BREATHWORK THERAPY"

We get most our chi or life energy from the air we breathe. It has been said that if we were to change nothing-not our eating, exercise or thinking patterns and habits-except our breathing, we could radically alter our life. Apart from aiding in maintaining and restoring health, vitality and increased longevity, the main benefit is, that when we contact and experience it, we are given a range of experiences from deep inner peace, total complete relaxation and better sleep, to the overwhelming feelings of joy and bliss of nirvana or Samadhi". The breath revitalises and re-balances our four subtle bodies and connects us back to the source. Through Breathwork we can experience the holding patterns in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body and release tensions, stress or dysfunctional patterns to become re-energised and refreshed.

Pisces

A Pisces in love is lost in an ecstatic dream. And, since love and sex are one and the same for Pisces, sex is a beautiful fantasy you want to merge and blend with your partner, to become one. Seductive and romantic, your fluid nature sees no boundary between yourself and your beloved. But, all too often, the dream turns out to be merely an illusion. Each time you fall in love you believe you have found your soulmate. You give yourself body and soul to your beloved. Dreams, however, can easily turn into nightmares when you finally realize that all is not what it seemed and the illusion is shattered. You tend to live an "if only" life, dreaming endlessly of what might be and fantasizing about the perfect love affair. Not surprisingly, everyday life usually fails to measure up to your dream world, and the relationships you enter into with such hope fail to fulfill the fantastic promise that they hold in your mind. Pisces has a tendency to cling to the past, and to lovers, and never really severs the bonds. There is nothing Pisces loves more than to see an old flame and rekindle the passion, at least for a time. The thought of hurting anyone's feelings, especially someone you have loved, is more than you can bear.

Capricorn

Despite having an earthy sensuality, Capricorns can be cautious when it comes to carnal passion. You prefer to wait for the right partner. You take love seriously. You are at your most sober when young, but as you mature the lecherous goat emerges who impulsively climbs the mountain of desire. Capricorn falls in love slowly. The attraction strengthens, the mutual trust develops, and eventually you realize you are deeply in love. Once the commitment has been made, you have an unshakable loyalty to your lover. You find difficulty in openly showing affection. Sex is fine; you can let yourself go within a committed relationship. But it is in the everyday expression of affection that you can be inhibited.

Aquarius

As an Aquarius, you value your independence highly and like to do things in your own unique style. Many of your sexual encounters take place somewhere in your head. Although you are interested in humanity as a whole, when it comes to one-on-one closeups, you are often at a loss. Love is something of a puzzle to you. Aquarius likes the thought of a soulmate. Someone with whom you fit, someone who makes your life perfect. Eventually, of course, you find out that soulmates are not always like this. But by then you are so deeply in love it doesn't matter anyway. When you are deeply committed, you are faithful and loyal.

Scorpio

You are a sophisticated and highly adept lover. Scorpio rules sex, birth, death, and rebirth. You have an urge to explore dark places of life where others fear to tread. Powerfully libidinous and intensely sexy, you ignore taboos. You see sex as an opportunity to explore the mystical depths of emotion.Scorpio is a compulsive and obsessive sign. When you are in lust, you obsess about the object of your desires. When you are in love, you think about your beloved constantly. Love, lust, and libido are all important to you. You do not fall in love easily. But when you do fall, you fall hard. And you stay there. What you seek is a true soulmate. Your world is emotional, dramatic, tense, full of emotional undercurrents and the echoes of painful traumas from the past.

Sagittarius

Freedom-loving sagittarius is a natural philanderer who hates to be tied down for too long. Ever-impetuous, you revel in a spontaneous, inflammatory sexual adventure with plenty of passion. You fall in love easily. Half the time it is infatuation, but you don't mind and you rarely differentiate between the two until the affair is over. You enjoy being in love. You are an unemotional sign who does not agonize over the future; you simply enjoy what is happening now with great verve and passion. One of your difficulties in love is that you always want more. You have a nagging feeling there could be something more exciting around the corner. It takes a strong love to hold you, but once committed, you are usually faithful.

Virgo

On the surface, meticulous Virgo is a shy sign, but you are an entertaining companion for those who take the trouble to inquire into your deeper self in your search for perfection. You tend not to pursue the object of your desire openly. Given the right partner, you display an earthy sensuality and a strong carnal appetite. You are not a sign that gets carried away by love and sentiment. You are much too practical and analytical for that. But when you do fall in love, you are thoughtful and caring and will do all you can to serve your partner.

Libra

You need a partner to make yourself complete. For you, togetherness is what life is all about. You delight in pleasing people and because you adjust to the needs of others, your relationships are always harmonious. You are blessed with enormous charm and sexual charisma, and you don't hesitate to use it to get what you want. Libra is a sign much given to sentiment and romanticism. You do all you can to make your partner happy. You are an accomplished lover and adept at pleasing your partner. Libra is a very refined sign and has very discriminating tastes. You enjoy the finer things in life and this applies to your sexual encounters as well. Everything surrounding sex must be beautiful and harmonious. You like subtle perfumes, candles, incense, massage oils. They arouse your senses. You also like soft, sensual fabrics.

