One of the basic tenets of major religions is how we treat ourselves and others. I am reminded of how Muhammad Ali refused serve in the Vietnam war due to religious principle of not taking lives,"Whoever Saves a Life Saves the World"
a shared concept between both Jewish and Muslim traditions.One of the great continuing debates of our lives is when does life start and when it should be protected. Most of the people I know are pro-choice, which does not mean pro-abortion as some seem to think. On the other side is the belief that life starts at conception and possibly when a heartbeat is detected. My personal belief physical life should be determined by Mother (first), Father and doctor to decide what is best.
A Yogic View of Life... In Hindu tradition the soul continues through successive lives determined by how we live our lives. In fact everything is energy and my personal belief is that the energy continues, how I don't know but every time a young child goes to a piano that they've never seen before and plays like a master I consider that evidence that the soul of a master is with them. Some just say "God given" but who is to say that is or is not determined by a higher power who gets those souls.
Another thing I've wondered about is..Can You Disrespect Life and Still be Religious?.. This is a question that I welcome feedback either here or directly to me via my website: https://www.ashtangabyallen.com/ . If we are taught that life is a gift from God, can we still be religious by disrespecting life by killing (even in war) or not taking care of our own bodies? That would make things we know can kill us like smoking, drug abuse and obesity wrong if we consider ourselves to be religious.
Why We Practice Yoga... The physical practice of yoga is about honoring our bodies, keeping is both physically and mentally healthy. All of the asanas/poses have purpose(s) for healing and supporting the physical and internal functions of our bodies, our pranayama/breath regulates body functions, our bandhas/internal energy locks open up energy channels, and our drishtis keep us internally focused.
By Allen Barkus. Allen has been practicing Ashtanga yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2004. His initial teacher training was with David Swenson and has been the student of Manju Jois since 2004. Manju, along with his father, introduced Ashtanga/Vinyasa yoga to America in 1975. His studies focus on Healing Therapy. He is available in Philadelphia for private lessons and clinics and travels around the world teaching clinics. www.AshtangabyAllen.com
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