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       In This Issue:

Opening Letter:  Annual Giving Campaign
Mind-Body NEWS

Calendar of Events
Leonard (Ram Lev) Essay:  The Yoga of BREATH
Leonard (Ram Lev) Essay:  The Wedding of the Sun and the Moon

Linda Johnsen:  Prana: The Energy of Life

Swami Rama:  The Science of Breath
July 15-17, 2011 Retreat
Leonard's Yoga Quotes
Yoga Self-Therapy
 November 3-6, 2011 Physician & Healthcare Professional Retreat
Book Review
Tell a Friend About Meditation
How American Meditation Benefits You
AMI Yearly Membership
Transformation "Archives"


 



3-minute
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PHYSICIAN'S
2011 RETREAT



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The Heart and Science of Yoga

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AMI's 14th Anniversary Giving Campaign
The American Meditation Institute needs your financial support to keep the teaching of Yoga Science as mind-body medicine
 accessible to every individual eager to learn. Please support AMI with your generous donation today.


Thank you to those who have donated to our Annual Giving Campaign so far!


Our Annual Giving Campaign began on November 1, 2010.  Currently, The American Meditation Institute Community has given $24,257.  We still need $11,743 to reach our operating goals for this year (including the printing of "Transformation").  Won't you please consider making a tax deductible donation today?

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Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter









MIND-BODY NEWS

Reducing Cell Aging 
TIME--A new study at the University of California-Davis found that meditators averaged 30 percent more activity of the enzyme telomerase than non-meditators. Telomerase repairs telomeres, the structures located on the ends of chromosomes, which, like the plastic tips of shoelaces, prevent the chromosome from unraveling. Each time a cell reproduces, its telomeres become less effective at protecting the chromosome. As chromosomes become more vulnerable, cell copying is sloppier and eventually stops when the telomeres disintegrate. Telomerase can mitigate, and possibly stop, cell aging.

Lifestyle Choices 
TIME also reports that 75 percent of U.S. health costs stem from chronic diseases that can be prevented by learning to make wise lifestyle choices--one of the skills learned by meditating daily. Dr. Ed Phillips of the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine points out that, under the new health care law provisions, "Doctors will be reimbursed by Medicare for talking to patients about the benefits of healthy behaviors."

Neuroscience of Meditation
If you could learn one simple activity that delivers a host of cognitive benefits, including lowering your stress levels, counteracting age-associated loss of brain cells, and improving your ability to pay attention, experience better memory and make decisions, wouldn't you be eager to take advantage of it? Dr. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, claims meditation is just such an activity. "Research has suggested that meditation can help diminish a person's susceptibility and responsiveness to stress, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and reduce tension and anxiety," says Dr. Lazar.

Dr. Oz on Meditation
Speaking at the recent "Change Begins Within" benefit in New York City sponsored by the David Lynch Foundation, Dr. Mehmet Oz, suggested that "learning to meditate should be added to the top of everyone's list of personal resolutions." Dr. Oz pointed out to the audience that research shows a daily meditation practice can have health benefits equivalent to or better than some of the leading medications for reducing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Surgeon Warning
Dr. Ashok Rajgopal, chair of the Bone and Joint Institute in Medanta, India, warns that some yoga postures can cause severe joint stress that leads to arthritis and surgery. His warning is a serious challenge to students who use yoga to ward off the effects of aging. What's the solution? Always choose a knowledgeable teacher you trust, one who maintains small class sizes, pays personal attention to your body's unique limitations and encourages you not to take on too much too soon.


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The Yoga of Breath

by Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)
Reprinted from The Heart and Science of Yoga

 

 Illustration copyright © 2004, William B. Westwood, Westwood Medical Communications, Albany, NY

                                          

The Psalms inform us that "Each man's life is but a breath." Without breath, our lives would be impossible. The exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide in the lungs is certainly essential for the human being to function, but it is not air that keeps us alive. Rather, human beings are sustained by an extremely powerful form of subtle energy known as prana that accompanies the air we breathe.

Traditional Western medicine defines humans as primarily physical beings. This approach logically evolved from a cultural attitude that characterizes each person as a separate, quantifiable entity. Reflecting the habits of the human mind, medical science has, until recently, limited its scientific inquiry to the perceivable and quantifiable.

Albert Einstein wrote that "a problem cannot be solved on the same level at which it arose." This open-minded attitude helped him recognize that in the material universe an essential relationship exists between matter and energy. More specifically and scientifically, E=MC² (energy is equal to the mass of an object, times the speed of light, squared). In practical language, Einstein is telling us something profoundly important for our own health and well-being. He says that matter, the material stuff of the universe, can be transformed into energy, and that energy, conversely, can be turned into matter.

