Here you can Learn Yoga Therapy and learning how to heal injuries with Yoga

Yoga Therapy and learning how to heal injuries with Yoga is a key component of the Fred Busch Teacher Training Curriculum! 

I was never a gymnast Yoga Good Food Meditation POWER

I was never a gymnast... Yoga + Good Food + Meditation = POWER

Yoga Nutritionist Professional Certification in Lima begins

Yoga Nutritionist™ Professional Certification in Lima begins TONIGHT at 7pm

If you want to make the move that you will thank yourself for FOREVER... contact Gabriela Sologuren or Alexander Landazuri because you can still register 

You can See Here Lecture time!.

Lecture time!!! #yogateachertraining #yogateachercertification #yogainstructorcourse #yoga #poweryoga #hotyoga #vinyasayoga #miamiyoga #brickellyoga #kendallyoga #davieyoga #yogadavie #yogamiami @lulumale @erizafra 

River Horan is leading an APRIL 20th Retreat at Salamadhi Ranch!

River Horan is leading an APRIL 20th Retreat at Salamadhi Ranch! Join River and Alba Sunshine in Colorado as they lead 10 LUCKY STUDENTS on an amazing weekend of Yoga, Meditation, Hiking, Fresh Mountain Air, Great Food and the best company!!! April 17th-April 20th - $999 all included! Register Today this is a special event and demand may be quite HIGH!!!

Practical exams today in Bogota‬ Yoga Teacher Training‬.

Practical exams today in ‪#‎bogota‬ for ‪#‎yogateachertraining‬ ‪#‎hotyoga‬ ‪#‎poweryoga‬ ‪#‎meditation‬ ‪#‎pranayama‬ ‪#‎fredbuschyoga‬ ‪#‎yogagram‬ ‪#‎instayoga‬ ‪#‎yoga‬ ‪#‎vinyasa‬ @fredbuschyoga

You can see here YOGA EVERY DAY.

#hotelyoga #instayoga #bogotayoga #colombiayoga #yoga #headstand YOGA EVERY DAY 

Supine Spinal Twist in Yoga - Amazing Fred Busch Hot Yoga Pose

Amazing and ‪#‎delisciousyoga‬ pose. ‪#‎supinetwist‬ feels amazing and is so beneficial to the internal organs. Never practice poses like this with food in your stomach . Eating some fruit couple hours before if needed is always good idea to keep body light in practice! Helps develop strength too! ‪#‎spinaltwist‬ ‪#‎hathayoga‬ ‪#‎yoga‬ ‪#‎yogaeverydamnday‬ ‪#‎alignment‬ ‪#‎teachertraining‬ ‪#‎yogasafety‬ ‪#‎yogateachertraining‬ ‪#‎yogapracticenotyogaperfect‬ @fredbuschyogabrickell @meganelizabeth_yoga @mayarabusch @fredbuschyogabrickell

Do you LOVE YOGA and are in College or University?You Can FIND TIME to do a Yoga Teacher Training?

Do you LOVE YOGA and are in College or University now so have not been able to FIND TIME to do a Yoga Teacher Training?

Announcing our WINTER BREAK TEACHER TRAINING in MIAMI! December 19th 2014 - January 8th 2015! Come to Sunny Miami in December where you can lodge with us in the LOTUS DORM if you from out of town!

FIRST 4 STUDENTS WHO REGISTER RECEIVE 50% OFF COST OF LODGING! Bring a friend and each receives a $350 Scholarship off the Tuition!
For Questions or an application message me here or fredbusch@miamiyoga.com

Fred Busch Yoga - Detox

The body is constantly using a vast majority of its energy on the digestive system,  because you are eating food that you are not biologically adapted to eat.Thus the body is trying to break it down, basically absorbing a large percentage of your energy in your daily life, and a smaller percentage to function well and heal itself. You then end up living a lifestyle where most of your energy is diverted down a different stream, not really being used for your own benefit.

A detox limits the amount of calories you take and frees up a large reservoir of energy that was formally being wasted trying to digest 'the food' you eat. You need to create an environment where you are getting all the nutrients you need, and nothing that makes it difficult for your body to deal with, hence having a lot of energy to clean itself up, because all sorts of things accumulate in your cells and different pockets of your body thus keeping your vibration low and you are not stable-minded or connected to God out of having toxicity in your body.
Join in on the yoga teacher training and learn more

Hot Yoga Training

Salamadhi Ranch Teacher Training (coming up soon)

17 Day Teacher Training program beginning February 23rd! with Fred Busch and Rae Indigo

  

 A Life Transforming Program at Salamadhi Ranch! All Day Yoga and eating and hiking in Colorado! Tuition includes Room and Board! $3950

Would you like to escape to the mountains? Get away from the hectic pace of the city and sink into lush silence with a group of like-minded people? Salamadhi Ranch is the perfect location to elevate your yoga practice, detox your body and enjoy being enveloped by mountain landscapes. Stunning sunsets, a hot yoga studio, and the most flavorful vegetarian cuisine you can imagine. We are located only an hour outside of Denver, high in the beautiful Rocky Mountains!

