Ashoka Newmedia

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices originating in India. It is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy. In India and across the World, Yoga is seen as a means to both physical health and spiritual mastery. Outside India, Yoga has become primarily associated with the practice of asanas or postures of Hatha Yoga. In the United States the American Fitness Professionals & Associates offers Yoga Certification for intructors. Yoga is a form of exercise that stems from Eastern religions based on mediation. Because of yoga's origins, many of the words used in atypical yoga session are Sanskrit, and beginning yoga students may have a difficult time remembering their meanings. One[..]

The Law of Sowing and Reaping is the universal law with many names. Every culture and civilization have their own way of defining or describing this law. Sowing and reaping cut across the board and colors every discipline and activity under heaven. It is universal law because it removes the illusion separateness and connects everything in the spiritual and material universe. The law of sowing and reaping affects Spirituality, Mental Dynamics, Health, Economics, Agriculture, Relationships, philosophy and Science. The word 'universe' means one song. The definition of the universe implies that existing things should be regarded as collective entity. This may also explain my version of the[..]

Women always appreciate a lovely flower tattoo design. Many women who are interested in tattoos go with designs depicting flowers. This is because flowers are very feminine, and are very popular options among females who embrace body art. There are many reasons why flowery designs are wonderful as body art. Flowers are very beautiful, elegant, and timeless. They represent femininity and grace. They are very pretty, colourful, and look great on skin. The choice of flowers and colors is crucial in coming up with the best looking tattoo. The great thing about a flower tattoo design is that it can be of any size. You can get one, cute little flower on your wrist or ankle, or fill your entire[..]

The thing about Chinese philosophy is that it didn't just have an affect on a select few who sought it out like philosophy in the western world. It involved multiple cultures and has influenced them for thousands and thousands of years whether they welcomed it or not. This may not be the best introduction, but these facts are of great consequence when taken into consideration for the topic at hand, which are the different methods of moral cultivation produced by ancient Chinese thinkers. This is not some frivolous subject matter that can be brushed off as worthless. It has permeated all eastern religions as well as many western ones. It has shaped education, government and daily[..]

Our success in life is determined by what we are able to produce for the society that we live in - and what we can produce is directly proportional to our ability to express ourselves fully and richly. Lack of self-confidence is perhaps the number one inhibitor of self-expression for people in our society. You might be one of the people who are overly conscious of what others think, you might hesitate to say things to other people who would really benefit from what you have to say. You might be a person who would like to write a book but you don't believe that you are good enough for the task. It's all a matter of self-confidence. Your self-confidence is primarily determined by the[..]

Infinity Publishing Company (2007) ISBN 9780741438263 "The Koran Deception" is a compilation of selected portions from the Bible and from the writings of Mohammed. These references from the Koran and the Biblical writings are paralleled to point out the differences and the inconsistencies of the Koran. The author takes the position that "To be an informed believer, the believer has to have knowledge of the Old Testament. With knowledge of the Old Testament an informed believer of the Koran will see the discrepancies and error of the Koran." With this in mind he further states, "Mohammed has created a false religion and by his own word has condemned himself and his followers." He then[..]

Seagulls are not my favorite animals - too much noise and too much defecation. But one exception to my no-seagull rule is Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull, one of my favorite books of all time. It's available from Amazon at $6.99 new and 38 cents used. Plot Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a seagull who wants to do more than squawk and grub around on the beach. He wants to soar above the clouds in a quest for perfection and excellence. He spends his days learning about speed and flight, ignoring occasional hunger pangs and stiff opposition from the traditionalists in the flock. But eventually these powerful traditionalists make him Outcast and he is forced to leave the flock and[..]

The Holistic Approach to Pregnancy The miracle of birth is one of the wonders of life, yet many families are denied this joy. The primary cause of female infertility in the Western world is physical in nature, yet conventional allopathic medicine cannot adequately cure a significant minority of these cases. This is not a fault of nature, rather a failing on the part of traditional medical science: Chinese herbalists and practitioners have long known the secrets to a healthy natural pregnancy. The fundamental problem is one of scientific approach to the human body: Western medicine analyzes isolated symptoms; traditional Chinese medicine understands that body and mind are one. Increasing[..]

