Yoga!!!

I took the yoga class before I read the article and I found it very interesting and true to what the article was saying about how we think we are really practicing yoga because we go to yoga class a few times in the week. In all actuality, there is so much more to yoga then going to a yoga class and stretching. The article even mention that stretching is actual the third step in practicing yoga. The first two steps are practicing five restraints and five observances, which is suppose to help you to become a better person. The third step, which is stretching, is important health wise because it can give you more energy and just help increase your health in general. One point that the journalist mention was that yoga is a union. Just like marriage is a union, you do not just practice being married a few hours out of the week. So when people want to practice yoga then they should know that it is just more than stretching. The journalist mention at the end that they really just want the reader of the article to understand and know the real and True Yoga.

                                                                                                                        

My experience with yoga was not a very relaxing experience. When I went to the yoga class it was strictly stretching which is very cool but the stretching become very uncomfortable. We stayed in the downward dog pose for a total of thirty minutes it felt like. We would do another pose then after we were done with that pose he would have us going back into downward dog. That pose had my wrist hurting and my head hurting. I did appreciate the instructor coming over and fixing my mat so that it can help relieve some pressure but I would have just preferred not doing that pose at all. I think I was so consumed in how much pain I was in that I really did not get to enjoy a relaxing experience of yoga.

Shinto Blog

I decided that I was going to watch “The Peach Orchard.” I chose this video because I thought it had the best title out of all the other options. I thought that the video was very colorful and would probably be a very good movie to watch if I had time to watch the whole thing. What I like also about this movie clip was the beautiful music that was being played when then peach orchard started to bloom. After watching the video I still cannot figure out why he was asking repeatedly about one of the six little girls that apparently went missing. I am guessing that it was some magical or spiritual “whatever” that was suppose to lead him to outside.

How does this movie clip related to what I learn in class and from reading the Shinto slides is a very hard question to answer. I am going to be honest and say maybe the concept and how it relates flow over my head because I do not understand how it relates at all.

While reading the slides it did mention that they are very big on festivals. The people on the hill told the little boy that they will not return back to his house because his family cut down the peach orchard trees. The trees are used to celebrate the arrival on “Doll Day.” The trees are used for personification; the people on the hill talking to the little boy represent the spirit of the trees and the life of the blossom. What happen after the people told the little boy about not coming back I think is the cutest thing ever. He starts to cry and they ask him, “Why are you crying because you like peaches?” Then the little boy replied, “No, because peaches can be bought but what you cannot buy is a whole orchard in bloom.” After the little boy said that, they all decided that he deserves to see the peach orchard trees bloom once more and so they started perform their music and the trees reappeared. I thought that piece was the best part in the whole movie clip.

THE TAO OF POOH by Benjamin Hoff

I thought the book was very cute and I was able to learn a lot from reading it. I love Winnie the Pooh so it made it that much enjoyable to read because they used the characters in the book. Some of the other books this semester has been very dry and I would lose focus will reading them but not with this book. What I found to be very interesting in the book was the chapter called Cottleston Pie. On page 39, it said “a fly cant bird, but a bird can fly” which they said meant that “Things Are as They Are.” You cannot change things so stop trying to make something that does not work at all, work.  Everything in this world has its own purpose. Another thing I found very interesting is when the said that “when you know and respect your own Inner Nature, you will know where you belong and where you DON’T belong. That touch very close to home for me because I been dealing with an issue this past week and it help me to realize that I can not change what happen nor can I make something work if it is not meant to be.  

The bisy backsons chapter was a very insightful chapter. I feel that in America we are always constantly doing something, out and about trying to reach every goal possible just to reach the “American Dream.” Hip hop mogul Diddy always proclaims that, “I’ll sleep when I die.” Yea that is nice in all but we just need to learn to relax and appreciate life now because once it is gone, it is gone forever.  I have a bad case of the bisy backsons as well. I am constantly on the go because of school and work that sometimes I do not have time to eat, barely get any sleep or I will go for weeks without seeing my friends. I am always looking at my watch and stressing about how much time I will have to complete everything I need to get done for that day. I decided after reading this chapter that I am going to try to practice just relaxing and stop stressing TIME!

I think that Taoism can be a solution to the problem that a lot of Americans have which is being so “BUSY.” In order for us to fix the problem we need to FIND time or at least MAKE time to relax and enjoy life. My plan is to start giving myself at least two hours a day of doing something that I enjoy so I can think and clear my mind and just relax

Buddhist Stereotypes

From the movie Discovering Buddhism

Venerable Thubten Dhondrub is a ordain monk from Australia who gives us some insight and thoughts about the mind and its potential. In this video he mentions that the source of suffering comes from within our mind. Yes there are many factors that can contribute to the suffering, but the mind is the main factor when we deal with suffering and happiness. In order to reach happiness, he mentions that we need to change or mind (thought process) so that we can eliminate the negative. The change should not just be a little change because only a little bit of suffering will be eliminated. Later on in the clip he asked a question is it possible to get rid of these disturbing thoughts? They do not go away completely he advised by the will eventually decline in their existence.

I love the demonstration that he presented at the end as well. He was shaking the cup of water to show how the water was being aggregated because of a factor, Dhondrub moving the water back and forth. When he set the cup down the water was able to settle, which shows that once we eliminate the factor that is aggravating us, the suffering, then we can be calm and happy.

This clip from the movie, Discovering Buddhism, related to the book Zen wrapped in karma dipped in chocolate, by Brad Warner, in a couple of ways. Warner mention that there are a lot of people in this world scamming and telling people that they can reach the state of enlightenment in just a few days which is absolute false. One of the scams he mention was, “according to one of these people, his trademarked technique will give you an authentic kensho or satoru experience in which you realize your True Nature just like Buddha did under the Bodhi Tree in a single half day session” (p.27). Enlightenment is not an overnight type of event, reaching enlightenment takes time. This passage related to my clip that I chose because in order to reach enlightenment your mind needs to be clear of all things negative. And just like enlightenment it takes time to learn to clear your mind from suffering and negative thoughts.

Buddhist Stereotypes

soul curry magazine

WORLDLY SUCCESS AND LIBERATION

When comparing worldly success (aim two) and liberation (aim four), I would have to say that worldly success is definitely more prevalent. In our society today money and fame is very glorified. Everyone is trying to make it “big” and be that super star. My first song I chose was 90210 by Wale. The opening of the song is very powerful and in my opinion it is demonstrate how some people long for this worldly success and how far they are willing to go. It states,  “And she throws up whatever she eats,  She leave the bathroom with a nose bleed, Regular girl, Celebrity dreams ,She is...90210 She live her whole life like TV And she would do anything for everything, Regular girl, Celebrity dreams, She is...90210.” Liberation songs are not as popular as singing about getting money, cars, clothes, and the fame but they can have the same powerful effect.  One song that I chosen that I feel is very uplifting and liberating was a song by Christina Aguilera called fighter. The song is talking finding strength after being in a relationship that was not positive. My favorite part in the song is when she states, “Cause if it wasn't for all, That you tried to do, I wouldn't know just how capable I am to pull through, So I wanna say thank you.” That to me is a great example of liberation.

While doing this assignment I was not surprised by much of anything. I think that our culture way of thinking is kind of jacked up. Instead of singing about money, cars, clothes, and getting pleasure, like I discussed in my last blog about pleasure (aim one), I think our culture needs to start singing songs that uplift people, our community, and this world. People always hollering that we need change and that children now and days are getting out of hand, well look at the people who is influencing them. We are sitting here allowing this to be glorified instead of positive things that can help our community and make a difference. I think that is the difference between our culture and Hinduism understanding of the four aims.