Sitaram Das

A Dream of 99 Teslas

Sitaram Das — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:37:30 +0000

I had a dream the other night. Walking in the woods behind my house, I came across a man. Though he maintained the appearance of an ordinary man, I knew somehow that he wasn’t.

“you’re from another planet.” I told him

He nodded and smiled and walked me into a clearing where his ship was. It looked mostly like one of those sprinter minibuses. The interior wasn’t much different than that of a human vehicle, black leather. There were a few gadgets that i didn’t recognize here and there.

“That’s awesome” I said, and we both smiled big, dorky grins.

“So, “ I ask, “what are you doing here?” reasonable question.

“what are YOU doing here?” he countered, raising and eybrow, and speaking for the first time. A deep voice, with a hint of metal.

I was taken aback, and I answered, “um, I teach yoga, and I help people switch over to green energy”

“Green energy?” he said, and walked over to the front of his truck, and looked for the latch of his hood.

“Yeah, you know, windmills and solar panels and such”

He tilted his head, and it seemed as if he were downloading the information right into his mind, “You know those aren’t very efficient, right?”

A little defensive, I countered, “I didn’t know that, and anyway, its better that the alternatives, better than coal.”

He found the latch, and unlocked the hood. “Right, coal. You guys dig up your planet out from under your feet, and set it on fire. You know that’s stupid, right?”

“What do you think of nuclear power?”

“Oh right, that’s when you dig up the most dangerous materials you have available, on your whole planet, and use it to boil water. Thats really dumb too. You know your people aren’t very good that? Parts of your planet keep getting poisoned with radiation. Its possible that none of your kind will live to see it restored. Those plants should at least have an ‘off switch’.”

I look down at my feet, embarrased. “So, what then?”

He lifts the hood of the truck, and points. There is a sphere on a post in the center, where an engine usually is. Its giving off a dim glow. he lifts it off its base and asks me to hold it. It’s light and study and warm. He takes a rag and some WD-40, and cleans the terminal. I return the globe, and it gets placed carefully back where it belongs. It glows much brighter now, and the air around us crackles, and fills with a slight smell of ozone.

“You can just pull energy out of the air. As much as you need. For free. Safely. With no pollution.” He waves his hand over his gnerator. Its full of swirling colors now, and little sparks of lightning tickle his hand. He’s showing off.

“One this size could run many, many cars. Many, many houses. Forever. Just remember to keep it clean.” He winks at me, smiles, and closes his hood. “They cost about five hundred bucks to build.”

Then he looks at me prophetically, and begins to climb into the drivers seat. “There will come a time when 99 Nikola Teslas will come to this planet, and all energy will be free for all the people, and the need to pollute your enviornment to conduct your business will be a thing of the past. “

“But, wait, I sell the green energy…”

He shrugs his shoulders, “What is more important?”

And I wake up.

And I have to concede, free energy pulled right out of the atmosphere is certainly better that cheaper energy collected by windmills. And even though my green energy project is a nice additional income, i would prefer it if all energy was free for all people. I’m sure when the 99 Teslas show up, I’ll be able to come up with another way to make a buck.

And so I’ve been curious about Tesla, and two videos really stand out for me. One is a documentary, available on netflix, called, “The Secret of Tesla”. The other is a youtube video called “Tesla, Drunk History” by Duncan Trussel. On the drunk history video, Tesla is labeled, ‘The Electric Jesus’. It’s a good name. It seems to fit. I’m ready for him to come back, and bring 98 of his friends.

Q & A, Healing Sciatica

Sitaram Das — Sun, 29 May 2011 03:36:00 +0000

Someone asked how they could use yoga to help with some sciatica that they started experiencing during their pregnancy.
Having never met them, this is what I felt like i could safely offer.

most generally, sciatica is caused by the irritation, compression, and/or inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

see, the sciatic nerve comes down the vertebrae and weaves through the pelvis, it passes under a part of the pelvis called the sciatic notch (bone). then it travels down through the glut and the hamstring.

often, what can happen, is through alignment, tension, injury, etc, is that the notch rubs against, or crushes the nerve. this is irritating. also, if there is a possibility that the nerve can get squeezed by the glute and the hamstring pushing, or being stuck together.

the best thing to do it to create space in the jammed areas, and be really mindful of your not making it worse by doing poses that jam up the area.

some poses that might be useful:
*pigeon pose while lying on the back, you can do it the normal way, if your hips are really open
*pascimottanasana with the knees deeply bent and the spine straight, to peel open the tissues in the back of the legs and butt. deeply bent knees, really really
*try putting two straps around your hips, pull one to the left, and pull one to the right. this can help open the pelvis nicely. you can keep them on while you do your practice, and it might support you nicely
*twisting triangle
*easy locust pose that will strengthen the low back muscles

avoid
*deep forward folding with legs straight
*deep backbends that jam the sacrum

hope it helps.