Our everyday experiences and observations have already taught us that energy and matter are one and the same. For instance, we count on the oatmeal we eat for breakfast to be turned into the energy with which we accomplish our work. With each bite of cereal, we are betting our lives that the energy of the sun (now contained in our oatmeal) will be reliably transformed into the carbohydrates and proteins our bodies and brains need to function. We accept without question that the calories (energy) we consume will become the physical bodies we inhabit and give the body strength to act. Such obvious and verifiable examples of the transformation of energy into matter, and matter into energy, did not become more true after Einstein's mathematical equation was stated, but his work has provided an interface between ancient assumptions about prana and modern physics.


Prana and the Nadis

In Sanskrit, the word prana refers to the first unit of life, a subtle energy emanating from the soul (Sat-Chit-Ananda) and flowing within the living human being. On the most subtle level, it is the vital prana that animates the body-mind-sense complex. If you forced air into the lungs of a cadaver it would not get up and walk away. Why not? Because it is the prana already present in a living body that invites, receives and distributes the life force of prana carried on the vehicle of breath. It is prana alone, not the mediums of air, food, or water, that enlivens the body.

The human body is maintained by an intricate network of subtle rivers of energy, through which the vital prana flows. These rivers are called nadis, and the aggregate complex of nadis and prana are known as pranamaya kosha. This body of energy is subtler than the physical body and serves as a link between the mind (manomaya kosha) and the physical body (annamaya kosha). Thus, the energy sheath of prana can influence both the mind and body, and is influenced by them as well.


Pranayama (Control of Prana)

The breath is the body's primary delivery system for the vital prana. The relationship between the air we breathe and prana is analogous to the relationship between a horse and its rider. Just as the horse is the vehicle for the rider, the air is the vehicle for the prana. The air merely carries the prana to its destination in the physical body.

Prana means the first unit of subtle energy and yama means control. Pranayama is the science that controls the prana, primarily by breath regulation. Breath awareness exercises help to normalize the motion of the lungs--thereby assuring the direct and balanced flow of this subtle energy to sustain and coordinate all the body's physical and mental functions. Without such regulation, the intended flow of pranic energy can become trapped, eventually manifesting as physical, mental or emotional dis-ease or pain. Without a continuous delivery of vital prana, the respiratory system, the heart, the brain and autonomic nervous system do not function in a well-coordinated manner. Disturbances in these physical processes can result in serious illness. Such blockages also limit progress in meditation.

In pranayama, the breath is considered to be the bridge between the body and the mind. Concentrated attention on the breath affects and directs the flow of the vital prana through the body. Every time we think about moving a part of the body, for example, vital prana rushes toward that site along the subtle network of nadis to make movement possible. Conversely, bodily movements also affect the flow of prana. A regular Easy-Gentle Yoga practice, therefore, is an essential element in maintaining and gently moving the vital prana.

Respiration is the body's primary mechanism for the strategic flow of energy. Inhalation and exhalation determine the rate, rhythm and depth of the breath thereby impacting the amount of energy available to the body and all the metabolic processes. The breath determines whether energy is delivered in irregular, short bursts or in longer, more sustained waves. With every breath we are redefining the patterns of energy that affect both the body and the mind--for better or worse.

Breathing air deeply into the lungs is a critical factor in maintaining good health. Diaphragmatic breathing calms the nervous system while massaging and stimulating the heart and all organs of digestion and elimination. In addition, it efficiently oxygenates the blood. Oxygen is inhaled into the lungs where it is transferred into the bloodstream for distribution to all the cells of the body. Because the human torso is carried in an upright position, gravity generally acts to keep greater quantities of blood in the lower portion of the lungs than the upper. With deep, diaphragmatic breathing, the lungs fill to their capacity, providing oxygen to the lower lungs where it can most readily be absorbed. Those who breathe shallowly, moving only the upper chest, often feel fatigued. Their improper breathing habits inhibit the process of oxygenation and deny vitality to the cells of the body.


Breath and Mind Connection

The breath is the physical manifestation of the mind. Although we cannot intellectually will the mind to calm down, we can create a serene, contented mind through conscious regulation of the breath. When our breath is full and even, without jerks, pauses or sounds, our minds become calm.

Through your own personal experience you may already know that the rhythm, rate and capacity of your breathing changes instantly in reaction to your thoughts, desires and emotions. When you are tense or surprised, you may hold your breath. When you are stressed, the breath may become rapid or shallow. When you are happy and content, the breath reflects that state of mind with its fullness and ease.


Five Breathing Irregularities 

Most pranayama should be practiced in your regular seated meditation posture with your head, neck and trunk straight. Once you have established a comfortable and steady posture, you may notice one or more of five possible irregularities in the breath.

