Happy New…
For many this is the time of year when we look forward and look back, wish a “Happy New Year” upon others and ourselves, and reflect upon changes, what we’d like to change in ourselves, or “resolve to improve,” all dipping into the sense of renewal, of fresh start-ness, of a cycle beginning anew. Which [...]
The Bhagavad Gita, an introduction. Dec. 18 and Jan. 8
Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita: A two part course Sunday Dec 8th, Sunday January 8th The Yoga Loft, San Francisco Register Here or call 415.626.5638 Why study the Bhagavad Gita? We move through life with varying degrees of self-acceptance, happiness, sorrow and so on. In essence, discontent arises from finding our self, our current state, [...]
Beyond Tribal: On Empathy, Wholeness, Yoga & Vedanta [books, J. Rifkin, video]
![Beyond Tribal: On Empathy, Wholeness, Yoga & Vedanta [books, J. Rifkin, video]](http://www.yoganexus.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/jrifkin_anmated-150x150.png)
For some years now I have been pondering ‘identity’ as I study and seek to practice Yoga and Vedanta. Identity meaning sense of self – in community, in society, in relation to spirit and divinity, in relation to our apparent tribal nature.
Yoga and Vedanta teach the nature of Wholeness, brahma vidya, knowledge of Brahman, and the practice of karma yoga…
Recent studies in neuroscience, psychology and behavior point to empathy and compassion being strong biological drivers[...]
All is Given Pt. 2: Cultivating attitude of graceful acceptance – karma yoga is bhakti
Here I offer the principles and verses from the Bhagavad Gita that inform the principles in All is Given Pt1 and delve into the essence of Karma Yoga, which includes Bhakti, or devotion. There is no separate Bhakti yoga in essence. Again, I draw largely from Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s teachings. In essence Karma Yoga has [...]
All is Given Pt. 1: musings, Sutras & Gita, and free meditation mp3.
[NOTE: it's a long one, you may want to print from blog for better reading. You have to read all the way through to download the meditation in mp3 format ] Is my body mine? Does it belong to me, in terms of rights of ownership? Am I defined by my physicality (gender, species, health, [...]
Emerson, Vedanta & Serendipity (Karl’s musings, book, conference)
So I’m reading a book on Emerson by Richard G. Geldard I saw reviewed in an old issue of Parabola (a magazine on world mythology and spirituality I’ve been into since high school). I have always been a fan of Emerson since high school or earlier, and Thoreau, Whitman… I realize now much of Emerson [...]
