Hail the King

Welcome to The Yoga Pose Dictionary

vtudor — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:09:03 +0000

I can't touch you through the internet, but if I could, I'd help you telescope your ribs.

Top of the morning Yogis! I’m so grateful that you’ve joined me today to launch this new blog/resource for yoga teachers, yoga students and for those folks who will read anything that the internet spits at them! No matter which category you fall under, I’m glad you’re here. Today, I just want to tell you a little bit about myself, my yoga path and my favorite poses. We’ll call it a warm up. I like setting the intention for a blog, in the same way I set an intention for my practice. It helps shape the blog in a more natural way than just hitting the ground running, just to see what it turns into. Who’s That Laday? That laday is me! The name’s Corinne and the game is Forrest yoga. I’m a new Forrest yoga teacher and after completing my 200 RYT last month, I’m working on getting fully certified as a Forrest Yoga instructor. That involves another 6-12 months of studying, reading, attending classes, teaching, volunteering and writing allll about it. Right now, I’ve read one book and completed one writing assignment in the past two weeks. Obviously, I’m killing it. So that’s partially why I’m here. I know I’ll start diving into my to-do list and my mind will get bogged down with philosophy and science. I’ll probably get wrapped up in my life of constant travel. I fear that I’ll lose contact with my Asana study. This blog will keep that from happening. What You Talkin’ About Willis? It’s pretty simple. This is a resource for poses, so I’m going to be talking about poses. They’ll all be documented in the Forrest Yogi style (relaxed neck, wrapped shoulders, active hands and feet), because IMHO Forrest Yoga is the way to go. I’ll also touch some on the emotional release that some of the poses might be able to facilitate. But wait, there’s more. I’ll talk about where the breath can channel into each pose and there might be some awesome visual aids if you’re lucky. I look forward to sharing my research and practice with all of you. Please let me know if there are any poses that you’d like explained in greater detail. xoxo, The Yogi Poser

Approaching Omniscience – #16: Speculation About Mankind’s Future

vtudor — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 22:33:04 +0000

In a recent article entitled “Living Forever,” I commented that in the future increasingly smaller size computers will approach the capacity of the human brain and interact seamlessly with it, supplementing and complementing its capabilities. Furthermore, I speculated that massive organization of the “seemingly limitless knowledge” would be common place and accessible to most of the world’s population. (See “What If You Could Live Forever? Part 1.”) Here, I will further expound upon that speculation.

Questions About Mankind’s Capabilities

If humans are given much more thinking capability, and capacity for data storage and manipulation, than is presently used or even understood, the Creator must have done so for a reason or many reasons. (This would be a fascinating study for students pursuing “information tech careers.”) There are several instances in the Bible referencing being “like God” or admonishing us to act like or follow the example of God, especially that of Jesus Christ. And since He knows the future and always has mankind’s best interest in mind (another biblical assumption), He must have plans for human ventures well beyond our understanding or even our imagination. However, man and woman will always speculate.

Speculations About Mankind’s Capabilities

If Adam and Eve learned about life from God and their environment, and then passed on that knowledge to their offspring (Cain and Able and other sons and daughters), then their children would have done the same with their children, continuing in an infinite continuum; of course, this assumes that mankind does not self-destruct, which is addressed below. Therefore, mankind’s knowledge will grow with each generation, which it has done for the last six to ten thousand years, which are numbers consistent with the Bible and creationism. (The debate about these figures not withstanding, which will be addressed separately in another article.)

It is an established fact the known universe is massive. (For those who may be interested, here is a recent article entitled “How Big Is The Universe” by Brent Tully, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii and co-producer of the NOVA film “Runaway Universe.”) There is also much biblical and other evidence that humans are unique within this massive universe. Therefore, it is logical and admittedly speculative, that the Creator of time and space would direct, guide and inspire humans to explore, discover and even assume dominion over much more than just planet Earth. Considering manned flight and space exploration just within about the past century, extrapolating man’s future into space is not only logical but an inevitable reality. Just as the Lord has preserved the Jewish people and the country of Israel, the only country to have been destroyed and reconstituted out of antiquity, He will preserve mankind, prevent total self-destruction and allow expansion both physically and mentally, allowing and promoting the exercise of dominion over the whole universe.

