Final Blog

I have really enjoyed this class, and am so sad that it is ending. I have learned so much about meditation techniques, eastern ideas, and yoga as a whole. As I continue the school year, and life, I will definitely be intigrating regular meditation practices into my daily rutine as well as a yoga schedule. For me the benifits of meditation were amazing and truly were able to help me feel more balanced and in control of my thoughts. It was really fun to try out different techniques and find the ones that worked best for me and ones that were more difficult for me to do.

The lessons that we have learned about western philosophies and concepts I am able to transfer into my everyday life. As volleyball captain it is important to keep a Positive attitude even when things done seem to be going as desired. When playing a tough game, or maybe the referees aren't being as partial as we would like, breathing is an important part in staying calm and in control.

This was an amazing class and I wish it wasn't ending :(

Final Project

For my final project I am working on a A-Z Yoga book with Hannah Searle. We are assigning either a yoga position, yoga vocab, Hindu Text, or any other topic we have studies this year to a letter of the alphabet and writing a brief definition of the subject. We will be adding photos of what that topic means to us to the page along with decoration, and quotes from different texts, or people.

This project represents the wide variety of topic that we have studied in the class and what they mean to us. We want to show that we truley did learn something by touching on each aspect and its place in the teachings of Yoga and the religions of the East.

On Talking

This section makes some good points about talking. Personally I think that one shouldn't talk unless they have something important, and well articulated to say. This section tells us that silence is important becuase that is how one comes to understand themselves. It tells us that words can disgrace the thought that was trying to be expresses by saying that a "thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly." To me this is saying that words cannot always best express an idea.

On Friendship

This section talks about one of the most important things to me, friendship. It tells us that "your friend is your needs answered." It explains that freinds are someone to share yourself with. A freind is someone that you share everything with, in all honesty. We are not to grieve when a freind leaves us because we still remember the qualities we loved about them. We do not use freinds, we do not befriend them for alterior motives. We have freinds for the "deepening of the spirit."

My favorite line in this section is the last2 sentences of the first page:

"And let your best be for your freind.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also"

On Reason and Passion

This, I think, is one of my favorite sections. It tells us that reason and passion are nothing without the other, that they are connected. It tells us that we are to use reason in out thinking, but execute our actions with passion. Passion without reason is just chaos, and often ends with more sorrow and discontent. Reason without passion doesn't allow anyone else to really feel what you belive and how important your ideas are to you. The perfection is using reason to evaluate what is important and then passionately action on those thoughts and ideas.

On Crime and Punnishment

At first I didn't think I was really going to like this section but after readind it a second time I discovered that I did like the message it was sharing. It talks about how it is not solely the fault of the one who commits the crime, but that we are all guilty when a wrong in done. We are all connected and in turn are guilty as a community for the act of an individual. My favorite line of this sections is:

"And as a single leaf turns not yellow but with the silent

knowledge of the whole tree,

So the wrong-doer cannot do wrong without the hidden will

of you all."

I like how it is kind of "calling out" society and saying that you cannot be free from the wrong committed in the world.

Active Yoga (Thursday)

I really enjoyed the active yoga last week. I was struggling with the meditation recently and really needed to so some active work. My body felt really good afterward, my hip was a little sore, but in a good way. I had dance that night and could tell that my body was feeling really good. Mentally I always feel better after doing something active. Doing active yoga I find to be much more rewarding than just meditation.

On Joy and Sorrow

This was a really beautiful passage.

When it comes to joy and sorrow you cannot have one without the other. Without sorrow you can't appreciate all that brings you jow, and with joy you will never understand that the absense of it is the root of sorrow.

One cannot be created without the other. The things that bring us joy have been made my means of others' sorrow. We have to see beyond our own emotions to think of how those emotions came to be.

As with all things in life there are ups and downs. Sorrow and Joy are the ups and downs that make life worth living. Without the extremes life would be boring and not worth living in the empty inbetween.

Bucket List

1. Get in a fist fight

2. Build a car...then race it

3. Drive across the country

4. Fly on a trapeze

5. Go back to where I was born

6. Live in a different place

7. Deliver a baby

8. Have tea with a stranger

9. Dance "Cell Block Tango"

On Children

This section kinda confused me at the beginning but I did like some of what it had to say. I liked how it said that we should not try to make our children into ourselves, or impress our own thoughts on them because they are their own people who belong to the world. It explains that parents are just vesseles to bring children into the world and guide them through life but not to mold them.

On Marriage

I really enjoyed this section a lot. I think that the wise words written in this section should apply to all relationships and not just married people. It advises us to give part of ourselves to others, but not out whole selves. It makes clear that we need to be able to sand strong on our own within a relationship and not lose ourselves in another person. I like how it says that we need to stand appart because pillers that hold up a buliding stand apart. This is really cool to me because a relationship is a foundation for a life and both need to be able to stand stong alone and help each other support the whole. I also like how it says that one tree should not stand in the shadow of the other. Relationships should be equal, each should be able to shine in their own right.