1. Shallowness of breath
2. Interruptions in the flow of breath (jerks) 
3. Noisy breathing 
4. Extended pauses between your inhalation and exhalation 
5. Breathing through the mouth


Diaphragmatic Breathing

To correct any irregularity, simply witness it with relaxed attention. This correction is the natural effect of your conscious attention to a formerly unconscious habit.

When you breathe diaphragmatically and deepen your meditations, you will begin to recognize that most seemingly involuntary movements of the body are actually results of thought or emotion. When you observe your physical behavior, you will notice that no act or gesture occurs independently of the mind. The mind always moves first and then the body follows. The untrained mind often dissipates vital prana through nervous bodily movements and twitches--energy that could better serve you in health-enhancing ways.

When the breath flows freely, smoothly and silently through the nostrils without any jerks, pauses or sounds, the mind experiences a state of joyful and calm stillness. This mental stillness frees the mind to make conscious, discriminating lifestyle choices that bring health and happiness.

In properly regulating the breath, never extend the breath beyond your comfortable capacity by inhaling or exhaling as much air as possible. With continued practice, your capacity will increase, but this should not be rushed. Rather, learn to turn your conscious attention toward establishing a gentle, full and even diaphragmatic breath.

The goal of the science of breath is to re-establish the body's natural respiratory pattern--not by breathing from the upper chest, which is an unhealthy habit, but rather, by consciously employing the diaphragm, one of the body's strongest muscles, in your breathing process.


The Complete Yogic Breath

 A full and smooth diaphragmatic breath is composed of three distinct, yet seamlessly integrated phases of inhalation: abdominal, thoracic and clavicular.

A newborn baby naturally uses the abdomen to breathe diaphragmatically. To feel the first phase of proper diaphragmatic breathing, imagine a balloon positioned just behind your navel. When you inhale, the balloon inflates and your belly gently swells outward. When you exhale, the imaginary balloon deflates and the belly contracts gently.

Abdominal phase: In its resting state, the diaphragm physiologically resembles the dome of an open parachute. Proper inhalation begins when the belly swells slightly--causing the diaphragm to flatten downward into a disk-like shape, expanding the thoracic cavity and facilitating inhalation. Exhalation follows more or less automatically when the belly gently contracts--causing the diaphragm to relax and rise to its resting dome shape, compressing the lungs.

Thoracic phase: After the abdominal phase, the belly expands outward and the lower ribs expand upward and forward, enlarging the thoracic cavity and increasing the circumference of the chest. The lungs fill this increased space, permitting oxygenation of blood in the lower lungs.

Clavicular Phase: In the final phase of the inhalation the clavicles (collar bones) rise slightly, allowing oxygen into the upper portions of the lungs.

When all three phases of diaphragmatic breathing are integrated into one continuous motion, the breath becomes the flywheel for a healthy mind and body. A full, smooth, quiet diaphragmatic breath should become your default breath.

In this ideal breath, all inhalations and exhalations flow through the nostrils rather than the mouth, and the entire process is without noise. If you are breathing rapidly and shallowly, or holding your breath between exhalation and inhalation, you are probably chest breathing. The inhalation and exhalation should gently yield to each other.

The fast pace and stress of modern life (and tight pants, belts and pantyhose), have contributed to the unfortunate fact that most people experience nearly constant tension in the abdominal muscles. In addition, concerns about having a fashionably flat, hard abdomen keep many people pulling in their gut, military style. By not allowing the breath to be full and complete, you're utilizing only a fraction of your lung capacity.


Dangerous Breathing Patterns

Chest breathing is a dangerous habit. It tenses the body and disrupts the normal breathing rhythm which can, long term, damage the heart and brain. Furthermore, it retards a complete exchange of gases through the lungs. Chest breathers never fully empty their lungs. Toxins that remain in the trough of the lungs are reassimilated through the semipermeable membrane of the lungs' lining, taxing the body and compromising the immune system.

Because the breath reflects our state of mind, a frenetic lifestyle is often accompanied by uneven breathing. Recent studies have found that a pause in the stream of breath, or holding the breath, is often associated with both coronary heart disease and dementia in the elderly.

When we breathe diaphragmatically, the heart muscle performs its duties with calm efficiency. But when we react unskillfully to fear, anger or greed, muscles immediately contract and the shoulders hunch forward, compressing the chest in a posture reflecting the dis-ease in the mind. Under stress, the body abandons its natural, diaphragmatic breath in favor of the shallow, uneven and often rapid inhalations of chest breathing, and the subsequent shortage of oxygen in the blood quickly becomes problematic.