Gemini

A restless seeker after new sensations, Gemini never stays still. You dance with partner after partner in an intricate sexual gavotte. Your urge for communication demands continual movement for you, sex is an intellectual activity. You may like to discuss feelings, but you don't feel a need for them. One of your greatest problems in relationships is understanding how other people feel. Indeed, you can be so insensitive to people's feelings that you unthinkingly dash their hopes of love without even noticing. To overcome this, you need to listen as well as talk. Gemini values friendship over love.

Cancer

Cancer is the sign with a powerful urge to nurture people. Your sexual style is caring, concerned, and oriented towards sharing. You feel a need to take care of your partner. Yours is a sentimental, romantic sign. When you fall in love you want the full works: hearts, flowers, and a huge wedding. In love, your biggest problem is oversensitivity. You are jealous and possessive. You want your partner's undivided love because it makes you feel secure. As a tactile sign, you enjoy kissing and cuddling. Snuggling up with the one you love makes you feel good. Cancer is a great holder of hands.

Leo

The natural king of the zodiac, Leo loves to be the center of attention and to be in love - which is not difficult since you are ruled by the sun and have a warm-hearted nature. As a fire sign, you are exceedingly passionate and sexually demanding. You are a confident and self-assured lover. People do tend to notice you. You are dramatic and full of vitality and bounce, like a boisterous lion cub. But, unlike a cub, you radiate an irresistible sexual power that draws everyone into fascinated orbit around you.

Astrology & Sex

Astrology & Sex Astrology and Sex are closely knitted to each other as it is quite often said and believed that sun signs determine the sexual desires.

Aries

Raunchy Aries is one of the most passionate and impetuous of the signs. Feelings run high when ardent Aries is around. You go all out for what you want - no sitting around waiting for others to make the first move. What you like is short, sharp sex. The basic Aries energy is rapacious, self-oriented, and self-confident. When you finally fall in love, rather than in lust, the romantic and somewhat naive side of your fire nature emerges, but you will remain headstrong and passionate. No matter how romantically inclined, Aries passion is indissolubly linked to love, so you want to express your feelings in a very direct way.

Taurus

By far the most sensual of the signs, Taurus has a passionate nature and a strong sex drive. You are turned on by beautiful people and places. Your earthy, solid body exudes sensuality and arouses desire, but you hesitate to move in on a prospective lover, preferring to be asked. Despite a strong libido, you are not driven by lust. You like a stable, orderly life and are renowned for possessiveness; an active sex life is usually part of an ongoing partnership.When you fall in love, you fall heavily and finally. You are committed for life. Love is something Taurus takes very seriously indeed.

What is the relationship of sex and spirituality?

A strange combination it seems but one that evokes huge responses. Is there something called sacred sex! Or is celibacy the only path for the true seeker. It is ultimately a personal choice that people must make, not forgetting that the spiritual practice of celibacy was and is considered to be a profound even crucial aspect of spiritual life by the Christians, Buddhist and Hindus alike. For it is foolish to underestimate the overwhelming power that the sexual instinct possesses to create complex delusions and illusions! Understand and be aware of this power fully before accepting or rejecting it.