With over 55 acres of hiking trails, Salamadhi Ranch offers unparalleled scenic vistas, fresh mountain air, and the best yoga instructors in North America. Our retreat programs span subjects such as yoga, meditation, plant-strong cooking classes and courses on nutrition, high-altitude elite-athlete training, pranayama, anatomy in yoga, and depending on the teacher in residence, music, energetic healing and other alternative disciplines are offered throughout the year.

Join the lucky few!

*If you are a Fred Busch 200 Graduate this program can deliver your 500 Hour Level with a few extra assignments!

Announcing: Fred Busch European 200 Hour, 3 Week Power Yoga Teacher Training (w/Video)

FRED BUSCH EUROPEAN 200 HOUR 3 WEEK POWER YOGA TEACHER TRAINING

Become a qualified YOGA teacher and embrace the YOGA lifestyle with Yoga Healing Sequences
The Fred Busch FOOD 101 'You are what You eat'
YOGA Teacher Massage Therapy

Location Malta

Within 3+ hours from all European Centers
300 days of sunshine per y ear for indoor and outdoor YOGA
A variety of affordable accommodations in the Mediterranean setting

REGISTER NOW:
fredbusch@gmail.com
+356 3550 5539
The 3 week program is taught by Rae Indigo and Fred Busch



fredbusch.com
raeindigoyoga.com

Non Duality, Vedanta, Teacher Training Miami W/Fred Busch (VIDEO)

Following this video in which Fred explains in layman's terms the basic philosophy of Advaita Vendanta and Jnana Yoga (the yoga of self realization), is a lengthy series of Q & A's with Sri Ramana Maharshi, who many consider to be the best example of a truly enlightened master who ever lived - even though the Maharshi has never made any claims about himself.

First the video...

Now on to the interview with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Note: This is a lengthy read - after all, the very nature of non-dual self realization is beyond human understanding, but it examines all the aspects of human questioning in regard to "who am I" (self discovery and realization) in detail...



Sri Ramana Maharshi

 Jnani (Self-realised)



The following Q & A with Ramans Maharshi has been edited by David Godman

Question: Does a jnani have Sankalpas (desires)?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The main qualities of the ordinary mind are Tamas (sloth, inertia) and Rajas (passion, excitement); hence it is full of egoistic desires and weaknesses. But the jnani’s mind is Suddhi-Sattva (pure harmony) and formless, functioning in the subtle Vijnanmayakosha (the sheath of knowledge), through which he keeps contact with the world. His desires are therefore also pure.

Question: What is the relation between the pure consciousness realised by the jnani and the ‘I am’-ness, which is accepted as the primary datum of experience?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The undifferentiated consciousness of pure being is the Heart or Hridayam, which is what you really are. From the Heart arises the ‘I am’-ness as the primary datum of one’s experience. By itself it is completely pure (suddha-sattva) in character. It is in this form of pristine purity (suddha-sattva-swarupa), uncontaminated by Rajas and Tamas (activity and inertia, that the ‘I’ appears to subsist in the jnani.

Question:In the jnani the ego subsists in the pure form and therefore it appears as something real. Am I right?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The existence of the ego in any form, either in the jnani or ajnani, is itself an experience. But to the ajnani who is deluded into thinking that the waking state and the world are real, the ego also appears to be real. Since he sees the jnani act like other individuals, he feels constrained to posit some notion of individuality with reference to the jnani also.

Question: How then does the Aham-Vritti (‘I’ thought, the sense of individuality) function in the jnani?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: It does not function in him at all. The jnani’s real nature is the Heart itself, because he is one and identical with the undifferentiated, pure consciousness referred to by the Upanishads as the Prajnana (full consciousness). Prajnana is truly Brahman, the absolute, and there is no Brahman other than Prajnana.

Question: I am trying to understand the jnani’s point of view about the world. Is the world perceived after Self-realisation?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Why worry about the world and what happens to it after Self-realisation? First realise the Self. What does it matter if the world is perceived or not? Do you gain anything to help you in your quest by the non-perception of the world during sleep? Conversely, what would you lose now by the perception of the world? It is quite immaterial to the jnani or ajnani if he perceives the world or not. It is seen by both, but their view-points differ.

Question: If the jnani and the ajnani perceive the world in like manner, where is the difference between them?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Seeing the world, the jnani sees the Self which is the substratum of all that is seen; the ajnani, whether he sees the world or not, is ignorant of his true being, the Self.

Take the instance of moving pictures on the screen in the cinema-show. What is there in front of you before the play begins? Merely the screen. On that screen you see the entire show, and for all appearances the pictures are real. But go and try to take hold of them. What do you take hold of? Merely the screen on which the pictures appeared. After the play, when the pictures disappear, what remains? The screen again.

So with the Self. That alone exists, the pictures come and go. If you hold on to the Self, you will not be deceived by the appearance of the pictures. Nor does it matter at all if the pictures appear or disappear. Ignoring the Self the ajnani thinks the world is real, just as ignoring the screen he sees merely the pictures, as if they existed apart from it. If one knows that without the seer there is nothing to be seen, just as there are no pictures without the screen, one is not deluded. The jnani knows that the screen and the pictures are only the Self. With the pictures the Self is in its manifest form; without the pictures it remains in the unmanifest form. To the jnani it is quite immaterial if the Self is in the one form or the other. He is always the Self. But the ajnani seeing the jnani active gets confounded.

