A Festivus For the Rest of Us

Happy Holidays to you all as we celebrate and rejoice in Spirit!
May your days be filled with the warmth of friends and family,
May the darkness of night be lit with flames of love, peace, and joy.

May the thoughts and actions of our lives contribute
to the happiness and freedom of all beings.

Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu.

Aum. Shanti Shanti Shanti.

America's 1st "yogis"

The yoga tradition has an incredibly diverse and ancient history. Argued by some to be the oldest living religion in the world, yoga originated in India approximately 5,000 years ago. Just like any religion or tradition, yoga has changed over the centuries, adapting in response to the particular time and cultural context. It is in this sense, one of the oldest living traditions in the world. Yoga as it is practiced in America today, however, is only roughly 100 years old. It is the latest manifestation of an ancient living tradition.

Long before there was Iyengar, Asthanga, Anusara, and Vinyasa Flow, there was a yoga that existed on American soil. Looking back at mid-19th Century New England, we find can find its roots within the intellectual circle of the Transcendentalists; who began exploring the exotic philosophy of the East, and indirectly initiated the transmission of yoga in America. Ralph Waldo Emerson first met the Hinduism of India through its sacred texts; particularly the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, “The Song of the Lord”. He found in ancient India the mystical expression of his vision of the transcendent Self. He discovered what he termed the “Oversoul”. In his infamous essay written in 1841 titled The Over-Soul, he writes,

“… Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal ONE.”[1]

Emerson’s words echo the Ultimate Reality or Brahmin affirmed by the Upanishads and other ancient texts of India. A younger student of Emerson’s, Henry David Thoreau, also took an influential interest in the East. He wrote from his cabin at Walden Pond,

“In the morning, I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Bhagvat-Geeta…in comparison with which our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial.“[2]




The renunciation of his stint at Walden Pond is reminiscent of the ascetism of the Indian yogis. And in this regard, Thoreau can perhaps be seen as one of the first American yogis, at least in an intellectual or literary sense. In a letter to a friend, he writes,

“… I would fain practice the yoga faithfully. To some extent, and at rare intervals, even I am a yogi.”[3]

Without analyzing the degree to which Thoreau or Emerson actually carried out yogic practices, it is an important moment in our history. The words of the Transcendentalists provided Westerners for the first time with the “idea” of yoga; an exotic discipline and practice that was just as near as the natural world. Their exploration set the stage for the arrival of yoga in America.

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[1] "Ralph Waldo Emerson's The Over-Soul." The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Web. 10 Dec. 2009.

[2] Eck, Diana L. A New Religious America How a "Christian Country" Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation. New York: HarperOne, 2002. p. 95 – from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden

[3] De Michelis, Elizabeth. A History of Modern Yoga: Patanjali and Western Esotericism. London: Continuum, 2008. pp. 2-3

Yoga in America: the numbers are in

Yoga Journal Releases 2008"Yoga in America" Market Study

Practitioner Spending Grows to Nearly $6 Billion a Year

February 26, 2008 (San Francisco, CA) – The latest "Yoga in America" study, just released by Yoga Journal (yogajournal.com) shows that Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products, including equipment, clothing, vacations and media (DVDs, videos, books and magazines). This figure represents an increase of 87 percent compared to the previous study in 2004—almost double of what was previously spent.

Data for this survey were collected by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau on behalf of Yoga Journal. The poll surveyed 5,050 respondents, a statistically representative sample of the total U.S. population. Yoga Journal commissioned RRC Associates, a research firm in Boulder, Colo., to perform the data analysis.

The 2008 study indicates that 6.9% of U.S. adults, or 15.8 million people, practice yoga. (In the previous study, that number was 16.5 million). Of current non-practitioners, nearly 8%, or 18.3 million Americans, say they are very or extremely interested in yoga, triple the number from the 2004 study. And 4.1% of non-practitioners, or about 9.4 million people, say they will definitely try yoga within the next year.

The study also collected data on age, gender and other demographic factors. Of the yoga

practitioners surveyed:

• 72.2% are women; 27.8% are men.
• 40.6% are 18 to 34 years old; 41% are 35 to 54; and 18.4% are over 55.
• 28.4% have practiced yoga for one year or less; 21.4% have practiced for one to two years; 25.6% have practiced two to five years; and 24.6% have practiced more than five years.
• 71.4% are college educated; 27% have postgraduate degrees.
• 44% of yogis have household incomes of $75,000 or more; 24% have more than $100,000.

"While the yoga population has stabilized, spending among practitioners has nearly doubled," says Patricia Fox, senior vice president and group manager of Active Interest Media's Healthy Living Group. "Yoga practitioners are a devoted consumer group supporting a thriving and vibrant market."

The 2008 study also indicated that almost half (49.4%) of current practitioners started practicing yoga to improve their overall health. In the 2003 study, that number was 5.6%. And they are continuing to practice for the same reason. According to the 2008 study, 52% are motivated to practice yoga to improve their overall health. In 2003, that number was 5.2%.

