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YOGA and HEALTH
presented by Bhupendra Soneji
REAL WORLD
(group C)
Do I need to conquer the mental rigors of Hatha yoga in order to benefit from its physical conditions? How practical is this yoga in today's real world? Isn't physical fitness (working out, running, etc.) a good enough substitute for ancient Hatha yoga?
Topic 1: Who Will Teach My Kids?
The year is 2019 and your 9-year-old jumps on your lap and starts asking you about her culture, her heritage, and her religion. Will you have the answers?
Meditation is a state of being. It calms the mind and reduces the number of superfluous thoughts reaching and leaving the brain. In meditation, therefore, the perception that gives rise to fear does not exist resulting in a less stressed posture. At this relaxed state, blood circulates optimally so as to provide perfect nourishment to all the organs. Heart rate is drastically reduced, and blood pressure is lowered to healthier levels. The person meditating experiences harmony within and harmony without He or she feels the joy and peace that comes from an elevated state of mind.
The times we live in are much different from our parents' primarily because we were raised balancing two cultures. We may not have the same type of background and exposure to the culture, religion and language as our parents. At the same time, we have the experience of living and growing up in the midst of at least two, if not more cultures. How will we balance who we are, what we know, and the environment around us with wanting to raise our children connected to their heritage? Will we rely on ourselves, our parents, our peers, trips to India, or to the broader Jain and Indian communities so that we do not rob our children of their culture and religion? Who will teach your kids, and do you worry about this as you look into the future? In this 'Real World' session we will explore this issue in an open discussion and share insights into the complexity of the situation and how our peers might deal with it.
REAL WORLD
(groups A&B)
Topic 2: Is It Important to Marry a Jain?
PEER PRESSURE! DATING!! PARENTS!!! BEING MY OWN PERSON!!!! OTHER TOPICS THAT PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE!!!!! yikes!
Well, the first question is, what do we mean by Jain? Is this someone who is born Jain or someone who truly embraces the practices, principles, and teachings of Jainism? Does the label Jain' even matter? If so, to whom? Do our parents care more about us marrying someone who is Indian (or even simply 'brown') more so than about us marrying someone Jain?
Imagine how simple growing up could be if we could see the bigger picture in life and know what all those things mean when we're growing up. In this session, participants will get the real story on such matters and gain some much needed insight from our older brothers and sisters - those who've been there and done that.
Being Jain is not bound to being born a Jain, or calling oneself Jain. In fact, look into your own lives, and ask yourself if you know someone who lives more of a Jain life, than you yourself or your peers do. Why does our community tend to discount those who do not label themselves Jain' and push young people towards Jains to marry? Do you know people who are born Jain, yet appear to be less Jain than your non-Jain peers? How do you reconcile your relationship choices when you find yourself considering someone who is not Jain? What are the critical success factors in having a successful marriage, and is being with a Jain one of them?
This is an open-ended discussion with a group of thirty people and two moderators: a small forum wherein you can feel open to pose questions and comments to peers or to the moderators on controversial issues, and discuss them in a frank and unabashed atmosphere.
In this 'Real World' session, panelists from various backgrounds and situations share their experiences and opinions on these matters. This interactive session will give participants an opportunity to ask questions of both panelists and participants to better understand the challenges, concerns, 'costs' and 'benefits' of marrying a Jain vs. a non-Jain.
Jain Education International
For P 39 al & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