Question: Does Bhagavan see the world as part and parcel of himself? How does he see the world?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The Self alone is and nothing else. However, it is differentiated owing to ignorance. Differentiation is threefold:

1. Of the same kind

2. Of a different kind; and

3. As parts in itself

The world is not another Self similar to the Self. It is not different from the Self; nor is it part of the Self.

Question: Is not the world reflected on the Self?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: For reflection there must be object and an image. But the self does not admit of these differences.

Question: What is the difference between the Baddha and the Mukta, the bound man and the one liberated?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The ordinary man lives in the brain unaware of himself in the Heart. The jnana-siddha (jnani) lives in the Heart. When he moves about and deals with men and things, he knows that what he sees is not separate from the one supreme reality, the Brahman which he realised in the Heart as his own Self, the real.

Question: What about the ordinary man?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: I have just said that he sees things outside himself. He is separate from the world, from his own deeper truth, from the truth that supports him and what he sees. The man who has realised the supreme truth of his own existence realises that it is the one supreme reality that is there behind him, behind the world. In fact, he is aware of the one, as the real, the Self in all selves, in all things, eternal and immutable, in all that is impermanent and mutable.

Question: Does a jnani have dreams?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Yes, he does dream, but he knows it to be a dream, in the same way as he knows the waking state to be a dream. You may call them dream number one and dream number two. The jnani being established in the fourth state-Turiya, the supreme reality- he detachedly witnesses the three other states, waking, dreaming and dreamless sleep, as pictures superimposed on it.

For those who experience waking, dream and sleep, the state of wakeful sleep, which is beyond those three states, is named Turiya (the fourth). But since that Turiya alone exists and since the seeming three states do not exist, know for certain that turiya is itself turiyatitta (that which transcends the fourth).

Question: For the jnani then, there is no distinction between the three states of mind?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: How can there be, when the mind itself is dissolved and lost in the light of consciousness?

For the jnani all the three states are equally unreal. But the ajnani is unable to comprehend this, because for him the standard of reality is the waking state, whereas for the jnani the standard is reality itself. This reality of pure consciousness is eternal by its nature and therefore subsists equally during what you call waking, dreaming and sleep. To him who is one with that reality there is neither the mind nor its three states and, therefore, neither introversion nor extroversion.

His is the ever waking state, because he is awake to the eternal Self; his is the ever dreaming state, because to him the world is no better than a repeatedly presented dream phenomenon; his is the ever sleeping state, because he is at all times without the ‘body-am I’ consciousness.

Question: Is there no Dehatma Buddhi (I-am-the-body idea) for the jnani? If, for instance, Sri Bhagavan is bitten by an insect, is there no sensation?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is the sensation and there is also the dehatma buddhi. The latter is common to both jnani and ajnani with this difference, that the ajnani thinks only the body is myself, whereas the jnani knows all is of the Self, or all this is Brahman. If there be pain let it be. It is also part of the Self. The Self is Poorna (perfect).

After transcending dehatma buddhi one becomes a jnani. In the absence of that idea there cannot be either Kartritva (doership) or Karta (doer). So a jnani has no karma (that is, a jnani performs no actions). That is his experience. Otherwise he is not a jnani. However, the ajnani identifies the jnani with his body, which the jnani does not do.

Question: I see you doing things. How can you say that you never perform actions?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The radio sings and speaks, but if you open it you will find no one inside. Similarly, my existence is like the space; though this body speaks like the radio, there is no one inside as a doer.

Question: I find this hard to understand. Could you please elaborate on this?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Various illustrations are given in books to enable us to understand how the jnani can live and act without the mind, although living and acting require the use of the mind. The potter’s wheel goes on turning round even after the potter has ceased to turn it because the pot is finished. In the same way, the electric fan goes on revolving for some minutes after we switch off the current. Prarabdha (predestined Karma) which created the body will make it go through whatever activities it was meant for. But the jnani goes through all these activities without the notion that he is the doer of them. It is hard to understand how this is possible. The illustration generally given is that the jnani performs actions in some such way as a child that is roused from sleep to eat eats but does not remember next morning that it ate. It has to be remembered that all these explanations are not for the jnani. He knows and has no doubts. He knows that he is not the body and he knows that he is not doing anything even though his body may be engaged in some activity. These explanations are for the onlookers who think of the jnani as one with a body and cannot help identifying him with his body.

Questioner:It is said that the shock of realisation is so great that the body cannot survive it.

