We explore about Vedas and Yoga from science and art aspect, eastern and western aspect, historic and modern apect. Most important we explore how to apply it to your daily life to overcome everyday challenges and feel happy and content.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Sunday, July 12, 2015
MARLYN MONROE - THE YOGI
Jane Fonda,
Richard Simmons, Jillian Michaels—the list of celebrities known for their
workouts goes on and on. There’s one famous name, however, that rarely appears
on this list: Marilyn
Monroe.
Monroe, best known for being a mid-century
sex symbol, is rarely thought of as a fitness icon, but during a 1952 interview
with LIFE magazine, she revealed that she lifted weights daily, and in a
1948 set of black-and-white photos, she showed off some asanas. This wasn’t
just a publicity stunt; Monroe was a devotee of yoga, and was photographed many
times in different poses.
Some of her lesser-known quotes reveal a more
introspective Marilyn who was much more than just a blonde bombshell.
1. “I am trying to find myself. Sometimes that’s not easy.”
2. “We are all
of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle.”
3.
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely
ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
Thursday, June 18, 2015
GEMS OF YOGA DUBAI MEDITATION
CONCENTERATION OR DHARANA TECHNIQUES
Hridayakasha
dharana
The development of this practice of
antar darshan is the practice of hridayakasha dharana. Although hridayakasha
dharana has been taught in the past, it is not the first practice that we need
to do. The first practice is antar darshan. The perfection of antar darshan
will lead us to hridaya-kasha dharana. Hridayakasha dharana comes when the mind
and the emotions have become stable and steady, and when we have attained some
degree of mastery within and without ourselves.
We need to look at the meaning of
dharana to understand the practice better. Dharana means 'to bind, to focus, to
hold the mind at one point'. It comes from Dmust be stable. Right now none of
us has that stable base. Just as the earth shakes during an earthquake, in the
same way we are also shaking like that much of the time. The practice of
dharana comes when we have become steady, stable and unshakeable. We are
unshakeable because we understand ourselves. We understand our mind, our
emotions and our thoughts. We have come to terms with them so we are
unshakeable. Whatever faces us and whatever situation arises we can manage it
without being affected. Dharana is a higher stage, not just in meditation but
in life.
The word akasha means space. The
practice of hriday-akasha implies that we are going to find a steady base
within the element of space. We can think of space like the sky, like the
openness in a room. There is space and then there are things within the space.
Mentally this space symbolizes the aspect of consciousness. Within the
consciousness the mind exists and the emotions exist. The different aspects of
the mind exist, the ego exists, all the experiences in life exist, but they are
not the space. The space is just space like the sky is open.
Hridayakasha dharana means that we are
going to become stable. We are going to practise steadiness within this space
and we are going to localize that space within the heart. Hridaya means heart.
Hridayakasha dharana means to find a stable base within the space of the heart.
When we are able to find a stable base, when the mind is able to function in a
focused, one-pointed manner within this space, then we will begin to have
intense emotional experiences and we will be able to handle them. Things will
come with great intensity but because our mind is trained and we are focused
and have developed strength of mind, we can face them without becoming
unbalanced and unhinged. This is the development of and the result of antar
darshan. Antar darshan will lead to the further stage of hridayakasha dharana.
SIVANANDA VIEW
Pancha Dharana
Prithvi Dharana
There are five elements,
viz., Prithvi, Apas, Agni, Vayu and Akasa. To the body of the five elements,
there is the five fold Dharana. From the feet to the knees is said to be the
region of the Prithvi. It is four-sided in shape, yellow in colour and has its
Varna the Sanskrit letter ‘L’ along the region of the earth, i.e., from the
feet to the knees. Contemplating upon this, one should perform Dharana there
for a period of two hours daily. He then attains mastery over the earth. Death
does not trouble him since he has obtained mastery over the ‘earth’ element.
Ambhasi Dharana
The region of Apas is
said to extend from the knees to the anus. Apas is semi-lunar in shape and
white in colour. It has the letter ‘Va’ for its Bijakshara—seed-letter.