Fengsui for Relationship and Love

What began centuries ago in China as a way of interpreting the natural world to create more efficient agricultural systems and even study astronomy to understand the passage of time is an age old institution named Feng Shui. Through the ages, Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway) has evolved into a tool to fine tune our aspirations in life. Wealth, Health, Fame, Career and Love are the essential and integral part of our daily life and Feng Shui enhances the prospects of these specific needs. Feng Shui is not an obscure Chinese dish but an ancient Chinese art of placement and positioning and more so an environmental science. Feng means "Wind" and Shui is "Water" an analogy to "Wealth". The art is quite complex with calculations and analysis for aligning space. It evolves around this wonderful symbol know as "YIN YANG", which represents the law of nature that "all complimentary opposites must co-exist with a seed of the opposite within it". The aim is to bring about a level of energy balance and harmony in a building through Fengshui. Everything in the universe has an energy field around it but influenced and linked in some way to everything else. This energy flows and this is known as "CHI" and fengshui predominantly deals with harmonizing the flow of "CHI". All relationships are based on a fine balance of understanding, co-operation, mutual adjustment, trust, love and compassion. When one of them is imbalanced the relationship does not sustain. The place of dwelling and our immediate surroundings have a great impact on our relationship, marriage prospects, love and romance. When the areas of your home affecting your love life are cluttered, missing from your floor plan, or suffering from Shar chi (harmful energy) it can be difficult to find and maintain a good relationship and marriage prospects can diminish. If the energy in the relationship-power spots of your home is blocked or weak, you may feel tired, depressed, unable to focus, hampered in your efforts to connect with a potential partner. Where chi flows too strongly, you may feel out of control, overly emotional, or anxious much of the time. Communication becomes more difficult, and relationships can feel unstable. Hearts made of rose quartz or amethyst are said to be powerful enhancers to bring together romantic pairs. Heart is a universal symbol of love across all traditions and cultures. Words such as "heartfelt", "heartbroken" and "heart wrenching" eloquently describe feelings associated with love. Birds in pairs represent romance and love. Doves are most popular as they are sacred to Venus and the love deities. Mandarin ducks enhances love and marriage prospects and if they are especially made of Rose quartz they are excellent Placing such symbols at the southwest corner of your bedroom enhances the earth sector which is the southwest and shining a bright light on to them ensures that the earth element is energized through "fire". Place the symbols on a red colored fabric at the southwest and keep the light at this corner on for long hours daily A key principle of Feng Shui is that everything is connected energetically. This means that your thoughts and feelings, even your behavior, are strongly influenced by your surroundings. At the same time, the state of your home reflects your mood and attitude. A dark, untidy bedroom, for example, contributes to an atmosphere of fatigue and depression, which in turn makes it harder for you to find the energy to clean the place up and air it out. In Feng Shui terms, it is also undermining your ability to attract and maintain a joyful and supportive romantic attachment.

Christianity

which began as a Jewish sect in the eastern Mediterranean in the middle of the first century until Constantine I legalized it in the fourth century and Emperor Theodosius I established it as the official religion of the Roman Empire. From then Christianity played an important role in shaping the Western civilization. The largest religion in the world, Christianity is centered on the life and teachings of Jesus, which is presented in the New Testament. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah who was to come, as it was prophesized in the Old Testament, to save mankind from sin. He was born as a human, so that he could suffer, die and resurrect in order to bring salvation from sin. Christians believe that Jesus resurrected from death and ascended into heaven and will return to judge and the living and the dead. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke reveal that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Christians believe in the concept of salvation. With Jesus’s death and resurrection, he has saved mankind from sin and eternal death and by believing in him, they feel that they too would be saved. Trinity is another important belief of Christians. It is believed that God the father, son and the Holy Spirit though three separate entities, are still one. They represent both the immanence and transcendence of God. For Christians the soul, upon death of the physical body will experience divine judgement and awarded either eternal death or eternal life. However, sometime in the middle ages, following the first council of Lyon, the disconcerting possibility of eternal damnation was moderated by the introduction of the purgatory. Purgatory is considered the place in between heaven and hell. Those who die in a state of grace, i.e. without any mortal sin, but are still not pure enough to enter heaven, undergo a purification process through the intermediate state of purgatory and then enter heaven. It is further believed that at the end of the world, Jesus would come for a second time to judge the living and the dead and all those who died would be bodily resurrected. Jesus would then establish the kingdom of God in fulfillment of the scriptural prophecies. Some of the Christian rituals include, attending the Sunday mass, where in they listen to the Gospel and the sermon. The Gospel are the sections from the New Testament of the Bible that have been written by four disciples of Christ, i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. After reading a small portion from any of the four books, the priest gives a sermon, which is basically a lecture based on the reading. An important act of the mass, amongst the Catholics, is the sacrament of Holy Communion or the Eucharist. In this, the congregation partakes of the bread and wine which symbolically stands for the body and blood of Christ. The Eucharist is just one of the seven sacraments of the church. The others include, Baptism (when a new born or any one who is interested to convert into Christianity is initiated into the religion), Confirmation, Holy orders, Confession, Anointing of the sick and Marriage. Certain people who have lived an exemplary and divine life and are considered to be in the divine presence even after death, are given the status of Saints amongst Christians. These people are said to have special powers to intercede to God on behalf of the living. The Roman Catholic Church has developed a formal process for recognizing saints known as Canonization. This process is lengthy and may take anywhere between years to centuries. It involves firstly a study of the individual’s life, which undertaken by an expert. The prepared report is then presented to the Bishop of that area and further studies are undertaken. Once that is also done, the report is sent to the Congregation of the Causes of Saints in Rome, who if they approve, give the individual, the title of ‘Venerable’. Further investigations may lead to beatification, where in the candidate will be given the title of ‘Blessed’. The final step of ‘Saint’ is given only once atleast two important miracles are proved on behalf of the candidate. Special weight is given to those miracles that happen after his death and show his continued relationship with God. Finally when everything is done, the Pope canonizes the Saint. On death, Christians bury their dead.