Sri Ramana Maharshi: There are various controversies or schools of thought as to whether a jnani can continue to live in his physical body after realisation. Some hold that one who dies cannot be a jnani because his body must vanish into thin air, or some such thing. They put forward all sorts of funny notions. If a man at once leaves his body when he realises the Self, I wonder how any knowledge of the Self or the state of realisation can come down to other men. And that would mean that all those who have given us the fruits of their Self-realisation in books cannot be considered jnanis because they went on living after realisation. And if it is held that a man cannot be considered a jnani so long as he performs actions in the world (and action is impossible without the mind), then not only the great sages who carried on various kinds of work after attaining jnana must be considered ajnanis but the gods also, and Iswara (the supreme personal God) himself, since he continues looking after the world. The fact is that any amount of action can be performed, and performed quite well, by the jnani, without his identifying himself with it in any way or ever imagining that he is the doer. Some power acts through his body and uses his body to get the work done.

Question: Is a jnani capable of or likely to commit sins?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: An ajnani sees someone as a jnani and identifies him with the body. Because he does not know the Self and mistakes his body for the Self, he extends the same mistake to the state of the jnani. The jnani is therefore considered to be the physical frame.

Again, since the ajnani, though he is not the doer, imagines himself to be the doer and considers the actions of the body his own, he thinks the ajnani to be similarly acting when the body is active. But the jnani himself knows the truth and is not confounded. The state of a jnani cannot be determined by the ajnani and therefore the question troubles only the ajnani and never arises for the jnani. If he is a doer he must determine the nature of the actions. The Self cannot be the doer. Find out who is the doer and the Self is revealed.

Question: So it amounts to this. To see a jnani is not to understand him. You see the jnani’s body and not his jnana. One must therefore be a jnani to know a jnani.

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The jnani sees no one as an ajnani. All are only jnanis in his sight. In the ignorant state one superimposes one’s ignorance on a jnani and mistakes him for a doer. In the state of jnana, the jnani sees nothing separate from the Self. The Self is all shining and only pure jnana. So there is no ajnana in his sight. There is an illustration for this kind of illusion or superimposition.

Two friends went to sleep side by side. One of them dreamt that both of them had gone on a long journey and that they had had strange experiences. On waking up he recapitulated them and asked his friend if it was not so. The other one simply ridiculed him saying that it was only his dream and could not affect the other.

So it is with the ajnani who superimposes his illusory ideas on others.

Question: You have said that the jnani can be and is active, and deals with men and things. I have no doubt about it now. But you say at the same time that he sees no differences; to him all is one, he is always in the consciousness. If so, how does he deal with differences, with men, with things, which are surely different?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: He sees these differences as but appearances, he sees them as not separate from the true, the real, with which he is one.

Question: The jnani seems to be more accurate in his expressions, he appreciates the differences better than the ordinary man. If sugar is sweet and wormwood is bitter to me, he too seems to realise it so. In fact, all forms, all sounds, all tastes, etc., are the same to him as they are to others. If so, how can it be said that these are mere appearances? Do they not form part of his life experience?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: I have said that equality is the true sign of jnana. The very term equality implies the existence of differences. It is a unity that the jnani perceives in all differences, which I call equality. Equality does not mean ignorance of distinctions. When you have the realisation you can see that these differences are very superficial, that they are not at all substantial or permanent, and what is essential in all these appearances is the one truth, the real. That I call unity. You referred to sound, taste, form, smell, etc. True, the jnani appreciates the distinctions, but he always perceives and experiences the one reality in all of them. That is why he has no preferences. Whether he moves about, or talks, or acts, it is all the one reality in which he acts or moves or talks. He has nothing apart from the one supreme truth.

Question: They say that the jnani conducts himself with absolute equality towards all?

Sri Ramana Maharshi:Yes.

"Friendship, kindness, happiness and such other bhavas (attitudes) become natural to them. Affection towards the good, kindness towards the helpless, happiness in doing good deeds, forgiveness towards the wicked, all such things are natural characteristics of the jnani." (Patanjali, Yoga Sutras, 1:37).

You ask about jnanis: they are the same in any state or condition, as they know the reality, the truth. In their daily routine of taking food, moving about and all the rest, they, the jnanis, act only for others. Not a single action is done for themselves. I have already told you many times just as there are people whose profession is to mourn for a fee, so also the jnanis do things for the sake of others with detachment, without themselves being affected by them.

The jnani weeps with the weeping, laughs with the laughing, plays with the playful, sings with those who sing, keeping time to the song. What does he lose? His presence is like a pure, transparent mirror. It reflects the image exactly as it is. But the jnani, who is only a mirror, is unaffected by actions. How can a mirror, or the stand on which it is mounted, be affected by the reflection? Nothing affects them, as they are mere supports. On the other hand, the actors in the world – the doers of all acts, the ajnanis- must decide for themselves what song and what action is for the welfare of the world, what is in accordance with the sastras (scriptures), and what is practicable.

Questioner: There are said to be Sadeha Mukta (liberated while still in the body) and Videha Mukta (liberated at the time of death).

Sri Ramana Maharshi: There is no liberation, and where are Muktas?

Question: Do not Hindu sastras speak of mukti (liberation)?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: Mukti is synonymous with the Self. Jivan Mukti (liberated while still in the body) and Videha Mukti are all for the ignorant. The jnani is not conscious of Mukti or Bandha (bondage). Bondage, liberation and orders of Mukti are all said for an ajnani in order that ignorance might be shaken off. There is only Mukti and nothing else.