What is my past life? Transmigration of the soul is a key concept in Eastern religion and philosophy. However, psychiatrists have been exploring the subject for well over two decades in the West. In Hinduism, Buddhism and Tibetan religions, the soul is considered immortal that takes on a physical body in every lifetime choosing one of the species for a form. Though, Christianity and Islam traditionally talk of only one life, fresh analytical theories have been forthcoming lately with different interpretations of the Holy Bible and Qur'an. So, if you are willing to explore the concept of birth and re-birth then, your past lives can be remembered. Psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, psychic[..]

Creative visualization is the practice of attempting to alter your thoughts in order to positively affect the world around you. There are many ways that this can be done but the basic principle is usually the same. The purpose is to improve one's surroundings via positive thinking. While this may sound a lot like daydreaming there are a few key differences. When people daydream they are usually visualizing something from a third person perspective. During creative visualization it is important to picture everything from the first person point of view. The good things that you image must literally be unfolding around you just as they would in real life. You aren't looking at things as if[..]

Meditation is a discipline where the mind is focused either on an object or on breathing. It has been described as ‘self regulation of attention, in the service of self-inquiry, in the here and now.” There have been numerous articles in major magazines as well as in medical journals of the positive benefits of meditation from reducing stress to healing the physical body. Meditation has been known in eastern religions for more than 5,000 years as a quest for spirituality. Today, there are different types of meditation from the spiritual to psychophysical disciplines, which emphasizes the development of a high degree of mental concentration. In one small study by the University of[..]

There are many questions and doubts that abound in the minds of many people who are skeptical in regards to the practice of Yoga and whether or not it is a religion. Some people get a feeling that it is a religion due the kind of dedication and concentration they see involved in those who practice it. The truth of the matter is that the practice of Yoga does not come anywhere near any definition of religion as we know it. Yoga does not emphasize any particular philosophy or doctrine as it were. Yoga is only concerned about the psychological and physical disciplines that brings together the learning of how to combine breathing exercise, postures and meditation to achieve the good health[..]

Recently a listener sent me an email inquiring as to whether or not I thought "soaking prayer" was of the Lord. In order to gauge whether or not soaking prayer is a valid form of prayer or communication to God, we must first look to God's word. Prayer in its purest form is calling on the name of God and in every scriptural example is a done as a form of communication with the Lord. Although at first glance soaking prayer may seem that it follows this model of prayer it does not. Like most lies of the enemy a closer look will reveal a different picture. Soaking prayer involves a trance like meditative or contemplative state in which the adherent is encouraged to empty their mind. This[..]

Have you ever been curious about why the Wise Men or the Magi who came to visit Jesus upon His birth? How did they know exactly when to arrive? And how did they know where to look for the new coming King? How in the world would they find an infant in this far away nation. It would be akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. When did these wise men know when to precisely leave for this likely year long journey? In the first place, the Bible doesn’t mention precisely mention that there were only three of them (Luke 2:1-12). There may have been more than three. They did bring at least three types of gifts, but these were customary gifts to kings in this age. Also, there most certainly[..]

Meditation is an intensive reflection penetrated deep into.  It implies mind  immersion into different objects, ideas and other that is achieved by means of concentration on one object and elimination of all other factors. These factors are both external (sound, light) and internal ones (physical, emotional and other tensions).  They are eliminated because they distract person’ attention. Meditation can be also defined as a method of psychological training which takes different shapes according to cultural and historical surroundings. The appearance of meditation in the west was marked by the quickness and by a great scope. Equally with other methods of psychological techniques,[..]

Whether it is being lovingly described by its adherents, tallied as a social movement by impartial statisticians, or even decried as "Satanic" by Christian apologists, Wicca is almost universally (alongside its many modern neo-pagan cousins) labeled an "Earth Religion."Wicca is most certainly, in practice, a religion closely aligned with the Living Earth and Her seasonal changes, which lie at the root of our most important celebrations, the Sabbats. But to call Wicca an "Earth Religion"and stop there is to seek the whole of Wicca's thealogical foundation in, and to limit the scope of its meaning and applicability to, the details of human existence on this one tiny planet floating like[..]