The heart reacts immediately to this crisis. "Something's wrong," the heart concludes. "We're not getting enough oxygen. I'd better change the normal rhythm of my beat. Perhaps a faster beat will help move more blood through the lungs to access oxygen and bring this fellow back to a more composed state." But, of course, the elevated heart rate only makes matters worse, increasing stress on the heart muscle and vascular system and decreasing their efficiency while sparking further anxiety. Chest breathing accompanied by jerks and pauses in the breath may also be the beginning of a form of significant dis-ease--coronary heart disease.

Eliminating the pause between inhalation and exhalation, and between exhalation and inhalation is an important aspect of proper yogic breathing because it helps you keep a balanced mind and healthy body. The breath should become one continuous, unending stream in which the inhalation gently yields to the exhalation and the exhalation gently yields to the inhalation.

Full and even diaphragmatic breathing constantly massages the internal organs. This rhythmic motion transmits beneficial messages to the entire autonomic nervous system, encouraging all systems within the body to operate optimally. A smooth diaphragmatic breath, not beyond your comfortable capacity, acts as a calming lullaby for the internal organs, while chest breathing invariably sends signals that some sort of crisis is at hand. Chest breathing is not only the result of anxiety, but can also be its cause.

Diaphragmatic breathing aids digestion, assimilation of essential nutrients and the elimination of waste products from the body. Whenever possible, cultivate the habit of loosening your belt and the waistband button of your pants at mealtimes to encourage deep, full breathing. By consciously incorporating the eating and breathing processes into your everyday life, you will enjoy your food more completely and the body will readily demonstrate its appreciation by exhibiting good health.


Leonard Perlmutter is a philosopher, educator, award-winning author and founder of the American Meditation Institute.







"You cannot will the mind to be calm, but when
you regulate the breath diaphragmatically,
you automatically calm the mind,
and a calm mind makes healthier choices."


Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)


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The Wedding of the Sun and Moon
by Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)



Ida
and Pingala Nadis
Before Sushumna Application

Fig. A








Fig. A. The ida and pingala nadis rise from the root chakra (muladhara) in serpentine pathways. At their points of confluence, swirling wheels of energy appear.

Fig. B. After three complete cycles of nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), both the right and left nostrils carry an equal volume of air. This is referred to as sushumna application, or the "wedding of the sun and the moon." When the nadis are cleared and the male and female, the active and passive aspects of the human being are in balance, the ida and pingala straighten their pathways slightly and sushumna swells??--allowing kundalini (consciousness) to rise to the higher chakras.




Detailed instruction on this breathing practice can be learned by enrolling in the "AMI Meditation--Heart and Science of Yoga" class.

Illustration copyright © 2004, William B. Westwood, 
Westwood Medical Communications, Albany, NY



Wedding of the Sun and Moon
During Sushumna Application

Fig. B



If you pay attention to your breath at various times throughout the day you will find that you're usually inhaling a greater volume of air through one nostril than the other. This is normal. One nostril becomes active (while the other remains passive) for about two and one-half hours, and then they switch. For example, if the right nostril has been active for that period, it then becomes passive, and the left nostril, which was passive, becomes active.

In preparation for your meditation practice, nadi shodhana balances the breath so that the same volume of air is carried by each nostril simultaneously. Through the power of nadi shodhana, the pingala (right nostril: male, active, left brain, solar energy) and the ida (left nostril: female, intuitive, right brain, lunar energy) become equally active at the same time. This phenomenon is referred to as the wedding of the sun and moon.

Through the practice of nadi shodhana, the ida and pingala become balanced and their undulating pathways become straighter. This facilitates the widening of sushumna (known as sushumna application) and allows kundalini (therapeutic, creative energy) to rise to the higher chakras. Following nadi shodhana, many people meditate at the eyebrow center--ajna chakra.

For most human beings the creative energy of kundalini resides primarily in the lowest chakra--muladhara. This chakra manifests the consciousness of duality, or separateness. Consciousness at this chakra is concerned with self-preservation and reflects the belief that "I lack; I am a separate entity in search of whatever will make me happy or eliminate my pain." When too much of our consciousness resides here, we tend to exhibit fear, self-centeredness, insecurity, greed, anger, violence and poor health.

The general practice of Yoga Science and the specific practice of nadi shodhana facilitate the rise of health-enhancing, creative energy to the higher chakras. As kundalini activates the consciousness of higher chakras, we expand our sense of I-ness by understanding and manifesting such universal ideals as unconditional love, selfless service, forgiveness, compassion, intuition, insight and Self-realization.



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Prana:  The Energy of Life
By Linda Johnsen

It was the only time I seriously questioned whether Swami Rama knew what he was talking about. It was 1978; he and I were talking in the closet-size room that used to house the Himalayan Press at his ashram in Glenview, Illinois. Many spiritual bestsellers of the time were typeset in that tiny room, including his classic autobiography, Living with the Himalayan Masters.