Carrying Up the breath with the letter ‘Va’ along the region of Apas, one
should contemplate on God Narayana, having four arms, a crowned head, dressed
in orange-colour clothes and as decayless. Practising Dharana there daily for a
period of two hours, he is freed from all sins. Then there is no fear for him
from water.
Agneyi Dharana
From the anus to the
heart is said to be the region of Agni. Agni is triangular in shape, red in
colour and has the letter ‘R’ for its Bija. Raising the breath with the letter
‘Ra’ along the region of fire, one should contemplate on Rudra, who has three
eyes, who grants all wishes and who is of the colour of mid-day sun. Practising
Dharana there daily for a period of two hours, he is not burnt by fire, even
though his body enters into the fire-pit.
Vayavya Dharana
From the heart to the
middle of the eyebrows is said to be the region of Vayu. It is black in colour
and shines with the letter ‘Ya’. Carrying the breath along the region of Vayu,
one should contemplate on Isvara, the omniscient. The Yogi does not meet his
death through Vayu.
Akasa Dharana
From the centre of the
eyebrow to the top of the head is said to be the region of Akasa. It is
circular in shape, smoky in colour and shines with the letter ‘Ha’. Raising the
breath along the region of Akasa, one should contemplate on Sadasiva. By
practising this Dharana one obtains the power of levitation. The Yogi gets all
the Siddhis. GEMS OF YOGA DUBAI PRAYER
GEMS OF YOGA PRAYER NIRVANASHATAKAM
Atma-Shatakam / Nirvana Shatakam The Song of the Self by Adi Shankara 788-820 CE ( by Shankaracharya)
The great Adi Shankara (first Shankaracharya) of the eighth century summarized the entirety of Advaita Vedanta (non-dualistic philosophy) in six stanzas. When a young boy of eight, while wandering in the Himalayas, seeking to find his guru, he encountered a sage who asked him, "Who are you?" The boy answered with these stanzas, which are known as "Nirvana Shatakam" or "Atma Shatakam." "Nirvana" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Atma" is the True Self. The sage the boy was talking to was Swami Govindapada Acharya, who was, indeed, the teacher he was looking for.
These few verses can be of tremendous value to progress in contemplation practices that lead to Self-Realization.
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PATANJALI COMPOSITION OF SHIVA
GEMS OF YOGA DUBAI PRESENTS A NEW SECRET OF PATANJALI NOT KNOWN TO MANY
At Sandhya kalam (Pradosha kalam) Shiva dances at all places not only at Chidambaram. Wherever he dances, Pathanjali muni, Vyagrapada muni, Nandhi and Bhringi will be with him. While Bhringi and Nandhi stay with Shiva always, Pathanjali and Vyagrapadar are there whenever and wherever he dances.
Pathanjali is stated to be the Avatar of Adisesha and is depicted with a human face and the body of a snake. Vyagrapadar has also a human face and his legs are like that of a tiger with long nails. Nandhi, the divine vahana has two horns (Kombu, in Tamil) and four feet (Kaal in Tamil). Bhringi has three legs. Pathanjali was teased by the other three saying that he has neither Horn (Kombu) nor Kaal (legs).
Pathanjali gave a rejoinder stating that the other three have separate eyes and ears which was a disadvantage. If they concentrate on Ishwara’s dance form by seeing, they will miss the laya or thala and if they concentrate on the laya and listen, they will miss out on the visual treat. However, Pathanjali, in his serpent form, had a common organ for perceiving sound and sight (it was commonly believed that snakes make use of the same organs for hearing and seeing) and therefore could concentrate on both the form and laya simultaneously.
Pathanjali also stated that inspite of his not having Kombu and Kaal, he can appreciate the cosmic dance of Shiva better and will sing His praises. The trio of Nandi, Bhringi and Vyagrapadar teased Pathanjali further saying that he had no Kombu and Kaal and how will he sing Shiva’s praise without Kombu and Kaal. Pathanjali said that since he himself had no Kombu and Kaal, he will sing Shiva’s praise also with a sloka in which the letters had no Kombu or Kaal ( e E a etc.)
The Shambu natana sthothram has no words with Kombu or Kaal. This was sung according to the laya/ thala of Shiva’s cosmic dance.