A mantra is a sound, a syllable, a word or a group of words that are intoned to calm the mind, reduce negative energy, and create peace and spiritual transformation. The mantra has been used in many Eastern religions for centuries, and has become popular as the use of meditation and other spiritual practices have come to the West. In ancient traditions, a specific mantra was often bestowed upon a disciple by his guru or master to facilitate progress on his individual spiritual path. The syllables of the mantra symbolized certain virtues or qualities to aspire to, and the mantra was often transferred by the master in secret. In addition, the mantra was used to evoke spiritual fire from[..]

Fortunately, there are many effective ways to reduce stress within our everyday life at work and at home. Some of them can be done by yourself, and with a little practice, they can be instrumental in helping you avoid any long term detrimental effects that might have otherwise have occurred from your ongoing stressful situations. The key point to understand in the relief of stress is that relaxation is incompatible with the stress state, so that if you can generate relaxation in some way, you will automatically be countering the stress in your life. Meditation is one of the key ways people can reduce stress and introduce a feeling of complete mental and physical relaxation into their[..]

People often ask me how transpersonal therapy differs from mainstream therapy. It differs in three major ways: how transpersonal therapists are trained, the context in which we hold therapy, and in some cases, the techniques we use or recommend to facilitate change. Transpersonal therapists receive training in the same mainstream psychology as other therapists that is necessary to pass licensing exams. However, we are not satisfied with that as we don't believe the modern West has all the answers, so we acquire additional training into the psychologies of other cultures: Eastern religions, Native peoples, LSD research and other altered states of consciousness, mysticism, and the esoteric[..]

When we look back through antiquity it all gets a little wonky, but there seems to be a consensus that Zoroaster, from Iran/Pakistan, invented God. As a matter of fact, many of the middle eastern religions such as Judaism and Christianity can trace their roots directly back to this man. Even his pictures -- pale face, brown beard, looking up toward heaven, resembles very closely the pictures representing Christ these days. But perhaps it's better not to look too closely at our religious heritages (myths and legends from thousands of years ago), because the closer we look, the more uncertain and troubling it can become to a semi-believer who might be on the fence regarding his or her[..]

Cutting edge brainwave entrainment audio technology offers the easiest, most effective and quickest way to access extremely deep meditative states of mind! The states of consciousness you can easily achieve with brain entrainment, even as a complete novice, are actually much deeper than the brainwave states that very experienced meditators can achieve without this technology! Even after years and years of meditation practice! Simply put, brainwave entrainment represents a revolution not only in meditation, but also in personal, mental, emotional and spiritual growth. Best part is, anyone can achieve amazing benefits from this technology from the very first time you use it! Things like:[..]

Sometimes people would think that westernization is the only thing that is happening in the world. The misconception probably dates back to colonial expansions, colonial past, and the current outspoken west. "Easternization" has been there for centuries. We have had Chinese utensils and Japanese Marshal Arts. And today, the world is being painted in herbs, the darling of the Chinese and the Indians. Many multinational and transnational companies have almost baptized everything herbal. We now have Protex herbal, Vaseline Lotion Aloe Fresh, and herbal Colgate tooth paste. Their advertisement have come to dominate TV adverts that one day a father watching TV with his children humouredly[..]

Human beings go through an interesting process when reincarnating, a process that unless explained would probably go unnoticed. This article will explain the steps. All major religions recognize reincarnation. This especially true with Eastern religions. However Christianity, Islam, and Judaism incorporate Reincarnation into their belief systems as well. Many contemporary, Gnostic, and Esoteric Christians believe in reincarnation, and the transmigration of souls was a common belief until a few hundred years after Christ when the church fathers decided that the church would no longer believe in reincarnation. We could speculate that the church wanted people to believe that they had only[..]

Science fiction and Fantasy (SF/F) novels and stories often use religious themes as an integral part of the story. This may be due generally to the experimental or exploratory nature of the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre. Of course, the use of religious themes by SF/F authors does not mean that religious faith is necessarily being promoted. Often, the stories are critical of religion as a human institution and theology as a relevant way of thought. However, in this article we consider the use of religious themes in SF/F to achieve different storytelling perspectives using stories that deal with questions of a spiritual or religious nature. Religious themes cataloged in SF/F as[..]