Do You Want To Participate?

If so, then you will have to be a part of God’s plan. For He is the only One in charge. Obviously, to participate you must have “eternal life”! And there is only one way to achieve that. Read how in my article at “Stability and Reference for College Students.”

Thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #15: Never Stop Learning

vtudor — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 23:54:51 +0000

There will always be more to learn! Do you realize this? Or, do you think you have reached the point in your life where you know more about your work or job than your superior? If so, you are in a dangerous position. Man has learned much about the brain, but as has been reiterated in earlier articles, there is much more we do not know about the human brain. However, one thing we do not know or understand about the brain; that is its maximum capacity for retention.

But Is Retention Enough?

Absolutely not! As an extreme example, one of our Pentecostal pastors described a member of his congregation who had a phenomenal memory; he could quote any scripture in the entire Bible, just given the chapter and verse. Or, he could given the chapter and verse of any quoted scripture. The Bible is a book of almost one million words! However, he did not apply that knowledge and fell into sin and away from the Lord. Clearly, head knowledge by itself was not enough.

Why Such Great Capacity?

It is a good question, but I am not sure of the answer. Possibly, the Lord gave us great mental capacity to give us opportunity to use it and then challenge our free will to use it wisely, or not. However, without proper training and instruction, most men and women only use a small portion of their capacity to remember.

I have known many professionals who are regarded as “experts” in their field. And those who are most highly regarded by their colleagues, with a few exceptions, readily admit there still is much they do not know. They are always learning. Why are there a few exceptions? Pride, arrogance, an attitude of self-sufficiency and an ego well beyond the pride of accomplishments. A person who cannot receive instruction is doomed to failure, if for no other reason than the fact that those wiser than he will not support him. But additionally, a man wise in his own eyes is a foolish, because he, quite naturally, will feel superior to others and both verbalize and act upon that feeling of superiority.

Where Does Wisdom Come From?

When you are first learning, it comes from others. However, people must be willing to recognize wisdom by applying it, along with head knowledge. Learning to do that requires time. And when you later fail to keep learning from others, wisdom stops and failure is not far behind. Moreover, to fail and start learning again is very difficult for most people. Short of receiving help from the Lord, it will not happen. And where does help from the Lord often come from; you guessed it – through other people. The logic has now come full circle.

Therefore, do not fail to learn from others; it must be a lifetime pursuit. For learning from others is wise and wisdom come from the Lord. Much scripture could be quoted to support these statements. However, my purpose is not to quote scripture, but rather to promote the truth – the truth that wisdom and knowledge are extremely valuable and precious, but must be used together.

As always, your comments and questions are most welcome. Thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #14: Connections Between the Brain and the Heart

vtudor — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:24:11 +0000

In a very well documented 2007 article by Professor Mohamed Omar Salem, titled “The Heart, Mind and Spirit,” Professor Salem describes the physiological mechanism by which the heart communicates with the brain. This affects a person’s information processing, health and emotions. He sites a scientific basis for the heart affecting mental clarity, emotional balance and creativity.

Heart/Brain Connections

Several years of research has determined that how a person perceives and reacts to the world and the immediate surroundings is affected by how the heart communicates with the brain. The heart actually appears to have its own unique logic, as it directs a person’s nervous system. It sends meaningful messages to the brain, where they are received, understood and even obeyed. Neurophysiologists later discovered actual neural pathways for signals from the heart to the brain, which may control the brain’s electrical activity.

Extensive research in 1994 by Amour discovered a complex network of different types of neurons in the heart that were similar to those found in the brain, but which work independently of the cranial brain. These are capable of learning, remembering, feeling and sensing. The pathways for signals from the heart enter the brain at the medulla and then proceed to the brain center where perception, cognitive processes and decision making take place. Such learning and cognitive processes is what allows heart transplants to be possible; the heart’s “intact, intrinsic nervous system” allows it to function in its new host.