Lyrics:
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
HAPPY HOLI
Greetings From Gems Of Yoga !
I would like to share this article with you. Wishing you all Happy Holi.
Dear Divine Souls,
Holi – The Holi-day to Let It All Go
Today is the sacred and beautiful day of Holi, a day celebrated across India with great joy, gaiety and festivity. There are many meanings and much significance attached to this day. For some, it is the festival of Springtime, the heralding of warm weather and bidding farewell to the winter. It is also seen as a festival of love, the return of fertility. The Puranas describe Holi as a celebration of virtue over vice. It is a time when we rejoice in the victory of pure, divine Prahlaad over his aunt Holika.
This year, I want to talk about another meaning, one relevant to all of us at this time. If we look at the actual semantic derivation of the word, we see it is made up of Ho and Li. There are two different meanings to this:
First, “Holi” means that which has happened, “Jo hogaya, holi,” that which has passed. So Holi is a time to acknowledge what has happened, what has passed and then to move on. It is the “moving on” holiday. On this day of Holi, we introspect and look back on the past year or many years, to see “kya ho-li” what has passed, what has happened. We see it, witness it, acknowledge it, take the lessons from it and then let it go. The most famous story of Holi is the one associated with the divine devotee Prahlad and his aunt Holika who tried to burn him in the fire. However, rather than burning divine Prahlad, evil Holika was burned in his place. Hence an important symbol of this holiday is to let the badness, the evilness (ours or others) be burned in the symbolic fire so that we can move on. Too frequently in life we hold onto grudges, anger, pain, jealousies for year after year. We are bound by our own guilt over acts of commission or acts of omission – that which we did and should not have, or that which we should have done and yet failed to do. We become stuck, chained, imprisoned by the deeds of years past – what others have done to us, what we have done to others. Holi is the time to say “Ho-li.” It happened. Yes, it happened. However, today is a new day, a new time, a new year. We let the pains, grudges, angers, habits of the past be burned in the fire of our prayer so that we too may emerge from this day, colored not only with paint and powder, but colored with prayer. We must use this divine holiday as a way to just let it all go. That which has happened, is over. Ho-li. It has happened. And now, today is a new day. We must not carry the chains of the past into the present.
Another meaning of the word Ho-li, is to look at it as two roots, Ho and Li. Ho means, as I mentioned above, that which has happened, already occurred. Li is a form of the verb “lena” (“liya”) or “to take.” What do we take on Holi? We take pledges, sankalps for the future. So, the past has happened (ho) and now we take (li) a pledge for the present and future. A new pledge for a new you. We cannot control the past. We can only control the present and future. That which we plant today will grow into the tree whose fruit we will eat tomorrow. If we are unhappy with the fruit of today, we look back upon the past, accept and acknowledge that we planted the seed of the harvest we are reaping today – sweet or sour – and pledge that we will plant seeds today of love, peace, forgiveness, compassion and unity. So, today on this day, we look at the past, with deep, deep honesty, we let it go with forgiveness, acceptance, and understanding and then we take a pledge for the present and future that we will move forth with newness, new light, new love, new vision of unity and peace.
As we burn the effigy of evil Holika, let us also burn all the grudges, pain and chains of the past. As pure, divine Prahlad emerged unscathed from the ashes, let our true selves – pure, holy, compassionate, loving, peaceful, generous, devoted – also emerge from the celebration.
If, amidst our joyous revelry, we can truly take this deep meaning of Holi into our heart, then purity, divinity, truth and goodness will again – as in the time of Prahlad and Holika – vanquish arrogance, greed, deception, ego and grudges, and we will all be able to move forward into a bright future.
With love and blessings to you all and all your loved ones.
In the service of God and humanity,
Swami Chidanand Saraswati
--
Sunita Bhalla
Founder & CEO
GEMS OF YOGA
Suite 1701, White Crown Building
Between Royal Radisson Hotel & Crown Plaza Hotel
Sheikh Zayed Road
Tel No.: 04 3315161, 055 6532750
Email: info@gemsofyogadubai.com gemsofyogadubai.com
Reach up, you have the sun and moon in you!
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