I forget how the topic of Darwinian evolution came up. I was casually mentioning something about how humans developed from apelike ancestors, when Swamiji became very animated. "Never believe it!" he shouted. "Who has ever seen a monkey turn into a man?"

I was shocked. Swami Rama had spent years in the West-in fact he had studied at Oxford University. He must have been familiar with the overwhelming evidence for evolution. I couldn't resist challenging him, "If we don't come from apes, where do we come from?" Maddeningly, Swamiji refused to answer. He simply looked intently into my eyes, then walked regally out of the room.

Over the next few years, as I worked on my Master's degree in Eastern Studies, I learned that the Yoga tradition has a very different understanding of human biology than does Western science. At the root of Yoga Science is an understanding of prana or life energy that's unlike anything recognized in modern Western medicine. The yogis' working knowledge of prana gives them a completely different take on human development, and even on the origin of life itself.

In my beginning level yoga classes I learned that we need to breathe properly, using our diaphragm and avoiding jerks or pauses. This style of breathing helps the heart and nervous system work optimally, and allows us to fully absorb prana, the life energy in the air. At first I thought prana must be the Sanskrit word for oxygen, but Swami Rama swiftly dispelled that illusion. "Prana comes from the Sun," he explained. "It is a form of energy, a force, not the air you breathe. The air is just one of its vehicles."

"Prana makes your body live," he continued. "Without it your body will go to death and decay. Prana connects your body and your mind. When you die that vitality departs, and the link between the soul and its physical vehicle is broken." Because prana is so important to health, Swamiji taught us to eat living foods (like fresh produce and whole grains for example) rather than dead foods (like meat, which is already well on its way to decay, or over processed foods), and to get plenty of fresh air, sunshine and exercise.

Swami Rama also taught us that we not only have a material body and a soul, but an envelope of prana integrating the two. This invisible living force field is called the pranamaya kosha in yoga jargon. It's quite complex, being comprised of at least ten different forms of subtle energy. Yogis consciously regulate this "energy body" in advanced practices in order to ignite their kundalini, the power of consciousness.

But it turned out there was much more to prana than we had heard about in our hatha yoga classes. Swamiji also explained that prana is actually a cosmic force, present everywhere. It not only makes our bodies live, it also brings the universe itself to life.


Spiritual Evolution

Their understanding of prana gives the yogic adepts a very different perspective on evolution than we have in the West. Since the appearance of Charles Darwin's influential study, The Origin of Species in 1859, most Western scientists have believed that life on Earth slowly evolved from the same single celled organism, developing over hundreds of millions of years into different phyla, biological categories organized according to body plan like arthropods (spiders and crabs) or chordata (including animals with spinal cords like us). Organisms that adapted best to their environment had the most offspring and flourished. Plants and animals that failed to adapt to changing circumstances quickly died out.

Eventually evolutionary theory expanded to include a basic working knowledge of genes. Random genetic mutations were now considered the source of new species. If you were raised anywhere in the Western world, this is what you were taught in school.

What I learned from Swami Rama that day in Glenview though, is that yogis emphatically reject this version of evolution. On the contrary, they say that prana is the organizing force that drives the creation of life. Evolution is far from being the random process Western science describes. Instead, the universe is a living unity, shaped by an intelligent force.

This is different from the Creationist philosophy scientists love to attack. Biblical Creationism claims the universe was created 6000 years ago. Ancient yoga texts claim the universe is far older. In fact, the Rig Veda, composed in India over 5000 years ago, gives the age of the Earth at 4,320,000,000 years-a figure astoundingly close to that posited by scientists today. Like modern science, the yoga tradition claims the universe is many billions of years old. Yet like the Creationists, the sages of India describe the cosmic process as guided by intelligence. Prana is the subtle energy through which immaterial consciousness interacts with physical matter, transforming inert material into living, breathing organisms.

Here is how ancient texts called the Puranas describe this process. First, a vast cosmic intelligence named Brahma projects into existence a gigantic glowing egg (literally hiranyagarbha or "golden womb" in Sanskrit). You can think of this as the Milky Way if it makes visualizing this easier for you. We are told Brahma's lifespan is many billions of years. One Earth year is barely an eye blink to this great being. We are also told that there are an innumerable number of Brahmas, each creating its own cosmic system.

Next we read that the Vishva Devas take over. Vishva Deva means "all the natural forces." They are understood as actual living agencies, though they're not quite individual entities as we humans are. So after Brahma has brought the brahmanda ("Brahma's egg," meaning the galaxy including our solar system) into existence, these natural forces reshape the hot primordial Earth, preparing it to sustain life.

