Mars will have to wait

I have always wanted to live in space. I watched Star Trek: USS Enterprise re-runs on FOX every day after school, then there was Star Trek: The Next Generation, and recently Star Trek Enterprise that came before the 1960's show I've grown to love. (Compliments of NetFilx)

I recently attended the Kennedy Space center to say a bitter sweet goodbye to the NASA constellation mission while it sits on hold for a few years. NASA has been building the luner space station to help with the new frontier and a focus on MARS! However, the President stated during his campaign,"‘NASA has lost focus and is no longer associated with inspiration,' he said. ‘I don't think our kids are watching the space shuttle launches. It used to be a remarkable thing. It doesn't even pass for news anymore.' (Neither do heart transplants. So...should we stop them?)

Obama, plans to maintain the Constellation project at a minimum $500 million per year budget with extended breaks between sets. And for how long does the U.S. postpone a new space transport capability? Obama's answer is the "minimum possible time period."

In the meantime, the U.S. space program sits on Earth to free-up funding for his aggressive plan

* to federalize pre-school
* Recruit High-Quality Math and Science Teachers
* Enhance Science Instruction
* Improve and Prioritize Science Assessments
* BAIL OUT BANKS (How did that get in there?)

"Obama said he does not agree with the way the space program is now being run and thinks funding should be trimmed until the mission is clearer.

If you have a chance go see the Kennedy Space Center. Lots of folks are getting laid off and the scientists at NASA will most likely join Russia or China's space programs. I'm kind of looking forward to this because I think Hikaru Sulu could spin stardust like no other, and I've always felt pretty safe with weapons officer Pavel Chekov around.

For the complete article check out American Thinker

NOW THIS WAY Alex Reznik

It seems of late Russia is getting into the Western style- gyms. I think it's such a luxury to have a personal trainer, and Alex Reznik, founder of Complete Body in NYC is back at it in his motherland. Alex states,“In the last three to five years, you see Russian businessmen who are in shape, who are drinking water, People have decided that they want to live longer.”

I teach group classes at Complete Body, and I like their approach. Complete Body bring the yoga to you. In summer we practice on the roof decks with a beautiful view of the horizon. Another thing that stands out about Alex is he uses fitness strategies that he learned when training soldiers in the Soviet Army. His workouts consist of things like push-ups, sit-ups and balancing exercises often they require little more than body weight. He blends the military toughness with martial arts, yoga, Pilates and meditation, as well as dietary and medical coaching.

Lastly, Deepak Chopra, the guru of alternative medicine and wellness, has been a mentor and a client since 2002. I guess that about sums up Alex's effectiveness.

For the complete article visit: New York Times article

Take a look at the services at Complete Body

A Modern Yogic Approach

If you read The Hatha Yoga Pradipika that is a classic Sanskrit manual on Hatha Yoga, written by Svami Svatmarama and said to be the oldest surviving text on Hatha Yoga, it will tell you that the reason for a Yoga practice is to strengthen and purify the body to prepare it for long periods of meditation in one posture. To my mind many people today could benefit from a regular asana and meditation practice simply because of what they do for most of their day; which is stay in one position for long periods of time. For example, we spend allot of time in our information society sitting in front of the computer or a desk, it’s taking a toll on the body and the mind.

In a book entitled Manthropology and provocatively sub-titled "The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male." John Mehaffey from Reuters webpage summarizes Peter McAllister expounding on how wimpy we are in our modern society. He states, "The human body is very plastic and it responds to stress. We have lost 40 percent of the shafts of our long bones because we have much less of a muscular load placed upon them these days.

When I instruct yoga I work with all types of bodies, and one of the most common complaints I hear about is wrist pain, shoulder tightness, and low back pain. It’s possible I could blame the office chairs, but then I would have to extent that to sofas, stools, dining room chairs, etc. These types of chairs promote comfort, and usually that results in slouching forward. The extensors in the back and the muscles that we use to hold our ribcage up become weak. Mc Allaster goes on to say,” We are simply not exposed to the same loads or challenges that people were in the ancient past and even in the recent past so our bodies haven't developed.

Not only does the body suffer by repeated inactivity, but the mind also is affected. In meditation the mind is reigned in to produce a calmer state, however by staring at a screen, or multi-tasking all day at a desk results in an over stimulated mind under active body , and possibility an inability to relax even after the “work” day is over.

