branch of yoga that focuses on alignment, breath, and mind-body wholesomeness.
His teachings began to move west after he encountered the violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, in 1952. Menuhin was the first Jewish musician to perform under a German conductor after the Holocaust. He turned to Iyengar and his teachings to strengthen his art.
Iyengar's methods involve using props like belts and wooden blocks to preserve the integrity of the postures. His book, Light on Yoga, is the only book that matters. For every posture, he explains how to execute it, where one's breath should be, and the health benefits obtained.
He is still teaching and practicing in Pune, India. And he can do this and this, proving that he is truly amazing.

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