Land of Yoga Newsletter #52

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17/1/12

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Happy New York
may you be happy,
may you discover truths,
may you shed fears,
may you learn new things,
may you let go of old things,
may you discover new joys and interests
and discard old habits.

May you be Healthy.

Come on down to Land of Yoga
where the wheel of health is always turning,
always forwards in a direction towards Freedom
(from tiredness, from sadness, from fear, from doubt).

 
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KANGAROO ISLAND ADVENTURE

I've just returned from 10 days on Kangaroo Island
doing an isolated retreat at a special Buddhist centre, meditating all day long.

I had my own hut and larger area, and did not see or speak to a human for the whole time.
Some people have spent 3 years here - there are up to five residents all doing the same thing
on a property the size of 1300 acres... yet none will interact with any other.
The point of this experience is to be alone, with one's own mind.

It was really great, and I still reaping the benefits.

To read Toby's account of this experience, CLICK HERE.

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LAUGHING CLUB AT LAND OF YOGA

I recently did a workshop learning to teach laughter.

My teacher in India was always known as the laughing yogi -

he looks quite nuts when laughing like a lunatic, but everyone
enjoys his company and finds themselves laughing too.

It's a very healthy thing, great for mood and energy,
plus it's simply a nice feeling for the heart and mind.
It's also great for anxiety, depression, anger, stress, lethargy...

As a result I've added a new session to the regular timetable:
New laughing club session every Thursday 6.15-6.45pm
No Charge. It's fun. It's silly. It's healthy.

To find out more about Laughing Clubs Victoria
and maybe go to a session or workshop, CLICK HERE.
 
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WHAT YOGIS SAY!

This is a You-tube clip from a pretty funny woman
with a whole lot of yoga-isms. It's tongue in cheek.
CLICK HERE TO SEE

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DON'T DO YOGA

Here's an interesting article about an Iyengar Yoga teacher
who thinks people shouldn't do Yoga:
CLICK HERE TO SEE

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BOOK CLUB

I've been listening to Osho's "Meditations on Zen".
He's always a great explainer of advanced topics, in simple ways.

“The purest flowering of consciousness - without any centre you exist;
without there being anybody, you exist; you are, and still you are not”.

There is no walker, only walking.
There is no thinking, only thought.
There is no dreaming, only the dream.

Zen is such a gentle and subtle wisdom, for it eschews deep-thinking and rationale.
Zen is about relinquishing thought, and 'the ego'.
No certainty is required, no opinions, no beliefs, no truths...
it is free, natural, unstructured, non-political, and not intense.

It does not require intelligence, though it rebuts ignorance.
It does not require discipline, though it exposes control-freaks.
It does not need definition, though it contradicts even itself.

It encourages people to simply do what they are doing, without hesitation, or doubt.
It requires people to focus deeply upon that which they do,
or else there be nothing.

"We eat, we dress, we sleep".
That's it.
There's no need for philosophy or talk.
'Just do it' (thank you Nike).
'Just be it' is perhaps more apt.

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BUDDHIST WISDOMS

by Carmela Quimbo

 A Buddhist Perspective on New Year’s Resolutions

A New Year’s Resolution is generally about making a commitment to change,
whether it be diet, exercise, employment or behaviour.
From a Buddhist perspective, change is happening each moment, whatever time of the year it happens to be.
Every breath, every thought, every emotion, everything rises and falls.
We don’t need to try to change, because we are by nature impermanent.

This doesn’t mean that a person should stop making active decisions or that a person doesn’t have agency over their lives.
It simply means that we do not have to worry when the change does not occur in accordance with our wants and expectations.

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ANIMAL HERBAL CARE

Having last newsletter mentioned Mathilda's traumatic seizure,
Karolina emailed me this website for herbal remedies.
This website has a range of cat and dog and horse treatments
for those who might be interested.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO WEBSITE

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SILENT DINNER PARTIES

A friend of my friend organises people without friends
to become new friends without being friendly.
I liked this idea :)  CLICK HERE
 
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FOOD

PROTEIN

I’ve noticed something new about my body and its response to diet:
since my solitary retreat a month ago I’ve introduced spirulina, daily.
Spirulina is nature’s richest source of protein (65% of its weight), 3x more than fish, meat or poultry, with zero cholesterol.
It is 58x richer in iron than spinach; and twice as rich in chlorophyll than alfalfa, barley-grass and wheatgrass.
 
In one month’s time my body feels significantly heavier, more dense/solid.
It’s a palpable difference. I think this is because of the protein.
Seeing as I haven’t eaten red meat for more than 3 years, and only have occasional seafood, it’s the extra protein that my body has lacked.
I’m not sure that I prefer this feeling - most yogis in India hardly eat anything and are very light and clear -
and I notice how body-builders use extreme amounts of protein to bulk-up their bodies.
This extra bulk is totally unnecessary and purely cosmetic; but maybe the extra strength is of benefit.
(I’m not so sure this is a necessary benefit).
 
When one changes one’s diet, no reactions are reliable until after 3 months, for the body is often simply adjusting...
anyway, I get the impression that protein is not very useful, especially for those who may be trying to lose weight.

*Note: I would definitely recommend spirulina for a growing child, and a pregnant woman;
but not necessarily for a 90yr old (at this point the heaviness may be counter-productive).
It is likely to be very useful for people with Chronic Fatigue and Depression.

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HEALTH REPORT
from Doctor Qu'ac

BABY YOGA

See Toby as YOGA BEAR! FUN YOGA FOR KIDS Funny and Creative DVDs and Magical Dream CDs available at www.yogabear.com.au