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Yoga is an ancient tradition from the eastern world, and these oldest practitioners tended to look at yoga as a tree with six branches. What all six have in common are the asanas (the physical positions and movements), Pranayama (the structured breathing or breath control), meditation and a strong moral code.

1. Hatha Yoga

In Indian, "ha" means sun and "tha" means moon. Hatha yoga refers to these twin energy channels in the body. Its goal is to prepare the body for the more pure state of meditation to come in the 2nd branch. Hatha yoga was brought to us by an Indian yogi attempting to purify the body to make it fit for higher meditation. Western yoga is almost completely the Hatha yoga branch, and Westerners find mental and physical comfort in the first branch alone.

2. raja Yoga

raja and Hatha Yoga are highly interrelated. raja means "royal" in Indian, and in the royal tradition, this branch of yoga has eight included branches as follows:

- niyama - self discipline - asana - positions - pranayama - breath control - pratyahara - sensory deprivation - dharana - meditation - samadhi - ecstasy

raja yoga is often practiced by religious leaders and monastery dwellers. However, anyone can find benefits in the practice of raja yoga.

3. Karma Yoga

The basic teaching of karma yoga is that what we do and how we behave today will influence our happiness and fulfilment in the future, or a future lifetime. Understanding this cosmic principle helps us to create our current environment with love and positivity in order to forestall negativity in our future. Practitioners of karma yoga lead a life of selfless devotion and service to those less fortunate.

4. bhakti Yoga

bhakti is a Sanskrit term meaning love of God and mankind. practice of bhakti involves controlling and channeling emotions and having tolerance for all who come into our lives.

5. Jnana Yoga

Jnana yoga is the branch of the intellect. Practitioners pursue scholarly paths, usually those of yoga masters or other spiritual traditions. In our Western religious culture, the Jnana yoga practitioner may be likened to the Jesuit priest, the Kabala scholars or Benedictine monks.

6. tantra Yoga

tantra yoga prioritizes ritual as the best way to experience the divine. The Sanskrit word tantra translates to weave or loom. Rituals in everyday life lead to a recognition of the divine in everyday life which leads, in turn, to a reverent attitude in everyday actions.

tantra yoga is the most misunderstood of the six branches. The ancient book, "The Kama Sutra" is a well-known example of this misunderstanding of the real goal of tantra yoga. It is a book of sexual positions and techniques, and in Westernized yoga tradition, tantra yoga has become associated almost exclusively with these published sexual practices. Worldwide, however, most schools teaching this branch of yoga recommend celibacy.

When finally understood by Westerners, tantra's ritualizations of everyday events appeal to them. Western civilizations tend to make rituals of everyday events anyway - births, deaths, weddings, going to church, forming clubs, and all the many various ceremonies and celebrations commonly held are all tightly related to tantra yoga rituals.

One of the best things about the six branches of yoga is that you are not limited to just one, or to a series. You can pick and choose what you want to practice when. Follow your own path using yoga as your toolbox.

Michael russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

// posted by 58378 @ 7:51 PM 0 comments

Ok, so we all know it has been raining like crazy and half of england is under water. Down here in Cornwall we havent had the worst of it but it has rained a lot and we certainly havent had a summer yet. That said we had a great spell of weather back in April / May but that was a long time ago now. Ive just heard the weather forecast and theres more rain due today-great!!

The Launceston Show was on last weekend and we went down there for the morning- muddy, but not nearly as muddy as the Liskeard Show had been a couple of weeks before. I wrote a quick review of the Liskeard Show, specifically the mountain & Moorland Classes, so its out there if you are interested.

Unfortunately the afternoon of the Launceston Show bought torrential rain so the show was closed. Luckily for us most of the Pony Showing Classes had gone on in the morning so for those Showing in the morning the day hadnt been a disaster. We watched the Lead Rein mountain and Moorland, and then first Ridden Classes which were very well attended. The site turned into a mud bath but as at Liskeard the local farmers did a fantastic job towing vehicles out of the mud so everybody got out eventually.

