Cancer is the Cure - Reclaiming our Health Sovereignty

 

Cancer cures. You can look at the word "cures" as a noun or verb, and either would be accurate. Both make a bold statement, for sure, but when we open our minds to these possibilities, we can begin to see new, unexpected realities become available. For example, contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of proven and effective cures for cancer out there, and have been for decades (take, for instance, the Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg, who demonstrated in the 1930s that cancer thrives in a low-oxygen, acidic biological environment, and can't live in a high-oxygen, alkaline environment)!

The real problem with cancer is not in a cure, but with all the fear humanity has surrounding it, and the ignorance that most people express when they don't even believe a cure is possible. Of course, it's scary when we equate cancer with a death sentence from God, or believe it rests with forces beyond our control, but this belief is based in a deep fallacy that our health and well-being are out of our hands. This stems from a victim-consciousness that assumes choice to be illusory and that we are not the creators of our own lives and bodies. 

When we can address the fact that we have allowed ourselves to be ignorant of cancer because we were afraid and believed the lies we were told, we can begin to see how we gave our bodies' power to heal over to external, often corrupt institutions; mainly doctors and the medical system. (Follow up for the next installment on this topic: Cancer Cure Deniers--how Cognitive Dissonance/Willful Ignorance Kills)

What if cancer itself is the cure for an imbalanced body and lifestyle? What if it is simply a natural mechanism to restore balance both within the self and the environment? What if it is just a strong message from our body that it needs more attention and care? Cancer can be the cure our soul has secretly been longing for, if we slow down and open up enough to listen to its message and wisdom.  

How many of us do things to our bodies we know are bad for them, but we do those things anyway? This would apply to nearly all of us, to varying degrees, depending on our ability for self-care. The more we care about ourselves, our bodies and environments, the more likely we are to make careful and conscious choices that reflect long-term-minded results, creating benefit and growth. The less we care, the more instantly-gratifying our choices will be and the more health debts we will incur in the future. 

This is the kind of paradigm shift that makes healing any dis-ease so challenging, because it requires that we actually deal with our self and any ways that we have been living out of balance with nature. The first and most important place we must look is within, at our own thoughts, emotions, actions  and belief systems.

Do we believe we are worthy? Do we feel good about ourselves, our relationships, the direction of our life? Do we believe we can live our purpose? Do we even believe that such a thing exists? Or do we believe life is a drudgery of one day/job/relationship to the next, with no room for the deep truth of our authentic self? Do we even know who our authentic self is?? Or, do we live our life in a kind of haze of suffering, looking for externals to soothe or avoid the pain we accumulate from believing in a nihilistic world view? 

When we can question and begin to answer these kinds of queries, we can bring our authentic selves into our lives and address this most vital relationship. When we integrate the, often hidden, emotions within our psyche, we can halt self-destructive behaviors that allow dis-ease to take hold within the body. When we love ourselves enough to give our minds, our emotions, our bodies and our spirits what they need, cancer doesn't stand a chance. Love is truly the answer we've been looking for, but not in a philosophical way alone; specifically, it is the use of compassion in action; treating all the levels of our being with respect, kindness and appreciation. 

So how does one do that? This is the hardest challenge: changing one's self, one's actions and one's own beliefs. Yet, anyone can create extraordinary results being committed to change for a brighter future. I write from personal experience, having spent nearly 30 years of my life struggling with my own myriad of illnesses, sugar and numerous other addictions, a depression that lived with me like a second head, passive-agressiveness that hid years of denied pain, and all of that, baked at 98° for a decade or two, culminating in my own Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

After it all, the one thing that has become crystal-clear is that, the mind and body are 100% a product of choices and beliefs. To put it another way, my thoughts generated my beliefs which fed my choices & actions and created the circumstances of my life. Buddha acknowledged this truth first when he said "all that we are is a result of what we have thought." This is what Eastern traditions refer to when they say "karma."