Hypnosis is derived from the Greek word hypnos, and is described in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as an induced state that resembles sleep and in which the subject is responsive to suggestions of the inducer (hypnotist or hypnotherapist). Going by the definition, hypnosis is brought on artificially either by external (another person) or internal (self-hypnosis) means. Presently, hypnosis and its underlying effects on mental and physical improvement of man is the subject of experiment and methodical study by men of science, physicians or physiologists. Passages in the Bible and the Talmud indicate that the phenomena of induced sleep states, visions of spiral wheels, cures by Rabbis[..]

"Time heals all wounds." This aphoristic bit of common sense contains very little usable information about the relationship between time, healing, and woundedness - about how time heals. However, we all probably can recall situations where this apparent dynamic seemed to hold true. An old enemy now is a great friend; an old injustice we swear we'll never forget becomes a source of humor and wisdom. But was it just the passage of time that caused these changes to occur? And if, without contemplation, it seemed so, what about all the old wounds that haven't healed, and are managing our lives through habitual avoidance patterns? The secrets of abuse, the dynamics of shame, and the[..]

It is said in ancient Indian scriptures that each individual is a representation of the universe. This wisdom is stated as "Aham Brahmiasmi" (I am the Universe) which means that in each person lies something of everything. There is no emotion which we can not feel. There is no situation which we can envisage purely from our imagination. All knowledge of this world has been created in the mind of some individual which he revealed to the world. It is, therefore, often said that the world is nothing but a reflection of our own self. World is like a mirror where we see our images. However, like a child, we presume that we are seeing another person in the mirror while in reality the image is[..]

Since beginning this site I have noticed several searches with the keywords "hippie incense" as though people are searching for incense that is linked inextricably somehow with Hippies. So I thought I would address that as best I could and maybe help people out who are searching for an authentic scent of the American sixties and the counterculture movement. While attempting to research the subject I discovered there is a tremendous lack of references on the web to popular incense types of the 1960's. So I polled a few friends and noted their comments. I combined that with what I already knew about the subject and the things I discovered in my research and extrapolated what I hope is a[..]

For every practice or thought, there is an opposite viewpoint. This is true with religious beliefs, political beliefs, and even opinions and studies of the environment. As humans, we both consciously and unconsciously choose to believe a side. There are many, many individuals who can see the reasoning on both sides of the proverbial fence, but there are also those that are staunchly devoted and will see no side other than their own. Medical treatments are no exception to this rule. There are religious groups through out the world, including some who believe that a transfusion of blood is sacrilegious and would never take someone else's blood into their body, as it makes them "impure".[..]

In everyone's life, there will always be a certain amount of stress. Though it's desirable to avoid stressful situations, that isn't always possible. Not learning to deal with stress has many undesirable side-effects. It can cause illness, insomnia, mental health problems, and a general sour outlook on life. Mankind have devised many methods of dealing with stress. One method, which appears to have promising results, is relaxation meditation. The power of meditation has been known for millennia. It's been incorporated into some Eastern religions as a way to enhance one's understanding of reality, and to cultivate wisdom and compassion. Meditation, the Eastern practitioners say, can[..]

I AM, Jesus IS, and of course God is the original and pure LIGHT. Eastern religions go even deeper than the brief mentions of the Bible that we are ALL children of LIGHT. Most Eastern religions (which coincidently Judaism is) grant that "living light" (our LRC theme for 2009) is encoded in our form. In essence, the greater light (of God) is reflected in the human body.  The ancient kabbalistic tradition uses the term Adam Kadmon. Scientists call it the lightbody. It IS what it IS! Adam Kadmon was depicted as "father time," or "Primal Man", or the SOUL of man. Coming from 3,000 years ago to today we understand this as more than an esoteric concept but a biological reality such that[..]

Sri Lanka is a land that prides itself in being one of the most culturally rich tourist destinations in Asia. Most of the cultural aspects of life in Sri Lanka are linked with Buddhism and Hinduism. Buddhism and Hinduism have been with the people of the country for many generations and have shaped their lives for centuries, encouraging them to hold on to their cultural values and ritualistic methods of worship to ensure a peaceful and fulfilling life. Although most of the religious sites are located away from Colombo, visitors have the opportunity to reach these destinations within a matter of hours. Kataragama is a city which is situated approximately 293 kilometers to the south of[..]