Dear yogi's and yogini's

At this time of blatant commercial exploitation of love, we thought it might
be useful to consider the role and influence of love in yoga. Every time you
pull your shoulder blades together, engage your abdominal lock - breathing
into your chest and open your heart, you make yourself more receptive to the
giving and receiving of love. So, not only are you improving circulation,
strengthening the heart, cleansing the nervous system, improving the
mobility of the spine and correcting postural alignment, you are also
opening a veritable Pandora's box of riches - no wonder yoga keeps you
young! Every ujayi breath powers the lungs which deliver oxygen to the heart
which then distributes, via the blood stream, the life force to every cell
in your body. The breath, which is the link between the mind and body, also
delivers the physical opening of the heart back to the mind.

Like any organ or muscle, the heart is susceptible to injury and neglect -
most of us have had the fortune of finding and then maybe losing love
(better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, they say).
Like any injury - heartbreak requires some careful nurturing (with no
activity for a while sometimes helping) and then slow and regular remedial
work before going back to a full-strength programme. The beauty is that,
like a muscle, and if treated carefully, the heart comes out of the process
stronger that it was before! There is always a silver lining…

A new branch of medicine, psychoneuroimmunology looks at the connection
between mind and disease, an important concept in stress - which has both
physical and psychological components. The ability to cope, the sense of
being in charge of our lives, releases a hormone into our systems creating
optimism, euphoria and a sense of well being. In such cases not only does
challenge (or heartache) produce no adverse effects on our health - it can
actually make us feel more vital, more fully alive.

In a powerful self-fulfilling prophecy, perceiving ourselves as victims
actually makes us so. In love or falling out of it or in the absence of it,
people who perceive negative events as having external causes, limited
consequences and temporary timing, solve their problems and move on in life.
Understand that the choices you made had consequences but don't blame
yourself or others. If you don't like the consequences, make new choices.

Also, be honest with your feelings (especially the guys) and express them.
Lastly, focus your attention on the good things in life - 95% of the world
around you is good and beautiful - as the poet Colette once said: "What a
wonderful life I've had. I only wish I had realised it sooner." These types
of people are also less susceptible to disease - having much stronger immune
systems. Like yoga, a positive attitude can even slow down the aging
process - according to a 35year Harvard Medical study.

Forgive us if we sound melancholy at this time of Valentine but we think
that too often we forget the real importance and significance of love in our
lives and for that reason we think it's great to have a day that celebrates
it - forcing us to remember how sweet and rare it is to have.

So… practise your yoga with an open heart at this time (and always) and be
attentive and aware of the emotional aspect of the practice. Remember to
dance as if no-one was watching, make love as if everyone was watching and
love as though you have never been hurt (with apologies to the original
author).

With love
The Moksha team

"A second's indiscretion or inattentiveness may bring about the ruin of
treasures that have taken a lifetime to acquire. Unfailing watchfulness is
the essence of yoga life."
~ Sri Ananda Acharya

"Love of man, love of woman, love of things, love of thy neighbour, love of
thy country, love of animals, love of humanity are all the love of God
reflected in these things."
~ Sri Aurobindo

PS: Some of you might remember me talking about this in classes:

"After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard
researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's
favourite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee
daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. And perhaps more
importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee
may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.

Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on
a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three
showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that
compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a
25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and
nearly half the risk of gallstones." (Source: WebMD)