It works for all of us in this way, but few accept this reality for one simple reason-it is too painful to admit that we are the ones causing our own suffering. But acceptance, as the final stage of healing, gives us the possibility of deep transformation. I can attest to this reality as the moment I finally and fully accepted I had Cancer (and gave up the victim and blame games around it) was the moment I became absolutely  empowered to heal it. At that point in the process, I experienced the biggest and most rapid shift I had on the path to curing it, completely naturally, without radiation, chemotherapy or any conventional treatment, and I am far from the only one who has done so (research Dr. Sebi, who has been curing people of so-called "incurable" dis-eases for decades, and has the supreme court ruling to prove it).

Cancer, heart-disease, diabetes, any dis-ease, they're all signals from the body, mind and soul that we are not living in harmony with our true nature and our full potential. When we open ourselves up to change, instead of looking for the quick-fix, when we stop avoiding our real self, power, and response-ability, we can then unlock the miraculous within. 

Cancer… our worst enemy, or our greatest gift?

Undependence and the Great American Renaissance

The 4th of July has come to represent for most Americans bbqs, beaches, bliss and more. We as a country have come to adore our freedoms and our independence, particularly how these two afford us a greater ability to enjoy and live our lives more richly than most other cultures in our present day. But inside of that high standard of enjoyment, how independent are we really??

Cigarettes, booze, meat, dairy, carbs, sugar, caffeine, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, television, entertainment, Facebook and the Internet, the availability of all of these diversions or vices are at the heart of our cultural identity. We are free to live life as we choose, so what does it matter if we ingest things we shouldn't? what does it matter if we are dependent on various substances that we all know when done in excess cause problems...? Most importantly, are we really independent when we can't even imagine our lives without some or all of these elements? I argue we are some of the most dependent Americans that have ever lived.

How many of us are income independent? How many of our schedules are ours to organize? How many of us are emotionally independent? How many of us can say we are in control of, or at least aware and in touch with our emotions and don't need to eat, smoke, sex or drink them away? How many of us are mentally independent, capable of critical thinking that doesn't necessarily fall within the script of our corporate media? How many of us are nutritionally independent and actually aware of what our own and very personal body's needs are, in place of being at the effect of rote response to stimuli from pushed packaged products whose quality decreases as their advertisement increases? Sadly, very few of us are actually independent from this system and the Standard American lifestyle.  

We may have declared our independence from the British over 200 years ago, but individual Americans know little of actual independence, because we experience the comfort and ease of being dependent on a vast and very enticing system. The truth is, most Americans are dependent on the status quo, and what's worse is that we pretend this isn't so. We pretend it's the corporations, or our boss, the failing medical establishment, Monsanto, our politicians, the Koch Brothers, or Russia... But that's an absolutely dependent thing to say! A victim-mindset that relinquishes our power and declares definitively that we are not the masters of our own lives. Are we independent or aren't we??? 

                       (Dependency)

Yes, some of these forces do indeed have a misproportionate influence on our country and lives, with seemingly greater power than ourselves, but history has shown countless time and again that it only takes a single individual to alter the entire course of the world; Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and many more have all proven beyond a doubt that power lives within the individual. So instead of pretending to ourselves and each other that we are powerless to direct our own lives and the nation at large, how about we actually honor and respect the ethos of our Nation and take our power back?! How about we celebrate our Independence by cultivating it?

Want to see our nation change? Go vote for a candidate that actually represents you. Do you know how many infamous congress people  were re-elected simply because they ran unopposed? Even better, run for office. Want to feel better, have more energy, and live healthier? Ditch sugar, heavy carbs and eat more vegetables.  Want to quit smoking? Meditate. Want to stop polluting our oceans and killing our ecosystem? Stop buying plastic packaged products. Want to save the rainforest? Give up beef. 

