About: Ramesh Bjonnes
Posts by Ramesh Bjonnes:
The Healing of Robert Bly: A True Storyby Ramesh Bjonnes on Sep 30, 2010 National Book Award winning poet Robert Bly, now 83, has been an icon and a formidable force in the cultural and spiritual movement of America and the Western world since the 1960’s. When he translated the Bhakti poetry of Kabir in the early 1970s, and a few years later requested his friend Coleman Barks to [...] 951 views |
Yoga Wisdom: Your Mind Is More Than Your Brain.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Sep 23, 2010 Many Elephant readers and writers recently argued with my alleged lack of rationality for proposing that garlic is bad for the yogi brain. What’s good for the body and the brain must also be good for the mind, they proclaimed, in true Western scientific fashion. Many fellow yogis (here and on facebook) questioned the art [...] 721 views |
 Garlic, Good for the Body, But Not for the Mind?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Sep 17, 2010 No doubt, garlic has many health benefits, but the yogis also discovered, thousands of years before Western science, that garlic is bad for your brain, both on and off meditation. It’s a brain toxin! In this snippet, from a lecture by Dr. Robert C Beck, you’ll learn why. “The reason garlic is so toxic, the [...] 848 views |
Why Is Garlic Bad For The Yogi Brain?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Sep 15, 2010 Why is garlic not good for the budding Buddha brain? Because it is a “brain toxin.” Garlic is in particular not good medicine for your brain on meditation. Sorry to deliver such bad news for all you aspiring Enlightenment seekers and garlic eaters out there. This somber news item comes from the ancient yogis of [...] 3,355 views |
Why Chant OM at the End of Yoga Class?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Sep 12, 2010 It’s a long, complex story, but here’s in short why: Of the many names for God, OM is most likely the oldest and one of the most widely used throughout Indian history. OM’s significance as a sacred syllable in Indian spiritual culture and in yoga practice in particular can hardly be overemphasized. In the Vedas [...] 1,432 views |
 Tantra and Sex: What’s the Source of all the Misconceptions?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 30, 2010 The spiritual practice of Tantra, this practical path of self-realization, has often been misunderstood and misrepresented. In ancient India, for example, Tantra was often practiced at night in secret by Vedic priests who were bound by dogma not to admit to its powerful transformative effects. According to noted yoga scholar Georg Feuerstein: In the West, [...] 392 views |
Yoga Mind: 10 Simple Secrets to a Great Meditation.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 27, 2010 A cool body is the secret to a cool mind. There are many more such simple secrets to a great meditation practice. Here are 10 secrets, especially designed for those who practice yogic or tantric meditation the way the ancient masters intended it. 1. Cool body, cool mind. Loose clothing, open soul. Before meditation, clean [...] 1,800 views |
Tantra: The Yoga of Unionby Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 21, 2010 Tantra is often called the Yoga of Sex. But Tantra is also about an other form of intercourse or union, about spiritual union. Let us look at the ancient scriptures of yoga to see what the Tantric spirituality of union is all about. The two most important interpretations of the word yoga are offered by [...] 992 views |
Yoga Body? Ayurveda: Vata, Kapha, Pitta.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 18, 2010 There are some simple ayurvedic reasons you and I may never look as skinny as Tara Stiles. No matter how much yoga we practice. The simple reason for this is found in the sacred tradition of yoga’s sister science, namely ayurveda. According to ayurveda, there are three basic body types. These three bodily humors can [...] 3,639 views |
 The Yoga of Economicsby Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 13, 2010 Which economy tries to fulfill infinite human longings with finite things? Capitalist materialism. That’s not an economy fit for a yogi. As a yogi and writer here on Elephant, I have, in several recent articles spelled out why I do not like corporate capitalism. But I have not spelled out what kind of economic system [...] 530 views |
Sex, Lies and Yoga.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 12, 2010 When corporations rule, they sometimes hire sexy ladies to promote yoga as fitness. And when corporations roll out the yoga mats, the real essence of yoga—to realize physical wellbeing, mental balance and spiritual enlightenment—is sometimes being severely misrepresented. To misrepresent something or someone is similar to telling a lie. In the yoga ethics of satya, [...] 1,119 views |
Yoga Journal Controversy: why Judith H. Lasater’s plea will fall on deaf ears.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 9, 2010 Update: Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis interviews Judith Hanson Lasater. If you can imagine sexy women doing Buddhist prostrations in Tricycle magazine, then you can also imagine the evolution of Yoga Journal over the years: from holistic yoga magazine with a spiritual, hippie charm…to yoga lifestyle and fitness magazine with a seductive allure. [...] 2,664 views |