Now the Praja Patis begin to act. Praja is related to our English word "progeny," and pati means "lord" or "ruler." These mysterious intelligences direct the prana, or organizing field of life, to bring numerous different types of creatures into manifestation. And no, the Praja Patis are not aliens visiting from other planets. Though this sounds like science fiction, the tradition says the Praja Patis don't exist as physical beings, but as forces of creative consciousness acting from higher dimensions of reality only the most advanced meditators have access to.

Finally, the rishis, or great sages, take over the course of evolution. It is their job to lead those embodied beings who have intellect and free will (presumably us!) back to our true nature. This means guiding us beyond our physical body, beyond our breath and vital force, even beyond the contents of our workaday mind, to our true Self as an entity of pure consciousness, just like our creators.

Needless to say, this version of evolution is about as different from that of materialistic Western science as imaginable! No wonder Swami Rama refused to answer my question that day in Glenview. He looked into my eyes and recognized that I was still so steeped in modern Western scientific beliefs, I would be incapable of absorbing this amazing new worldview at that time.


The Vital Force

Actually the concept of prana, both on an individual and on a cosmic level, is not totally unknown in the West. The "vital force" was a major part of ancient and medieval Western medicine, and continues to play a huge role in homeopathic medicine. The existence of this force was never disproved by Westerns science; it was simply forgotten after the discovery of antibiotics.

Also, over the years alternate theories of evolution competing with Darwin's have emerged. One of these, especially popular in Europe, was put forward by the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941), a Nobel Prize laureate who worked hard to integrate a viable theory of consciousness with modern ideas about biological evolution. He believed that evolution was a living, creative process, that "a current of consciousness" permeated matter, directing the flow of evolution. According to Bergson, this "vital impetus" lay behind the sudden emergence of life and new species. However, a strictly materialist interpretation of nature prevailed in Western academia, especially in America, and Bergson's exciting work was brushed aside.

Today evolutionary theory is in crisis. Over 150 years of searching for the "missing links" Darwin predicted have brought no such transitional species to light. Throughout the fossil record we find new species emerging fantastically rapidly, not painstakingly slowly through transitional forms as Darwin hypothesized. Great numbers of species tend to appear and disappear together, rather than on an individual basis as Darwin assumed.

Furthermore, in all these years DNA research has not identified a single mechanism through which random mutation can produce new higher organisms. One geneticist even famously confessed the odds against Darwinian mutations are trillions to one. And over the past two decades, hundreds of amazing new fossils uncovered in China conclusively prove that most of the phyla known to biologists didn't evolve gradually over long eons. Instead, at the very beginning of the Cambrian era, 540 million years ago, they simply appeared-fully formed-so incredibly quickly that as far as geologists know, they might as well have materialized overnight.

So who's right, our Western scientists with their passionate belief in Darwinism, or the yoga sages who claim this world and all its denizens are the work of guiding intelligences? As I sit in meditation, sensing my breath passing in and out of my nostrils, it occurs to me that there may be a lot more to prana than I could have imagined that day in Glenview, when I was absolutely sure that Swami Rama had it wrong.

Linda Johnsen, M.S., is a regular contributor to "Transformation" and author of eight books, including Lost Masters: The Sages of Ancient Greece, which describes the amazingly Yoga-like teachings of many ancient Western spiritual teachers like Empedocles and Plotinus.



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The Science of Breath
by Swami Rama


The flow of breath is constantly helping to shape the pattern of energy (prana) that underlies and sustains the physical body. If we can understand the crucial way in which the energizing effects of the breath sustain and support the metabolic processes of different parts of the body, we can begin to understand how the material, physical aspects of our gross body, its tissue functioning and the very existence of its substance, is created by, and dependent on, the process of breath. With each breath energy flows through the body in waves, and this flow of breath is constantly shaping and restructuring the pattern of energy which comprises the energy (pranic) body.

If we look at physiology from this point of view we begin to realize that the material body (which we have tended up to this time to regard as primary) is, in fact, secondary. Its existence is based on something more fundamental than itself. The flow of energy creates and sustains the tissues of the body, and if the energy pattern is sufficiently changed, the physical body will change. If the energy pattern is altered drastically enough the body can be completely transformed, for better or worse.

Actually, this does happen, though ordinarily not in a very dramatic way. People do change, but they usually change in minor ways. This may be, in part, because their characteristic patterns of energy flow are set and self-sustaining, because breathing habits and air flow patterns (and the resulting pattern of energy flow) become very deeply grounded and established in one's life. They have a sort of momentum of their own.

However, when one sits down and deliberately begins to work with the breath, he can gradually begin to see changes in the way the body functions, even, in some cases, in its appearance. For example, a tremendous emotional shock or injury, can result in a change of posture or an alteration in the way the internal organs function.

