Stretching, Exercising, and Hatha Yoga

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Stretching, Exercising, and Hatha Yoga

An excerpt from

by Sharon Janis

In the practice of Yoga, every cell is consciously made to absorb a copious supply of fresh blood and life-giving energy, thus satiating the embodied soul.
—B.K.S. Iyengar

One field of spiritual practice in India is called hatha yoga. Hatha yoga includes the physical postures and exercises that prepare your body for meditation and the ultimate yoga, which is a conscious experience of union with the divine. (Yoga means union, and hatha refers to balancing the sun and moon energies within your body.) Hatha yoga consists of various movements, breath control exercises, and physical postures that can produce a profound state of inner union, vitality, and harmony.

The ancient wisdom of hatha yoga has trickled into modern-day life mostly in the form of exercise videos and health-club courses that help you lose weight and get your body in better shape. Yes, these positive effects are available through practicing hatha yoga, however many hatha yoga practitioners lack a solid understanding of the deeper spiritual purpose of hatha yoga. One yoga magazine reporter told me that the hottest thing around the hip Hollywood crowd is to get what they call a “yoga butt” — proving that modern society can make a junk-food version of anything, including sublime ancient wisdom!

The deeper purpose of yoga exercises is to uplift you spiritually. One yoga scripture describes those who practice exercises without a higher intention as “mere holders of bones.” Hatha yoga postures are intended to be a support for your journey to the real yoga — union with the divine!

Where hatha yoga postures come from

How did ancient hatha yoga researchers know that specific postures could heal kidney weaknesses, back injuries, hormonal imbalances, mental agitation, circulation sluggishness, brain, thyroid, and digestion disorders, and so many other physical maladies? They had no books. They didn’t learn it in school. They didn’t have instruction manuals and videos to explain it to them.

The ancient hatha yoga sages discovered all these postures and exercises with their subtle intellect, through intuitive insight and divine inspiration.

Volumes can and have been written about all the exercises and theories behind hatha yoga. Some postures are called by the Sanskrit names of the animals they resemble, such as koormaasana (the tortoise pose), matsyaasana (the fish pose), or bhekaasana (the frog pose). Most are based on the idea that certain positions relieve tensions and allow your blood and energy to flow more freely in your body. Some stimulate your immune system; while others create or strengthen specific patterns of energy flow in your body.

Sometimes different postures are put together into a flowing sequence. One common series of poses is called surya namaskar, or “sun salutations.” This sequence takes you from a standing pose into various push-up type lunges and back bends that flow naturally into one another, and then back into a standing pose to begin the cycle again.

Many hatha yoga postures work on your spine — carefully stretching, opening, elongating, twisting, turning, and bending your spine this way and that. Popular postures for the spine include the cobra back arch, the forward bend, and various spinal twists. Your spine has a very special spiritual significance. It is not only the backbone of your physical body, but also of your energy body.

Hatha yoga postures are extremely powerful, and you should learn them in person from a teacher who can make sure that you are doing them correctly.

More about Spirituality For Dummies

“This book bridges the gap between conventional experience and the spiritual life. Spirituality for Dummies gives practical advice for entering the path of spirituality, borrowing wisdom from a host of religious, philosophical, and comedic traditions. Insightful, wise, and humorous, this book can and should be read by all, from novice to saint!"

— Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Loyola Marymount University

From the Publisher (Wiley): Want to get in touch with your spiritual side? Spirituality For Dummies 2nd Edition shows you how to use spiritual principles to understand and improve your life, empower you mind, and nourish your soul. Complete with a CD filled with calming, spiritual music, it is your personal guide to serenity and spiritual healing.

Spiritual philosopher Sharon Janis shows you how to discover the deeper calling of your soul, survive and thrive through adversity, and look at the world with optimism. You’ll learn how to use meditation, yoga, prayer, and journaling for inward reflection and to spark new vistas as you unfold your own spiritual wisdom and move forward on your spiritual journey in your own individual way. You’ll find similarities and differences among a variety basic spiritual concepts from different religious and philosophical traditions, and you’ll discover how to:

* Find your spiritual path
* Uplift your body, mind, and spirit
* Fulfill your greatest dreams
* Spiritualize your relationships
* Cultivate your spiritual virtues
* Increase your inner peace and happiness
* Turn troubles into triumphs
* Recognize yourself as a co-creator
* Be a VIP: a very inspired person

The companion CD that accompanies this gentle guide brings you more than 60 minutes of inspirational music from around the world. It features the author and other artists performing songs and chants from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions in their native languages.

The Spiritual Guide that Comes with It's Own Ego Test

CLICK HERE if you are offended by the title

spirituality

Humorous, edgy, profound, and enlightening, Spirituality For Dummies brings modern-day spiritual seekers a view and approach to life that is universal, personal, and optimistic, with the dependable style, clarity, and friendliness of the “For Dummies” series.

User-friendly descriptions of spiritual teachings, principles and practices are brought to life with with humorous anecdotes and insightful quotes from great thinkers, scriptures, and texts from many traditions. With a friendly and conversational tone, Spirituality For Dummies gives readers tools tofind and enter the spiritual dimensions of their lives in today's unique world circumstances.

