I’ve noticed a lot of finger pointing on the forum lately…
Made-up yoga vs. Indian yoga
Hot yoga vs. not-hot yoga
Gentle yoga vs. tough yoga
My god vs. your god
Perhaps we are missing the point entirely?
hah:) that what I was going to post:)
My observation is that “yogis” pointing finger to Christians…trying to recall all the brutality of Catholic movement…accuse Christians in ignorance and intolerance…or just making fun of christians …
well…we are just on the way…and there is a fog on the road…and so many false lanterns along the path…
lets contemplate in UNION of everything for a while 
[QUOTE=CityMonk;52363]hah:) that what I was going to post:)
My observation is that “yogis” pointing finger to Christians…trying to recall all the brutality of Catholic movement…accuse Christians in ignorance and intolerance…or just making fun of christians …
well…we are just on the way…and there is a fog on the road…and so many false lanterns along the path…
lets contemplate in UNION of everything for a while ;)[/QUOTE]
May be these “yogis” have never practised asanas or meditation. They practice “smearing yoga.”
What a great idea.
I think there are as many different worlds (read consciousness) within this world as there are people in it. Same with this Forum. For me it is all about consciousness and over the years I have seen this Forum go through various stages of consciousness. At the moment this is the consciousness of this Forum - this versus that, tomorrow it will be different. Depending on the intention and attitude of the posters.
Omamana, can you remember about a year ago how upset this Forum, including me, was by a member called Quatzequatel? He brought a certain consciousness to the Forum and for about three months poor David was inundated with complaints about him and the rest of us reeled under his challenges. Where is he today? Many of those posting now will disappear as soon as the consciousness or intention of the Forum and the members posting here change.
I see this Forum very much as a mirror and I always ask myself what does it reflect back to me? The discussions in the religious Forum had a profound influence on me as it forced me to confront questions about my religion and about my attitude towards certain issues that was brought up there. It was a highly reflective time for me with very interesting outcomes on a spiritual level.
I agree totally. I do yoga at a yoga studio. I get benefits from the yoga I do, and I wouldn’t stop doing it. That doesn’t mean I’m going to start believing in god, or spending my time sitting on the floor goin ommmmmmm… I just think it’s pointless, and actually quite petty, to waste your breath telling others they are doing it wrong, cause it’s not “my way”. I come to the forum to learn and share, no to try and make myself feel special, or win arguments. Kind of hypocritical considering yoga is usually associated with peace, and love, and harmony, and all that stuff.
[QUOTE=Pandara;52377]I think there are as many different worlds (read consciousness) within this world as there are people in it. Same with this Forum. For me it is all about consciousness and over the years I have seen this Forum go through various stages of consciousness. At the moment this is the consciousness of this Forum - this versus that, tomorrow it will be different. Depending on the intention and attitude of the posters.
Omamana, can you remember about a year ago how upset this Forum, including me, was by a member called Quatzequatel? He brought a certain consciousness to the Forum and for about three months poor David was inundated with complaints about him and the rest of us reeled under his challenges. Where is he today? Many of those posting now will disappear as soon as the consciousness or intention of the Forum and the members posting here change.
I see this Forum very much as a mirror and I always ask myself what does it reflect back to me? The discussions in the religious Forum had a profound influence on me as it forced me to confront questions about my religion and about my attitude towards certain issues that was brought up there. It was a highly reflective time for me with very interesting outcomes on a spiritual level.[/QUOTE]
Spot on, useful and important insight.
If only we remembered to look in the mirror more often!
I do however believe it is important to sometimes stop, think, and reflect of what is/ was your basic intention. We are bombarded by so much information and opinions and throw emotions into the mix and you could just find yourself on a slippery slope.
The practice should only suit the growth of the individual doing it.
That of course requires a clean view or in yogic terms “discernment”. Discernment is how we know something is appropriate for ourselves. When we, as students of this particular practice (yoga) have a clean view then we also have sound discernment. When we do not have a clean view obviously it would be simple chance to select something that works in much the same way we convince ourselves that a liquid which leaches minerals from our body and punishes the adrenal gland is profoundly helpful to our living. In that instance it is incredibly helpful to find a clean “other” who can see us without our own rose-colored hue.
Since the forum is a yoga forum and not a Costco forum or a Firestone forum or an Illuminati forum our reference point (assuming we have elected to study yoga) IS yoga. As such, we have resources to turn to for guidance, should we remain open enough to want and receive said guidance. As it relates to the above, we learn that there are obstacles of ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear of impermanence that prevent a view of clarity/reality.
So the response to the question of intention (for me) is "continue the process of yoga in such a way that the fog of human consciousness is lifted so that I may clearly see what is for me (and what is not) and choose accordingly. When I respond to a post I hope I am empowering others to this very same process in their living. Part the fog, see the next layer of truth, move accordingly.
[QUOTE=YogiAdam;52388]I agree totally. I do yoga at a yoga studio. I get benefits from the yoga I do, and I wouldn’t stop doing it. That doesn’t mean I’m going to start believing in god, or spending my time sitting on the floor goin ommmmmmm… I just think it’s pointless, and actually quite petty, to waste your breath telling others they are doing it wrong, cause it’s not “my way”. I come to the forum to learn and share, no to try and make myself feel special, or win arguments. Kind of hypocritical considering yoga is usually associated with peace, and love, and harmony, and all that stuff.[/QUOTE]
On the flip side, all that we are able to offer each other are only our personal opinions derived from our personal experiences, nothing more nothing less and that is fine too. Yes, much can be based on science but at some point it falls short, and the answer can only be found from within. It is to this place we need to remain true, this is where our intention is located and as Gordon states it is ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear of impermanence which create the blockage and makes us lose sight of our true intention.