Heart Synchronization

The heart communicates information to the brain through extensive electromagnetic field interactions, the most powerful of which are generated by the heart in extensive rhythmic fluctuations. The heart’s magnetic field is 500 times stronger than the brain’s magnetic field, according to a 2004 study by McCraty, Bradley and Tomasino. This magnetic field can be detected several feet away from the body. Consistently, Professor Salem also reports that oxytocin is produced by the heart; it is a “love or bonding hormone” which is involved in cognition, tolerance and adaptation, as well as complex sexual and maternal behaviors and establishing enduring pair bonds. In 1986, Cantin and Genest found that concentrations of oxytocin are the same as those in the brain.

Interestingly, pendulum clocks purposely set to swing at different rates and at different starting times in the proximity of the same clock shop will, over time, all begin to swing together. This has been proven in numerous studies. Is there a similar connection between humans with “hearts in love with each other.” There is much anecdotal evidence to support this theory. This includes an elderly couple, who were married for 72 years. Following a car serious accident, they held hands in ICU, as the man’s brain waves stopped. However, his heart kept beating with signals from the woman’s brain and heart. The case was carefully documented by the hospital’s ICU staff, RNs and doctors. (See this author’s article entitled “Education After 60 – The Heart (An active brain can mean a healthy body!)“)

Conclusions

Professor Salem’s concluding discussion emphasizes that the heart is much more than a pump for circulating blood. He describes the heart as a very highly complex information processing center capable of self organization using its own “functional brain,” which communicates and influences the brain as well as the nervous system. The Professor also cites research indicating that the heart may also have the ability to communicate with the cosmic universe, possibly related to the spirit – “the non-physical element, or the field, of the mind that can communicate with the cosmos outside the constraints of space and time.”

Thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #13: Current Brain Research

vtudor — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:19:04 +0000

Belief Learning and Strategic Learning

Science Daily, in their “Mind and Brain” pages, reports (February 2012) that several researchers and doctoral students from the University of Illinois and the University of California at Berkeley have conducted research on “belief learning.” This is learning happening as a result of the actions of other people, as opposed to learning happening as a result of the outcome of our own actions. Using “functional magnetic resonance imaging” (fMRI), brain activity was tracked while participants played a competitive game. In the game each participant was asked to invest more than one’s opponent to win a prize, but simultaneously minimize their own losses – the amount wagered in each trial.

By studying where in the brain specific types of learning, such a belief learning and strategic thinking, researchers hope to gain additional insights to help diagnose and treat neurological diseases and mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression and Parkinson’s disease; all of these affect the frontal and striatal brain areas. Belief learning spurred activity in the part of the brain known as the ventral striatum, which traditionally is involved with reinforcement learning; but researchers were surprised that belief learning also occurred in this area. Part of their conclusions were: “To the degree that we can better understand these ubiquitous social functions in strategic settings, it may help us understand how to characterize and, eventually, treat the social deficits that are symptoms of these diseases.”

Facial Recognition

Science Daily has also reported that Birkbeck College in the University of London is studying what is happening in the brain when one person looks at another. Researchers are trying to understand what happens with people who have prosopagnosia, an inability to recognize faces. Studies have shown that people with this condition can recognize voices, meaning it may be strictly a visual problem. In other “pure cases,” subjects studied can recognize different cars and houses, yet still have trouble with faces. There are people who have good jobs, are intelligent and simply cannot recognize faces; thus, other parts of their brains are functioning normally.

Researchers have preliminarily concluded that there may be different types of prosopagnosia, with some subjects recognizing famous faces, from among many others, in 250 ms (milliseconds), while still others took 600 ms to recognize the faces. Subjects with brain damage have also been studied and determined to have demonstrated covert facial recognition. Approaching Omniscience will continue to follow these developments.

The Brain and Education

In an article in Science Master, a website subtitled “Featuring The Best In Science and Technology,” Kenneth A. Wesson points out that any discussion about learning must be centered on the human brain and its development, functions and processing strategies. Wesson is an education consultant in neuroscience for pre-school up through university level institutions and organizations. He has published 13 different “brain facts” ranging from brain development in the fetus to the benefits of an “educated brain” as protection against Alzheimer’s disease. These will be explored in the next edition of Approaching Omniscience at EduConsulting.Com.