If the energy pattern shifts so that some part of the body is poorly supplied ("undernourished") with prana, it will eventually become sick. It will wither and perhaps even die.

A story by Swami Vivekananda illustrates how Yoga can help us regulate the breath and benefit the entire mind/body/breath complex.

There once was a king's minister who fell into disgrace and was imprisoned at the top of a tall tower. The minister asked his faithful wife to come to the tower when darkness had fallen, bringing with her a long rope, some stout twine, string, silken thread, a beetle and some honey. Though bewildered by this strange request, the good wife did as he bade her. The minister then asked his wife to tie the silken thread to the beetle, to smear some honey on its horns and then to set it on the tower wall with its head pointed toward the top of the tower. The beetle, enticed onward by the sweet smell of the honey, slowly made its way to the top of the tower, pulling the silken thread behind it. The minister took hold of the silken thread and then asked his wife to tie the string to the other end of the silken thread. Using the silken thread he drew up the string. In like manner he used the string to draw up the stout twine, and the twine to draw up the rope. Then he descended to freedom, using the rope.

In our bodies the breath is like the silken thread, using which we skillfully grasp the string of the nerve impulses; from these we grasp the stout twine of our thoughts; and finally we grasp the rope of prana, thus gaining our ultimate freedom.

By practicing yogic breathing techniques learned from a qualified teacher, the science of breath ceases to be known only as mere theory. It becomes part of one's total awareness and experience; a healthy dimension of one's existence.

Reprinted from "Science of Breath" by Swami Rama, et al, ©1979, Himalayan International Institute. 
This book is available through the AMI bookstore.



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BOOK REVIEW: By Youngbear Roth

The Heart and Science of Yoga:
A Blueprint for Peace, Happiness and Freedom from Fear

I never heard of Mr. Perlmutter or his work except in a magazine advertisement and I make it a point to pay no attention to such advertising. However, browsing in a book shop, I picked the volume up off the shelf and read enthusiastic endorsements by Dean Ornish, M.D., Dr. David Frawley, Mehmet Oz, M.D., Lilias Folan and others. Still suspect, I decided to take a chance. I flipped to the rear flyleaf where I examined the photograph of an unassuming yogi; a meditation teacher who had been studying Yoga Science for thirty years. The author studied as a direct disciple of Shri Swami Rama along with being degreed in political science, international relations, and attending the George Washington University School of Law. Finally, in 1996 Mr. Perlmutter founded the American Meditation Institute and became an adjunct professor at the College of St. Rose in Albany, teaching yoga and meditation while continuing to give lectures, teach classes, and offer retreats at his institute. This is why I had not heard of Mr. Perlmutter--he simply hadn't the time to author a work covering in every detail an exacting applicable guide to the living transformative power of yoga, yet here it is.

The Heart and Science of Yoga, by Leonard Perlmutter is an encyclopedic "how and why does it work" guide concerning all phases of yoga as a thoroughly consciousness transformative force for living a dynamic life. Most often publishers execute covers that oversell the applicable content of a book. However, I have studied Leonard Perlmutter's book from cover to cover and find it to exceed the dust jacket's claim of The Heart and Science of Yoga being "A Blueprint for Peace, Happiness and Freedom from Fear."

The book is presented in twelve parts, each one delving into the how and why of a specific aspect of yoga science and living philosophy. The prose is as clear as water bubbling up from a very deep well; without trying one's patience, and humble under the weight of its own wisdom, the book moves yoga ever fresh and forward easily into our daily living experience. As a yoga professional, I have found The Heart and Science of Yoga by Leonard Perlmutter to be of inestimable value to my transformational psychotherapeutic yoga practice and I highly recommend it to yoga therapists and patients alike.

Youngbear Roth is a registered research scientist in mental health with the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP) and a registered yoga therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Youngbear Roth, Helium.com 
http://www.helium.com/items/1852217-book-reviews-yoga-science-perlmutter






 

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Yoga Self-Therapy is based on the perennial psychology of yoga science. Each individual counseling session will teach you how to free yourself from habits and expectations that cause stress and give rise to illness. By observing and training your internal processes, you can become creative in all relationships while establishing a state of personal contentment. By learning to rely on your own Divine inner wisdom you become free to make choices in life that continually improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

AMI Home Center, 60 Garner Road, Averill Park

By appointment only.  $125/hour



The Heart and Science of Yoga:
A Blueprint for Peace, Happiness and Freedom from Fear



Review by Gregg St. Clair, Healing Springs Journal

We live in glorious times don't we? We have information available to us today that we never transferred to only an inner circle of top students. This usually involved years of dedication proving your desire to learn, followed by years of practice in the more external realms of knowledge, and only then would a master be willing to share the deepest levels of their art, most highly guarded secrets. But today every esoteric subject matter is available through books or just a quick click away on the world wide web.

