Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga

The eight limbs of Yoga, as described by Maharishi patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras, are a system of steps toward absolute bliss or enlightenment. The first four limbs (steps) are primarily concerned with ethical guidelines, developing awareness of the energy body, and physical mastery.

The last four limbs are concerned with development of consciousness through meditation. The physical body is a capsule for the soul (Jiva). The physical body has basic functional demands, and sensory demands, for pleasure. Transcending awareness beyond the physical senses grants us peace with ourselves.

If the general population of this planet would follow ethical guidelines, and transcend their awareness beyond the physical barrier of the body, we would have world peace. Just to listen, observe, and act, guided by our empathic sense is a good start toward helping others.

When you contemplate the first two limbs of Yoga (Yama and Niyama), you will notice they flow in harmony with every moral code in existence. The principles of Yama and Niyama are universal laws for mankind.

You may have noticed that ten is a common number for moral codes. The Ten Commandments are another example of ethical guidelines. With ten fingers on our two hands, it makes it easy for humans to remember. Hence, we have five Yamas and five Niyamas, for a total of ten.

Yama are restraints, but are sometimes called Thou Shall Nots by western Yoga teachers. It is not enough to observe them. It is much more important to live by them in our actions, words, and thoughts.

Copyright 2007 paul Jerard / Aura Publications

paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

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Xbox vs. PS2 Game Consoles

There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the two most popular gaming consoles currently on the market: Playstation 2 (PS2) and xbox. PS2 is a Sony product, while xbox is owned by the software giant Microsoft. Many different people have worked with these gaming systems inside and out, attempting to determine which system provides the best performance for your hard-earned gaming dollar. Here we take a look at each gaming system and compare the specs and performance of each. We will attempt to answer that age-old question: which is the better gaming system, Xbox or PS2?

You can take a look at a table comparing hardware specs here.

There are many specs in addition to the ones listed above, but these should give you some idea of just how close these two game consoles really are. If you are looking for pure processing power and graphics capabilities, the xbox appears to have a slight advantage. In addition, its computer-like features, such as a built-in hard drive are nice to have. With the ps2 you must purchase a memory card if you run out of storage room. When comparing raw power and extra features, the xbox wins - but you have to keep in mind that the ps2 was released first, and there are additional things to consider besides system specs.

What about Multi-player Capabilities?

Both the xbox and ps2 have multi-player capability. You can hook up a series of both consoles so that you and your friends can play games together at the same time. The xbox may be connected using a home LAN system, much like your home computers (here's another example of how the xbox is more like a specialized gaming computer). The ps2 may be connected using a link cable, not a LAN. This system may be cost prohibitive for some gamers, since you have to own multiple consoles, seperate TVs for each, and several copies of the same game (yep, that's expensive).

Of course, you can always ditch the local network and play through the internet. Bboth ps2 and Xbox allow you to play online against a random assortment of opponents. xbox uses xbox live, a fairly well supported online gaming network. PS2's network is not as popular as xbox Llive, but it works fairly well all the same. If you are really into multi-player, it seems that xbox is probably the best console for you.

Xbox Games vs. ps2 Games

When deciding which of these two game consoles is best for you, you should certainly take into consideration what types of games each offers, and which games you are most interested in playing. ps2, having been around a little while longer, tends to have the larger game library, but xbox is not terribly far behind. In addition, xbox tends to produce games geared more towards adults than children. The graphics seen on the new Xbox games are also clearly a step ahead of ps2 graphics. There is, however, nearly a ps2 game for everyone, and there are lot of ps2 games geared towards teenagers. If you are looking for games for kids, the Nintendo Gamecube may actually be a better choice than either of these two - and it's cheaper.

Other Considerations

Some other things you may want to consider when comparing ps2 and Xbox is the controller provided by each. These may not seem like a big factor at first glance, but people usually prefer one type of controller over the other. The Xbox controllers tend to be slightly larger than ps2, mainly because Xbox is designed with older gamers in mind. You can always buy a converter in order to get one game console controller to work with another.

As far as price goes, ps2 has typically been cheaper than Xbox. As of the time of this writing (Dec. 2004), ps2 retails for about $150 and Xbox $100. Game prices are very similar for both game systems, with most new games costing about $30 - $50.

The bottom line is, ps2 is a little older than the Xbox, and is geared for a younger gaming crowd. If you are buying this console for a teenager, the ps2 may actually be your best bet - they have more games, the console is cheaper, and the games are more appropriate for that age group. The Xbox is a little more expensive, has fewer games, but it out-performs ps2 and has more adult-oriented games.

