Zen Yoga Press is pleased to announce the publication of 

(e-Book) download today! www.artofzenyoga.com

A holistic approach to eating with an emphasis on experiencing the present moment and connecting with the core of one’s being.

Eat Smart is a revolutionary book on food, eating and the concept of dieting. The simple fact is that most of us do not pay attention to what we eat. We are distracted by all of the other stuff going on in our lives. We often relegate our eating to times when we are rushed and preoccupied, unaware of the effect this lack of concentration has on our physical body.

Eat Smart addresses that shortcoming and helps enable you to reap the remarkable and surprising benefits that the concepts of awareness, moderation and common sense can bring to your life. It includes an extensive look at the many additives, chemicals and poisons found in today’s processed foods. The book also provides a number of exercises to help imprint the Zen Anti-Diet concept in your mind while offering tools to enhance the beneficial habits of food consumption.

Becoming aware of the feeling within your body as you are eating enables you to make a true mind/body connection.

DETAILS:....
Format: e-Book Download www.artofzenyoga.com
Publisher/Date: Zen Yoga Press/October 2008
Author: Aaron Hoopes
Retail Price: $4.95....
Available at www.artofzenyoga.com and Amazon.com 

About the author:

Aaron Hoopes is the author of six books, including the international bestseller Breathe Smart, the companion book to Eat Smart. He is the founder of Zen Yoga a program designed to connect mind and body through simple breathing and movement exercises.

Website: www.artofzenyoga.com

A lot of emphasis has been put on the winter solstice of 2012 as a point of transition, but like the moon that is full three days before and three days after the actual full moon, we have already entered this significant time. ....

The ancient Vedic texts called this time the Kali Yuga, a time when humanity has reached the depths of selfish materialism. I don't think there is any doubt that we are seeing this unfold before our eyes daily...and yet still most people seem oblivious to the tremendous changes that are taking place.....

It has been determined that on the solstice of 2012 the Earth will come into precise alignment with the galactic center. What this means exactly is up for debate. However, one thing that is becoming clear is that there are going to be significant fundamental changes to our lives and the way we live. I'm beginning to look at this time as a moment of opportunity for consicous evolution. It is there waiting for those who are ready for it while everyone else will be caught up in the fear and chaos of the changes.....

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we get our own house in order. We need to have our physical body in a healthy state - srtong, flexible and free of chemicals and poisons....and we need our mind calm, clear and able to react to whatever situations we are presented with... Most importantly, we need to open our hearts and reconnect with the Earth. For to long we have taken from her for our selfish needs without acknowledgement of the lifeforce energy she provides us. The Earth will survive for millennia to come, if the human race is to continue to have a purpose on this planet we need to get our act together.....

We have passed the time for debate about whether climate change, overpopulation and depleted resources are real problems. If you think that we will soon be returning to unlimited economic growth, rampant expansion and magic technological breakthroughs that will end our dependency on fossil fuels...please simply ignore this...

Did you ever have a thought deep in the back of your mind that there just might, possibly be a better way of living than the way that is forced upon us by the hectic, stress-filled technological society in which we live today? Alan Watts, the renowned Zen scholar, called that thought hintegedanke, which is a German word describing something just at the edge of consciousness. It is a hint of something greater, of some special connection we have with the world around us. For most, that feeling stays in the shadows of the mind as we drink our double lattés, drive our SUVs, and live our lives between the increasingly strident commercials which bombard us day and night and hope that the financial and economic disaster somehow misses us.

What might this hintegedanke be trying to tell us?
Might it be offering to show us another way?
Might it be trying to remind us of something we have long forgotten?
Might it be presenting us with a different path to walk?

I believe that we have forgotten some very important knowledge over the past five-thousand years, knowledge we were not supposed to forget. And now we find we are on the verge of collectively destroying ourselves…again.

Millennia ago, in the vague myths of the antediluvian world, the Earth was different. People were different. They lived in harmony with the world around them, connected to it.

The Mayan calendar points to the winter solstice on December 21st 2012 as the end date of a great age. It is vital that we begin to expand our awareness and pay attention to the bigger picture.

In order to survive on this changing Earth we need be able to change with it.

It starts with an awareness of the self and the world around us. Selfishness, greed and insincerity are no longer of any value to us. We must now find a purpose that is about more than personal gain.

Are you ready?