Wisdom’s Blossoms: Tales of the Saints of India by Doug Glenner and Sarat Komaragiri

Sitaram Das — Wed, 18 May 2011 03:34:59 +0000

Listening to one of Tara Brach’s podcasts, I heard her saysomething to the effect of, “for teachers, good stories are like gold”. She went on to say how she and her colleauges read and study trying to dig up the best stories for their classes. There is even a bit of lighthearted competition, to see who can find the best story first.

I also find my self diving into media both sacred and secular, attempting to glean something valuable, something I can sit with and savor, and something that I can share with my students.

I was thrilled to find “Wisdom’s Blossoms” in the used bookstore the other day. A lovely collection of short biorgraphies, it gives us a glimpse into the lives of many great saints, and yogis. We are treated to delightful portraits of pivotial movents that shaped our spiritual ancestors.

The authors took inspiration for this book from the Bhagavad Gita. The Gita itself is amazingly fantastic guide to yoga lifestyle and practice. A yoga teacher will probably want a couple of different translations, just to be able to look at it from different perspectives. Anyway, in Chapter 16, Krishna tells Arjuna that the devout and successful practitioner possesses certain qualities, such as “ Fearlessness, purity of heart, perserverance in aquiring knowledge and in practicing yoga, charity…Non-injury, truthfulness, freedom from wrath…radiance of character, forgiveness, patience…” (God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita, Paramahamsa Yogananda).

Krishna lists 26 qualities, and there are 26 corresponding stories in ‘Blossoms’. Milarepa’s life exlemplifies perserverence, and The Buddha teaches nonviolence. Jnaneshwar, a great saint who, coincidentally, penned an inspired translation of the Bhagavad Gita, offers a lesson in modesty. The Great Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur, embodies fearlessness. In a very beautiful way, the authors include both men and women, and masters from many traditions. The book is structured so that we can enjoy a single story at a time, or devour the whole book at once. Its a really nice addition to my library, and it might be to yours, as well. Enjoy!

Pick up your copy today by clicking here!

Aquiring a Taste for Your Life

Sitaram Das — Sun, 15 May 2011 15:35:00 +0000

Your life might be an aquired taste. Do you remember the first time you had a glass of wine, how awful it was? Do you remember the dawning of awareness, as you realized the depth, the complexity, the beauty? Have you ever listened, as a vintner discussed what goes into every bottle, the effects of the soil and the atmosphere and the wood of the casks? Or as a connesiour encourages you to absorb every last bit of flavor? Have you seen their faces light up as they describe what they love about wine?
This is your life. Your life is an acquired taste! You have created your life. You have done the best you could, given your particular environment, genetics, and karma. You have crafted something, that just might be wonderful. Sit back, light a candle, and taste it. Savor it’s complexity. Consider the possibility that nothing in your life needs to change except the way you taste it. Extract every nuance. Give yourself a chance to sift through what you may have initially written off as unpleasant. Allow the flavors to open and reveal themselves to you. Let the bitterness, the grit, the swarm of seemingly conflicting impressions melt into a harmonious blend of experience. Marvel at the richness and the beauty.
In my favorite Bukowski poem, ‘The Laughing Heart’, he agrees,

‘Your life is your life, know it while you have it. You are marvelous, the gods wait to delight in you.’

Join them, all the gods, masters and holy ones. Join the winos, and the beats. Delight in your life.

My response to Yogi Ram’s Denouncement of Shiva Rea.

Sitaram Das — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:53:00 +0000

So Shiva Rea wears stretchy pants and sports bras. And she teaches wild, undulating vinyasas. She brings in live drum orchestras. She quotes ancient tantric texts, and mixes it with her own brand of inspirational cheerleading. The few times I’ve worked with her, I had an excellent time. Really enjoyed myself, and also I felt like I grew, spiritually. I felt my prana flowing, my body opening, my mind clearing. All good in the hood, as far as I’m concerned.
I was really surprised to hear Yogi Ram’s quote, “Wearing skimpy clothes, glamorizing or doing unusual things definitely affects the dignity of Yoga. The government needs to step in and retain the essence and authenticity of the traditional Indian art.” Shocked really, and saddened. Saddened, because I naively believed that the yoga culture that I had opted into was beyond the repressive and misogynistic attitudes that I had come to associate with western traditions. I’ve seen these things pop up a few times before, but this time, I’m really rubbed the wrong way. Because Shiva clearly hasn’t done anything wrong. I’ve seen an article or two that has come to her defense, but that isn’t even necessary.
It seems more useful to address the obvious underlying issue in Yogi Ram’s attitude. Yogi Ram seems to have a problem with women. He seeks to deny them of their power, their sexual and sensual agency, their place in the holy mandiram. He seeks to shame them, to vilify their bodies, and to repress their femininity. How else would you explain his words?
Yoga is a tradition passed down by a lineage of naked men who cover themselves in the ashes of dead people, hang out in graveyards, drink out of skulls, and smoke massive amounts of weed. The Lord of the yogis is a naked man. You would think that ashes and loincloths would fall under the heading of skimpy clothes. Unusual behavior? Take your pick.
But they are men. Men are allowed to do what they want. Men can choose what to do with their own bodies, can go naked if they want, can hang heavy weights from their members if they want. Not women, though. Women need to be kept under control, protected and locked away, like any other piece of property. We see this often in western culture, but not so much in our yoga, because we have naturally been attracted to the highest elements, of love, acceptance and freedom. We have been spared much of the dogma and backwoods rhetoric. But here it is, yogic subjugation of the female, plain as day.
If another man sees OUR woman, while she is dressed in revealing clothing, he might feel lust, he might try to take her away from us. He might even use force. He might rape our woman, perhaps contaminating our bloodline. And, (and this one is maybe even more dangerous to a fearful male ego) if we see a woman that isn’t ours, wearing stretchy pants, we might feel our primal, instinctual urges, we might be motivated to use force, and forsake our spiritual motivations, and act bestial. Even if we don’t act bestial (pashukarma), we would have to admit that we live in a body that has bestial tendencies. Animalistic thoughts arise, its part of the hardware. But what to do? Best to deal with them honestly, use a yoga and meditation practice to liberate the energy from the thought forms, and move into a loving, accepting place. You don’t blame hot dancing women in stretchy pants though, just cause you can’t hold your bandhas. It’s a shallow expression of a victim mentality, and that, if anything, is what would affect the dignity of yoga.