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Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Practices

People choose alternative medicine and natural health over conventional health practices for a number of reasons. Perhaps you are at a point in your life where you are experiencing minor health problems and are seeking alternative methods to conventional health practices that often dont work. Or, perhaps you feel healthy and want to maintain this health by supplementing your current diet and lifestyle with natural health practices.

Types of Alternative medicine

Since there are varying types of alternative medicine each offering their own philosophy and discipline, you will have to decide what form of alternative medicine is best able to help you heal any particular health problems that you have. Following are types of alternative medicine:

• Herbal medicine. Herbal medicine uses certain properties of herbs and other plants in the form of dietary supplements as a means to promote health and to heal specific health problems. Plant parts used can include the leaves, flowers, stems, or a combination of all. examples of some commonly used herbal medicines include green tea which may have an anti-cancer effect, valerian root used to treat insomnia, peppermint tea for digestive issues, and Echinacea extracts to limit the length of colds.

• Chinese herbal medicine. Also known as herbology, Chinese herbal medicine involves combining medicinal herbs to heal the body. The focus is on preventing disease before it has a chance to manifest itself, as well as treating existing health problems. A key to the success of Chinese herbal medicine is the treatment of each patient as an individual with herbs mixed specifically for each patient.

• Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating needles into acupuncture points on the body to stimulate nerve impulses and restore health and well-being. It is believed that your life energy, or qi, travels along your body on what are known as meridians. When this flow of energy is broken and damaged, your body is weak and results in health issues.

• Acupressure. Acupressure involves placing physical pressure by hand or elbow on acupuncture points on the surface of the body. Shiatsu is a form of acupressure that promotes the prevention and recovery of illnesses by stimulating the immune system and natural healing power the people already possess.

• Massage. The goal of massage is to apply pressure, tension and motion to the soft tissues of the body to assist with healing injury, relieving psychological stress, manage pain and improve circulation.

• Reflexology. Also known as zone therapy, reflexology is the practice of stimulating nerves on the feet, hands and ears to encourage a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, or to improve your general well-being. It stimulates the blood flow to particular parts of your body while relieving the tension in your body and mind.

• Homeopathy. Homeopathy is the principle of treating like with like. Homeopathic remedies are substances derived from plants and minerals that are diluted in a precise way as to cause toxic behavior and cure the symptoms.

• yoga. yoga uses specific body postures to reduce stress, slow breathing and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and promote relaxation that is necessary for a healthy mind and body.

• Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses the extracts of plants, known as essential oils, and other scented compounds to relax and balance the body. An example of aromatherapy is eucalyptus oil and mint which is used to provide relief for the airways during a cold or the flu.

• Ayurveda. Ayurveda operates on the precept that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value for curing illness and/or for maintaining good health. Ayurveda originated in india and is based on the philosophy that disease occurs when you are not living harmoniously within your environment.

• meditation. meditation is a relaxation technique used to reduce and alleviate symptoms of ill health including headaches, back pain and high blood pressure.

These are examples of alternative medicine. Since there are many variations, it is important to research alternative medicine as it relates to your health issues and your lifestyle.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), you will find valuable tips and resources for handling lifes major events. Whether youre planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, youll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com. Find tips and resources on exercise and fitness programs, exercising with health conditions, childrens fitness, and more at http://www.myguidesusa.com/fitnessandexercise

Yoga And Meditation Cles

Turn Your Shiny Gaming Rig Into an Awesome Xbox 360 Media Center Extender

only two ingredients are necessary to cook up a fabulous xbox 360 media Center Extender. Got an xbox 360? Got a PC running media Center 2005? Toss in a pinch of WiFi connectivity and Viola! Your xbox 360 just turned into the main course in your Home Theater system.

Doesn't get much easier than that!

And you thought all you could do was play games! Why not watch movies, view your recorded TV shows, and enjoy your downloaded music collection, all from the same little silver box that serves up hours of gaming goodness?

The xbox 360 media Center Extender connects directly with your PC either wirelessly (54MB/s 802.11g) or with a 100MB/s ethernet cable. For serious video streaming, I'd recommend using the hardwired ethernet option. Especially if you have multiple WiFi devices in your house, such as laptops.

If you purchased the xbox 360 "Fully Loaded" package, you've already got the dedicated remote complete with a "green button" for controlling the xbox 360 media center extender functions. The media center interface should look familiar. It's the exact replica of your MCE menu. This makes for easy navigation and total control of your console. All your familiar menu choices are available through the xbox media center extender such as My TV, My Music, etc. In fact, it's hard to tell you're not in front of your media Center PC!

Even if you don't have a media Center PC, you can enjoy some of the benefits of the built in xbox media center functionality. You can use the included media player to stream music and photos from any PC that's running Windows XP.

Yoga Video For Kids