In his new book, Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga, Richard Rosen digs into these three source materials to presents an in-depth study of the practices and postures of traditional hatha yoga.

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William Broad’s new book, The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards, is a must-read for all yoga students, teachers, studio owners, and the interested public, not only because of the topics it touches upon but also the professional discussions it can foster. It dispels some myths about the physiological effects of postural yoga through a thoughtful analysis of the scientific literature.  In this sense, the book is a great addition to a yoga teacher’s education, seeing that most teachers learn about the benefits and risk s of yoga from either teacher trainings or popular books.  For instance, many assume that yogic breathing will increase oxygenation of the blood, a myth that has been debunked by rigorous studies in exercise physiology.  Also, many teachers claim that yoga can help increase the metabolism and therefore increase weight loss; much of the scientific literature shows that, in fact, yoga exercise tends to lower the metabolism.   Broad is not out to only debunk myths though; he reports on literature that supports yoga’s effect on elevating mood and fostering a peaceful disposition.

Perhaps the most controversial two chapters of the book discuss injuries sustained during yoga practice and the role yoga practice has in the modern healthcare field.  Broad builds his case against certain yoga postures and practices (specifically inversions and more vigorous yoga systems) through a mixture of out-dated case studies, conjectures, and fear-mongering.  The case studies, dating from the 1970s, describe yoga practitioners who have sustained strokes, pneumothorax and nerve impingement as a result of their practice.  As any scientist knows, case studies are the least reliable form of data on which to build theories of treatment and evaluation.  Broad then begins to examine statistics of emergency room visits related to yoga injuries and extrapolates to what the “true” number of yoga injuries are per year.  Finally, he indulges in a bit of fear-mongering when he mentions a yogi who started showing signs of quadriplegia after performing headstand as part of his daily practice for 30 years.  The way in which Broad builds his story, one is left thinking that postural yoga is as dangerous to a person’s health as full-contact football or hockey.

When detailing the role of yoga postures in healthcare, Broad continues to build the case against how yoga is taught in America.  He relates the practice of a medical doctor whose interest in Iyengar yoga predated his medical education.  He praises this doctor for have all of the necessary tools at hand in order to examine, evaluate, diagnose and treat a patient’s chief complaint.  This is how yoga should be taught, one can almost hear Broad saying.  Broad then paints an unwholesome picture of the field of yoga therapy by making an attack against Larry Payne, the founder of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT).   Broad accuses the yoga community of creating the profession of yoga therapist, marketing it as a worthy alternative to traditional medicine, and then deceiving the public for the sake of economic self-interest.  He argues indirectly for the accreditation of yoga schools and the licensing of yoga teachers as being necessary steps in the evolution of yoga if it is to continue to be a force of healing and not one of harm.

Despite its easy-readability and its broad scope, The Science of Yoga ends up painting a negative picture of yoga as a public institution.  Although the aim of the book is “to cast light on yoga’s hidden workings as well as the disconcerting reality of false claims and dangerous omissions,” the book builds towards the feeling that the yoga community is a land of no rules and no regulations, a land where teachers teach according to economic self-interest rather than out of selfless service.  It seems that Broad has read a lot of scientific literature but not much about the yoga community’s efforts to improve professional standards and to ensure consumer safety (witness organizations such as Iyengar yoga and IAYT). The epilogue sheds light on what is really at hand:  Broad has an agenda.  He wants to persuade the general public and the government that yoga should transform itself from an educational method to a form of global healthcare.  In other words, Broad would like to see that all yoga instruction becomes standardized, institutionalized, medicalized, and federally regulated.  What Broad fails to see is that most students come to yoga because the traditional medical model and the healthcare field have not been effective in providing relief from pain, discomfort and depression.  It seems that science has a lot to learn from yoga regarding respect for the individual and a compassionate desire to relieve others’ pain and suffering in a holistic manner.

Please help save the dogs of Bali!

The shocking state of dogs in Bali must change.

"May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all."

 Bali is known as the "Island of the Gods," but certainly not for its poor canine population. As two Bali-based filmmakers, Lawrence Blair and Dean Allan Tolhurst describe it, Bali is more like the "Island of the Demons" when it comes to its dog population. And though no one knows for sure the exact number of diseased and starving semi-feral dogs currently living on the island, estimates have been anywhere from six hundred thousand to as high as one million according to the Bali Street Dog Fund organization!

In contrast to its beautiful rice fields, incredible volcanoes and sandy shores, the sight of starving and suffering dogs roaming the streets of Bali, villages, markets, restaurants, and beaches is heart breaking and truly shocking for dog loving Westerners.

Though Bali's official religion is Hindu, its unique worship of "animism"(the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle) makes it very different to Indian Hinduism. The Balinese worship Sanghyang Widi (the one invisible god) as well as all of the dewa (ancestral gods). They worship gods of the earth, fire, water and mountains, Hanuman the monkey deity and the sacred cow, but unfortunately they do not revere dogs.