See you next week. And thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #12: Is It Possible For Man?

vtudor — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:34:01 +0000

Perhaps this is the most important question. Just suppose person A worked hard and gained all knowledge about a given subject. For example, let’s arbitrarily take “airplanes.” This writer has some knowledge about airplanes having flown or instructed in them for 5,000 hours and taught in the College of Aviation at a renown aeronautical university for over a quarter century. But even if I knew everything about airplanes, what useful purpose could be accomplished?

Provide A Ready Reference

This may be the most useful present day purpose. If anyone was required to know how an airplane’s wing creates lift, pilot requirements to fly, the skills needed to fly an airplane or any number of other airplane-related topics, it would indeed be useful. However, some and perhaps most of the remaining information would still go unused, maybe for years, decades, centuries or longer.

And all that information would essentially be wasted, since it was never used.

Dispense Limited Knowledge

As pointed out in earlier articles, even at the top online colleges, researchers really have no idea about the maximum capacity or capability of the human brain. However, logical reasoning says there is a limit, just as computer memory has a limit. Therefore, no person is ever going to approach omniscience, which is probably what God intended. He is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14) And since He alone is omniscient, and He made us, why would He create beings that rivaled Himself? He clearly would not! Man will always have both limited knowledge of any given subject and a limit to his ability to increase that knowledge, which man today is far from attaining.

Again, all that unused information would essentially be wasted, since it was never used.

Posterity

Could future generations use the knowledge? Will man someday learn to use all of his brain? I believe that day will come. However logically, man has no way or methodology of knowing, or knowing when; he can only speculate.

Is speculation knowledge? No, not according to the definition “a fact or state of knowing.” (See Dictionary.Com.) Speculation clearly is not knowledge.

Still again, we are left with unused information.

Limits of Inclusion?

Finally, if person A knows everything about airplanes, where is the cut-off to related subjects? People, computers, materials, physics, chemistry, electricity and many other subjects are all related to airplanes. Therefore, should the “all knowledge” about airplanes exclude these subjects or a portion of those subjects? No, logically it could not.

Conclusion

Man will never be God or even like God; indeed God says, “There is none like Me in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:14; also See Isaiah 46:9) Thus, man can never be or become omniscient. However, man is capable of increasing knowledge, well beyond that demonstrated today. As that knowledge increases, neurologists learn more and brain research continues, Approaching Omniscience will keep you advised and informed.

Thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #11: Young Impressionable Minds

vtudor — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:57:40 +0000

Consider parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents and teachers, plus friends and acquaintances. Which ones have the most pronounced influence on young children? Can lasting negative self images be transferred to a young child? Or, are they transient? What events might trigger such self images, whether they be lasting or transient? At what age should verbalized negative self image statements such as “I am dumb.” or “I never want to get married.” or “I don’t want a family.” be taken seriously?

These were recently uttered by a seven year old girl. Parents are asking themselves, “Where did these thoughts come from?” and “How can we reverse these thoughts and comments?”

All of these questions are legitimate. The parents and nearly all the relatives know the Lord. The child has an excellent home environment. However, the child was recently scolded by teachers for talking to boys in class.

As Christians, we often have more questions than answers. But the Bible clearly says to train up a child in the way he should go, and he or she will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Thus, even a child has to make decisions for himself or herself, especially the decision to accept the training. Therefore, the most important decision is whether or not to obey authority, starting with parents.

Parents set the example and set the rules and boundaries; or, they do not set the example and set few or no rules, while boundaries are equally vague. Parents indeed have great responsibilities in nurturing and disciplining their children. If a child is not taught to obey at home, is the child going to obey at school? Is the child going to obey other authorities, such as school principles, police officers or judges? These too are decisions – decisions which have to be made by each child, but strongly influenced at early ages by parents and others.

