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 Yoga and CommunityModerators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
| Yoga -> Philosophy and Religion | Message format |
Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479    Location: A Blue State | |||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098  Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Bay Guy - 2005-05-26 10:53 PM Perhaps what I am really asking is whether we need "church" for yogis? But "church" sounds like ritual and dogma, rather than a flow of ideas and help in applying yoga on a day to day basis. Perhaps a graduate-level education in yoga? It seems that we have to follow the path mainly on our own... Well, BG, I think Yoga is a personal experience and the idea of having to be a part of any organization or gathering where Yoga is concerned makes me cringe, want to crawl in a little hole and die! Its bad enough that we live in a world with dictatorship on so many subtle levels...but to have my yoga practice invaded is like a sin. I'd rather be alone any day - every day, all my life than have to deal with a church like setting. IMHO, true liberation is being able to sit with yourself and be still for many hours, days, years...without being dependent on the world - except for your basic needs for survival such as food, water and shelter. Personally I always have this dream of living in a natural world, a big earth and the only humans allowed are of like-mind totally, lots of animals and birds, the space to breathe and Time does not exist - another words, no clocks allowed only the Gong Players to remind us of the important things  | ||
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| Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479 Location: A Blue State | Cyndi - 2005-05-27 9:56 AM Well, BG, I think Yoga is a personal experience and the idea of having to be a part of any organization or gathering where Yoga is concerned makes me cringe, want to crawl in a little hole and die! Its bad enough that we live in a world with dictatorship on so many subtle levels...but to have my yoga practice invaded is like a sin. I tend you agree with you about my practice of asana, pranayamana, pratyahara, and so on, but I'm also thinking about the social structure within which we live. I don't want to be like some monk sitting on Skellig Michael so that nobody will bother my personal practice. I want to live my life out in the world and to be in a community of folks who share my beliefs and goals. I want to find a community of people who talk about yoga theory and philosophy. That's kind of hard to find on an ongoing basis! | ||
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| jeansyoga |
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| easternsun |
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Bay Guy - 2005-05-27 10:45 AM I don't want to be like some monk sitting on Skellig Michael so that nobody will bother my personal practice. I want to live my life out in the world and to be in a community of folks who share my beliefs and goals. I want to find a community of people who talk about yoga theory and philosophy. That's kind of hard to find on an ongoing basis! BG, I understand you, really I do. When I first started this path I was so lonely and wanted to share my life with others. I actually expected it to happen. I even had all these plans about starting my own community and retreat centers for others to come to. Well, it never did happen like that. My experience and belief is that our world was not meant to be that way - perfect, with like-minded souls and such. Yes, I know there are retreat centers that advertise the perfect world of yoga and such, but that is not reality because you eventually have to go home and deal with your world and THE world. I believe that the challenge is what is necessary in order for us to become enlightened. Another words we are not suppose to get comfortable - with anything! Sure, it would be nice to have a gathering, but always remember when two or more are gathered it always becomes an organization of some kind and like the world needs another group, another community. I say, why not deal with our present groups, present family situations and be an example to them, that way the community will *naturally* form itself without forcing it upon anyone or forcing an organization. This was the conclusion I came to and it really works. You would be so surprised at how many people you can influence on a daily basis...just by being present and aware. Good luck finding that community. Oh yea, when you get older and decide to withdraw and renounce the world...you may want to reconsider being a monk on a mountain top, meanwhile, it is perfectly okay to live your life in the world...of course, that is our job for now and how it is traditionally done in Hindu culture  | ||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442  | |||
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| elson |
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| Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479 Location: A Blue State | |||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | Unfortunately, that bit of pop psychology is just an ancient selfishness in a new dress, and somehow the loving yourself never gets full enough to overflow into service to others... But I digress... elson - I hate to sound like a cynic, but the Christian system of "loving thy neighbour as thyself" rarely seems to fall too far from the tree, either.  I think the problem lies at least partially in the enormity of the human ego and a complete and almost purposeful ignorance of the meaning of the word "love" in all belief systems. Yogis become self-absorbed and Christians love their neighbour just as long as the neighbour attends the same church. It is a universal problem! | ||
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| Cyndi |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 5098 Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | I think in order to have any kind of community you need to have leadership and guidance from an authentic source...which is so rare and almost impossible these days. If you don't, it gets very boring and then the fights break out over arguments and then it breaks up, yadda yadda. I remember this church we went to as a child. A Baptist one. The church was huge with thousands of members. My Daddy was a Deacon Anyway, these people invested thousands of dollars into this beautiful gigantic place of a church, with a Christian school (which I attended until 7th grade) and was nationally known back in the 70's. It was a great concept, the church members were very close and I had some great childhood memories and friends. Well, this went on for several years until they had a disagreement. The preacher was accused of having an affair, spending the money, etc. everything that could go wrong did. Then half the members left and went and formed their own church. It was very confusing as a innocent child to see this happening among adults. Needless to say, both churches ended up splitting up and everyone went their separate ways. To this day I will always remember the sense of community that did take place there and all the wonderful things I learned...the reality is that nothing is perfect and humans need to find a way to respect each other's differences and at the same time practice what they preach...this includes yoga communities as well. I've seen so many different Yoga, Buddhist communities that go through all these things and I laugh at the ones who talk this talk in the temple/center, then go out into the world and live a lie. This should be under the thread from yesterday that disappeared...Practicing our Yoga...this includes getting along with our communties - whether it be Yoga or basically involved in whatever we are doing (i.e. animals too)...yoga related or not. | ||
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| Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479 Location: A Blue State | |||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | Hee hee! I have been meaning to do this for ages and finally decided today was the day. Unfortunately I ended up doing it all by myself so hopping in and out of the tub, trying to not drip water on the camera, getting in position before the timer went off etc. was a bit of a Keystone Kops routine!  There are a couple of good variations on the theme that I might use some day and a couple of "outtakes", including one where I am not in the picture at all. Note the classy beer sleeve instead of a nasty ole can like Bruce has in his photo... | ||
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| Bay Guy |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 2479 Location: A Blue State | Maybe I can pose Sri Ganesha in a hot tub for my new avatar...  | ||
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| CGG |
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| elson |
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | Ah elson, you are a believer in what another moderator I know calls "thread hygiene." I think it is fun to let a topic wander all over - until I am the one trying to find the conversation again and keep going on wild goose chases! I think what my point was is that no belief system on earth as we know it has yet got it "right" as far as living up to their ideals. So either the belief systems are designed wrong for the human race or humans just don't have what it takes to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. As far as community goes, it really does just take someone to get it going. John and Susan go for coffee every week after class, someone else asks if they can join them, they discuss yoga, form a sutra discussion group or ask for a workshop on sore knees and it goes from there. I would add that this would work MUCH more easily in a studio that does regular weekly classes as opposed to drop-ins. When people congregate on a regular basis, it automatically forms a small bond that is more easily built upon. | ||
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| Gruvemom |
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