For those that have not read any of our stuff before we have a cleveland Bay mare, a Welsh Section B and a Shetland Pony. Fortunately for them we have a business supplying tack and essentials for Shetlands and most of the Native Pony Breeds so our three are not short on turnout rugs and such to keep them dry in this weather.

Our three are all in at the moment for different reasons, but in the case of the ponies it is mostly because the grass is continually growing that there is an increased risk of laminitis this summer. Our Shetland Pony, Poppy, started to look a bit sore when ridden on the road and we found a pulse at the fetlock which indicates increased blood flow to the foot. We felt it might be the start of something so we brought her in where she has been for a week now. Our Welsh, Gulliver, has also been put on restricted grazing just to be on the safe side. Lots of extra work but better safe than sorry.

In the stables we are using a Mini Miser Haynet and a Wee Pony Haynet. Basically these have holes that are half the size of the holes in normal Haynets so are perfect for hungry ponies that have a tendency to eat too much. We sell these on our website along with things like the Greenguard Pony Grazing Mask, again a product to restrict the grazing but not completely cancel turnout time. If you want to know more about products for restricting pony grazing please email us or visit the website.

There seems to be the feeling that once the sun comes out here the grass will really grow because we have had so much rain and then owners will need to be very careful that their ponies are not getting too much grass. If you have any concerns we would strongly advise consulting a vet.

Please look out for my piece on buying second hand horse and pony trailers so if you are trying to get one in the second hand market you can benefit from the hard lessons we have learned.

You can learn more about us and see some of our photos at http://www.theponytackshop.co.uk

http://www.theponytackshop.co.uk

// posted by 58378 @ 1:47 PM 0 comments

We have many choices to make today, and when considering the problem of choosing a home theater speaker package, things get really complicated, because the diversity, the big number, the ever-new shapes and features of a home theater speaker package on the market become dazzling and as resplendent as if you browsed in a candy shop full of goodies. That is why you have to combine the quality and the best price possible of a home theater speaker package.

It is indicated that you collect data regarding every part of the desired home theater speaker package, and get acquainted with the technology of the components: you may find an ideal package that contains all the distinct components you desire, or you can choose them by yourself, buying them separately to obtain maximum quality.

Whatever knickknacks you are searching for, your ideal home theater speaker package must definitely include subwoofers, midrange speakers and tweeters, to feel the surround sound adventure intensely and to the fullest. Another hard assessment that needs to be done is whether you need wired or wireless home theater technology, because it depends on the looks of it, and on whatever needs you have. The value of your home theater speaker package is dependent also of the crossover design that determines how good your driver sound is, so be careful at this crossover design issue so as to get the best of hi-tech.

The more, the merrier? Make your mind up on how many speakers youd like your home theater speaker package to include, following of course some minimal pieces of advice: small speakers are to be selected for the surround sound and when a single sub-woofer is involved, whereas large tower speakers carry the duty of creating stereophonic effects.

You can literally be amazed by the richness of the offer on the market for speakers, because you can very well be caught by a drift and a crazy shopping spree, ending up with a very expensive home theater speaker package: to avoid that, search for distinct speakers to see the best costs, how many features a certain package offers and if the price is comparable with the qualities: of course, you have to know a bit of electronics to discern which is good and which is not so good and why. You can get information such as this online, from impartial reports regarding certain home theater speaker packages, compare with what you saw in the electronic shops you entered and make your final selection.

Listening to individual speaker systems can also be a good idea, so as to form a better opinion, visit the web for information and reports again and engage in some price evaluation. If you follow these simple steps, you can choose an ideal home theater speaker package to soothe your mood.

You can also find more info on Home Theater and Home Theater Audio Systems. 1hometheaterreviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Home theater and Discover Home Hall cinema.

// posted by 58378 @ 3:39 AM 0 comments

A mans home is his castle, as the saying goes. But homes today dont normally feature ramparts, drawbridges, moats and six-foot thick stone walls to keep out unwanted visitors. Today, a house alarm, and preferably a managed home security system, is needed to ensure your homes security. Not only does installing a home security system improve the safety of your family and possessions, but it can also decrease your home insurance costs. The Top Ten House Alarm and Home Security Devices list highlights ten devices and features of home security systems that can make your house a safer place.

