newbie question

[Guest guest]

Namaste y'all. I have been doing power yoga for

almost a year now. I know that there is a difference

between power yoga & ashtanga so I don't dare call myself

an ashtangi yet until I actually go to a real

ashtanga class. Yoga has really changed my life in a

positive way & I'm sure I don't have to tell y'all how

great it feels to be "in the moment". I feel so

relaxed, focused & energized due to yoga that it is so

hard to go back to how my life was. <br><br>My

question is this. How does smoking pot directly or

indirectly affect one's practice? I've cut down on my pot

usage significantly but I still toke at least three

times a week. I do notice that I tend to sleep a lot

after doing a power yoga session. Oddly, pot is the

only thing that keeps me somewhat awake (like when I

have to work or run errands). So like, what's goin on

with me? Is what I'm doing bad? I'm also exploring the

spiritual aspect of yoga & hinduism in general & I've not

heard anybody say anything about pot smiking while

doing sadhana or yoga

practice.<br><br>Peace,<br>Bhagavati

[Guest guest]

The rule is you can't have it both ways. As far

as I can see, any drug taking saps motivation, and

not just for yoga either. If you stop you'll probably

notice the residual tiredness will disappear. The two

just aren't conpatible.

[Guest guest]

I believe 'Charas' and 'Ganja' [one of them is

pot] are used by many ascetics to get closer to 'God'.

Also, 'Bhang', a natural halucinogen is widely taken on

some religious holidays [Holi in particular].

[Guest guest]

I see. And do they smoke it every day, drive a car, hold down a job, have to

support children and so forth?

[Guest guest]

I doubt it - most sanyasis do not worry about

earthly minutia like that. That's a burden for us

non-enlightened grunts to carry. <br><br>Have you been to India

?<br><br>I'm not by any means encouraging drug taking but

bhang charas and ganja are consumed by many gurus in

India as part of their meditative regimen. Bhang is a

common spiritual drink - might even be considered

satvic...<br><br>I doubt Sri Jois does any of this but was speaking

to the question more on a general

basis.<br><br>Shanti.

[Guest guest]

Should I have to go to India to know that drug

taking is wrong and is an impediment to real spiritual

progress? What's satvic about attachment to a plastic bag

full of the green stuff? And next I suppose consuming

a fifth of Johhny Walker Red will be considered a

'meditative regimen'. And maybe a tour of the local strip

clubs, just for good measure. It's a good thing if

you're not advocating drugs, although you sure seem to

be straddling the fence. I don't claim to be

anything but a novice when it comes to Ashtanga (everyone

was a beginner once) but I may as well start out with

the right attitude. So I'm in complete agreement with

El Senor on this one. Peace.

[Guest guest]

Marijuana has been used in Ayurvedic medicine

since the middle ages as a medicine, not a recreational

substance.<br><br>Speaking of recreational substances, many folks in our

culture are braiwashed by the popular discussion around

drugs and only consider illegal substances among them.

Many legal substances fall outside this

discussion--alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, sugar and even

chocolate--that have serious and powerful effects. In reality,

anything thats ingested is a mind altering substance, it's

just that most folks are too insensitive to notice the

effect.<br><br>In India, saivite sadhus, take marijuana as

communion to participate in the divine energy represented

by Shiva, destruction of

body/mind/spirit/ego/universe.<br><br>The intention with which one consumes a

substance has

a lot to do with the result of ingestion. A native

american who consumes peyote during an ancient and

carefully constructed ritual will have a different effect

on his consciousness than will a fratboy who eats

some before a Limp Bizkit show because it's a new

buzz.<br><br>Personally, I've found marijuana use even if only once or

twice a month to have a detrimental effect on

meditation and ashtanga practice and have consequently

stopped using it. I also consider it's use legitimate in

proper context, as I've spent some time with sadhus

myself many years ago.<br><br>BTW, Larry Schultz does

not look overweight to me unless you use the kate

moss/david life view of proper weight.<br><br>With

love<br>PM

[Guest guest]

<You are an internet

guru.><br><br>Funkybadlady is a guru!<br><br>I swear to:<br>-get stoned and

have my picture taken in modified natarajasana in

front of an elephant and use it as the cover of a

terrible CD I will make of myself singing folksongs and

chanting.<br><br>-Become a regular pot smoker for spiritual purposes. (As

part of my meditative regimen.)<br><br>-Have a really

good relationship with my dealer.<br><br>-Trade yoga

lessons for pot.<br><br>-Sell all my stuff, change my

name to something really chill, teach yoga to

celebrities and mooch off rock and roll widows under the

guise of "Personal Spiritual Advisor."<br><br>-Never

vote again.<br><br>-Being stoned as much as I am (for

energy enhancement after gruelling yoga workouts) I

begin to identify deeply with hedgehogs for their

ability to roll up into a little balls in order to avoid

danger, and in my case, responsibility.<br><br>-One day,

believing I am a sanyasi because Edie Brickell told me

during a session one day that she believed me to posess

unique spiritual energies, I crawl out from under the

freeway embankment where I have been living for quite

some time and decide to hold my arms in the air for

the rest of my life because someone said they did

that in India.<br><br>-Put my arms down the next day

because I was so stoned when I made that decision. Plus,

they are wicked tired.<br><br>-Make a committment to

remind all the little people around me at the homeless

shelter that they are there due to their attachments to

"earthly minutia." I do not worry about such

burdens.<br><br>-Learn why, mysteriously, no one will share their drugs

with me anymore.<br><br>-And someday when I am really

old and pathetic and no one will take my yoga

workshops anymore, I crumble in a heap of lonliness and

shame at the shelter when I realize that I am just a

sick, old drug addict and not the spiritual master yogi

I always thought I was.<br><br>FBL

[Guest guest]

<<Should I have to go to India to know that

drug taking is wrong and is an impediment to real

spiritual progress? >><br><br>Drug taking is 'wrong'?

