MyLifeYoga

During the original Gita Talk, we had a fascinating discussion about science vs. religion, at the end of which I wrote the following to a strong supporter of the scientific view:

The ancient Yoga sage(s) who wrote the Gita recognized that different people would need different types of Yoga to match their personality types.

People who are primarily analytical in nature might feel most comfortable with Jnana Yoga, or the Yoga of Understanding. They like to think and philosophize about Yoga.

People who are primarily people orientedmight be most attracted to Karma Yoga, or the Yoga of Action, which emphasizes selfless giving and compassion.

People who are highly emotional in nature might prefer Bhakti Yoga, or the Yoga of Love and Devotion, which emphasizes love, sacred chanting, mantras, and devotional kirtan music.

Finally, people who are what psychologists call “drivers” might tend towards Raja Yoga, or the Yoga of Meditation, as exemplified by the progressive spiritual attainment of the Yoga Sutra.

None of this is meant to pigeonhole people. We all have aspects of all these types within us. But most people have what psychologists call a “dominant style.” And, according to the Gita, all of these paths lead to the same place–a deep awareness of the infinite wonder of the universe.

I was surprised by how closely the types of Yoga in the Gita correspond to modern personality theory. It’s almost an exact match. The ancient Yoga guys figured out thousands of years ago that there are different Yoga strokes for different Yoga folks.

Credit: This has been written by Bob Weisenberg. He is Editor of Best of Yoga Philosophy and former Yoga Editor & Assoc. Publisher of elephant journal. He is the author of Yoga Demystified and Bhagavad Gita in a Nutshell, as well as Co-editor of Yoga in America. For more details visit: http://bobweisenberg.wordpress.com/

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Kindness is not skin deep. It is all embracing. That is why it is not easy as it needs our attention and our energy. But it is worth it. Because it enriches our life and multiplies our blessings.

Please share this video and pass this message of kindness around. Let none amongst us regret that we had an opportunity to make a positive difference in somebody’s life and we held back.

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Satao - World's Largest Tusker

Today news broke that the world’s largest elephant, Satao, is dead, killed by poachers for his tusks. Satao is dead to feed the global demand for ivory. Satao was just 45 years old and he easily had another 15 to 25 years to live.

Satao’s passing has all of Kenya mourning. He was an iconic elephant. He was such a phenomenal elephant that he was provided a lot of protection. He lived in the Tsavo East National Park in northern Kenya. The Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) kept a watchful eye on him in an attempt to protect him. Yet in spite of all this, poachers were able to hunt Satao down and steal his ivory.

Satao was an extraordinarily intelligent elephant. It seemed that he knew that he was being hunted for his tusks, so he hid in the bushes most of the time. But all Satao’s wisdom was not enough against modern day poachers using GPS, hunting gear, and night vision goggles.

Satao’s death shows how hard conservation is. But we must not misstate the problem. On the surface it appears as if poachers killed Satao. But that is just part of the story, Satao has been killed by all those who use ivory and ivory products. If there was no demand for ivory Satao would have been alive today. Our choice to use ivory is the cause for death of thousands of elephants every year. It appears as if the demand is coming from China and Thailand. But these two countries are using ivory in products that are then exported all over the world. Ivory is used to make chopsticks, jewelry, ornaments, art work, hair accessories, and decorative pieces. When we buy these products we feed the demand and at the other end of the supply-chain an elephant is killed. Every year, upwards of 20,000 elephants are slaughtered for their ivory.

Satao’s story illustrates that as consumers we have tremendous impact on the environment. But it is not just about ivory. It is about the general patterns of our consumption. We have to ask ourselves if our consumption of any given thing is sustainable or not. In case it is not sustainable we must look for alternatives or change our behavior to minimize or avoid its use. We need to move from being blind consumers to being conscious consumers. Because our choices have consequences.

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