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HEIDY'S MONTHLY MUSIC PICKS
JULY 2008

HEIDY'S BOOK OF THE MONTH


The Yoga of Jesus by Paramahansa Yogananda

"In this remarkable book, Paramahansa Yogananda reveals the hidden yoga of the Gospels and confirms that Jesus, like the ancient sages and masters of the East, not only knew yoga but taught this universal science of God-realization to his closest disciples. Compiled from the author's highly praised two-volume work, The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You, this insightful and compact book transcends the centuries of dogma and misunderstanding that have obscured the original teachings of Jesus, showing that he taught a unifying path by which seekers of all faiths can enter the kingdom of God."
-From Amazon.com

YOGA GLOSSARY

Asana
Asana is what you call a yoga posture or exercise in Sanskrit. Most of the Sankrit names of the yoga postures end with asana. Asana directly translates as “seat”. Asana is one of the 8 limbs of the yogic path. Originally, asanas were developed as stable and comfortable poses for prolonged practices of meditation.

Ashram
Retreat or secluded place, usually where the principles of yoga and meditation are taught and practiced.

Chakra
Chakra directly translates into "wheel", and is an energy center in the body. There are seven main chakras in the body, located along the spine and head.

Dharma
Self-discipline, the life of responsibility and right action.

Guru
A yoga guru has realized the "Self" and obtained enlightenment. A Guru refers to a teacher of yoga practices and principles.

Japa
Repetition of a mantra, used as a form of meditation.

Kundalini
The dormant spiritual energy that resides at the base of the spine.

Mantra
Sacred words or sounds that are chanted either silently or aloud, and are used either as a form of meditation or to invoke spiritual energy in the body.

Mudras
Hand gestures that direct the life current through the body.

Mula Bandha
An energy “lock” located at the perenium that keeps the energy within the central region of the body.

Namaste'
The light within me honors the light within you.

Om
The sound Om is considered to be the vibrational sound of the universe. By chanting this sound, you can connect with this vibration and hence feel connected to the oneness of the universe.

Prana
The energy that flows within the body, same as the Chinese concept of Qi/Chi.

Pranayama
A yogic practice to control and harness the energy of the body and to purify the energy pathways by specific breathing techniques.

Samadhi
State of absolute bliss, superconsciousness.

Satsang
A gathering for the purpose of chanting, meditating, and hearing scriptural teachings.

Savasana
The required relaxation/meditation of lying on your back at the end of class. This realigns your body and neutralizes your breath and mind.

Shanti
Shanti is the sanskrit word for peace, which is often chanted at the end of class.

Swami
A yogic monk who has take vows of renunciation.

Third Eye
The third eye is the same thing as the 6th chakra. The sixth Chakra, Ajna (to perceive), is located between the eyebrows, just above the bridge of the nose. Its color is indigo blue and its issues are psychic, emotional and mental intelligence, and intuition.

Uddiyana Banda
The energy "lock" located in the abdominal region. This allows for the energy to stay within the center region of the body by pulling the belly in towards the spine and upwards after an exhale.

Vinyasa
Vinyasa literally means breath with movement. It is a technique used to link postures together so you can flow gracefully from one asana to the next, using your breath.

Yogi.
Someone who practices yoga. (A female yogi is called a yogini.)