Question: It is all right from the standpoint of Bhagavan. But what about us?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The difference ‘he’ and ‘I’ are the obstacles to jnana.

Question: You once said: ‘The liberated man is free indeed to act as he pleases, and when he leaves the mortal coil, he attains absolution, but returns not to this birth which is actually death.’

This statement gives the impression that although the jnani takes no birth again on this plane, he may continue to work on subtler planes, if he so chooses. Is there any desire left in him to choose?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: No that was not my intention.

Questioner: Further, an Indian philosopher, in one of his books, interpreting Sankara, says that there is no such thing as Videha Mukti, for after his death, the Mukta takes a body of light in which he remains till the whole of humanity becomes liberated.

Sri Ramana Maharshi: That cannot be Sankara’s view. In verse 566 of Vivekachudamani he says that after the dissolution of the physical sheath the liberated man becomes like ‘water poured into water and oil into oil’. It is a state in which there is neither bondage nor liberation. Taking another body means throwing a veil, however subtle, upon reality, which is bondage. Liberation is absolute and irrevocable.

Question: How can we say that the jnani is not in two planes? He moves about with us in the world and sees the various objects we see. It is not as if he does not see them. For instance he walks along. He sees the path he is treading. Suppose there is a chair or table placed across that path; he sees it, avoids it and goes round. So, have we not to admit he sees the world and the objects there, while of course he sees the Self?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: You say the jnani sees the path, treads it, comes across obstacles, avoids them, etc. In whose eyesight is all this, in the jnani’s or in yours? He sees only the Self and all in the Self.

Question: Are there no illustrations given in our books to explain this sahaj (natural) state clearly to us?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: There are. For instance you see a reflection in the mirror and the mirror. You know the mirror to be the reality and the picture in it a mere reflection. Is it necessary that to see the mirror we should cease to see the reflection in it?

Question: What are the fundamental tests for discovering men of great spirituality, since some are reported to behave like insane people?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: The jnani’s mind is known only to the jnani. One must be a jnani oneself in order to understand another jnani. However, the peace of mind which permeates the saint’s atmosphere is the only means by which the seeker understands the greatness of the saint.

His words or actions or appearance are no indication of his greatness, for they are ordinarily beyond the comprehension of common people.

Question: Why is it said in the scriptures that the sage is like a child?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: A child and a jnani are similar in a way. Incidents interest a child only so long as they last. It ceases to think of them after they have passed away. So then, it is apparent that they do not leave any impression on the child and it is not affected by them mentally. So it is with a jnani.

Question: You are Bhagavan. So you should know when I shall get jnana. Tell me when I shall be a jnani?

Sri Ramana Maharshi: If I am Bhagavan there is no one besides the Self- therefore no jnani or ajnani. If otherwise, I am as good as you are and know as much as yourself. Either way I cannot answer your question.

Coming here some people do not ask about themselves. They ask: ‘Does the jivan muktas see the world? Is he affected by Karma? What is liberation after being disembodied or while alive in the body? Should the body of the sage resolve itself in light or disappear from view in any other manner? Can he be liberated though the body is left behind as a corpse?

Their questions are endless. Why worry oneself in so many ways? Does liberation consist in knowing these things?

Therefore I say to them, leave liberation alone. Is there bondage? Know this. See yourself first and foremost.

Sick looking Vegans - Why do vegans not look healthy? (VIDEO)

Following plant based diet is a great step towards long term vibrant energy and health, but it is far from the only factor. No matter what you eat, a sedentary lifestyle is damaging to health and bears responsibility for growing obesity problems.

As Fred explains in the video below, just because someone proclaims themselves to be vegan or vegetarian does not insure that they are a picture of perfect health. Why, you may ask? Well the answers are simple.

Here are a few possible conclusions:

• Being a vegan or vegetarian is no protection from unhealthy habits such as eating the wrong types of foods. After all French fries and potato chips are generally plant based.
• Even extremely unhealthy processed, junk and “fake” foods can be vegan or plant based.
• Overeating is another unhealthy habit which contributes to poor health.
• Lots of cheese and dairy for vegetarians can lead to a host of health problems.
• Exposure to toxins in the environment (water, air, industrial life in general) can negatively affect a person’s health regardless of how healthily they eat. In many cases the healthiest people are the most sensitive to environmental toxins, but they don’t always listen to their bodies.
• Stress - from jobs, toxic relationships and the hustle and bustle of modern life can drain the life energy out of even the most conscientious vegetarian or vegan, causing them to appear debilitated.
• Plus there’s always the possibility that professed vegans or vegetarians are not being completely honest and are eating foods which they claim not to be? 

Scientific evidence actually shows, that people who consume a plant strong diet and avoid the pitfalls listed above, will naturally look more healthy and more attractive, because the chlorophyll, carotenoids and other vitamins and antioxidants in vegetables makes skin appear healthier in color and makes them look more attractive when measured against tanned skin and a face of a person, who eats considerably less vegetables and face color is close to what is generally considered "normal" (photo).


