One of the things I love about Passover, is that as part of the holiday, you read about the origin and tradition. When I celebrate things, I want to know why. So, sitting at my dad’s house Christmas morning, I wanted to know more about Christmas.
What I already knew is that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus (even though it isn’t really his birthday) and that the timing was chosen because it corresponded with other “pagan” celebrations around the solstice.
What I found, is that one of the traditions that Christmas replaced was the Roman celebration of the God Mithras, “the god of the unconquerable sun“. Roman Mithras celebrations evolved from Persian Mithra worship, which may have first evolved from reverence of the god Mitra, mentioned in the Rig Vedas. “The Vedasexpounded a diverse set of practices, ideas and concepts; among them was an primitive form of yoga as well as one of the world’s oldest, diverse and complex spiritual philosophies.”
So you might say, that in celebrating Christmas, we are all, in a sense, engaging in some form of ancient yoga!
Fun, right!
What does Christmas have to do with Yoga?
One of the things I love about Passover, is that as part of the holiday, you read about the origin [...]
Holiday Yoga
Class schedules are often limited over the holidays. Don’t let fewer classes keep you from practicing! Here are some tips to [...]
Holiday Gift Guide
It’s that time of year again! The time when we celebrate our love of friends and family with holiday parties [...]
Staying Healthy by Starting Healthy
I recently returned from the Integrative Oncology Conference in Arizona with my mom. We had a great time at the [...]
Yoga and Meditation for Seniors and Caregivers [Guest Post]
Yoga and meditation are some of the most popular activities for Americans who are looking to relax, but for seniors who are newcomers, it can be a little overwhelming to begin a new regimen.