In life all things have two opposite aspects. If light exists then darkness exists as well. Wherever there is an "up" there will also be a "down". If something has a front it must have a back. Something that is born will eventually die. If something can be hot then cold exists. If something can expand then contraction is inevitable. There are no advantages without some disadvantages; there are no disadvantages without some advantages. All the opposites one perceives in the universe can be reduced to the opposing forces of Yin and Yang. This changing combination of negative and positive, dark and light, cold and hot is what keeps the world spinning. In our individual lives all change can be seen as one opposite becoming the other. As something reaches an extreme it always gives way to its opposite. Just as the seasons cycle through summer-fall-winter-spring and create opposite periods of hot and cold, Yin and Yang cycle through active and passive, dark and light, strength and weakness.

..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

Yin represents everything that is feminine, dark, cold, contracting, receptive, and passive. It is the negative aspect of anything and its movement is down and inwards. Yang represents everything that is masculine, light, hot, expansive, forceful, and active. It is the positive aspect of anything and its movement is up and outwards. While these examples display Yin as weakness and Yang as strength, it is important to realize that everything in the world is really a mixture of the two. Because of this, things that we might expect to be weak or strong, because they clearly represent Yin or Yang, might turn out to be the opposite instead. Each representation of Yin and Yang also contains within it its own balance of Yin and Yang. Man is considered Yang and woman, Yin. But if the man is small, pale, and weak while the woman is big, robust, and strong, she would have more Yang than the man and he more Yin than she. This is by no means to be taken as disparaging to women…or men for that matter. Each of us must have a balance of both Yin and Yang to be complete.

Well, another holiday season is upon us...yet this one seems different somehow. Obviously there are a lot of things happening in this world that are having significant impact on many people.

Usually we want to think of the holidays as a time of joy and happiness, however, more often than not the holidays can stir up quite a lot of stress. Combine this with a general uncertainty about the future and we can find ourselves a little overwhelmed.

Fortunately, just as it feels as if things are unravelling, there is also something quite amazing taking place. We are beginning to sense a shift in consciousness. No longer are the old patterns working for us and many people are starting to look for answers deeper within.

Obviously this is a long process, but there can be no doubt that things are accelerating.

It would serve all of us this holiday season to try to be a little more forgiving and humble in our thoughts and actions. We always have a choice as to how we react in any given situation. Everyone has felt the energy change when an angry person walks into a room. Everyone gets a little on edge. Remember…this dynamic works both ways. If we can find a calm center within ourselves, then we give others a reference point to find calmness within their own selves. The holidays really need to be about cultivating peace and harmony in the world. Finding faults in others or laying blame for things elsewhere simply creates friction and unease.

Like dropping a pebble into a pool of water and watching the ripples spread out, we determine the ripples we send to the people around us. Let it then be positive and loving.

I wish you happiness, health and peace for this holiday season

…and as always…

Remember to Breathe!

Aaron Hoopes

http://www.artofzenyoga.com/

The next Zen Yoga Online Course will begin January 15th.

Start from Zero

Interested in learning how to do Zen yoga Qigong martial arts movements? See a demonstration of a Zen yoga Qigong dynamic full form with tips from the founder of Zen yoga in this free yoga and martial arts video.

The Heart of the Zen Warrior
AUGUST 22-24, 2008
Theme: Training with the 5 Elements

Most people on earth are beginning to notice the effects of the Earth changes. Many of us welcome it, while at the same time adjusting day by day, moment by moment, to the quickening distractions. The Zen Warrior Weekend is an engaging, challenging, and transformational opportunity for growth in body, mind and spirit.

Special Events:
Traditional Lakota Sweat Lodge & Death Arrow Fire Ceremony

Training Program:
Zen Yoga – Yin Yoga - Tai Chi
5 Elements Healing Breath & 10 Zen Qigong
Iaido & Sword Training
Zen Kumite – Push Hands
Capture the Flag
Meditation, discussions, drumming circle and much more…

Location:
Vershire, Vermont – set on 150 acres of mountain, ledge, and forest

Cost:       
$300 per person

Accommodation:
Tents or  http://www.lakemoreyresort.com/ (if you really can't sleep in a tent - book early)

Questions & Registration: (Space is very limited)

Email:  zensword@artofzenyoga.com  
This weekend is a gathering of warriors, healers, shaman, and sages, sharing our knowledge, understanding and skills with each other.

Join us:
Michael Denmeade – Shaman of the Yamabushi and Lakota traditions
Aaron Hoopes – Author, Instructor and Founder of Zen Yoga
Rita Lang – Zen Yoga Program Director & Massage therapist
Joe Schoenig – Karate Instructor, Swordmaster

BRING YOUR OWN SWORD (not required)