Helpful Summary of Principles of Kashmir Shaivism
I was looking for other things and came across this helpful summary of the general principles of Kashmir Shaivism.
Changing the Paradigm to Find a New Way (and “Opening to Grace”)
A student and friend sent me a link to an article posted by the Center for Consumer Freedom alerting consumers that excessive levels of heavy metals have been found in the reusable bags being sold by some of the big… (READ MORE)
Should I Be In Alignment or Should I Relax Completely? (and Namah Shivayah)
For the first few years I was teaching, one season a year, I would have as my overall session theme the Anusara invocation (for the words written out, click on “invocation” in the menu bar above). In so doing, I… (READ MORE)
Mysterious Workings of Kali (Goddess of Sequencing)
The other morning, in the middle of meditation, the thought arose of how different my life would have been if my older sister and my birth orders (keeping our congenital make up the same) had been reversed. Imagine, too, if… (READ MORE)
“American Veda” (and some recollections)
I am reading Philip Goldberg’s American Veda–From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation; How Indian Spirituality Changed the West. It is another of the recently published works on the interplay and inter-influence of east and west. What distinguishes… (READ MORE)
Satgurus and Upagurus, Teachers and Teachings
In Paths to God, Ram Dass speaks of satgurus and upagurus. A satguru is the true teacher. The upaguru is anyone who teaches us something, which, when we are truly open to recognizing the good in all, is literally every… (READ MORE)
Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu (and the health care act)
In Hindu philosophy, the powers of creation (Brahma), sustaining or preserving (Vishnu), and destruction (Shiva) are all given equal weight in the balance of the universe. Without destruction, there is no place for new creation. Each aspect of this triad… (READ MORE)
What Does It Mean to Study War?
Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, “This way of settling differences is not just. …A nation that continues year after year to spend more money… (READ MORE)
Bare Bones of the Trees (and Pratyahara)
One of the things that I appreciate most about winter is being able to see the bare articulation of the shape of the tree in the absence of its leaves. A dormant tree looks very different from a leafless, lifeless… (READ MORE)
A Happy Coincidence (and the new Willow Street Yoga book club)
As regular readers may have noticed, last Sunday I was inspired to blog about Arjuna’s dilemma on the battlefield in connection with local events. Later that day, I was reminded that this coming Sunday, January 16th, will be the first… (READ MORE)