Read this very interesting Avatar review & discussion http://bit.ly/adrN2X

Be sure to follow all the links back to “It’s All Yoga Baby”.

Right now it’s an eBook available in its entirety on this site and as a download.  But I’m planning on publishing it in paperback, too, simply because I’ve come to realize that many people aren’t yet comfortable reading books online or downloading them.

I’m looking for quick reactions.  It’s fine if you haven’t read the eBook, because I’m interested in which subtitle is more likely to draw new people in.  Here are the choices I have in front of me right now, but I’m certainly interested in other suggestions, too:

Yoga Demystified [no subtitle]

Yoga Demystified–The Art of Cosmic Joy

Yoga Demystified–The Wonder of Being Alive

Yoga Demystified–Each Moment a Precious Diamond

Please help me out by giving me you opinion.

Thanks,

Bob

When I want to reconnect

With the infinite wonder of the universe

And remember

That I’m an integral part

Of that infinite wonder,

I often just relax and think

About the infinite wonder of my heart

And the way it pumps nourishment

From the air we breathe

Throughout our wondrous bodies.

How can anyone doubt

That body and spirit and universe

Are one

When we can feel

The awesome unfathomableness

Of the heart

In all its physical and spiritual wonder

Embracing, dancing with the breath

Every moment of our lives?

(Inspired by Donna Freeman’s article “In Search of a Soft Heart” on Elephant Journal.)

P.S. Several days after writing the above, I was astounded to happen upon this verse in the Yoga Sutra:

“Focusing with perfect discipline on the heart, one understands the nature of consciousness” (Yoga Sutra 3:35)

I suddenly realized the other day why I love the Yoga Journal Community so much.  It’s like a big coffee house where all your Yoga friends hang out.

Like in a busy coffee house, things are a little chaotic here. 

You don’t expect to be able to be a part of every conversation every day.

You drop in when you can. 

You hear snippets here and snippets there as you move about.

You reconnect with old friends and make new friends.

Sometimes you start the conversation. 

Sometimes you jump into a conversation.

Sometimes you just listen to the conversation.

If you come back in a few hours the crowd is different.

You try your best to catch up, even though you know you never really can.

But whatever you do and whomever you see, it’s always just plain fun to hang out here and be part of the action.

Thanks for walking in, and please drop by again whenever you can.

My Father: Starting Yoga at 87

I think you’ll really enjoy the article and I’m trying to help Elephant Journal expand its audience.

Many thanks.

YogaDawg Sets New World Record for

MOST THINGS SPOOFED IN A SINGLE BLOG

http://yogadawg.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-tale-pose.html

For all you new members out there, yogirev was the third member, yes you’re reading that right, the THIRD MEMBER of the Yoga Journal Community!  (Now we have over 13,000 members, not all active, of course, but who have signed up at one time or another.) 

How do I know that?  I read it in yogirev’s third blog entry form just over a year ago:

When I joined this group, just a couple of days ago, I was the third one. Now look at us! There are twelve and I bet more are on the way.

I have a lot of affection for yogirev because he helped me get acquainted when I joined a few months later, and because he always wrote the most irreverent and funny blogs.  Here’s his fourth post, probably written for 20 members:

Ok, I want to know if Ahimsa includes snails!  I mean, I just went out to my garden to pick a tomato and the little buggers have eaten all my tomatoes.  I am feeling very violent toward them right now.  I suppose I should practice aparigraha and not be grasping about my tomatoes, but I really wanted one.  I mean, kama is about having pleasure in life, right?  I would have had kama while eating a tomato.  Did the snail feel kama?  I bet that little jerk didn’t feel a thing. I do think I heard lettle snail giggling as I left the garden in a huff.

Shanti, shanti. (little jerks!)

Here’s a challenge for you.  Can you summarize your spiritual beliefs in 5-6 sentences?

I asked this question in an article I just wrote for Elephant Journal.  Please go there to read the article and answer the challenge:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/11/can-you-summarize-your-spiritual-beliefs-in-5-6-sentences/

(Or, if you prefer, comment below and I’ll transfer your comment over to Elephant Journal.  I want to collect all the responses in one place.)

I look forward to seeing your answers.

That’s because I’ve been on an e-binge working on my e-book and website.

The free e-book is now available for download and/or printing.  

I’ve also added a lot a great photos (like the one above–click on the photo) to illustrate my essays and poems, so the whole site has a new look and feel that I hope you will enjoy.

Now that I’ve got it done, I’m hungry for feedback and suggestions.  Please take a look and let me know what you think.

Thanks.

First It Was “Yobo”, Now There is Ratra (Radical Traditional) Yoga

which is about the spirited debates we’ve had on the YJ Community and elsewhere about what is and what isn’t real Yoga.

I think you’ll enjoy it, and I’d love to hear your thoughts.