Come one, you should be able to construct real

argument. Drug taking might not be beneficial with yoga,

but to say that 'drug taking' is an impediment to

'real' spiritual progress just shows that you do not

know much about alternate spiritual paths, tribal

religions etc.

[Guest guest]

With all due respect, there are are a couple of

religions that partake in communal "drug taking" as you

would call it. There are the Ethiopian Coptics,

Pasupata Saivites & Native American Indians, not to

mention probably MANY more. I've also practiced many a

time while under the influence & at times I've felt as

if it enhanced my yoga. But I do see your point. One

really can't practice proper bhakti yoga ~ and probably

even hatha/astanga unless they are completely sober.

[Guest guest]

Let me clarify my argument then, and while you're

reading it why don't you load up the bong and take a nice

long hit. The way drugs are used in our modern day

society is not the same as it is used in tribal religious

ceremonies. Are you a shaman? The argument you are putting

forth is preposterous. Why don't you explain your views

to the children of the crackheads who lived next

door to me, were evicted, had their all their

possessions thrown on the street, and were taken away from

their abusive parents to a shelter for their own

safety. When they grow up, assuming they survive and

don't become carbon copies of their parents, you can

explain to them how it's OK to take drugs, because some

witch doctor takes them in the rain forests of Borneo

during religious rituals. Get my point now? The

technologically backward may not need money to survive in their

society, they may not have the same kind of

responsibilities we have, and they definetly aren't using drugs as

recreational activities in ceremonies. Drugs cost money. How

are going to pay for the things you need in this

society if you're spending them on drugs? And before you

jump all over me saying I have no respect for

indigenous peoples and their religous ceremonies let me

clarify myself again. I was talking about our modern day

society not indigenous people in a tribal setting. FBL's

sarcasm was justified. Some people just don't get it. And

by the way your ad hominem attack on me only shows

how little you probably know.

[Guest guest]

<The argument you are putting forth is

preposterous.><br><br>The argument that psychoactive substances cannot be

used productively in a religious setting is

preposterus and demonstrably wrong. <br><br>The WOSD is a

failure and hasn't helped the children of your next-door

crackheads one bit. <br><br>And, just to clarify things up,

I did not make an ad hominem argument towards you.

I attacked your lame-ass argument that drug use is

'wrong'.

[Guest guest]

I won't waste any more of mine or the groups time

on your specious comments. If you want to waste your

time getting high, by all means fire up a doobie, get

out the maya potato chips and munch away. You

obviously don't really comprehend what I'm talking about

anyway. I think there's been plenty of causualties from

drug use, more than enough to prove my point. So if

that's 'lame ass' to you, I can live with that.

[Guest guest]

I agree that this discussion is off-topic.

Anyway, most of the worldwide problems of drug use are

actually created by the drug war, so it is the drug war

that is 'wrong', not drugs or their usage. If we

really want to reduce the drug casualties, the drug war

has to be ended.

[Guest guest]

While I do agree that prosecuting users is not

the answer, I think it's also obvious that those

drugs which are legal (tobacco, alcohol,

pharmaceuticals) have created millions of victims worldwide. So I

don't see how legalisation will reduce the damage done

by drug use all that much, although I am in favour

of it. It may well be that drugs can be used wisely

by shamans in a ritual setting. But it's generally

recreational drug use that happens in modern society and

that's what I was referring to as 'wrong'. After all, we

aren't idgenous people, so drugs aren't free. That is

money that could be used to support yourself or your

family. And speaking from personal experience, I have

tried to practise yoga while under the influence and

did not find it to be a positive experience. I think

anyone who does so on a regular basis is only fooling

themselves. It's surprising how much your perceptions sharpen

up once you stop. I don't even drink coffee anymore,

it's just another form of artificial stimulation.

[Guest guest]

Omprem,<br><br>Thanks for a collected response -

I'm grateful you did not quote me out of context or

respin my words.<br><br>If I may, I would reword the

term 'guru' to 'sanyasi' or 'ascetic'. These folks do

not always guide others, instead they usually seek

their own path to divinity. By no means am I approving

or condeming their methods but simply stating an

observation of what is sometimes practiced. Yes they do

sometimes ingest intoxicants.<br><br>Some folks instead

prefer deprivation of certain desires to aid them in

their path - they partake in fasts, escape from human

contact, give up their wealth, abstain from sex, etc. as a

means towards spirituality. <br><br>I'm not passing

judgement on any of these methods simply responding to a

question posed by a member.<br><br>As for the claim to

gurudom, we've all seen various characters don that

hat.<br><br>Peace.<br><br>BTW - what does OM really mean ?

[Guest guest]

Sixtinain is N-O-T "Omboy"!! Sixtinain actually posted on this board long before

you came here. Got the message, Omprem?? Once and for all - really??? (Well I

hope so.)

[Guest guest]

Omprem,<br><br>Thanks for your response. A Hindu

acquaintance of mine told me that om is the name for for the

Hindu Diety Shiva. Do you agree ?<br><br>Is that what

Om Namah Shiva translates to ?<br><br>Thanks in

advance for a truthful answer.<br><br>Peace be with you.