Dance as a Spiritual Pursuit As you move along your path toward peace and enlightenment, you can balance your loftier pursuits by also putting equal attention on the physical plane of existence. Much of our faith based exercises occur outside the realm of the material world, but in reality we spend every moment of our lives in our physical bodies. Most belief systems emphasize teachings such as “The body is a temple.” Exercise and diet are prescribed in detail in many spiritual practices. But beyond the maintenance of the body, there is a diversity of opinion about how our physical self can be used in a pleasurable exercise that affirms life's basic joys. Some religions expressly forbid dance.
However, Gurus can be skilled in another field such as dancing or music and be a leader for others in that area (Mlecko). For a spiritual Guru their responsibilities are to bless and enhance the seeker’s spiritual life through knowledge and prayers in order to help them attain reincarnation. Similar to how Jesus Christ, the son of God, shared the word of the Lord with the people on Earth, a Guru acts as a disciple and brings the teachings of the Lord to people who are in need. Gurus are sometimes sent out on a quest by God in response to the prayers of those suffering and can symbolize a sign of good karma heading their way. One of the amazing things about a Guru is their vast range of intelligence.
The teachings offered the members of The Beat Generation, a new way to understand the human lifestyle, it taught them how to have a state of mind free from the habits of thinking of the things we don’t have and obsessive thinking. Also what attracted the Beats was the Buddhist ideas of developing wisdom within and having a since of compassion for all. “Dharma Bums” by Jack Kerouac emulates themes that are seen within the Beats culture. Quotes from Kerouac in his reflection of his novel, “Dharma Bums” and quotes from “Dharma Bums” help integrate Buddhism and the Beat Generation together. The protagonist of the novel, Ray Smith, is Kerouac himself, tells the story in the first person.
Buddhists believe the more you give without seeking something in return, the ‘wealthier’ you become. Giving is said to purify and transform the mid of the giver. A monk or Bhikku is also another cultural link to Buddhist tradition. A bhikku’s lifestyle is simple + meditative, the ultimate goal to attain Nirvana. Like all other religious traditions Buddhism has an important place for pilgrimage based sites where Gautama Buddha lived and taught.
Nathan Licht Professor Burke English 101 20 June 2012 Massage Therapy: How does it make you feel? Obviously everyone knows that getting a massage feels great. However, most people do not realize how beneficial receiving massages can be. Massage can also be useful for more then just relaxation. Muscles and joints can be affected from various ways including, work, sports and exercise to name a few.
The Center for Spiritual Enlightenment is an interfaith spiritual community that follows the tradition of Kriya Yoga. It is a place where people join together to learn and grow. The community at this center focuses on learning wisdom and compassion and “awaken their minds to life’s inherent goodness.” Their teachings focus on getting the followers to believe that one must live a “spiritually conscious” life by following rules such as harmlessness, truthfulness, and using life’s energy in a way that is effective. The center began in 1981 as a chapter for spiritual awareness. The center is a worldwide ministry with a main focus on teaching meditation and bringing the teachings of the east to a new community in the west.
The biggest problem today is the confusion which stems from two conflicting pieces of advice. One is how to control or handle the senses and not to engage in suppression. The second conflict is that students are often told to work with the mind so that everything can be fine. These suggestions motivate one to shun working with the senses altogether. Only people who has mastered yoga possibly have the option to do this.
Aikido’s main purpose is to promote life and understanding, not by defeating others. That is the opinion stated by O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Therefore as a martial art, it is not only known as a system of self defense but a profound spiritual training. A beginner in martial Aikido would most likely think of it as an unappealing practice if he simply wants to learn it as self defense because the integral part of Aikido is its spiritual training and philosophy and it would take years for an individual to learn these aspects. A person should be entirely decided or determined to practice this martial art as a whole.
(http//www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/american-yoga_n_2251360.html, 2012). Not only public schools that teach yoga, also we can learn it from yoga online free classes and published books. Yoga nowadays has been published furthermore. Even though, the number of Arabian participations still unknown\ inaccurate. People are practicing yoga for its benefits.
The book I chose to do my report on is called “The gift of yoga” By Gina Kenny. Gena Kenney has worked in the health and fitness industry for eighteen years. She is passionate about the balance of hatha style yoga. She was first introduced to yoga while recovering from energy. She credits yoga with not only helping her to recover physically but also for helping her to discover the path of self-awareness and enlightenment of her life’s purpose.