My intention in this thread is to make myself and others question their true intention before we act from an untrue place.
Intentions evolve and change over time. Several years ago, noticing that there is a lot of highly questionable “instruction” in circulation, I set out to discover the true intent of the writers of the yoga sutras and other yoga-related texts. As part of this quest I took it upon myself to try to provide a counter to some of the questionable material I found. I’ve found this approach to be highly divisive and a drain on my time and energy. So while I intend to continue to study and develop my knowledge and practice of yoga and related philosophy, and to share with others when appropriate, my intention is to move toward yoga as a means to holistic health.
As an aside, some of the vedic people believed that the practice of yoga actually sets the creative forces of the universe in motion. If you believe that, then it would be important to remember your intention whenever you practice.
My yoga intent is physical, mental, and emotional fitness.
Potential , yoga is a well tested vehicle to help one on the path of life
Perhaps we could also consider our intention toward others.
[QUOTE=Pandara;52377]I think there are as many different worlds (read consciousness) within this world as there are people in it. Same with this Forum. For me it is all about consciousness and over the years I have seen this Forum go through various stages of consciousness. At the moment this is the consciousness of this Forum - this versus that, tomorrow it will be different. Depending on the intention and attitude of the posters.
Omamana, can you remember about a year ago how upset this Forum, including me, was by a member called Quatzequatel? He brought a certain consciousness to the Forum and for about three months poor David was inundated with complaints about him and the rest of us reeled under his challenges. Where is he today? Many of those posting now will disappear as soon as the consciousness or intention of the Forum and the members posting here change.
I see this Forum very much as a mirror and I always ask myself what does it reflect back to me? The discussions in the religious Forum had a profound influence on me as it forced me to confront questions about my religion and about my attitude towards certain issues that was brought up there. It was a highly reflective time for me with very interesting outcomes on a spiritual level.[/QUOTE]
:)) Great post! I remember mr Q :rolleyes: and i also happy to see that many people on forum are “evolving” including myself:)
Possibly recognizing moral duties toward ourselves as well as towards others is a most excellent method
I’m going to spice things up a bit, as I feel like I am evolving through this thread and it has lead me to bring up some deeper feelnigs and thoughts…
My intention towards others is to be compassionate, sincere, loving, and accepting.
However, sometimes I feel hateful, angry, critical and seperate from others.
Times like these it is hardest to remind myself of my true intention toward others. But, through admitting this I am able to look in the mirror and see myself as only human with imperfections and vulnerabilities. This keeps me grounded and reminds me that I am still a compassionate, sincere, loving, and accepting person despite my darker side.
Not sure what I’m getting at, I just felt moved to share this.
Dear Omamana,
Wether you walk under the sun or the moon, your shadow will always be there. The question for me is, do I endlessly chase my own shadow or do I rather admire and appreciate the light of the sun/moon under which I move? So how and where I direct my intention can make a huge difference.
There may not be a right and wrong but simply a balance
Wonderful thread Omamana! Thank you.
As many have stated, intentions evolve over time as they should. As we move along our path, I think in the beginning we look back and look forward. Both affect where we go or how far. But when we stop looking, we then see what has been right in front of us all along. This moment. The here and now. It will never be again! When we look back, we often times find anger, resentment and frustration. In looking forward, we expect certain things to happen and begin to anticipate their arrival. With expectations and anticipation, we loose sight on what we are experiencing now and again begin the cycle of frustration, anger, etc. For me this has been an evolution in progress. I must keep reminding myself to stay present. This is my intention. To stay aware of the present moment. It’s all we have really. And this newer mindset has given me much more peace of mind and happiness. So my intent is to appreciate what is NOW. With that mindset I find it difficult to hold onto anger and frustration and has given me pause with my responses to others. A work in progress though.
Thanks for this thread. It prompted me to look back and re-read some of my earlier posts. After practicing yoga all by myself, it was thrilling to see a community out there. The initial enthusiasm came from an unrealistic assumption that all others are like me. It took time to recognize more intelligent ones, to discover the real sincere seekers and to learn to tolerate the casual bystanders.
Then I drew a line. I started stepping away from the posts that snared more than shared. A phrase ?in my personal opinion? is embedded in each post; but when the writer appears to forget it the post becomes an egotistic position one tends to defend. Battling the words on their face value is so easy. I learned here to go behind the words and read people. I saw pain, frustration, loneliness, and even insecurity cloaked in the aggressive stances. Most of us come to the forum looking for answers but some carry a chip on the shoulders saying ?now I know the truth.? I did. To discover that the personal truth is still a ?work-in-progress? is unsettling; for me, it was educating.
We need to know our yogic intention; but do we always have one? Though the ultimate truth is One, we all carry the crosses of our relative truths. When we sincerely realize that it is relative, then the real journey starts. The intentions are nebulous and hard to capture. There are as many paths as there are seekers. The journey is ennobling. It brings about a very stealthy transformation and the hardships make us humble. When we start valuing it sufficiently, then the ?intention? starts taking shape. It evolves, as Lotusgirl observes. Then one doesn?t need TO BE compassionate, sincere, loving, and accepting; one is so. In my view, it is practice vs punditry; self-realization vs self-indulgence; a delicate personal domain vs a coarse market-place. And the choice is ours. Thanks again Omamana.