Yoga + 80s Goth Music. Who would have thought? More specifically, Sisters of Mercy: A Slight Case of Over Bombing.

The word Yantra is derived from two Sanskrit words – "Yam" (support) and "Trana&qupt; (freedom). There are two types of Yantra: pictorial – a symbolic diagram used to assist meditation, and magic square/numerological Yantra

A Yantra is a form of a mandala.

Benefits of working with mandalas/yantric images include:

• Aids in dealing with emotional problems
• Teaches patience, the ability to deal with limitations
• Finding self-realization
• Providing a calm and focused mind; better concentration
• Harmonizing the flow of energy
• The ability to enter a trance-like state from colouring or meditation on them
• Developing perfection – the link between the spiritual path and the desire of medicine to heal

Pictorial Yantra

Numerological Yantra

Here is your personal Yantra, based on your Date of Birth of Friday, 6th August 1976:

8	6	76	1
74	3	6	8
2	77	5	7
7	5	4	75

And here is a brief interpretation of your personal Yantra:

Destiny

You are going to have to learn to stand on your own two feet and achieve independence. This is not an easy lesson to learn. Many people on this path start out in life be being dependent, rather than independent, and gradually gain confidence as they mature. The ultimate position for somebody on this path is in a leadership role. This could be in management, self-employment, or some other position where the person has sufficient responsibility.

Enthusiasm & Energy

You pour your enthusiasm and energy into idealistic pursuits. You are happiest when doing – or thinking about – worthy aims that could benefit humanity as a whole. As you are so idealistic, your ideas are often unpractical, and you need to share your ideas with others to gauge how effective they will be. You spend a great deal of time in pleasant daydreams.

Family & Friends

You are the organizer of the family. You enjoy arranging parties and other entertainments. You shy away from deep, involved discussions, preferring more light-hearted conversation that does not probe into things too deeply. You are warm-hearted, friendly, and fun to be around. You may not be willing to take on too much responsibility, however.

Generosity

You are particularly generous with family and loved ones. You are a caring person and will give generously to any worthy cause. However, you make sure the needs of your loved ones are met first. You are inclined to be a soft touch to a sad story.

Humanitarianism

You are more likely to help with a donation rather than jump in and help in other ways. Once involved, though, you will work long and hard to help any cause you believe in.

Intuition

You rely very much on your natural, strong intuition. You take it for granted as being an essential part of your life. You are especially intuitive when it comes to people you care about, and often know instantly when something is wrong with a friend or family member.

Joie De Vivre

You are happiest when you have something exciting to look forward to. You enjoy travel, meeting new people, and enjoying new and different experiences.

Karma

You wasted time in a past lifetime. You probably overindulged in a wide range of sensual activities. The lesson is for you to learn to use your time wisely. This is not an easy lesson, and it usually takes many years before you realize that time is slipping away.

Love

You need time on your own, and require a partner who will respect this. Given the right relationship, you can be very loving in thought and action, but always find it hard to express these feelings in words.

Money

You enjoy scientific or technical occupations. You enjoy the research and study that is involved. You seldom earn as much as you could, as you seek job satisfaction ahead of financial rewards.

Nurture

You help and advise people in all sorts of different areas. Your advice is sound and well meant, but you have often gone before the results are apparent. You need to be encouraged to nurture something for yourself, and to follow it through to completion.

Opportunities

You will find your best opportunities close at hand. You need to work within the limits you find, and will also find your opportunities there. You are likely to make mistakes when seeking opportunities outside your field of expertise.

Philosophy

You have a philosophy of life that you work out logically, questioning everything. You often fail to explore subjects in great depth, preferring a superficial glance, and your philosophy is likely to be an amalgam of everything you have explored.

Another fantastic week. On Tuesday night, I led a collaborative guided visual meditation. Facilitating such activities is often a greater learning experience for myself than particulating in them.

I went to a class at Atlas on Wednesday night after work. One of the best flows I have ever participated in/experienced was presented.

It was a wonderful week. In YTT on Tuesday night, we watched Yoga as Therapy and part of Yoga Unveiled. As a student (of both history and life!), I am fascinated by learning the past + present + future of traditions, ideas, practices, etc. I believe that it is impossible to understand and fully appreciate where something is going, without having an understanding of its origins and as such, ancient carved relief, inscription containing ‘dead’ language, and other scraps of civilization are nothing short of fascinating to me. This is why I went into Classical Studies in the first place – my love of Old Things[tm].

I went to a class at Atlas on Wednesday night after work and was remarkably rejuvenated and uplifted by the experience. I very much admire the style of teachers who have been in this field for many years, and find them a great source of inspiration in terms of my own journey.

Having been unable thus far to recall what the Yoga Botanicals were that I was looking at several years ago, I’ve decided to make some over the long weekend. I’m currently in Ottawa, but once I’m back in Guelph, I’m going to dig out my texts from my Chartered Herbalist course and see what I cam come up with – tinctures to improve concentration, focus, balance, etc.

I’ve been racking my brain over this one today: Yoga Botanicals. Where have I heard of these before? I recall seeing and trying some herbal tincture formula a couple of years back, but now I can’t jog my memory to recall what it was. What I do remember was an interesting flavour + formula designed to enhance meditation and asana practice. Googling “Yoga Botanicals” has not netted any satisfactory results either. This has made me consider the possibility of making my own. So far, I have done little with my plant knowledge from my Chartered Herbalist course. I feel like I have a potential long-weekend project on my hands.

	Nirvana is a Sanskrit word that has made its way into western vernacular. We use “nirvana” to describe a heavenly state. And the Sanskrit roots support this. Nirvana means perfection, Peace, freedom. It is considered a state of enlightenment because, when it is reached, all the traces of karma have been swept away and we are absolutely free.
In the yoga tradition, it is believed that this state of bliss is achieved when the mind has been controlled to the point of pure stillness. The Mahabharata says: “Yoked by that joy, he delights in the practice of meditation. Thus do the yogis go to nirvana, free from ill.”

www.whatsyourdosha.com

En Route to Iceland… catch you on the flip side. I expect to return revitalized, relaxed, and with a serene glow about me.

I will be absent for the next few weeks on a “capital” adventure of untouched country, fresh air, history, and, of course, planes, trains(?) and automobiles! While most of the logical world might surmise that going somewhere warmer might be more pleasurable, I respectfully disagree, noting that going somewhere colder == an increased warmth in coming home. Given my historical tendency to repeat favoured vacation destinations, Iceland will represent a distinctive break from the ordinary… an expected foray into the extraordinary. Catch you all on the flip side!

Reykjavik, Iceland

Ottawa, Canada (my “ex” home)