The middle image shows the face of a person on a "normal" American diet. The left side is the same face with a sun tan, and on the right the vibrant look resulting from a plant based diet.

 



The Importance of Enzymes with Fred Busch (Video)

The ultimate natural cure for many diseases common to our advanced culture is largely related to the presence of enzymes in raw food. The lack of enzymes in processed and cooked foods often causes these foods to become a burden to our bodies and this ultimately results in a variety of health problems. This article and the video that follows addresses this very important health issue.

Enzymes are an extremely important key to a healthy life; actually they are essential to life itself. No enzymes, no life. All the digestive enzymes in our food are destroyed by processing, cooking and baking, and when we eat these foods the body has to draw the necessary enzymes to digest this “dead” food from the body organs which in turn become unbalanced. Most of the processed foods available in our supermarkets are void of enzymes. Research has shown that this can cause conditions that support a host of degenerative diseases. Fortunately, by eating raw food and/or taking enzyme supplements helps to restore our health and then maintain a state of optimal health.

Natural enzymes from living food work directly with the body's pancreatic enzymes; when we don't have an abundant supply, our digestion is impaired. The more processed foods we eat, the fewer enzymes we have and the more difficult it becomes to properly digest and assimilate the food we eat.


living foods contain living enzymes.

 Think of enzymes as the 'spark of life'. Without enzymes, our bodies do not properly break down food; for that reason we do not absorb the necessary vitamins, minerals and amino acids which are the basis of optimal health. Our immune system, bloodstream, liver, kidneys, spleen and pancreas are especially dependent on sufficient enzymes for proper digestive function. Without enough enzymes, our white blood cells try to duplicate the function of these missing enzymes, usually leaving one feeling tired or lethargic after eating; a common response to compromise the immune system. Enzymes are responsible for every single biochemical reaction that occurs in living matter. All living things depend on enzymes.

In the above video Fred Mentions AFA (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) which literally means "invisible living flower of water" in Greek. If you would like more information on this product contact American Nutrition Institute directors by visiting this page.

Probiotics with Fred Busch (VIDEO)

In the video below Fred Busch of the American Nutrition Institute (ANI) discusses some of the reasons to use probiotics in a regimen of intelligent living. Many people have intestinal ailments and malfunctions and could benefit from the use of probiotic friendly bacteria, microflora, along with a program of eliminating junk food and beginning to exercise.
Probiotic bacterial cultures are intended to assist the body's naturally occurring gut flora (an ecology of microbes) to re-establish themselves. They are sometimes recommended by doctors, and, more frequently, by nutritionists, following a cleanse, after a course of antibiotics, or as part of the treatment for gut related candidiasis.

Probiotics Offer the Following Health Benefits:

• Promote healthy digestion and nutrient assimilation.
• Replenish colonies of friendly bacteria that may be destroyed by antibiotics and certain health complications.
• Counter an overgrowth of "bad" organisms in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Enhance immune response (since a large percentage of cells of the immune system are located in the digestive tract).
• May support healthy cholesterol levels.
• Promote oral health.
• Help counter an unfavorable balance of yeast and fungus.
• Assist those that are lactose intolerant with lactose digestion.
• Support urinary tract and colon health.

Why is Supplementing with Probiotics Important?

A number of factors, including poor diet, medication, illness, stress and aging, can deplete levels of beneficial bacteria in the body. That's why it is important to incorporate a good, high-quality probiotic supplement into your daily diet.

What to Look for in a Probiotic Supplement:

• Find a probiotic supplement that guarantees its potency (the promised level of live bacteria) at time of use.
• Make sure that it contains a high-quality prebiotic to nourish and sustain existing friendly bacterial colonies within the intestines.
• Only use a probiotic supplement containing naturally occurring strains that are safe and effective for human use and are not genetically engineered (non-GMO).
• Choose one that features a good delivery technology that enables these strains to securely arrive at their destination – the intestinal tract.

Here's more...

Cabbage can also be used as a homemade probiotic...
CABBAGE REJUVELAC:

Quote: "Cabbage is a vegetable that is teeming with lactobacteria. No starter is needed for making rejuvelac. Just start one morning by blending together 1 3/4 cups (420ml) distilled or purified water plus 3 cups (720ml coarsely chopped, loosely packed fresh cabbage. Start the blender at low speed and then advance the blender to high speed and blend for 30 more seconds. Pour into a jar, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 3 days. At this time, strain off the liquid rejuvelac. The initial batch of cabbage rejuvelac takes 3 days to mature, but succeeding batches take 24 hours each.

Each morning after straining off the fresh rejuvelac, blend together for 30 seconds at high speed 1 1/2 cups (360ml) distilled or purified water plus 3 cups (720ml) coarsely chopped, loosely packed fresh cabbage. Pour into a jar, add 1/4 cup (60ml) of the fresh rejuvelac just strained off, cover, shake and let stand at room temp. until the next morning.

You can also make cabbage rejuvelac without a blender by chopping the cabbage very fine and using 2 1/2 cups (600ml) finely chopped, loosely packed cabbage listed above. The amount of distilled or purified water used should remain unchanged.