We pretend to be cogs in a wheel, when we are the wheel. We pretend it is our environment that controls us, but the truth is we have simply given up our independence, and surrendered to that environment because that is the easy thing to do, the comfortable thing, despite the many unconscious consequences of such a decision. 

We have absolutely forgotten that every thought, decision and action we make ABSOLUTELY effects our environment and the world at large. We have forgotten our power and the ability to truly depend on ourselves. The time has come for a Great American Renaissance in which the people rise up and claim their true sovereignty. 

The time has come when we take full responsibility for our lives and our country and decide that we have a say in the matter of our destiny, and are not merely pawns in the design of our life. Hate your job? Start a business. Horrified by factory farming? Go vegetarian. Free yourself from the mental slavery of your dependencies. If they are meant for you they will come back in balance.

Take your power back America. Create your life and your country exactly as your heart desires and live your greatest dream. No more excuses America. Be the sovereign citizens our nation needs. Claim your independence. 

The Yoga of Relating

As I sit here taxiing into lima's airport, I find myself both pensive about and grateful for relationships. It's pretty clear that without them we would be nothing. From mothers to fathers, to brothers, sisters, friends, lovers and even perfect strangers, Each has their  influence on our lives, from the profound to the fleeting, and yet, without these relationships we are isolated, alone, nothing. Yet, in truth, that isolation is never really even possible. 

The ego believes in separation. It labels, categorizes and delineates: "this is this, and that is that," reducing things and experiences to words, concepts and ideas, when the reality is always so much more.... And when the ego gets involved in our relationships, it says, "I'm better than him," or "she is better than I," or "I don't like this about her," or "I wish he would just listen..." But all the while this mental chatter pulls us out of the relationship and into our own mental virtual-reality in which we do not experience life or our relationships as they are, but rather as we perceive them to be. 

Quantum physics is a God's send as it shows us our true power to create: what we believe (or expect), we perceive. So what can this say about us and our relationships?

How do our perceptions of others (and our self) influence how we experience these relationships, and the world? The short answer is: powerfully. 

Think of one of your favorite relationships. The flow of it, the mutual elevation, the reciprocal energy exchange, the love, all express the highest potential of relating. Yet as we encounter those 'undesired relationships,' we experience the exact opposite, feeling drained, full of disdain and dread. 

Yet the potential is always the same: the ideal is always available, yet why at times does it seem remote, illogical, or down right impossible? You've guessed it; our perception. I've spent the past 12 hours flying through the skies and sharing stories with two separate and complete strangers, yet I find myself feeling perhaps more connected than I have ever, and it's thanks to the shift in my perspective and the resultant amazing connections it's allowed.

For so long I have looked at my relationships and been left wanting. And only today has it become absolutely crystal clear as to why. I was relating improperly. I, like most people, had it backwards, thinking that the relationships in my life owed me something somehow, and that people who didn't give it were selfish, which then allowed my ego's sense of self-importance and entitlement to run amok, blaming everyone and everything for its own shortcomings, judging each person for their perceived flaws, and by extension calling out more of that in them. Don't get me wrong, everyone has flaws, but that is exactly the point: If we all have flaws, who among us is fit to judge any of them?

I'm not suggesting we become spiritual ostriches and stick our heads in the proverbial sands when it comes to the challenging aspects of our relationships, what I am suggesting is a shift in our perception of the challenges and their origins. Would you scold a toddler for not knowing 1+1=2? Or yell at the elderly person for ascending stairs slowly? Then why judge people for their ignorance? We all have our challenges, our strengths and weaknesses, and the only way for us to fully master these challenges is through our acceptance and Love. Love, is indeed the answer. Love is what causes that elation in those "easy" relationships, but it also the remedy for those more unpleasant ones. 

I know some are thinking right now... "Well, there are people that are just unlovable!" Those ornery, cantankerous and entitled individuals that drain the energy from a room the moment they walk into it can indeed be challenging for most of us to be around... But I promise you, speaking from experience, the moment you can remove the label and the judgement around this person, relieving the perception of separation, and generate a sense of love and acceptance for them, you will literally watch them transform before your eyes like magic. 