On Love

This chapter is about love and the good and bad that comes along with it. It reflects that while love can be harsh, and leave you wounded that is not a reason to close yourself off from love. This lesson is a true example of not being able to have to the good without the bad. It also explains that without love, and allowing ourselves to be in love, that we can never live our lives to the fullest. That is maybe my favorite part. Part of the excitement of being in love is the ups and downs. I would like to re-read this section when I am in love and see how it relates to me then. I hope that I can take the advice of the prophet and not be deterred by the negative aspects of love and enjoy all the beautiful things that it has to offer.

Prompt #17

What do you think is the most important section from Chapter 3 of the Gita? Before we discuss it as a class, please blog about what you think is the most crucial quatrain and why. (Type out the quatrain, then explain).

Chapter 3 talks mostly about doing your duties, what wisdom is, and the importance of action and prayer. These messages were repeated over and over again with examples of the consequences if you do not do these things and the benefits (enlightenment) if you do actively do them. These were the main ideas and each sections touched on them.

My favorite part of chapter 3 was when it said:

"Men say that the senses are strong.

But the mind is stronger than the senses;

the understanding is stronger

than the mind; and strongest is the Self."

It kinda sums up the who section. saying that you need to use your mind to overcome the attachment to sense objects. And that you need to then Understand to move beyond your mind. And above all your Self is your strongest quality. I like how it talks about overcome yourself to be the strongest Self.

Prompt #16

Select your favorite passage from Chapter 2 in The Bhagavad Gita. Retype it on your blog; then, explain it in your own words. Write a paragraph or two about why it speaks to you and how it could be relevant to your own life.

You have the right to your actions.

but never to your actions' fruits.

Act for the actions' sake.

And do not be attached to inaction.

[2.47]

I really like this passage because I personally like to live by this. Our actions are ours, but we should be doing them for the sake of doing them, and not for the potential benefit we may get from them. We should be doing what we want for the sake of doing it. We should works hard because we want to be ahrd workers and not because we want the paycheck or the promotions. The benefits of our actions our not ours by right, but that's how it ends up sometimes. I am someone who lives by putting in my best effort and not worrying about how things will end up, as long as I tried my best the outcome is irrelevent. We should be doing the things that we love and not what is just expected from us. Something to remember, though, is that our actions are inportant, they are expressions of who we are. We should always be taking action and doing something. If we become inactive we no longer persue our passions.

Prompt #15

My bamboo tree has sprouted and is constantly changing. Hopefully a constant in my bamboo tree is a positive outlook on everything. My tree has lots of branches reaching out in every direction, growing tall. I want my self to be strong and sturdy. There will be twist and turns but all on the way upward to my greatest potential. To make sure I end up where I want to be, I have to work and having a positive outlook. Positivity is really important and means that I am making a choice to better myself. Hopefully, like bamboo, I will be able to make lots of progress each day. I want to be a nurse so I hope that I can constantly grow from the things I learn from people each day and help then keep growing their own bamboo tree.

Prompt #11

My Samskaras:

• BEHAVIORS:
• hitting the snooze button
• open the shade half way when I wake up
• touch the string to the attic when I pass
• procrastination
• positive thinking
• put on my seatbelt
• concentrating on breathing
• wishing on a star
• THOUGHTS:
• college
• school
• living the life I want
• what kind of person I want to be
• this was meant to be
• this feeling will pass

Prompt #10

How does “Indonesia” compare to “India”? Where is Gilbert psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually? How has the writing changed? Use textual evidence in your response.

In india Liz was able to really feel the things that she was trying to run away from. She was able to confront her internalized problems and come out with a new view on herself and life. Liz has now helped herself and is in a place to be able to help others. She has been able to let go of her relationships and learned to love herself. This allowed her to find love, let herself love and be loved in a heathy and mature way.

Prompt #8

Reread Richard from Texas' comment to Elizabeth Gilbert on the top of page 178 to the end of that chapter. Then, explain what he means in your own words and, just as Gilbert does, go into detail explaining a way that you can start to take control of your thoughts.

Richard means that we are the makers of our own negativity. He is saying that we need to master ourselves before we can take on other challenges. We have the power to control how we think and our response to our thoughts. It is really east to let negativity win, but it takes practice and constant attention to let positivity prevail. It is important that we recognize that were in control of ourselves and our thoughts. WIth this ability we can see things in new ways and overcome personal problems within ourselves.

Prompt #7

Reread the beginning of Chapter 56, bottom of p 171, starting with "Here's what I caught myself..." to the end of the second paragraph on page 172, ending with "right where you actually are". Think of a place or a moment in your life when you struggle being where you are. Then, go into it. What happens? Why do you struggle? How can you try to "be present" the next time this happens?

I tend to let my mind wander a lot. I find myself thinking about other things that are happening or things that have happened. I replay different way conversations could have gone or different outcomes of situations. I have to pull myself back and remind my self that things are in the past and there is nothing I can change now. I have to remember that I have to live in the present and concentrate on what I have happening in my life now. It is just a matter of staying focused on who I am and what I am doing right now.