Good quality rejuvelac tastes similar to a cross between carbonated water and the whey obtained when making yogurt. Bad quality rejuvelac has a much more putrid odor and taste and should not be consumed. Always avoid using tap water when making rejuvelac because chlorine has been added to it for the purpose of killing bacteria of any kind.

Drink each day's rejuvelac during the course of the day by taking 1/2 cup (120ml) 3x a day, preferably with meals."

...Robert Gray - "The Colon Health Handbook"



And this...
CULTURED CABBAGE JUICE

Quote: "To implant friendly lactobacteria in the colon and heal damaged mucus membranes of the G.I. tract, you need to drink about 1 and 1/2 cup daily of cultured cabbage juice. Here is how to make it. Fill blender with chopped green cabbage and add distilled water until about 2/3 full. (Do not use well water or tap water). Beat at high speed in the blender for one minute. Pour mixture into bowl and repeat with two more batches. Cover with Seran wrap or similar material and let stand at room temperature. After 3 days, the cabbage juice solution is ready to use. Strain the mixture to separate the liquid from the pulp. Place the cultured cabbage juice in refrigerator. Drink 1/2 cup of this solution diluted with an equal part of water 2 or 3 times each day. When your supply gets low, make second batch just like the first one, except, add 1/2 cup of the juice from the first batch to the second batch. Your second batch will be ready just 24 hours.

This process may be repeated indefinitely. Each serving contains several billion friendly lactobacteria. The lactic acid in the culture cabbage juice will purify the G.I. tract and kill most strains of fungi, parasites and other pathogens.

You should drink this mixture until your stools float in the toilet bowl and are odor free. When that happens, you may lower your dosage of cultured cabbage juice to one serving each day as maintenance dosage. You may eat one cup of raw cabbage as a substitute for 1/2 cup of cultured cabbage juice."

Conrad Lebeau - "Natural Remedies For Intestinal Health"

Did you know? Did you know that Yoga is here to serve us...(Video)

Did you know? Did you know that Yoga is here to serve us...and we are not here to serve Yoga? In our Yoga practice, poses that are injurious to us are to be skipped until our body heals. The ability to let go of unintelligent poses and allow the body to heal is a sign of an advanced Yogi!

Fred Busch

Yoga’s goal, as many of you know, is to unite the body, mind and the spirit. Since ancient times yogis have viewed the body and mind as one, and when given proper instruction and guidance, and practiced in a right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga practice is therefore considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It conditions the body, making it more flexible and supports a relaxed state even while in the midst of a stressful environment. This is the primary reason people want to start yoga practice - to feel more fit, more energetic, happier and peaceful. But there’s more...

Physiologically Yoga prompts the body to achieve...

• Physiologically Yoga prompts the body to achieve...
• Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
• Pulse rate decreases
• Respiratory rate decreases
• Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
• Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
• EEG - alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
• EMG activity decreases
• Cardiovascular efficiency increases
• Respiratory efficiency increases
• Gastrointestinal function normalizes
• Endocrine function normalizes
• Excretory functions improve
• Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
• Breath-holding time increases
• Joint range of motion increase
• Grip strength increases
• Eye-hand coordination improves
• Dexterity skills improve
• Reaction time improves
• Posture improves
• Strength and resiliency increase
• Endurance increases
• Energy level increases
• Weight normalizes
• Sleep improves
• Immunity increases
• Pain decreases
• Steadiness improves
• Depth perception improves
• Balance improves
• Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Psychologically Yoga prompts the mind to achieve...  

• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
• Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
• Social adjustment increases
• Anxiety and Depression decrease
• Hostility decreases
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Attention improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Mood improves
• Self-actualization increase
• Social skills increases
• Well-being increases
• Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
• Self-acceptance increase
• Attention improves
• Concentration improves
• Memory improves
• Learning efficiency improves
• Symbol coding improves
• Depth perception improves

Biochemically Yoga promotes...

• Glucose decreases
• Sodium decreases
• Total cholesterol decreases
• Triglycerides decrease
• HDL cholesterol increases
• LDL cholesterol decreases
• VLDL cholesterol decreases
• Cholinesterase increases
• Catecholamines decrease
• ATPase increases
• Hematocrit increases
• Hemoglobin increases
• Lymphocyte count increases
• Total white blood cell count decreases
• Thyroxin increases
• Vitamin C increases
• Total serum protein increases

Did you know? That there are many ways of meditating and meditation is not what you think. (VIDEO)

Did you know? Did you know that there are many ways of meditating? Seated still mind meditation is one type, but only one type.



Formal "seated" meditation in a full lotus position



Meditation is any practice that allows us to transcend our thinking minds and the suffering that they produce. Swimming, running, chanting are all ways of experiencing the deep peace found beyond the mind. It is also interesting to note that the Tibetan Buddhist Meditation tradition does not have seated still mind meditation as one of their practices whatsoever. The meditation practice given by the Buddha to all his disciples is called Vipassana and is a practice of keeping attention on the relaxed breath as the focus of meditation.