When you can begin to understand, that God, The Universe, Love--Whatever you want to call it--is truly unconditional... Then you can begin to grasp this power. When you can fathom that "God" Loves even Hitler... You are advanced on this path...

Why is that? It is the power of Love. You could also call it unconditional acceptance, or patience, or kindness. Whatever the label, the experience is the same. You will definitely notice how this exercise will

Be easier to do with some than others, which begs the question, why? This is where the real challenge comes in: whenever we judge another, the truth is we unconsciously see that same flaw in ourselves but have yet to accept it, so instead of facing our inner demon, we find the easier outlet for release and project our own frustration on perceived "aggressors" when we are the one who havnt owned and accepted ourselves. 

So the remedy? Love. Always and forever, love. And it starts at home with ourselves. Everyone has heard the old adage, but few fully understand its implications. When we love ourselves, we can love others, because we are all indeed, one in the same. 

Unity>Separation. 

Awareness>Ignorance

Love>Fear

To Our Highest Relating Potential!

Water, water, everywhere, but not all fit for drink

Water is the most essential component to life. People accept this as fact, yet somehow, especially in western culture, take this reality for granted. We think that because we ingest any fluid it constitutes the same thing, somehow believing that convenience can replace reality, and that soda, juice, coffee and other liquids will suffice for our daily intake, when this couldn't be further from the truth. Water is water. It's that simple. . . Or is it??

Many people don't like the taste of their water, and naturally gravitate towards more palatable beverages, but are often unaware that those beverages do the exact opposite and actually dehydrate the body. Coffee and alcohol are known diuretics, but most people don't know that sugar also requires lots of pure water to metabolize, therefore requiring more water than is contributes by sugary drinks. Add this to the fact that 50-75% of people in our society are chronically dehydrated, and you have a powerful foundation for dis-ease in the body. 

So let's all drink more water?!?

Yes, but all water is hardly equal. Part of the  reason that people find their water literally difficult to swallow is because of its content; From tap water full of heavy metals, chlorine, and fluoride (a now known neurotoxin thanks to the recent Harvard study proving its role in cognitive inhibition), to plastic bottles which are derived from petroleum, a known carcinogen, to all the other matter of contaminants and pollutants in our increasing industrialized culture. 

We need to take our water, and our health, much more seriously. 

The general scientific consensus is that the human body needs 1oz of water per Kg of body weight for an individual. To make that more practical, divide your weight in half and that's how many ounces of water you need every day. As a reference, cups are 4 ounces and a pint glass is 16, so for your average adult, around 8 pint glasses is the minimum requirement. In my experience, even more is beneficial, especially for those suffering from chronic dehydrated related un-wellness like myself, which again is 50-75% of people. 

Droughts are looming, people die from water borne illness across the world daily, or even down-right thirst, and all the while Nestle is bottling up (and contaminating) the last of California's natural springs. And there's Cargill, Monsanto's parent company, selling its corrosive chemical by-product hydrofluorosilicic acid to municipalities for a profit, instead of responsibly paying to have this lethal chemical disposed of safely... And all the while We the People go on as if it's business as usual, when we are slowly loosing the basis of life support on the planet. 

Not to sound too doom and gloom--really there is hope, but only when we get grounded in the reality of what is will we be able to do anything about it. There are excellent fluoride filters out there, from counter top to personal filter-straws, and there are far more advanced and amazing systems that can create remarkably high-quality potable water from pretty much any contaminated source. The trick is, we have to know water's value, before we can rearrange our priorities to it. . ..  The value of our bodies, and of the earth and her natural resources, is priceless. 

Drinking more water is always better than less, and is highly encouraged, even if it's not the purest available. More water is better than none, generally regardless of the source, but the higher quality the water, the better it will process in the body and the better to hydrate you with. 