"Yoga is no longer simply a singular pursuit but a lifestyle choice and an established part of our health and cultural landscape," says Bill Harper, publisher of Yoga Journal. "People come to yoga and stick with it because they want to live healthier lives."

One significant trend to emerge from the study is the use of yoga as medical therapy. According to the study, 6.1%, or nearly 14 million Americans, say that a doctor or therapist has recommended yoga to them. In addition, nearly half (45%) of all adults agree that yoga would be a beneficial if they were undergoing treatment for a medical condition.

"Yoga as medicine represents the next great yoga wave," says Kaitlin Quistgaard, editor in chief of Yoga Journal. "In the next few years, we will be seeing a lot more yoga in health care settings and more yoga recommended by the medical community as new research shows that yoga is a valuable therapeutic tool for many health conditions."

The growth in the yoga market is reflected in the growth of Yoga Journal. The magazine saw an increase of 5.8 percent in paid circulation, and an increase of 9.2 percent in paid subscriptions, in the period from July through December 2007, over the same period in the previous year, while the first two issues of 2008 were record issues in terms of ad revenue and ad pages. The magazine is also a top-selling health and fitness title at Barnes & Noble nationwide as well as at Whole Foods.

Tara Comes to HSU

Today in my class Meditation, Contemplation, and Imagination, we had a wonderful guest lecturer, Allison Rader. Allison is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher who is now the head lama at Chagdud Gonpa Rigdzin Ling, a Vajrayana community out in beautiful Trinity County. I had the pleasure of doing an experiential retreat weekend through the Religious Studies department last year, led by Allison at the Gonpa. She is an incredible teacher, so real, and engaging. And she has the ability to hold such sacred space. In a room full of 30 people, I felt like we were engaged in a private conversation (and so did everyone else!). For an hour and half she gave an incredible Dharma talk, describing the spiritual path of the Vajrayana, and particularly leading towards a general understanding of Tibetan visualization mediation practice. We then closed our eyes, sat up straight, and she led us through a basic Red Tara practice, visualizing some of the basic elements of Tara - compassion, loving-kindness, humility, etc. It was so beautiful, I slowly opened my eyes feeling tingly all over. Then we read aloud:

In the space in front of me the mother of all the victorious ones, Arya Tara, actually appears and to her I pray:
Now, as I and countless others are lost in the ocean of samsaric suffering,
I seek buddhahood to gain temporary and ultimate happiness for myself and all living beings.
For this reason I take refuge in Arya Tara, embodiment of pure awareness,
inseparable from all perfect qualities of buddha, dharma, sangha, lama, yidam and dikini.
From the depths of my heart I pray, evoking from Tara's forehead, throat and heart
a brilliant surge of rainbow light.
As the light rays touch me and all other beings, the poisonous fruits of negative karma-
sickness, demonic afflictions and obstacles - evaporate like dew in the morning sun.
Merit, wisdom, glory, wealth and longevity increase beyond measure.

Illustrious Tara, please be aware of me. Remove my obstacles and quickly grant my excellent aspirations.

JET SUN POCK MA DROL MA CHED CHEN NO
GAL CHEN KUN SEL SAM DON NYUR DRUP DZOD


OM TARE TAM SOHA

The last part in Tibetan we sang/chanted in harmony. There was a brief moment of rational discomfort, to be chanting in the classroom... then I realized, we're chanting in the classroom! It was such a beautiful practice. The Tibetan syllables left my body vibrating in illumination. We finished with a proper Buddhist dedication.

Dedication
Throughout my many lives and until this moment,
whatever virtue I have accomplished
including the merit generated by this practice, and all that I will ever obtain,
this I offer for the welfare of sentient beings.
May sickness, war, famine and suffering be decreased, for every being
while their wisdom and compassion increase in this and every future life.
May I clearly perceive all experiences to be as insubstantial
as the dream fabric of the night
and instantly awaken to perceive the pure wisdom display
in the arising of every phenomenon.
May I quickly attain enlightenment in order to work ceaselessly
for the liberation of all sentient beings.

Prayer of Aspiration
Buddhas and bodhisattvas altogether:
whatever kind of motivation you have,
whatever kind of beneficial action,
whatever kind of wishing prayers,
whatever kind of omniscience,
whatever kind of life accomplishment,
whatever kind of benevolent power
whatever kind of immense wisdom you have,
then similarly I, who have come in the same way to benefit beings,
pray to attain these qualities.

The Auspicious Wish
At this very moment, for the peoples and nations of the earth,
may not even the names disease, famine, war and suffering be heard.
Rather may their moral conduct, merit, wealth and prosperity increase,
and may supreme good fortune and well-being always arise for them.

Just a word...

