Yoga with a Teacher

Yoga should be learned with a teacher. That would be ideal. If there is no teacher nearby, you can also get along by studying from books. There are also instructional DVDs and lots of U-Tube videos on the subject.

I also find studying online very helpful. There are already numerous options online today; just search and choose something that suits you. 

What strikes me is the fact that in India, the country of yoga's origin, there are significantly more male yoga masters, while in the Western world, it is clearly women who make up the yoga teachers.  

So, men: come on!

Sunday without Monday

"Oh, it's Monday again soon." Who hasn't heard that too often or perhaps even said it themselves? Some people go so far as to say, "I hate Monday!" 

Dear people, let me tell you, this attitude is entirely harmful, wrong and absolutely unnecessary. You won't change anything. Monday comes like any other time. Only a very few people are granted the exception of not having a Monday. If you cross the dateline on a ship, it can happen that Monday doesn't happen. This occurs for time calculation and navigational reasons. 

Hardcore Monday haters would now project their lives onto Tuesday. Don't do it! Anyone who acts like that and deals with their life like that misses out on 52 wonderful days a year. And extrapolate that to their entire life. For these people, every week starts with a negative sign. And this mere negative view doesn't change anything anyway. I'm already looking forward to Monday.

 

A short journey – and usually no trace

Life is written on a roll of paper called time.

And once it's unrolled, it's gone forever.

Chinese proverb, undated

Verse 18

Who is equal to stay with friend and foe,

indifferent to fame as shame,

Frost, heat, failure, success,

not adhered to the things slip ...

From Bhagavad-gita 1940 Tree Publishing, 13. vocals, page 112, verse 18

Are you an indoor person or an outdoor person?

Australian researchers warn of a myopia epidemic in industrialised countries. An international team of researchers has warned of a myopia epidemic in the journal "The Lancet." 

 

Modern lifestyles, in which students spend more time indoors in front of computers and television, may be the reason for the massive increase in myopia. Whether students sit in front of the computer for homework or just to play games makes no difference.  

 

Up to 80 per cent of school leavers in urban areas like China and Japan already have to wear glasses. Scientists at the University of Canberra (Australia) attribute this to a lack of direct sunlight, which reduces the levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.  

 

This usually prevents the eyeball from growing too much, which can lead to myopia. So, get outside and don't become an indoor person.

Exercises in Nature

Nature exercises appeal to me especially. The connection with the earth is most significant here, and it's easier to feel its incredible energy. Everyone should practice and study outdoors as often as possible. It's great fun! 

  Lewesdon Hill, Southern England
 

Why are bananas crooked?

Why are bananas crooked? This frequently asked question is easily answered. Because there's no one in the jungle to straighten them. It would be nice if the world could be explained so simply. Why are bananas so cheap? 

They are cheaper compared to fruit produced locally or at least nearby. Why are apples from the old country cheaper per kilo in the Munich supermarket than a kilo of bananas? Here, too, the joke answer: because Munich is closer to Africa. 

But that's not the problem. The problem isn't the price, even if a kilo of apples costs five Euros, and the bananas are the same. The problem is the pesticides that come from the shopping bag onto the table. According to a Greenpeace study, almost 80 per cent of conventionally produced fresh fruit and over 55 per cent of vegetables are contaminated with pesticides. This resulted from analysing more than 22,000 samples by the German food inspection authorities. 

So, what does this mean? It's up to the man and the woman to do it themselves. Grow your own vegetables and fruit!

Don't get sick

Don't get sick

What can you do if you get sick? Well, for example, go to the doctor, a naturopath, maybe a pharmacist, or even go straight to the hospital. That's something everyone has to decide for themselves, or for others they have to care for. But that's not my topic. I'm wondering what I can do to avoid getting sick in the first place. A tip for today: (and I deliberately say "a", "tip", "today") Turn off the TV and go for a walk.

 

A wonderful Yoga movie from 1938

I found this film while surfing the internet and wanted to share it with you. You know my thoughts on the art of yoga. We need to be and stay fit, but we're not applying to join the circus. This film truly showcases aesthetic yoga in its purest form.

A wonderful black and white film from 1938 on U-Tube

People: Smoke! Drink! And go to the doctor!

Isn't that crazy? A blogger writes, "If people lived healthier lives, it would have disastrous consequences for our economy. The gross domestic product (GDP) comprises all economic output. And that, of course, includes healthcare output. And its share of GDP today is around 15%. Now she assumes that GDP would plummet if just a third of us lived healthier lives and incurred lower healthcare costs. By 5%, precisely. But that would be enough to immediately trigger a full-blown economic crisis.

New Year's resolutions - again

Are these really the 10 most popular New Year's resolutions?

1. Spend more time with friends and family
2. Exercise more
3. Lose weight!
4. Quit smoking!
5. Live life to the fullest
6. Quit drinking
7. Get out of debt
8. Learn something new
9. Help others
10. It's a good time for a spring declutter and self-organization

A flat stomach is better for men

50% less likely to suffer from heart disease. 

16% less likely to die from their first heart attack. 

50% less likely to experience erectile dysfunction. 

70% less likely to develop high blood pressure. 

35% less likely to get kidney cancer. 

90% less likely to develop gallstones. 

14% less likely to develop osteoporosis. 

19% less likely to be fatally injured in a car accident. Those are the numbers from an American health magazine.

I mean, 100% looks better too.

 

Heavy Thoughts

Suppose you have a book that weighs, say, 350 grams. 

When you've finished reading it, does it weigh less?

I wish us all a happy, healthy, and fulfilling 2012. And please don't believe in the end of the world. It's not coming.

Photo: High above the clouds... thoughts like that come to mind. My flight to the United States.

Where does cancer come from?

Hard facts:

Cancer is the leading cause of unnatural death worldwide, responsible for 7.6 million deaths (approximately 13% of all deaths) in 2008.

The most common types of cancer are found in the lung, stomach, liver, colon, and breast.

The most common types of cancer occur in different proportions in men and women.

Approximately 30% of all cancers are attributable to the five most common personal failings and dietary habits, such as an excessive body mass index, low intake of vegetables and fruits, lack of physical exercise, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse.

This data is taken from World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics. The full report can be read here.

  WHO - Media Centre

 Photo: Warning label for a Belgian cigarette pack in 2007

 

Ice cream at the open fire

At this time of the year in the northern hemisphere it is ever so nice to sit in front of the open fire. Maybe with an ice cream or even a lovely glass of red. The warmth of the fire will trigger similar emotions than a meditation.

Tantra Yoga

"Scriptures and mantras—to hell with them.

My teacher released me from practicing meditation.

With women and wine, I'm fine.

I walk the path to salvation in a dance step, a young prostitute on the altar with me.

I eat meat and drink many strong drinks.

My bed, a soft, warm fur.

And all without a penny of money! 

A better religion—who could think of it?"

Tantra Yoga is often dismissed as "sex yoga." But it is a very simple system. It recognizes that everything exists. But it allows the yogi to decide what, when, and how much of life they allow and need for themselves. In the end, their insight trumps any dogma.