Epics of India

"Written by God, Moses, or a Series of Patriarchal Males, depending on whom you ask" After watching  Sita Sings The Blues  and discovering the genius of Nina Paley's work, I began researching her background and how she has been influenced in her artistic pursuits. I was excited to discover that she has another animated film out called  Seder Masochism. " Seder?" I thought. "As in... Passover?"  I am Jewish and have grown up celebrating Passover, honoring the many unique traditions of the holiday (including the four glasses of wine, an element of the seder mentioned in the film. A tradition I  definitely  appreciate). Watching the trailer for  Seder Masochism  was another tempting taste of Paley's uniquely absurd and vibrant animation, and I knew I would have to watch the whole thing at some point. I decided to wait until now (the actual holiday of Passover) to watch the film, to make the viewing experience more personable and fun! I'v...

Yoga... -Hindu or Indian, secular or religious? -These are Euro-American terms, so who cares! -Indians are "expected to force fit Indian thoughts, like a twisted yogic asana" -Hindu: YES, because Hindu texts continually refer to this word -Krishna and Shiva are both referred to as yogeshwara, meaning lord of yoga -Indian: YES, because yoga originated in the Indian subcontinent -Thrived in various schools of thought, including Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism -Fun fact: "zen" in Japanese Buddhism can be traced to "dhyana" (profound meditation) -Religious: YES, because it refers to the idea of God -Speaks to the union of the individual soul with the cosmic soul -Secular: YES, because divine ideals are a very small component of Yoga Sutra -A tool to "uncrumple the mind" -The eight practices: social disengagement (yama), personal discipline (niyama), postures (asana), breath (pranayama), sensory isolation (pratyahara), awareness (dh...