How to find Happiness

There is a classic, and well-known, story of a farmer whose donkey refused to pull a heavy cart for him. He solved the problem by tying a stick to the donkey’s head, then dangling a carrot from the end of the stick. The donkey strained energetically, but forever ineffectually, to reach that carrot. It didn’t notice the cart dragging along behind it, with its heavy burden. How much the majority of people resemble that donkey as they strain to reach their “carrot” of happiness! The carrot can never be reached through their senses. Happiness is a state of mind, not a thing. An Indian friend of mine commented to me many years ago in San Francisco, “It amuses me to hear Americans scoff at superstitions of all kinds, when they themselves are steeped in the greatest superstition of all. I cannot imagine a greater one than this: the thought that happiness, which is a state of mind, exists in inanimate objects!” People strain to reach the unattainable, all the while dragging along behind them a cartload of cares and worries! The way to find happiness is astonishingly simple. It is this: to be happy! There is a story from Maine, one of the American states, of a town “grouch.” Every town has one—not only one, of course, but often there is one person known particularly for his sour temper, and his inability to enjoy anything. This man complained when a dog crossed his lawn; shouted when a child approached too close to his flower beds; grumbled at the neighbors who spoke or played the radio too loudly; protested if the train that bore him to work was late; quibbled over every slight detail with his fellow workers at the office—and finally, so one imagines, snarled at the news he heard on the radio after returning home in the evening, before he tumbled into bed and had nightmares! Well, one day after years of this grouchy attitude, this same fellow came bounding out of his home in the morning, waved cheerily at a few passing school children, wished his neighbors a very good morning, was a ray of sunshine all day at the office, and actually phoned someone to share a piece of good news he’d just heard on the radio in the evening! His fellow townsfolk observed this change in his behavior for a week, marveling at it. Finally they could stand the suspense no longer. A group visited him and asked, “What on earth has come over you?” “It’s quite simple,” the erstwhile “grouch” replied. “For years I kept waiting for something to make me happy. Finally I concluded that nothing ever would. So I made up my mind to be happy anyway!” Happiness is self-generated. It depends on one’s attitude of mind. The basis of happiness, moreover, is the simple fact that the deepest reality of our own nature is Satchidanandam: ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new¬ joy, as my Gurudeva put it in his refreshing refinement of the classic expression of Adi Swami Shankaracharya. You have bliss already. So why not determine, from today, to live in bliss?

Role of Guru

The word Guru means he who takes you from darkness into light. A Guru gives illumination to the student. Contact with a divine teacher and interaction with guru clears the path of a seeker. This makes self-realization easier. A guru is one who practices the following four fold precepts at all times, the following are also the guidelines for all those on the path of spiritual seeking. A Guru embodies all these precepts in person and shows us that it is possible for us too. All three broad paths-Karma, Bhakti, Jnana all have only one ultimate end-the vision of god, the merging with the self within. To be on any of the paths we have to submit our activities and our thinking to these broad precepts. The fourfold precepts (purusharthas) are (1)Dharma (2) Artha (3) Kama (4) Moksh.

An understanding of these and living according to them is the precondition of any Sadhna. (1) Dharma-generally translated as righteousness. The exact interpretation of Dharma of course depends upon place, time and station in life. But to generalize it one can say that Dharma means- nonviolence (Ahimsa), truthfulness (Satyam), non stealing (Asatyam), cleanliness (Soucam), sense restraint (Indriyanigraha). Ahimsa-Must be understood in relation to natures laws of killing and preservation. Satyam - speak what is true. Astyam - Do not takeaway from people what is theirs or refuse them what is theirs. Soucam - Cleanliness is external i.e. physical but mental and of the heart too. Indriyanigraha - is senses restraint. The senses create either of two basic reactions-desire and hate, raga and devesha. The right way(Dharma) consists in the constant effort to keep away desire and hate.

(2) Artha- is the wealth you acquire out of your own direct effort. This is the best that is uttama. Next is that which is bequeath to you. This is second best. Third kind is adhama which you gain by virtue of your marriage.

(3) Moksha-means freedom. What is this freedom? Freedom from earthly desires.

(4)Kama-(Desire)has been the object of your pursuit. You are bound by these. Ultimately you must free yourself from this bondage. Seeing the temporariness of the body and what it creates should be enough to set the efforts for freedom in place. You must live well but you must be able to leave it too. The ultimate contentment shall come from your own self. Live your life with a view to abandon it in the end. Foster desires and fulfil them with a view to dispensing with them altogether in the end. Do work always but with a view to renouncing it. Court bondage with the sure object of cutting it finally. Keep the primary tenets of righteousness (Dharma) in mind, always match your deeds with these and see how far they are right or wrong. Correct yourself constantly see that you progress towards fulfillment. Cultivate virtues like compassion, love, forbearance and forgiveness. From the changing to the changeless, from ignorance to knowledge from bondage to liberation, from misery to happiness - these should be your watchwords.A guru embodies all these qualities and urges the same for the disciples.