Here is the Original Article In The Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8368854/Yoga-row-between-Indian-purists-and-Western-free-form.html

Broaden Your Foot

Sitaram Das — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:24:00 +0000

spread your toes as wide as you can.
now take your attention from you toes, back a little, into the ball of your foot.
spread the ball of your foot as wide as you can, from the center of the ball of the foot, out to the big toes edge, and the little toe edge.
now relax the toes a little, and just let them gently extend forward.
Focus on opening and spreading the ball of the foot.
snuggle the ball of the foot into the ground, and lift from the center of the arch.
this will send more weight to the outer edge of the foot. this is good, press into the outer edge of your foot, but don’t loose your connection to the ball of the big toe.
visualize a line that runs across the center of the foot (left-right)
the front of the line reaches forward, the back of the line reaches back.
Draw your knee back a little to press weight into your heel, and lift the calf muscle upward at the same time.
let the heel flower out from the center to the edges.

compostie paintings, composite goddesses

Sitaram Das — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:38:00 +0000

I like these ‘composite paintings’ from 18th century india. It reminds me of a composite Durga that my friend Dave game me once. Durga was created from the power and the energy of all the Gods. All of the shakti combined made her powerful enough to destroy the evil buffalo demon, Mahiasura. It would be interesting to know if there is any relationship between the Hindu Myth, and these Mughal Paintings.
I found this painting, and many more, on “Journey Round My School“

Also, for your enjoyment, here is a traditional version of “The Mahiasura Mardini Stotram” a song the celebrates Durga as the Fierce Warrior who defeats the Buffalo Demon. Those of you who go to Amma’s programs will probably recognize it, it is a favorite.

Fertility Awareness Method of birth control

Sitaram Das — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:32:00 +0000

someone showed me this really interesting PDF about ‘the fertility awareness method of birth control. i gave it a google, and this is what came back:

Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) is a collection of practices that help a woman know which days of the month she is most likely to get pregnant. A woman can learn when ovulation is coming by observing her own body and and charting physical changes. She can then use this information to avoid or encourage pregnancy. The most effective way to discover YOUR fertile time is to practice all of the techniques described here.

Fertility Awareness increases a woman’s understanding of her body and her menstrual cycle.

from FABC

Here is ths Downloadable PDF, a really neat document.

Pralad Jani Passes the test!

Sitaram Das — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:39:00 +0000

After 15 days of investigation, India’s Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences concluded its study of 82-year-old yogi Prahlad Jani on Thursday, May 6.

Jani, who claims to have lived without food or water since his childhood, was under the close watch of three video cameras 24 hours a day. Researchers conducted various medical tests on him. The research team, consisting of 35 scientists, could not find any evidence that Jani ate or drank anything during the 15 days.

From the Epoch Times

First Article is here

Lemon Pickles

Sitaram Das — Thu, 13 May 2010 04:46:00 +0000

Last week was a crafty week, i decided to make both lemon pickle and saurkraut. Saurkraut I’ve made before and find totally delicious, but I haven’t made lemon pickle before. Arsha Vidya makes a slammin version, but it never occured to me that I could make it myself. However,I found a recipe online and decided to try it out. Funny thing is, is that now that this recipe is on my mind, lemon pickle is popping up everywhere! I just found a second method, which looks great as well.

Although it certainly needs a little more time, i tasted it yesterday, and it is coming along really nicely. here are the two sites: (you’ll love the website names)

Salt and Fat
Evil Mad Scientist