As the human brain develops, it creates specific impressions about the environment. What is good or bad, right or wrong, true or false? What is best for me? What is best for others? Should I be concerned about both or just me?

The bottom line is that both as parents and as a child, we do not know all the answers to such questions. Each person is a unique individual and has to make choices for themselves. But the biggest choice is whether or not to submit to the ultimate authority about these questions and many more, and indeed about all of life, the Lord Jesus Christ. As a Christian, it is comforting to parents and children alike that He does have the answers. The question is whether or not to obey and accept His guidelines and rules or not to obey and accept His guidelines and rules. However, the former is very difficult to do without first submitting to Him as Lord and Savior. How to do this is simple. (See “Stability and Reference for College Students – The Way, The Truth and The Life.”) But the most difficult challenges involve maintaining one’s walk with the Lord, amid many tests, trials, tribulations and temptations as we go through life. To the extent that the child, or the adult, learns to depend upon the Lord, and not upon their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5), the child or the adult will meet these most difficult challenges.

All questions and comments are most welcome. Thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #10: The Human Brain’s Capacity

vtudor — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:15:16 +0000

Some Known and Unknown Estimates and Theories

Psychologists really do not know the capacity of the human brain. But there are estimates of the number of neurons (a specialized impulse-conducting cell), which is 100 billion, and the number of synapses (a point at which electrical impulses are transmitted between neurons), which is one quadrillion (a one followed by 15 zeros).

To complicate matters more, scientists do not know how to measure the size of memory; certain memories take up more space than others; and when memories are forgotten, more space is available for new memories. Psychologists appear even more confused when they state that some memories are not even worth remembering; so should they even be counted?

One psychologist, writing for the Scientific American, stated that because of the size of the human memory and the transient nature of memory, our brains have the ability to keep up with new experiences as we go through life. But whether the human brain would become full if our lifetime was extended is not known.

It is believed that about 76 percent of the neurons reside in the cerebellum of the human brain and only about 20 percent reside in the cerebral cortex, where “fact memory” is stored and where there are different types of neurons. Additionally, there are many neurons that do not support fact memory at all, some of which support learning skills but cannot be used to remember facts.

Also, the number of neurons required to support a single memory cannot be estimated; thus, the capacity of the brain in numbers of memories is very difficult to determine. However, researchers believe that the limiting factor on brain capacity is not the amount of memories, but rather the learning rate, which is considered synonymous with “bandwidth” as used in computer science.

Other Conjectures About The Brain

It is not known how the brain stores information, i.e. what format is used. Is it digital information stored in a format such as binary octal, hex encoded or 7-bit ASCII? Possibly, information is stored using an unknown analog format. As one response to the referenced Scientific American article mused regarding the numerical estimates of the brain’s memory capacity, “The question is nonsensical!”

Another responder to the article commented on a final lecture at Harvard University by John von Neumann. He speculated that today’s computer may be very different without von Neumann’s insights of 50 or 60 years ago. Von Neumann postulated that the point at which the brain is stimulated to function can be raised (i.e., the brain is less apt to function or function fully) if used infrequently; and conversely, it can be lowered if used often. It was also determined that the brain can do calculations, especially repeated calculations, faster if it accepts a lower level of accuracy.

Conclusions

It is clear that there is much more we do not know about the human brain than we do know. Thus, scientists and psychologists have much additional research to accomplish to move from speculation and postulation to known facts about the human brain’s capacity. Thus, if you are a student of neurology at one of the best online colleges or traditional college campuses, there is still much for you to learn and discover!

Thank you for reading!

Approaching Omniscience – #9: Contemplation About The Space Continuum

vtudor — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:37:18 +0000

I have a picture of the earth as seen from space. It may have been taken from the moon or from one of the manned spacecraft on its way back to earth from the moon. Clearly, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Middle East countries are all visible. And I have often thought, “All that man has become, is and knows has been captured in this one picture!”

The Macro Perspective

Recently, i.e. during the year 2011, there have been several news articles about the discovery of other planets capable of sustaining life. They orbit around a sun about the same size as our sun and in an orbit about the size of ours, 93 million miles. The latest article indicated that one planet was discovered, which was close, but not quite as close as others expected to be found soon.