To y(our) Hydration, and Health!!! 

Drink up!!!

How an Alkaline Diet/Lifestyle can Utterly Transform your Body and Health

Alkaline. It's becoming a buzz word in the wellness field. Why? Minerals, that's why. That is an oversimplification of course, but there is great power in simplicity. The body requires certain essential nutrients to function; amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, etc., and none are both as important (and as deficient) in the western diet as minerals. 

The body is known to function best when the blood is within a very specific pH range, ideally at 7.365--Slightly alkaline. Add this to the REVOLUTIONARY claim by the Alkaline Diet Movement's Founder, Dr. Robert Young, that keeping the body alkaline can virtually cure ALL dis-ease, and you have a subject at least worthy of further exploration. 

In my own experience of countless years of health and medical problems, from immune disorders to depression and even cancer, the one thing that has worked to help my body heal more consistently is following an alkaline diet. Not to mention that this information has been around long before Dr. Young:

The body has a buffering system, namely the kidneys, liver, lungs and other homeostatic mechanisms, that can work to neutralize excess acids within the blood, but it uses minerals to buffer said acids, and given that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is dangerously low in these minerals, it can lead to grave imbalances in this most delicate of systems. Within the SAD diet, we have the over-consumption of many acid-forming (the way it's processed through the body) foods: carbohydrates & proteins, plus excessive amounts of alcohol, sugar and caffeine. And this isn't counting all of the stressful acid-forming toxins we are exposed to in our ever-growing industrialized culture. Remember the term "acid-rain" from the 80's and 90's? Funny how no one talks about it these days, yet our world has never been more acidic. SO... what to do?! 

Eat more Vegetables!!! Drink more (pure) water!!!

This time-honored wisdom, heard around the world from Grandmother to Mother to Child is our simplest and greatest power on the path to claiming our perfect health! It's also hard to argue with, as most people know deep down that this is true, we just simply need to be reminded, and more importantly, supported. Since our American society and lifestyle does not yet support this wisdom, we must first learn how to best support ourselves. 

In my own experience, transforming my eating habits from being a sugar-addict from the age of two until just recently (thats almost 30 years of acidifying my body) has not only transformed my physical health--which was very poor my whole life--I have nearly reversed all of the damage to my body by aligning with this simple wisdom, and my mind and even my Spirit have never been better. Eating Alkaline works. . . and you can take that to the bank!!!

There are many things we can do, but just following our own inner-balancing mechanisms has always been the best way to go. Yet knowing where our balance lies is a vital part of achieving it. For chemical and dietary balance within the body the alkaline alignment is simple: at least 60% of your plate should have vegetables on it, the other 40 can be acid-forming foods. That ratio is, however, to maintain an alkaline blood stream. If you are like most people and out of balance, with acidic blood, then to bring the body back into balance the ratio is then 80:20. 

This is what real Yoga is about; discovery, self-awareness & balance. And there is almost no more important awareness than what we put into the temple of our body. And speaking of Yoga. . . did you know one of the most effective ways to alkalize the body is the detoxifying methods the body uses in respiration?? 

That's right. Even simply breathing properly (slower, deeper, a min. of 5 seconds for each in and exhale) can dramatically influence healing. Don't just take my word for it, try it out! Meditate (focus) on your breath regularly. Drink more clean and alkaline water. Breathe deeper, and slower. Everything (your body, emotions, mind, family, friends, planet) will thank you for it. 

To your ideal health (a.k.a. alkaline alignment)!

Why Alignment is Everything

Neutral Spinal Alignment. In this photo, you can see four different alignments of the human body, yet only one is aligned neutrally, i.e., the way nature designed. The first image (A) represents this ideal alignment, while the other three show typical mis-alignments: (B) Kyphotic-lordotic, (C) Flat Back Posture, and (D) Sway-Back posture. Which of these posture best describes your own alignment? Knowing the answer to this can change your body, and your life. The implications alignment has on health and physiology are staggering, so much so, I find myself flabbergasted almost daily that everyone doesn't know this.