What an experience it is to be a human being...today...in California... in 2009! Such a diverse and complex world that we find ourselves in - so much information, technology, products, advertisements, and the choice, oooh the freedom to choose, which kind of toothpaste we want from the infinite variety available on the shelves. Humans have clearly made immense progress technologically in the past few hundred years. Our external world has drastically changed. But I often wonder has the human condition changed? Do we not still have the same basic needs and desires in our modern world as did the peoples of the ancient? Food, shelter, warmth, to love and be loved, to be happy, peaceful, to live a joyous life... While we have made much progress externally, have we done much internally as a society to fulfill these basic human desires? Are people more happy now with their iPod's, televisions, SUV's, and hair conditioner? Perhaps. I admit it is pretty incredible to have 5,000 tracks of the most amazing music ever created all in one device that fits in your palm, ready to make you feel warm and fuzzy at the press of a button. Or has this material gain and freedom to choose actually pushed us further away from the things which we truly care about?

I believe we each have these basic human desires, a basic spiritual yearning towards wholeness, towards peace, freedom. Yet unconsciously so many of us are looking outside of ourselves through material pursuit to fulfill this basic humanness. And guess what... it ain't working, the most basic needs are not being met. You can't subsitute prozac for peace. A quick fix won't do. Temporary satisfaction ain't the game. We're talking about true freedom, infinite lasting peace.

I got one word for ya...

What should I do about my meditation practice?

I recently started reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and have to say I am really loving the book. I think she's brilliant, funny, insightful, and has got me jus itchin' to travel....
Has anyone else read it?

Gilbert presents her story like traditional mala beads, weaving together 108 tales or beads. The number 108 is seen to be very auspicious, "a perfect three-digit multiple of three, its components adding up to nine, which is three threes." She then divides the mala-book into three sections about her travels to three countries Italy, India, and Indonesia. This leaves us with three sections of 36 tales, written during her 36th year of life! Wow that's a lot of threes...

Right now we're in an ashram in India....
Here's an excerpt that I found particularly meaningful, and humorous :

"What should i do about my meditation practice?" I ask Richard one day, as he's watching me scrub the temple floors. (He's lucky - he works in the kitchen, doesn't even have to show up there until an hour before dinner. But he likes watching me scrub the temple floors. He thinks it's funny.)

"Why do you have to do anything about it, Groceries?"

"Because it stinks."

"Says who?"

"I can't get my mind to sit still."

"Remember what the Guru teaches us - if you sit down with the pure intention to meditate, whatever happens next is none of your business. So why are you judging your experience?"

"Because what's happening in my meditations cannot be the point of this Yoga."

"Groceries, baby - you got no idea what's happening in there."

"I never see visions, I never have transcendent experiences - "

"You wanna see pretty colors? Or you wanna know the truth about yourself? What's your intention?"

"All I seem to do is argue with myself when I try to meditate."

"That's just your ego, trying to make sure it stays in charge. This is what your ego does. It keeps you feeling separate, keeps you with a sense of duality, tries to convince you that you're flawed and broken and alone instead of whole."

"But how does that serve me?"

"It doesn't serve you. Your ego's job isn't to serve you. Its only job is keep itself in power. And right now, your ego's scared to death cuz it's about to get downsized. You keep up this spiritual path, baby, and that bad boy's days are numbered. Pretty soon your ego will be out of work, and your heart'll be making all the decisions. So your ego's fighting for its life, playing with your mind, trying to assert its authority, trying to keep you cornered off in a holding pen away from the rest of the universe. Don't listen to it."

"How do you not listen to it?"

"Every try to take a toy away from a toddler? They don't like that, do they? They start kicking and screaming. Best way to take a toy away from a toddler is distract the kid, give him something else to play with. Divert his attention. Instead of trying to forcefully take thoughts out of your mind, give your mind something better to play with. Something healthier."

"Like what?"

"Like love, Groceries. Like pure divine love."

(p. 140-141)

The Travelers and the Grapes

Four men - a Persian, a Turk, an Arab, and a Greek - were standing in a village street. They were traveling companions, making for some distant place; but at this moment they were arguing over the spending of a single peiece of money which was all that they had among them.

"I want to buy angur," said the Persian.
"I want uzum," said the Turk.
"I want inab," said the Arab.
"No!" said the Greek, we should buy stafil."

Another traveler passing, a linguist, said, "Give the coin to me. I undertake to satisfy the desires of all of you."

At first they would not trust him. Ultimately they let him have the coin. He went to the shop of a fruit seller and bought four small bunches of grapes.

"This is my angur," said the Persian.
"But this is what i call uzum," said the Turk.
"You have brought me inab," said the Arab.
"No!" said the Greek, "this in my language is stafil."

The grapes were shared out among them, and each realized that the disharmony had been due to his faulty understanding of the language of the others.

"The travelers," said the Agha, "are the ordinary people of the world. The linguist is the Sufi. People know that they want something, because there is an inner need existing in them. They may give it different names, but it is the same thing. Those who call it religion have different names for it, and even different ideas as to what it might be. Those who call it ambition try to find its scope in different ways. But it is only when a linguist appears, someone who knows what they really mean, that they can stop the struggling and get on with the eating of the grapes."

(excerpt from Idries Shah's - The Sufis)