Through The Looking-Glass: Alice In Yoga-Land

Theres a specific training, within Buddhist Yoga, which asks us to look upon the things of our world as being very similar to the reflections of objects as seen in a mirror: arising as the result of specific causes and conditions, yet possessing ~ in and of themselves ~ no inherent existence. So the next time youre looking at yourself in a mirror, you can notice that the reflection of your face, there in the mirror, is there only because of the confluence of: the existence of the mirror, your having placed your body in front of it, and the capacity of your eyes to see clearly what is in the mirror to name just the most obvious of the causes & conditions. And then you can think: all of the objects Im going to experience, as I walk through my day, are no more (or less) real than this reflection of my face that Im seeing now in the mirror. And notice the result, as you do go through your day, of thinking this way

If youve already got a sitting meditation practice, a variation on the above practice that you might like to try is this: sit facing AWAY from a large mirror (a full-length mirror is best, otherwise youll probably have to sit on a chair for this to work); then set up a second, smaller mirror in front of you, into which you can look, to see the room in front of you as reflected in the mirror thats behind you. (And if you can even figure out these instructions, youre probably already enlightened!) Then drop into an open, relaxed, shamata (calm abiding) sort of space, with your eyes open, gazing gently at the room-in-the-mirror-in-the-mirror. And then ~ a shift here to a more vipassana (clear seeing) practice ~ understand: the world around you, as experienced by your conditioned perception, is always much like what youre seeing in the mirror.

And you now might wonder: what would it mean, what would be required, and what would it be like to go ~ along with our heroine Alice ~ through the looking-glass, into yoga-land? If you actually are Alice, you will of course end up in Wonderland, and we all know what thats like. If youre a Buddhist, one possible destination would be whats known as a Pure Land. (But this is a yoga blog, so lets just stick with yoga-land.) At any rate, these might be interesting questions to research And in the meantime, check out the hall of mirrors scene near the end of Bruce Lees film Enter The Dragon (a film which ~ despite its brilliant fight scenes ~ is a bit hard to swallow in certain places, if youve got even a budding feminist sensibility but this is an aside!)

And Ill end, for today, with the following poem, taken from Frithjof Schuons collection, Songs For A spiritual Traveler Enjoy!

The Mirror

Is not the world a mirror in which God
Sees his beauty in a thousand images?
A spectacle that vanishes, repeats itself
Lights up from naught, then fades away.

The fruits of existence teach us two things:
God-resemblance and God-remoteness;
Remoteness brings to nothing the fabric of existence
Resemblance is timeless like the stars.

Elizabeth Reninger holds a Masters degree in Chinese medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring yoga - in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. To read more of her yoga-related essays, please visit her website: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger

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Metabolism and Weight Loss - How to Burn Calories

According to science, weight of a person is mainly determined according to a ratio between numbers of calories consumed against number of calories burnt. However, weight of a person is never dependent on the metabolic rate of the person. Hence, it is wrong to believe that slim person have a higher rate of metabolism and overweight people have a lower rate of metabolism.

Metabolism can be described as a biochemical process where food is converted into energy. The calories consumed in the form of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are oxidized to release the energy required for the proper functioning of the body. The total energy expenditure of an individual can be explained as the number of calories burnt on one single day. Two-thirds of the total energy released is primarily utilized for basic needs such as breathing, blood circulation, brain functioning, maintaining hormone levels, cell growth and repair. However, another 10 percent of the energy is required for processes such as digestion, absorption, transportation and excretion of foods. Remaining part of the energy is spent for doing physical activities.

Explanation for being over weight could be energy imbalance, where the calorie intake exceeds the calories that body burns. A weight-loss program primarily involves restoring this energy balance through reduction in the calorie intake. Another way to restore the balance is to burn more calories.

Calories can be burnt in excess by increasing daily exercises and activities that aid in muscle building. Some of these exercises include regular walking for 30 minutes, aerobic exercises and weight training exercises. Slight changes in the lifestyle can also help significantly in burning more calories. These changes could be increased usage of staircase while avoiding elevators, gardening, washing car and participating in routine household activities.

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Brian Urlacher

Born in May 1978, this Pasco, Washington native is now an nfl linebacker for the chicago Bears. As a child, Brian Urlacher moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico with his mother. Following high school, Brian went on to attend college at the university of Mexico. It was here that he shined as a strong safety for the university football team. Upon graduation, he immediately began pursuing his goal to play professional football and was drafted by the NFLs chicago Bears. While most of his experience was as a safety position, he was assigned the position of middle linebacker for the Bears, which gave him the opportunity to showcase his tackling abilities, intelligence, speed and aggressive approach toward winning. An instant star, Urlacher was awarded the title of nfl Defensive rookie of the Year in 2000. Such recognition is not an easy feat, but everything seemed to fall in place for the youngster as he quickly rose to the top defensive rookie player during his inaugural season.

Throughout his career, Urlacher has participated in the Pro bowl on five occasions and has upheld the Bears tradition of impressive linebackers. As a testimonial to his skills, Brian Urlacher was once again recognized in 2006. On January 6, he was named the nfl Defensive Player of the Year. An honor awarded by the Associated Press, Urlacher received well over 50% of the panel votes to determine him as the recipient. An impressive 34 panel votes, out of 50, were cast for Urlacher.

Among the many achievements that Brian Ulracher has accomplished include exceeding the Bears single season tackle record in 2002. Additionally, he served as the teams leading tackle position for 3 consecutive years, including 2000, 2001 and 2002. not only has Urlacher surpassed game records, but sales records as well. At times, his replica jersey has been an nfl bestseller. The collectibles and apparel industry is one of the largest revenue generators for any sport and football is no different. As fans desire to wear a replica jersey of their favorite players, it lends credence to a players skills and popularity as fans seek out the merchandise bearing their likeness.

The chicago Bears have been long since known as a team that has powerful players with spirit to match. The windy city is in line to find great success with a breeze that seems to have brought Brian Urlacher all the way from New Mexico and into to the heart of chicago and its nfl fans.

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