The difference between movement in alignment and movement out of alignment is like the difference between sleeping in a comfortable position and sleeping awkwardly to awake with a crick in your neck. The really remarkable thing is that most Yoga, Personal Training and general fitness activity out there (except Iyengar & Anusara styles of Yoga, Pilates, and speckles of intelligent teachings here and there) are nearly oblivious to the alignment of the body and spine during exercise.

This changes everything, and is not an exaggeration. When the human spinal column is neutral (figure A) the benefits of a workout are innumerable.

When the spine is misaligned (figures B-D), injury is much more likely. This can even effect all the joints, from ankles to shoulders and everything in between. Spinal alignment directly influences breathing capacity and function, which in turn influences brain and metabolic activity. We know in Yoga the breath is everything, and since the breath depends on spinal alignment, we can deduce that alignment is also everything. The breath and alignment are one. 

The good news is that alignment awareness is growing.

Foot-Alignment (the Foundation of Support for the Spine)

Consider this image regarding the alignment of the feet, which are the ground support for the whole body. A fun, challenging and incredibly simple action that will literally change your life is to look at the posture of your feet. The Runner's world is becoming more aware of the importance of alignment with regards to the foot. This is why "Barefoot Running" has become a movement. It supports alignment, or as they would call it, a "neutral gait." Basically, it translates into the alignment of the feet with one another and their natural arch structures (which in turn effects the alignment of the spine and entire rest of the body).

When the human body walks, and especially runs, the middle toe, that's the 3rd toe, of each foot need be parallel with the other, both pointing directly forward. In this position, the natural arches of the foot are poised to work and engage properly, which is the literal foundation for the body's core strength: The core begins at the feet! As these arches engage, so too do the glutes and the rest of the core, bringing proper support to the entire body! It all depends on the foundation!!!

Most people walk with their toes pointing out, and some walk with the toes pointing in, but both are out of balance and will effect the alignment of everything above them. As your first step (pun intended) on your path to alignment, start noticing the direction your toes point, and try and keep your middle toes parallel while you move or  stand. 

While you do this, actively engage your big toes inward, reaching toward one another while the pinkie toes reach in the opposite direction. Do this while placing most of your weight in your heels as this fully engages the three arches of the feet, bringing balance on the four corners of each foot. This is a profound and simple action to take in correcting misalignment in the body. 

Feel free to post comments and share the wonder in the simplicity of this truth! :)

To your Alignment, a.k.a., Your Greatest Potential

What is "Yoga?" Which style is right for me?

The word Yoga means Union. It comes from the Sanskrit, meaning to bring together. When done with mindfulness, this is exactly what Yoga does; unites body and mind with breath. However, not all Yoga is created equal. So how can we navigate the vast sea of styles that have sprouted from this honored tradition?

Bikram Yoga, a.k.a. Hot Yoga is served up in a 108 degree heat which makes it ideal for rapid detoxification & flexibility training. It is a very powerful, and in many ways, very mindful sequence full of wisdom, but it can be too militant, and is not really appropriate for most beginners or the unfit, as it has little focus on spinal alignment, and keeping the body safe. Sadly, this is a staggeringly common failure of the fitness and health industry today, including most yoga. Bikram also discourages modifications and props, which nearly every beginner needs for some pose or another.

Vinyasa Flow, is one of my personal favorites as well as one of the most popular, but it can be  demanding at times, and its offshoot Power Yoga is for the advanced. Ashtanga Yoga (the "Father of Vinyasa") is one of the most physically challenging practices and, along with Power and Vinyasa, offers a faster-paced sequence that often keeps the body moving, which is great for your typical type-A with a busy mind that just won't sit still. They are very popular styles in NYC--no wonder! These styles use a fluid sequence of interconnected poses creating a sort of "moving meditation experience," and are often challenging workouts, potentially leaving the practitioner with an "exercise glow," or "Yoga high," by the end of class.

