Yog Daily

Siddhi in Naṭa…

In India, there is no official Dance Day, but I guess we never needed it. Just a glimpse of the Nataraja, is enough to know how deep-rooted classical dance has been in our culture. The नाट्य शास्त्र, (Nāṭyaśāstra), of Bharata Muni, was compiled five centuries before Christ, and is the primary reference text for Indian classical …

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A sign of intelligence…

अनारम्भो हि कार्याणां प्रथमं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ।आरब्धस्यान्त-गमनं द्वितीयं बुद्धि-लक्षणम् ॥ १२७ ॥ anārambho hi kāryāṇāṃ prathamaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam |ārabdhasyānta-gamanaṃ dvitīyaṃ buddhi-lakṣaṇam || 127 || The first sign of intelligence is to not begin any task. The second sign of intelligence is to always finish a task that has been started. And so, Sthirajeevin let out a series of groans, …

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A rose by any other name…

ॐ दिवं च रोह पृथिवीं च रोह राष्ट्रं च रोह द्रविणं च रोह।प्रजां च रोहामृतं च रोह रोहितेन तन्वं सं स्पृशस्व ॥ dívaṃ ca róha pr̥tʰivī́ṃ ca roha rāṣṭráṃ ca róha dráviṇaṃ ca roha /prajā́ṃ ca róhāmŕ̥taṃ ca roha róhitena tanvà1ṃ sáṃ spr̥śasva // Raise the standards of all the aspects of your life, raise the …

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What is Karate…

A few people contacted me after reading yesterday’s post. We thought Karate was a sport, like tennis or cricket, said an overwhelming majority of those I interacted with. What you say seems like it has a lot more to offer… Well, the short answer is – YES! Here is a brief that I had written a …

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Throw a punch…please…

I am wanting to enroll my daughter into karate and I am finding such a hard time looking for a good school and a good teacher. Every Shihan I see my mind automatically compares them to you, and others at Kyokushin…You set the bar too high 🙃 An old student of mine messaged this to …

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I, me and myself…

If I am not for myself…who will be? If I am for myself alone…who am I? If not now…when? And if not you…who? Four phrases that shook me when I heard them. Hillel the Elder was a Jewish philosopher who lived over 2000 years ago. While I have not read his teachings extensively, I am …

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A good sevak…

अनभिज्ञोगुणानांयोनभृत्यैर्अनुगम्यते।धनाढ्योऽपिकुलीनोऽपिक्रमायातोऽपिभूपतिः॥७९॥ anabhijño guṇānāṃ yo na bhṛtyair anugamyate |dhanāḍhyo ‘pi kulīno ‘pi kramāYāto ‘pi bhūpatiḥ || 79 || A king may he rich, or of a renowned family or of a great dynasty, but if he does not recognise the good qualities of a servant, he will lose the services of that servant. असमैःसमीयमानःसमैश्चपरिहीयमाण-सत्-कारः।धुरियोनयुज्यमानस्त्रिभिर्अर्थ-पतिंत्यजतिभृत्यः॥८०॥ asamaiḥ samīyamānaḥ samaiś ca …

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The point of the Panchatantra…

I buy second hand books from many places in Dubai, one of them being www.bookhero.ae. Was there a few days back and got talking to the owner about books and writing when the conversation moved to the Panchatantra. Like most others, she thought of the Panchatantra as a collection of children’s tales, and so I just …

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On capabilities…

The issue is not that you are not capable of doing it…the issue is that I know you are capable but you don’t. A phrase (or a close derivative) that I have found myself repeating often – to karate’s who I taught, to employees, even to family. The starting point for most people is “I …

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