Having a regular asana practice as well as a meditation practice can help strengthen and tone the body to help it prepare for long periods of sitting. By obtaining the right knowledge of sitting, and looking at old habits that are causing you to suffer you will begin to experience that it is less effort to sit in balance, than imbalance. Furthermore, the mind benefits by breaking from the constant stimulus at work, so that the sitting and multi-tasking becomes sustainable. As McAllaster recalls from the past, "We wouldn't want to go back to the brutality of those (prehistoric) days but there are some things we would do well to profit from."

For the complete Article:

http://www.reuters.com

A Commenary on the Awakening Mind

Today at the Hammerstein theatre in NYC, I witnessed the Dalai Lama’s teachings on “A Commentary on the Awakening Mind” composed by the great master Arya Nagarjuna. The Sanskrit title: is Bodhicittavivarana, and comes from the Tantric tradition. It’s important to note that in the Tantric tradition, God is Consciousness.  There is an important distinction here, because Arya negates on more then one occasion the  teachings of the dualistic approach, mind scholars, and other non-Buddhist views.

I would recommend seeing the Dalai Lama when you get a chance. I also highly suggest that you have studied some eastern philosophy before hand.

It has been stated:

                 Awakening Mind…

 Devoid of all real entities;  Utterly discarding all objects and subjects;  Such as aggregates, elements and sense-fields;  Due to sameness of Selfless of all phenomena, One’s mind is primordially unborn;  It is the nature of emptiness.

 The Dalai Lama commented on the text in several profound ways. First, by explaining the importance of emptiness and it’s different definitions, second dualism and impermanence, and finally how happiness, altruism and emptiness end human suffering.

 “Devoid of all real entities” is the first line in the introduction.  The concept of emptiness has an object and subject. Both contain a clear light, but the objective is emptiness, and the subjective is wisdom. -The truth, however, is independent; in other words, devoid of all real entities. In Line 39-it states “ the cognizer perceives the cognizable… The mind is still attached to cognitive thought, and therefore can’t be considered truth, or real, because it needs the support of the cognitive thought to exist. Furthermore, in statement 26 and 27 it was considered that Buddha never intended to teach the mind as final truth. He taught that selflessness in perfect equanimity; and that the mind is primordially unborn.

 Arya gives critiques on the Indian traditions of Atman, the permanent, and prakriti, impermanent.  In line five it states that ‘A permanent and impermanent cannot exist as the support and supported.’ This indivisible union means its must be supported somehow. One cannot exist without the other; therefore it is not devoid of all entities. My understanding to this teaching was that truth is impermanent and so in order for the permanent (Atman) to exist, impermanent ceases and support exists.

 Lastly, we mused over lines 70-73; that a happy mind is tranquil indeed; not confused, and attains freedom! As long as we seek emptiness and altruism then a meaningful human existence will be real.  This comes about with much practice in training the mind in meditation and service toward others in action to help alleviate suffering. 

Enjoy

http://www.dalailama.com/   You can view a list of the teachings online.

Boat on the Horizon

So many times I think I know what I want in my Yoga practice.  For example handstand was a small boat on my horizon for quite some time until I attended a Yoga intensive where I learned that my shoulders were tight. Because of this, I wasn’t fully able to move into the back bend that was necessary to experience sweetness in handstand.

There was no reason to feel bad about it. Hunching forward at the computer, lack of self-confidence, and general laziness all played a role in having tight shoulders.  With this new information I set to a daily practice of external rotation in my shoulders. Downward facing dog became the master blueprint for handstand. Two years later, I’m arriving in suspended moments of handstand. It may be two more years before I feel handstand has gently molded itself onto my body, but it is a path that is worth walking. When I get impatient and my asmita (ego) starts looking for success, I get the sense I’ve missed the point of the journey.  I am grateful that the boat on the horizon is getting closer, and one day I'll swim out to greet it. If I leave the shore to early, I'll just have to turn around and swim back.

My Mentor, Rama Nina spoke so many times about who is doing the leading in the mind. She used to say, “the one who is looking, is the one we are looking for.” I don’t care what I seek; it all seems to turn back in on itself and I  can find a relationship between everything that I do. I know Handstand is possible; therefore I practice. 

I’m excited to be a part of the western worlds delight in Asana. As I study deeper into eastern philosophy I realize that one day naturally my Asana practice will fall away and my meditation practice will more fully develop.  Until then, may my handstand become sweeter!