 12 Ways to Meditate Like a Real Yogiby Ramesh Bjonnes on Aug 6, 2010 Why do so few American yogis practice meditation? And, if they do, why do they often practice Buddhist meditation? Why do so few American yogis know how to practice the meditation techniques Patanjali wrote about in the Yoga Sutras? American yogis may know the philosophy of Asthanga Yoga; they may have read the Yoga Sutras [...] 737 views |
 Bhakti Yoga: How Yogis Get Highby Ramesh Bjonnes on Jul 31, 2010 How can we cure our spiritual heart disease? By getting high on Bhakti Yoga. In the great tradition of the Bhagavad Gita and other Eastern sacred scriptures, it is often said that the gateway to the Divine is through the heart of love, the path of Bhakti, the path of intense passion and loving adoration [...] 928 views |
Don’t need no Guru?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Jul 17, 2010 Why do people hate Gurus? To many spiritual seekers in the West today, the Guru is a relic from the past. Apart from having a yoga teacher at a studio, most of us do not want to be spiritually beholden to anyone but ourselves. Yes, why have a spiritual teacher when so many of them [...] 771 views |
Why I Love Tantra.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Jul 9, 2010 I love Tantra because of its no-BS spirituality. I love Tantra because it’s about walking your spiritual talk. I also love Tantra because of its rich, ancient history. The prehistoric landscape of ancient India contained two separate rivers, one Vedic and one Tantric. The Vedic stream supplied the world and the Indian continent with philosophy [...] 2,530 views |
The Yoga of Tantric Love.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Jul 2, 2010 Attraction is the law of the universe. We are attracted to inspiring art, romantic sex, beautiful music and poetry. Bees are attracted to pollen, some lilies have a romantic relationship with the moon, and mystical poets, such as Rumi and Mirabai, are insanely attracted to the Divine. In Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of Divine Love, [...] 2,721 views |
Why yoga?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Jun 10, 2010 To get flexible bodies, bendable brains, enlightened spirits, or a little bit of everything? While looking at nearly 20 years of cover photos on a popular yoga magazine recently, it seemed as if modern yoga practice is primarily designed for outer appearance, fitness and flexibility. It also appeared as if yoga is primarily designed for [...] 731 views |
Yoga May Be Bad For Your Health.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Jun 8, 2010 Seven Ways To Avoid Yoga Injuries My wife recently mentioned on her Facebook page that she practices yoga. To her great surprise, she received an angry response from a female friend who said she tried Power Yoga and got seriously injured. Naturally the woman discontinued her yoga practice and is now urging other people to [...] 3,059 views |
The Yoga of Manifesting a Radiant Body, Brilliant Mind, and Effulgent Spiritby Ramesh Bjonnes on Jun 2, 2010 According to many spiritual traditions, the human mind can be divided into various levels, spheres, or koshas. In yoga it is said that “the human being is composed of five layers of mind, just like the banana flower.” The body, or annamaya kosha, comprises the sixth layer. Each one of these “petals” envelopes the other [...] 242 views |
 What’s the next step in America’s spiritual (r)evolution?by Ramesh Bjonnes on May 18, 2010 Some believe Tantra is the next step in America’s spiritual ®evolution. But why? One common vision held by all schools of Tantra is the notion that everything is Divine. This spiritual realization—that every form, particle or atom of this universe has an inherent capacity to reveal the Divine; that everything is, at its core sacred; [...] 392 views |
Buddha as human and animal rights activistby Ramesh Bjonnes on May 16, 2010 Buddha was an animal and human rights activist long before PETA and Amnesty International. During the time of Buddha, circa 500 BC, the Vedic religion of the Brahmin priesthood in India had become degenerate and suppressive and engaged in frequent animal sacrifices. The Buddha is reputed to have denounced the Vedic religion at the time. [...] 938 views |
Yoga: Is it Vedic, Tantric, or Both?by Ramesh Bjonnes on May 12, 2010 It has become common dogma in Western yoga circles to subscribe to the idea that yoga originally comes from the Vedas and that the Aryans, who developed these ancient scriptures, are indigenous to India. The main proponents of these ideas are prolific yoga scholars Georg Feuerstein and David Frawley. Their book In Search of the [...] 2,558 views |
Are Yogis Hindus? And how old is Hinduism, anyway?by Ramesh Bjonnes on May 11, 2010 Hinduism as a term is not very old, not more than about 1000 years old. The term first appeared during the time Muslims invaded India (about 1200-1000 CE) and called the people living on the other side of the “Sindhu River” Hindhus; like so many foreign invaders before them, they simply could not pronounce the [...] 1,234 views |
Can orgasm lead to Enlightenment?by Ramesh Bjonnes on May 9, 2010 One of the main differences between authentic Tantra and Western Neo-tantra is this: some of the followers of the latter truly believe orgasm can result in Enlightenment. It is true that Enlightenment may include orgasm, but, I am sorry to say, folks, the latter does not automatically lead to the former. Then there would be [...] 3,896 views |