Spirituality For Dummies guides readers to the awareness of their natural and inherent identity with spirit and the all-pervasiveness of divine spirit in everything. It does this with a realistic and common sense approach that is scientific in nature, without asking readers to subscribe to fluffy or black-and-white ideas.

Reviews for Spirituality For Dummies:

“You can be sure you will no longer be a dummy if you finish reading Spirituality for Dummies. This 330-page primer provides a general overview of spiritual knowledge and awareness, and offers specific spiritual exercises and principles designed to expand one's universal consciousness. Author Sharon Janis fuses mystical traditions with "new thought" to encourage individuals to see beyond mere appearances and use intuitive perceptions to comprehend the spiritual laws at work behind the outer conditions in their lives."
— Sacramento Bee

“Spirituality For Dummies is a Mecca for those who are sincerely seeking the genuine meaning and practice of spirituality. Sharon Janis fuses mystical insights drawn from the east/west approaches, resulting in a volume that opens the heart, exhilarates the mind, and inflames the soul. No matter upon which rung of the spiritual ladder you now stand, expect to be catapulted to the next level of awareness through practice of the wisdom-offerings in this scripture of Truth.”
— Michael Beckwith, Agape and "The Secret"

“If you feel empty inside (and not because it's been six hours since your last burrito), it might be time to search for the meaning of life in Spirituality for Dummies… Even skeptics can gain self-knowledge from the thought and visualization exercises strewn throughout the book, which demonstrate how to take a positive view of negative experiences and let go of emotional baggage—like going to a therapist, but cheaper. Janis explains meditation, yoga, and other practices in a chipper, down-to-earth style, using everyday analogies and many an exclamation point, that won't scare off the novice.”
— Village Voice

More Reviews

READ SAMPLE PAGES:

The Table of Contents

Chapter 1: "Finding Authentic Spirituality"

The eclectic and extensive index

What makes Spirituality For Dummies different from other contemporary spiritual books?

Breadth and depth of coverage – It is rare to find a contemporary spiritual book that covers the breadth and depth of topics covered in Spirituality For Dummies.

It's Universal and Personal– The author brings quotes and ideas from many spiritual, religious, psychological, ancient wisdom, scientific, and philosophical traditions together with personal insight and advice.

Friendly, knowledgeable guidance with no strings attached – The author’s goal in writing this book is to share beneficial ideas and worldviews that are accessible to people from all walks of life.

About the Author:

Sharon Janis was brought up by psychology-teacher parents and studied neuroscience and film at the University of Michigan, before spending ten years living a monastic ashram life – studying, chanting, and serving in deep spiritual immersion, while producing and editing hundreds of videos for the worldwide Siddha Yoga spiritual movement.

After a decade of monastic life, Sharon moved to Hollywood for a career as film editor, director, and producer of popular television shows and films – including many evening news and news-feature shows, Hard Copy, X-Men, and The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers – winning a Los Angeles Emmy, an Associated Press National Board of Directors award, and many other accolades. With her combination of monastic life and Hollywood creativity, Sharon offers a fresh view and style that motivates, entertains, educates, and enlightens with a down-to-earth intimacy, touches of music and singing, and a generous dose of humor.

Watch a video about Sharon and Spirituality For Dummies

Excerpts from Spirituality For Dummies at
"Dummies.com":

Cultivating Spiritual Virtues

Exploring the Meaning of Spirituality

10 Small Things You Can Do to Uplift Your Life
             (with photos)

Living Spiritually in a Conscious World

Practicing Spirituality for Personal Growth

Transcending Life's Problems through Spirituality

11 Commandments for Living a Spiritual Life

5 Divine Forms to Check Out

The 7 Stages of Universal Creation Based on Kashmir Shaivism

10 Spiritual-Sounding Lines and What They May Really Mean
              (humor with photos)

How to Connect with the Divine through Prayer

Singing to the Divine

What Is the World Made of?

How This World Is Like a Movie

Dream Interpretation and Spirituality

The Laws of Karma

Should You Make Lots of Good Karma?

How to Clean Up Your Karmas

The Law of Attraction

How to Untangle the Web of Desires

10 Opportunities to See Your Life with Spiritual Eyes
           (with photos)

How to Rise Above Illusions

The Power of Affirmations

Remember That the Universe Is Always Listening

How to Use Manifestation Techniques

How to Clarify Your Spiritual Intentions and Goals

What Is the Supreme Surrender?

The Importance of Divine Guidance

How to Depend on Spirit

What Enlightenment Is Like

Find more info and video and audio clips of the author at: Sharon Janis Speaking.

Every copy of Spirituality For Dummies comes with
A CD of inspiring devotional music!

The Spirituality For Dummies 2nd Edition music CD comes in the back of every book and gives a delicious taste of inspiring spiritual music, including Gregorian chanting, Christian songs, Buddhist texts, Jewish prayers, Hindu chants, Latin hymns, and gospel music, sung by artists including Erik Peterson, Cantor Kathy Robbins, The Eternal OM, the Desert Fathers, Kali Mandir, Premanand Trikannad, Swami Nirvanananda, and the author.

CLICK HERE to Play the
Spirituality For Dummies Music CD Tracks

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