Prompt #6

Reread the section on soul mates in the last paragraph on page 149. Then respond to the following three questions: what do you think of this definition? Have you had any soul mates that have entered (and possibly left) your life? How have they served as a mirror for you, as we discussed in class?

I think that this is a really great definition for soul mates. When thinking about soul mates it tends to have a romantic connotation but I think Richard is right in everything that he said. I have always felt that people come into our lives for a reason, whether it is someone you sat next to on a plane once, or someone you have known since kindergarden. Everyone has something to teach us about life and about ourselves. I have definitely had soul mates. One of my best friends who I have knows since kindergarden really showed me a lot about myself. She had a tough time with anxiety issues, and still does. Ever since I've known her I took it as my job to make her feel safe and like she could make it through everything. I re-arranged everything I did to make sure that it was best for her. As we've grown up she's changed and grown, and doesn't need me in the way she used to. Our relationship has changed and we aren't nearly as close, but we were meant to meet and help each other through that part of our lives. Other friends have just been there to show me different qualities of myself and to tell me when I'm doing something wrong, or need to make a change. Their honestly is my mirror.

Prompt #5

I really enjoyed yesterday. I had just had my first dance class since last october the night before and my body really needed the stretching and strengthening. I really liked the first pose we did with the block on our sacrums. It made my back feel awesome. Savasana at the end was great because I got to go back into the position that we started in. I was able to concentrate on my breathing and calm my thoughts. I definitely need to work on being aware of my breathing while doing the yoga practices and not just in savasana. After our yoga my body felt really good and the aches and pains from last nights dance class were smoothed out.

Prompt #4

So, I'm a dancer, and last year I hurt my hip and was unable to keep dancing. It was devastating. I pushed myself to keep going even when the pain was awful, until it was so bad that I had to stop. I went to the doctor and decided that surgery was the best option for me. This meant that I would have to stop dancing until I was fully recovered. Not dancing was really hard and was a big change. I was so used to being at the studio. It took time to reconcile the idea that this was the best decision in the long run. I had to battle myself to stay positive and look towards the time when I would be able to put my leotard back on.

ME: Ok, calm down, breathe, this is going to go just fine.

MIND: Of course, we love this doctor, he's going to do an amazing job.

ME: But what if I never dance agin?

MIND: That won't happen, I'm here to get you through this.

ME: I don't know what to do now.

MIND: Picture yourself in the dance studio.

ME: Ok, I miss that studio...What kind of dance am I doing?

MIND: You're doing ballet, right hand on the bar....Feel the music.

ME: Ok, I'm feeling it, I'm also feeling awful now knowing that I can't do it anymore.

MIND: Don't think like that...this is an image to aspire to. This WILL be you. You WILL dance again.

ME: I'm scared, this is going to be really hard.

MIND: I know, but I'm here for you, I love you. We will get through this together.

ME: Ok, I think I'm ready. Time to go to the hospital...

Prompt #3

Although I was only here for the last few minutes of todays meditation it was exactly what I needed. Having just had my wisdom teeth extracted two days ago, a healing meditation was perfect. I was nervous coming to school today because I am still really sore and not feeling 100%, but just having a few minutes to bring attention to the area of myself that needed healing and taking a few minutes to concentrate on my breathing and healing made me feel a lot better. I feel relaxed and am glad I got a chance to learn some techniques to help me through the healing process.

Prompt #2

What are your reactions to Eat, Pray, Love so far? If you've already heard of it or seen the movie, how does it compare to what you've heard/seen? If this is your first encounter, what do you think of it so far? What do you think of Elizabeth Gilbert's writing style? Do certain parts resonate with you? Titillate you? Make you laugh? If so, what parts? Include quotations and page numbers like so:

I really enjoyed reading Eat, Pray, Love but it was the kind of book that I couldn't read for too long at one time. I never felt really engulfed in the story. However, I really enjoyed her perspective on her experiences and the detail in her descriptions of her locations. I think her extreme honesty was refreshing and added a lot to the book, it made it even more personal. She was able to really express her emotions which made you really feel the changes in her as she went on her journey. I really admired her ability to go within herself to find the courage and strength to make a change. I loved her ability to not sound like she wanted pity but was just wanted to communicate her experience with her readers. She really immersed herself in each experience completely. I was really intrigued by the parts where she was searching for answers and found a voice in her journal. I am a huge fan of sarcasm and I enjoyed her ability to find humor in her experience while also gaining valuable lessons from them. I also really enjoyed meeting all her friends along with her. She met some amazing people and learning their stories and being inside their conversations.

I really liked Richard from Texas. He was a really good friend for her, he was able to steer her in the right direction in his own blunt but highly insightful way.

Prompt #1

What are your expectations for this course?

In this class I hope to learn new meditation and yoga techniques while also learning about the culture and stories that go along with both practices. I think it will be really interesting to be able to hear about other peoples experiences in the class and learn the different ways people respond to different breathing and poses. I'm excited to read the texts because I have never really read anything from that part of the world.