Why do American yogis believe Brahmacarya means celibacy?by Ramesh Bjonnes on May 4, 2010 The eightfold path of yoga, as outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, includes the 10 ethical tenets of Yama and Niyama, which includes Brahmacarya. Most interpreters translate this Sanskrit word as celibacy, or total sexual abstinence. Why has this word been interpreted as celibacy? It does not make sense. Because, if all yogis became celibate, we’d [...] 855 views |
 The Many Paths of Yoga: Tantra vs. Buddhism, Vedanta vs. Marxismby Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 28, 2010 The nondual state of Brahma (Cosmic Consciousness), or the emptiness of Nirvana, as experienced in deep meditation by sages of all perennial wisdom traditions, is essentially the same. Yet when these sages try to explain this trans-rational state of mind, they invariably give that One invisible reality different names. More importantly, they also formulate various [...] 751 views |
Stripping A Chip Or Two Off Stripping The Gurusby Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 27, 2010 I must admit at the onset, I do not have the time nor the inclination to read the whole book Stripping the Gurus:Sex, Violence, Abuse and Enlightenment by Geoffrey Falk. I have only read the Chapter on Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, and, so far, I am hardly impressed with the shoddy scholarship and tendency toward sensationalism. [...] 178 views |
The Four Noble Truths of Yogaby Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 26, 2010 1. Life means bliss 2. The origin of bliss is oneness with Brahman/Cosmic Consciousness 3. Oneness with Brahman/Cosmic Consciousness is attainable 4. The path to oneness with Brahman/Cosmic Consciousness is Yoga 242 views |
 Green Manifesto: 15 Ways to Create a More Sustainable Worldby Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 26, 2010 Many companies are becoming greener. Many more people are buying organic food. But is this healthy economic trend enough to really save the world? I don’t think so. Moreover, if we scratch beneath the organic labels, we also see some disturbing trends—trends that may not be so sustainable. Take the case of Cascadian Farm—started in [...] 294 views |
 Why Yogis Eat Carrots Rather Than Cows.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 22, 2010 Yoga for the Earth. Why do yogis select food from the vegetable kingdom rather than the animal kingdom? Read on and find out! According to the Santiago theory, developed by Francisco Varela and Humberto Maturana, the process of cognition is intimately linked to the process of life. Hence, the brain is not necessary for the [...] 413 views |
 The Power of Mantrasby Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 22, 2010 All mantras are words, but not all words are mantras. Some years ago, when I was living and teaching as a yogic monk, I initiated a young man into the Tantric path of yoga. According to traditional custom, after he had received his meditation instruction, I whispered a mantra into his right ear, and told [...] 377 views |
 Brief Alternative History of Yoga*by Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 19, 2010 Shri Ramakrishna It is time we take fresh look at the history of our yoga practices. The historical view of yoga in the West has been dominated by writers such as Georg Feuerstein and David Frawley. Their version of yogic history, which claims that Archaic Yoga originated in the Vedas, has become the accepted norm [...] 1,524 views |
 Viking yogi? Viking Buddhist?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 14, 2010 Is this lotus sitting fellow below with a chest full of tantric-looking swastikas a Viking yogi, a Viking Buddhist, or is he just high on mushrooms? Years ago, during the hippie age, in my native Norway, I met the author Eivind Reinertsen, who claimed there were secret societies of yogis in Norway during the Viking [...] 361 views |
 How old is Yoga? Reply to Waylon Lewis.by Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 12, 2010 Shiva-the King of Yoga. Waylon Lewis asked an intriguing question in one of his blogs: How old is yoga? A little more than half a dozen decades older than Waylon Lewis, responds one of the experts, Nick Rosen, over at Yogadork. There is undoubtedly some truth to that quick and concise historical assessment. But only [...] 1,111 views |
 Tantra: Sex or Enlightenment?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 10, 2010 Is this Tantra?! What is Tantra all about? Sacred sex, or enlightenment? After practicing and studying tantra for many years, this is what I have learned: In contrast to the great religions, which often views the body as sinful, tantra embraces the physical body as a divine temple. The body-centered tantra can not be equated, [...] 2,277 views |
 What do yogis really want?by Ramesh Bjonnes on Apr 9, 2010 I once lived in Nepal for over a year in a yoga ashram on the banks of the Bagmati, a river as sacred, and perhaps as polluted, as the Ganges in India. We would bathe in the freezing cold waters, even in winter; meditate four times a day, and practice yoga asanas morning and night. [...] 441 views |
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