Ceremonies are held daily across the island to appease the gods and pacify the demons. The Barong ritual drama focuses on the ongoing battle between good and evil; the evil Rangda versus the good Barong. The Barong protects villages from plague and malicious magic, whereas usually Rangda menaces them with both. Offerings and incense are placed both high (in the temples for dharma-good) and low (on the streets and roads for adharma-evil) forces. Unfortunately the Balinese believe that canines are a manifestation of evil spirits and the dark side. These beliefs mean that dogs are at the bottom of the social strata, as most of them scavenge the streets in semi-feral packs and most in a near death state. Not only are they both neglected and ill-treated, they are also ritually eaten and sacrificed!

In 2007 when the Balinese government prepared to "clean up" the island's image for the UN Conference for Climate Change, hundreds of thousands of already suffering innocent animals were cruely poisoned and left to die a slow and painful death. The massive neglect and abuse of the canine population resulted in a widespread rabies epidemic in 2008. Rabies is still a very real threat to both the animals and the Balinese people. In addition to being plagued with parasitic and infectious diseases, many dogs are victims (maimed or killed) to roadside traffic accidents and simply left to die. 

Tourists visiting Bali can no longer turn a blind eye to this open wound. With help, the "Island of the Gods"  can do something to improve the lives of these animals.  The World Health Organization for Animal Health has made it clear that the massive slaughter of canines is not an effective method to preventing and/or containing rabies. A massive and on-going dog-vaccination program in conjuction with spaying and neutering are the only means to improving this very grim situation.

Organizations like the Bali Street Dog Fund (www.balistreetdogs.org), B.A.R.C the Bali (dog) Adoption & Rehabilitation Centre (www.freewebs.com/balidogs), BAWA The not-for-profit Bali Animal Wellfare Association (www.bawabali.com), and Yudisthira Bali Street Dog Foundation (www.balistretdogs.com) are working to eradicate rabies in Bali, alleviate animal suffering and educate the local population in animal wellfare.

But these welfare associations need all the help they can get. As the Bali & Lombok Lonely Planet guide book says: "How can such a seemingly gentle island have Asia's worst dog population?

Going beyond the compassion and animal rights issues is the fact that Bali’s dogs are the richest pool of genetic diversity of all dogs in the world. The two types of Balinese dogs, the Balinese street dog and the Highland Kintamani, have been living on the island, virtually unaltered, for at least five thousand years. According to anthropologist Lawrence Blair: "Whereas our ‘breed’ dogs are only a couple of centuries old. Genetic research reveals that their ancestry (Balinese dog) can be traced back some 15.000 years to before the last Ice Age." Dr. Pederson from the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at U.C Davis, California notes that: "The true pure breeds are these indigenous Bali-dogs. Their lineage goes all the way back to the first proto-dog that evolved from the wolves. Their genes are highly valuable for further research as they are a window on the ancestral dog." (Quotes courtesy of Yvette Benningshof's recent article August 23rd, 2011)

As tourists visiting Bali, we must do our part to help make a difference for these animals. By supporting the Balinese animal wellfare organizations, we can feel good knowing that change is taking place. So many of us think of Bali as an exotic destination and a yogi's paradise. However Ubud, the island's "yogaville", has one of the worst dog populations. The question then is how can we as yoga practioners get on the mat (with our sarong pants and Om t-shirts) and ignore the blatent suffering all around us? Perhaps if such highly popularized books such as Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" dedicated more than just a few lines to describe the reality of the dog situation, animal lovers worldwide would know the truth and the severity of the situation. The Balinese government also needs to know that change must take place and that the situation must improve (in a humane and compassionate way and not by mass genocide). Tourism is at the heart of the Balinese economy, and foreigners planning to visit and dedicated to this cause need to voice their concerns and help the animal non-profit organizations by making a financial contribution (perhaps buying a few less souvenirs and making a real, and mutually beneficial lasting change). This change will not only improve the lives of all of Bali's animals (with the risk of rabies spreading to many other species of island wildlife), but also for the people of Bali.

One thing is for sure, the dogs of Bali definitely need to eat, need our prayers and definitely need lots and lots of love!

The Buddha B Yoga Center is dedicated to making a long term committment in bringing about change for these dogs. We will be contributing monthly to the various Bali animal organizations and will keep our students up-to-date on Bali's animal news.

We look forward to your support and to your feedback . Also please let us know if you would like to make a donation or get involved. We thank you, and the dogs of Bali thank you.

Namaste.

Valerie Grange & Rexx Samuell

"For Animals.
Animals on factory farms are treated like meat, milk, and egg machines. Chickens have their beaks seared off with a hot blade, and male cows and pigs are castrated without painkillers. All farmed chickens, turkeys, and pigs spend their brief lives in dark and crowded warehouses, many of them so cramped that they can't even turn around or spread a single wing. They are mired in their own waste, and the stench of ammonia fills the air. Animals raised for food are bred and drugged to grow as large as possible as quickly as possible—many are so heavy that they become crippled under their own weight and die within inches of their water supply.