Vipassana means 'to come and see'. To be more precise – ‘to come inward and see’, and thus is often referred to as ‘insight meditation’. The practice of Vipassana meditation as instructed by the Buddha is ‘To watch your breath with awareness’. That's all! It’s just that simple, to remain watchful of your breath as it comes and goes. That is Vipassana. It’s the easiest meditation technique of all time. It’s the kind of friendly meditation which can be practiced by anybody, anywhere and at any time.

It has been said that the most fruitful meditation becomes ‘seamless’ and you’ll know you’ve attained real success when you can be aware of your breath while doing all kinds of daily activities like reading, playing, driving a car, even running errands or doing simple domestic tasks. This stage will come after continuing the regular practice of bringing your attention back to the breath for a considerable amount of time. At that point you will become aware of two basic aspects of your existence, ‘doing’ and ‘being’. You will notice that you’re doing everything, fully involved in your tasks, yet inside you’ll have established a center of awareness that is completely undisturbed by outer circumstances. That will be the true state of a meditator.

Of related interest: Video - Meditation after Yoga Class - Fred Busch Power Yoga

Did you know? There's a huge difference between western and yogic psychology (VIDEO)

Did you know? (Sourced from venerable guru Sri Swami Jyotirmayananda - spoken from his ashram in Miami, Florida - and thanks to Victoria Brunacci for taking me to his ashram recently).

“Did you know that western psychology is concerned with how to handle and deal with the mind? ...but the yoga psychology of Patanjali's Yoga sutras is concerned with how to transcend the mind? What a huge difference in approach! Both approaches may have value... but in my small opinion the yoga way of meditation is a very effective means of experiencing sustained peace of mind and well being!"

Now a bit more about Patanjali’s Yoga sutras (aka: Raja Yoga)

Starting off with the first two sutras of book 1 (loosely translated)...

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – Book 1 (the Problem of Union)

Sutra #1 - atha yogā 'nuśāsanaṃ - “Now, The following instruction concerns the Science of Union (or Yoga).”
Sutra #2 – yogaś citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ - “This Union (or Yoga) is achieved through the subjugation and the restraint of the chitta (‘stuff’ of the mind).”

Commentary on sutra #2 - Here Patanjali instructs the student to prevent the mind from assuming the many forms it so easily does, whereas western psychology analyses these ‘mind forms’ (chitta) in an attempt to determine the character and traits of the individual. Again, a huge difference!

When these mind forms are present and active in any given individual western psychologists then assess whether that person is in need of treatment or not, based on certain professional guidelines used to determine levels of “so-called” sanity. Problem is; these guidelines are also part of the same ‘mind stuff’. Whereas, in the case of yogic meditation as outlined in Patanjali’s sutras the mind forms are stilled and their very presence is transcended, when this happens it brings peace and the yogi knows himself as he is in reality.

Patanjali’s Yoga sutras are the basis of Ashtanga Yoga and aspiring yogis would do well to study them. Raja Yoga reveals the art and science of traditional Yoga meditation for Self-Realization. It is a scientific process of systematically encountering, examining, and transcending each of the various gross and subtle levels of false identity (ego) in the mind field, until the jewel of the true Self comes shining through and liberation is assured.

There are 196 sutras organized progressively in four books or chapters...

• Book 1 - Samadhi Pada, 51 sutras (concentration and meditation)
• Book 2 - Sadhana Pada, 55 sutras (practice)
• Book 3 - Vibhuti Pada, 56 sutras (progressing)
• Book 4 - Kaivalya Pada, 34 sutras (liberation)

For more on Patanjali’s Yoga sutras click on: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Raja Yoga - Ashtanga Yoga

Of realted interest (Video)...

Did you know? That we can only see what we can imagine?

Did you know? Did you know that we can only see what we can imagine? And that we can only imagine a spectrum of possibilities constructed from our experience base?

Experience teaches wisdom because lessons are hard learned, but they are the only effective way to prevent future unconscious actions. It is also for this reason that many people are not capable of seeing positive things in others, things with which they have no personal experience. We can only see in the world and see in others what we have seen before in our travels and we can recognize in ourselves.

You can't see wisdom, at least not with your eyes. Neither can you feel wisdom; it can’t be touched with your hands. True wisdom comes only through experience, although compassionate guidance helps. There is something inherent in you - in everyone that recognizes and connects with wisdom based in experience. Wisdom teaches us how not to repeat the same mistakes over and over again expecting different results each time.

Down through the centuries, yogis gained wisdom by using the experiences found within their own bodies and minds. They scientifically explored life, regarding themselves as laboratories for experiments in becoming truly aware. Additionally, their imagination was highly active in the development of their practice. Meditation and a sense of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing were established as a result.

Those who are established in wisdom cannot “give” you their experience, but they can certainly assist you in discovering these things for yourself. These days knowledge is plentiful and is often mistaken for wisdom, but they’re two distinctly different things. Wisdom is the proper application of knowledge through experience.

In conclusion: Everything that you experience is an opportunity for you to use your imagination to figure out what your true purpose in life is and how to effectively apply that purpose. This is true wisdom and it assists us with recognizing our proper roles in relationship to ourselves and everything else around us and in so doing helps us to grow and mature.