Iyengar Yoga is ideal for beginners, and those in need of alignment training (which is nearly everyone). Alignment awareness is vital for a base knowledge of how to use the body effectively and most important: safely. Alignment's importance cannot be overstated, however, the time and detail given to each posture in this style can sometimes be drawn out and may endanger the practice in becoming too cerebral. It characteristically has fewer poses with longer holds to refine the alignment of each. 

Chair Yoga/Senior Yoga is a nice, low-impact practice that emphasizes breathing, body-awareness, stretching, meditation (quieting of the mind) and increasing circulation and range of movement in the joints. So many people see all these fit bodies in the media and think that if they aren't flexible or fit that yoga isn't for them. Yoga is for EVERY body, and this practice proves it :)

Hatha Yoga is essentially the source of Modern Yoga as the originator of all its subsequent schools, and these days generally refers to a class with deep stretching of individual postures held long enough to bring mindfulness to the breath and posture itself.

Acro/Partnered Yoga completely rocks. This kind of Yoga happens usually after you've done at least a few Yoga classes, you love it, and you wanna let your inner child-monkey out for a good time and play. Here, Yoga moves from a solo practice out into the world, communicating, with a partner, building trust and with the community it becomes more fun!

"Bird Pose"-One of the Basic Partnered/Acro Yoga Poses

Kundalini Yoga is for Masters: those who are interested in mastery and those who are ready for it.  It is the most energetically cleansing and spiritually transformational approach to Yoga, and is to be taken with a bit of discipline, especially given the intense power in it's nature; Kundalini energy is said to be the evolutionary energy of consciousness. Jung would have called it the "unconscious." Working with it is no trifling matter. . . but it can also bring lots of joy! Like so much of life: Challenge helps us grow. Characterized by dynamic movements in place of static postures, often coupled with a rapid breath control technique, this style can also be one of the most meditative and draws as much energy inward as it expends, sometimes even more. Both this style and the next discussed deal overtly with the major energy centers of the body, a.k.a. the "Chakras"

Tantra Yoga is one of the most neglected branches, despite its relative wealth of information. The word "tantra" comes from two words: "tattva," meaning the science of cosmic principles and "mantra," meaning the science of mystic sounds and vibrations. It is a practical blueprint to navigate through the earthly realms of the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, toward the realization of the Divine.

Its physical practice is somewhere between Hatha and Kundalini in its nature, and yes, the rumors are true; it can include certain sexual education techniques, which may also bring one to enlightenment. . . if you're into/looking for that sort of thing. The Tantric Path encourages us to be fully our selves to reach enlightenment, and that our desire is the key to such a state, which is a radical opposition to most traditions.

We've discussed styles & disciplines, mindfulness, even the essential nature of alignment. But what is the essence of Yoga? What is the experience, the purpose?? You can practice for personal, physical, professional or any other kind of development. You can practice to be happier, or to get better sleep, to be a more compassionate person. All of these are noble pursuits, and common benefits, but they only mere expressions of the one purpose of Yoga: Oneness.

That is, Complete Union within self, and the entirety of experience. 

This happens through the grace of the breath. It may sound like a bold claim, or un-satisfyingly simple to the ego/mind, which loves complications. There is great power in Yoga's simplicity. The breath, simply, generates awareness. True conscious awareness, free from the filters of the ego/mind, is that very same Oneness. It is the base expression of it, and from it, all benefit from Yoga flows. When we come into the place where we finally let go of the thinking mind, and sink into the being mind, the mind of awareness, all matter of transformation may happen.

Do Vinyasas, do Kundalini, do Bikram or whatever styles and postures you like. Practice with another, or even whilst you're by yourself. When sitting, driving, walking, or dancing. . . if the mind is present and awake to the breath in each moment, THAT is Yoga.