The Top Ten

10. Talking Devices help you to understand the status of your home and monitoring as well as program the system. Some security systems feature talking master control panels, key pads or remotes. The talking feature may not result in great conversation, but it will help you understand your system a little better.

9. Some home alarm systems include extras like Key Fobs and Remotes to control the system at a distance. Somewhat similar to a cars key fob, home security key fobs include buttons to activate and deactivate the house alarm system. Some even include a panic button that activates the house alarm and alerts the proper authorities in the event of an emergency. remote controls are similar and often larger. The features of remotes vary greatly and can include a full key pad, a talking feature and a panic button as well.

8. Yard Signs and House or Window Decals advertise your homes protection. The Greenwich Study of Residential Security found that homes without alarms were 2.7 to 3.5 times more likely to be burglarized, and that the most effective deterrent was the alarm monitoring companys yard sign (SIA Research Update, Security Industry Association, October 2001). Some choose to post the signs to deter possible break-ins without actually installing a home alarm system. While this effort will lower the odds of an attempted burglary, a yard sign alone cannot fully protect your home.

7. A Back-Up Power supply is important in maintaining home security even during a power outage, when the risk of break-ins and looting is increased. Your home alarm should be effective even when your power is not. The easiest to maintain back-up power supplies use standard size batteries. Look for a model that uses rechargeable batteries to lower your maintenance costs.

6. Smoke Detectors add another layer of protection to your home, especially when they are integrated into the home alarm system. Not only do smoke detectors indicate a fire and give you time to escape safely, but when included in a home security package, they automatically notify the managing company and the fire department. Some systems even integrate the power supply to the smoke detectors. That means you dont have to change the batteries ever!

5. Wireless Systems protect your home without adding extra cords to trip over or extensive installation of in-wall cords. In wireless house alarm systems, each sensor or keypad communicates with the master control panel via radio frequencies or existing wiring in your home. A burglar will never be able to disarm the system by snipping the wires. This ensures the system is fully integrated and monitoring all parts of your home without using up your outlets or creating an obstacle course of wires for you.

4. Extra Key Pads are also important. Exterior mounted key pads can provide secure keyless entry to your family. Some systems also offer remote control key pads which are lightweight and portable. A home alarm system that features a security code with a key pad increases the security of your home. A monitored system can also lock down entry after several repeated, failed attempts at entry which indicate a possible break-in attempt.

3. Key pads may not always be enough to keep burglars out. Sensors on windows and Doors reduce the risk of a burglar entering undetected and are a key part of a home alarm system. Motion Detectors within the home also increase the level of security. The most sophisticated motion detectors include a feature to ignore pets movement to avoid constantly setting the alarm off inadvertently.

2. Installation, monitoring, and Repair Services increase not only the level of safety but the convenience of keeping your home safe. A house alarm alone cannot notify the police or fire department in the event of an emergency. The most complete systems include buttons to notify police departments, fire departments and medical help instantly. Another advantage offered by the best monitoring companies is live customer support and full service installation and repair of the system by employees who have been background checked, licensed and drug tested to ensure your safety. Finally, some companies even offer relocation services to keep you secure even when you move.

1. The classic Master Control Panel is vital to any home alarm system. The central hub of the system, the control panel is usually wall-mounted in an easily accessible place. The panel receives information from all other sensors and key pads, computes it, and transmits relevant information to the monitoring company. If you choose to arm the system from the panel when you leave the house, the master control panel also receives the disarm code when you return home. Some can even be disarmed by telephone!

Of course, this list is not comprehensive, and the needs of every home and homeowner are different. For more tips on choosing the right home alarm system and features to protect your house, I recommend visiting alarmoneinc.com.

About the Author: Boyd Norwood is a web content specialist for 10x Marketing. For more information on house alarm and home security systems, please visit alarmoneinc.com.

// posted by 58378 @ 12:15 AM 0 comments