God has no gender. God has no form or name. It is for our convenience that we imagine God to be in various names and forms and also in different genders. We have female, male, and transgender conceptions of God. All these conceptions are the creations of human minds. That is why they differ according to the place, time, culture, and world views of the people who conceive them. And since most of the people in this world have a patriarchal mindset; most conceptions of God are patriarchal. Most forms of God are male. The most used pronoun for God is ‘he’ and it is ‘God’ and seldom ‘Goddess’. This is characteristic of the male aggressive psyche. Even the most docile personality types among males tend to be aggressive towards a female>>>

In some context or other, all spiritual seekers encounter the term ignorance. But ignorance of what? And knowledge of what? How "ignorance" affects us and how "knowledge" changes our lives - we are left wondering about these questions. In practical world, we use these two terms - knowledge and ignorance - in a variety of ways. We all know how knowledge and ignorance play a vital role in serious issues of life.

We live in a world of relations. To live is to be related. The very act of birth relates us to someone - mother, father, siblings, relatives, neighbours, language and gender group, nationality and so on. And as long as we live, we interact with others based on our relations. Even though death seems to annul all our relations, we still continue to be referred to as someone who is related to so-and-so. "Relativity" thy name, life!

That which is born is sure to decay and die, living or non-living. Existence is inevitably associated with growth, youth, old age, decay and death; there is no exception. Shankaracharya, it is said, was walking along a street in Varanasi, accompanied by his disciples. He saw an old man trying to master Sanskrit grammar. Taking pity on him, he advised him not to waste his time on learning grammar at his age but to turn his mind to God in worship and adoration. That is how the famous hymn Bhaja Govindam came to be composed.

UFA, Russsia: Russia"s judo black-belt president Vladimir Putin has promised yoga-loving Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he"ll try some yoga poses, despite feeling daunted by the challenge. “I"ve tried so many things, but I haven"t tried yoga, though it is certainly appealing,” Putin told Modi during talks in the Russian city of Ufa. “I"ll see what I am able to do based on my physical aptitude,” he added.

The Newtown Presbyterian Church is hosting “YOGA in the Garden” every Wednesday night in July and August at the Newtown Historic Presbyterian Church, 76 North Sycamore Street, Newtown. The class is held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at a cost of $10 per class. Drop ins are welcome.

Yoga and meditation retreats are costly, but their focus on wellness can be applied to even a typical family vacation, according to experts.

Yoga is more widely practiced and hailed these days for its stress-relieving and body-strengthening benefits, and lately it"s become more common to find the activity out in the summer sun. Hundreds of people participate in Yoga in the Square at 10 a.m. Sundays from June to September in Market Square, Downtown. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and retailer lululemon present the free events.

The business magnate credits much of his success to meditation and yoga, which he first pursued for the eye candy.We all have goals. Meditation and yoga are powerful tools to first realize your aspirations, and then set your plan into motion. When you practice yoga or meditate, you allow your mind to relax. A common misconception is that you are meant to be peaceful every time you meditate. In reality, meditation gives your mind the chance to take a break from constantly working and organizing.

Picture someone who practices yoga. What comes to mind probably is a white suburban mom in Lululemon tights, not a man who can lift himself effortlessly into scale pose. "That"s the perception most people have when I talk to them about yoga," says Stephon Matthews."So I invite them to one of our classes, because we have the most diverse yoga class in Colorado, and it changes their whole view."

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the people world over are working really hard to perfect their skills in yoga, this three-year-old kid is proving it to be a child’s play. Meet Ameya Rajendran, a pre-schooler who has already mastered the art of yoga, its different ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayamas’. Ameya is an expert at performing some of the difficult asanas like ‘halasana’, ‘chakrasana’, ‘vipareeta karani mudra’, ‘poorna bhujangasana’, ‘upavishta konasana’, ‘pachimottonasana’ among many.

When something has been around longer than chocolate, has more followers than Oprah Winfrey’s Twitter account and is as good for the soul as a compassionate TED talk, how can it be bad? For thousands of years in India, the practice of yoga has been a respected tool for health and vitality. But as we turn up the studio temperature to exactly 40.5 degrees Celsius, add the “power” to our yoga and balance frantic cycling with downward dogs in something called “Spynga,” we must be aware that new, modern forms of yoga come with associated risks.

Various prestigious universities/institutes around the world are offering Sanskrit language courses during summer. Universities/Institutes offering these Sanskrit classes include USA’s Harvard University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Mangalam Research Center Berkeley; Germany’s Universität Heidelberg and Universität Hamburg; United Kingdom’s University of Oxford and University of London; Nepal’s Rangjung Yeshe Institute; etc.

To be flagged off as a pilot project this month, the disease-oriented yoga sessions would be held at ayurvedic hospitals. Apart from trained yoga teachers, a team of AYUSH doctors would scrutinise the applications for a medical history and status to decide whether to allow them to attend the yoga sessions or not.

Local police officers are being offered the chance to help counteract the tough aspects of their job through yoga. Yoga instructor Shayleen Halloran is starting a Serving the Badge program at the YOUnique Yoga studio at 65 W. 112th Ave. in Crown Point.

Hinduism will form part of the world renowned Salzburg Festival of Austria this year for the first time in its 95 years history.

Hindus have the highest retention rate as compared to any other major religious group in USA, per an analysis posted by Pew Research Center (PRC), "a nonpartisan fact tank" headquartered in Washington DC, on June 24.

At the center of the crackdown are two studios holding classes for Hatha Yoga - a set of asanas or postures involving deep breathing and tough physical exercises, which as per Hindu mythology was first practiced by Lord Shiva.

Russian officials have banned yoga in the central city of Nizhnevartovsk in an effort to counteract "occult practices". At least two studios - the Aura and Ingara, where Hatha yoga is practiced - have reportedly received letters from Nizhnevartovsk officials, according to The Moscow Times.

Officials in the central Russian city of Nizhnevartovsk have moved to prevent municipal buildings from hosting yoga classes in a stated bid to stifle the spread of religious cults, the Kommersant business daily reported. Representatives of at least two of the city"s Hatha yoga studios — the Aura and Ingara — have received letters outlining Nizhnevartovsk officials" plans to halt yoga classes in city facilities. Both schools rent out space at a stadium and public meeting hall called Samotlor.