Animals on factory farms do not see the sun or get a breath of fresh air until they are prodded and crammed onto trucks for a nightmarish ride to the slaughterhouse, often through weather extremes and always without food or water. Many die during transport, and others are too sick or weak to walk off the truck after they reach the slaughterhouse. The animals who survive this hellish ordeal are hung upside-down and their throats are slit, often while they're completely conscious. Many are still alive while they are skinned, hacked into pieces, or scalded in the defeathering tanks. By switching to a vegetarian diet, you can save more than 100 animals a year from this misery."

 http://www.pranichealingfl.com/vegetarianism.htm

Remember you Are what you eat. Suffering, pain, fear is something we can all do without. Be compassionate. Change begins with us.

Om Shanti, shanti, shanti. Peace. Peace. Peace.

Valerie Grange & Rexx Samuell, co-directors of the Budddha B Yoga Center

For many of us, the word "meditation" evokes the image of a person sitting on a cushion, quietly and silently focusing on the inner world.  Perhaps we even think of specific people sitting in meditation - the Buddha, Indian yogis, and great spiritual masters.  This view is justified; dhyana (the Sanskrit term for meditation) has been practiced in a seated position because the seated position stills the body, draws the mental focus away from the external world and into the inner world, and promotes a sensitive and receptive frame of mind.  In fact, yoga asana practice is traditionally practiced for the express purpose of conditioning the body for long periods of stillness and immobility.  In other words, the yogis did postures in order to make sure they could sit comfortably, steadily and happily, without a thought about an aching back or tight hips.

However, meditation can be practiced during movement as well, as has been the case in tai chi, a traditional Chinese inner martial art.  Tai chi (which can be translated as "supreme boundless fist," indicating its martial origins) is a breath-centered movement discipline which synchronizes specific movements to the breathing patterns.   Millions of people practice tai chi daily in order to improve their health and balance, to cultivate grace, harmony and smoothness of movement, and (in the martial arts academies) to cultivate sensitivity and awareness to the subtle flow of chi (energy).   Thus, through focused attention to the quality of the movement and the breath simulatenously in the tai chi session, the practitioner develops a greater awareness of the unity between body and mind.

Interestingly enough, yoga and tai chi share common historical roots.  Yoga is believed to have some roots in ancient Indian wrestling and in kalari pattyu (traditional Indian martial arts).  Also, many ancient Indian epics have yogis who are or were great warriors and kings.  Further, it is believed that Bodhidharma, an Indian Buddhist monk in the 5th entury, transmitted the techniques of martial arts and dhyana (meditation) to China, which laid the foundations for Shaolin kung fu and its sister schools.  Techniques which he presumably learned as a young prince of a South Indian kingdom.

So, approach your yoga practice as you would a tai chi session: focus on your breathing and on the quality of your movement.  Rest the thinking mind and settle into a meditative state.  Move from the center of your body and the center of your being.  Cultivate a feeling of grace and flow within the vinyasa practice, riding the breathing from one pose to the next.

Namaste,

Rexx Samuell and Valerie Grange

Hello to all of you signed up for the 7 Day Detox with raw foods expert Kelly Bradley and a big congratulations in advance! Your intention to be more conscious about what, how and when you put foods into your body is a mindful practice in and of itself. Helpful tips again are: Remember to keep a "daily ritual" checklist , prepare ahead of time (shopping for ingredients, planning juices/smoothies/salads and soups for the week tonight), don't try and use all of your new raw foods and organic ingredients at once (experiment, try new flavors each and every day), don't beat yourself up if you didn't have a "perfect" day (do your best and just get back on track), incorporate a gentle yoga practice throughout your detox program (get in touch with your body from the inside out). Remember this is not a starvation diet. Natural, unprocessed, and raw vegan foods are loaded with incredible flavors (both savory and sweet). This detox journey is a shift in perception and a gentle reminder of all of the amazing ways mother earth provides everything we need to live better, fuller and more peaceful lives.

Om Shanti.

Peace and Namaste

Ps: Let us know how you are doing, post your blog.

Valerie Grange & Rexx Samuell, co-directors of The Buddha B Yoga Center

Please check out our Community and Seva page.  Our "Charity of the Month" is to support Isabella Nitschke, an ashtanga yoga teacher working with Project Air.  Project Air is a non-profit organization which offers counseling and healing services to Rwandan women and children who have been victims of sexual and other forms of violence.  Isabella will be spending the summer and spring this year teaching yoga to survivors of the Rwanda genocide.  She is raising funds for her travel and accommodations in Rwanda since Project Air does not cover these expenses.  You can read more about her work at http://www.intuition-ltd.co.uk/rwanda.php, and you can donate to her directly through her website.

Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu

May all beings be happy and full of bliss.

Namaste
Valerie and Rexx

We are very happy to launch the Buddha B Yoga Blog. This is a place where thoughts on yoga, meditation, life and more can be shared between students and teachers alike.  Also, look for a Focus of the Month, notes on the Book Club, and on other topics such as recipes, workshops, and feedback.  We look forward to your thoughts!

-Valerie and Rexx