Everything has pluses and minuses and this is no exception. Yes, it is all right there for us, but so is fast food. So how do we discriminate what is valuable or not for our total well being? Trial and error is, of course, an option, and something most people have to go through on their path--be it with diet, exercise or meditation. But when you find the right thing you know it. This is how I felt when I read The Heart and Science of Yoga: A Blueprint for Peace, Happiness and Freedom from Fear by Leonard Perlmutter. I keep wanting to call it the "Art" instead of the "Heart," probably from being conditioned by other book titles, but "Heart" definitely works better. Why? Because you can tell that that is where the book comes from and that is where it is aimed.

The Heart and Science of Yoga is a manual showing how ancient wisdom can help us with life today in an increasingly chaotic world. No longer does one need to travel to India to learn the deepest secrets of yoga for it is all contained in this one book. Some might claim that there is too much information (and at 538 pages they may be right), but not me. It is written in a style so easy to read and so relevant to spiritual development today that its information will be beneficial, almost crucial, for everyone, not just yoga practitioners.

Leonard Perlmutter has something rare among yoga practitioners and meditation instructors today, not only a blessing from his famous teacher Swami Rama, but a direct request to pass on the knowledge he transferred to him and to become a full time teacher. Leonard and his wife Jenness have founded and operate the American Meditation Institute in Averill Park, New York--a short drive from the capital city of Albany. A tranquil oasis, the Perlmutters are dedicating their lives to creating positive change in the world based on the teachings of yoga with meditation as the key.

The book covers in detail the eight limbs of yoga is of course more than different contortionist postures and includes a blueprint for spiritual growth including, proper disciplines, proper conduct, proper exercise, proper breathing, proper control of the senses, proper concentration, proper meditation and finally self realization. I particularly like how they use quotations and references from all of the worlds religions, including literature and even current sources (did you know Elvis was a guru?), making the book very accessible if not down right enjoyable to read.

With the invention of the airplane, the telephone and now the world wide web, it has become obvious that it is one world and we must act together if there is going to be hope for the future. Unfortunately people become so caught up in their own realities that they fail to see the bigger picture. But we are spiritual beings, and as we busy ourselves with the illusions of the world it separates us from our spirit, creating a source of suffering that is only going to continue. I take comfort in the fact that yoga has an 8000 year old history and though I am a scientist, I don't need another double blind study to know that it works. The key is, we have to practice something to take control of our mind & lives, or they will take control of us. If you are looking for a tried and true system that has helped millions of people, then The Heart and Science of Yoga is the perfect companion. I recommend it for everybody.


http://americanmeditation.org/Movie/movie.html


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CALENDAR OF EVENTS


All events are held at the AMI Home Center in Averill Park unless otherwise indicated.



SUNDAY MEDITATION & SATSANG, FREE
Every Sunday 9:30-11:00 AM. Love donations accepted.



MARCH 2011

MARCH 7 - APRIL 11: 
EASY-GENTLE YOGA
with Kathleen Fisk
Monday nights, 6:30 - 8:00 PM (6 wks)

MARCH 16 - 30:  BALANCING THE CHAKRAS
Wednesday nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM

MARCH 17:  INTRODUCTORY MEDITATION LECTURE
AMI Meditation: The Heart and Science of Yoga™
Thursday night, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
with Mary Holloway & Doreen Howe

MARCH 19:  MEDICINE CABINET ESSENTIALS
Saturday, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

MARCH 25:  DINNER, MOVIE & SATSANG
"Hereafter"
  
Friday night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM





APRIL 2011

APRIL 4 - MAY 9:  MIND-BODY PSYCHOLOGY
Monday nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 week Gita Study)
**This class is also available by Computer Distance Learning (CDL)

APRIL 5 - MAY 10: 
AMI MEDITATION
The Heart and Science of Yoga™  
Comprehensive training in holistic mind-body medicine
Tuesday nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 wks) 
with AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter

APRIL 9:  BREATHING AS MEDICINE
Saturday morning, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
with AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter & Beth Gayatri Netter, MD

APRIL 18 - MAY 23:  EASY-GENTLE YOGA
with Kathleen Fisk
Monday nights, 6:30 - 8:00 PM (6 wks)

APRIL 21: 
INTRODUCTORY MEDITATION LECTURE
AMI Meditation: The Heart and Science of Yoga™
Thursday night, 6:30 - 7:30 PM
with Mary Holloway & Doreen Howe

APRIL 22:  DINNER, MOVIE & SATSANG
"Grand Canyon"
  
Friday night, 5:30 - 10:00 PM


RESERVATIONS BY THURSDAY, APRIL 21




          

 



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