Planets and asteroids orbit stars (Our sun is but one of countless stars, and a very common one according to scientists.); moons orbit planets; and galaxies contain countless stars, planets and asteroids. Moreover, there are countless galaxies in many different shapes and configurations.

The Micro Perspective

Electron microscopes detect atoms composed of electrons revolving around a nucleus composed of protons and neutrons. In different shapes and configurations, atoms may contain varying numbers of electrons, neutrons and protons and may combine with each other in various shapes and configurations to form molecules, which may be combined to form elements. And the entire physical world around us is composed of various configurations and combinations of these elements.

Our Perspective

Obviously, there is a similarity. But wouldn’t it be some type of ultimate discovery if scientist could someday prove that life exists, maybe even life as we know it, in both the macro perspective and the micro perspective? (That would drive today’s conservationists totally crazy! Every piece of casually discarded waist might contain whole planets and civilizations!) Could we ever communicate with life in either perspective? Probably not, but if it ever is proven, I am equally sure that mankind would contemplate every aspect of the “how,” for both perspectives. But God, being omnisicent, already knew that man would enter such contemplation; therefore, He made the universe both vast and complex – too complex for mankind to ever communicate with other life forms in either perspective, at least not until He, in His infinite wisdom, allowed such a discovery.

As always, thank you for reading! Your comments and questions are most welcome.

Approaching Omniscience – #8: The Critical Concept of Synergy

vtudor — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:20:09 +0000

What Is Synergy?

Synergy involves combing two or more systems, which may be mechanical or electronic but usually involve humans. When these entities are carefully, logically and systematically combined, and the output produced is be greater than any one of these entities could produce acting by itself, that is synergy – more accurately described as “positive” synergy. If the output produced is less than any one entity could produce, it is “negative” synergy. (Neutral synergy might be described as the combined efforts producing the same output as produced by any one of the entities; but this phrase is seldom used or referenced.)

The concept is applied to many professional fields, such as aviation, sports, medicine, the military, fire-fighting and law enforcement. One of my specialties as a faculty member at one of the world’s most respected aeronautical universities was applying synergy to the crew in the cockpit, those who communicated with them and the systems and equipment used to fly and to navigate from point A to point B. In general, it may be referred to as teamwork; however, in aviation it is called crew resource management (CRM). However, history records it was first used by crews engaged in fighting forest fires; then it was applied to aviation and later to many other professional fields where teamwork is essential.

All Available Resources

It is very easy to describe the concept of synergy. However, getting humans to work together as a team to produce higher output, or higher quality output, than any one individual could produce can be very challenging. In fact, aviation colleges and universities devote an entire three to five credit upper level (300 or 400 level) course, or more, just on teaching CRM to its students. In fact, the concepts are often (and should be) taught to freshmen as they learn to fly an aircraft; then the concepts should be applied to the use of more complex aircraft and systems as students learn about them and their operation.

Mechanical, electronic and software systems are challenging for engineers to combine to generate positive synergy – certainly a challenge for those studying how to become a computer programmer or mechanical engineer. However, training and admonishing humans to work together as a team to produce greater or higher quality results is also challenging, perhaps even more so. Increased efficiency through synergy may help a business and its financial bottom line. However, in many professional fields it becomes a matter of safety and even life or death. People must learn to work together efficiently as a team in the cockpit, on the playing field, in the surgery room, on the battle field, near a forest fire or when apprehending criminals. These are just a few of the applications of the concept of synergy, concerning the human element.

The Human Element

We are not alone in the universe. And God designed creation that way; and purposed humans to have dominion over this whole earth and everything living in it. (Genesis 1:26) But He also gave man a “free-will.” Thus, God did not mandate how man would take dominion and conduct his affairs. That is something mankind is still struggling with to this day. Yet God did explain “how,” in His Word the Bible. Sadly, few take His Word seriously. And the result is often “negative synergy,” as much of mankind struggles to survive and live life “their way” instead of God’s way.

As always, thank you for reading! Your comments and questions are most welcome!