Lotus Position Research Articles

Decoding of the Story Superimposed of Buddhist Sculpture unearth from Bharja and testifying its relation to this Silk-route area of Sirohi District, India

Rohida police station recovered an old sculpture, accidentally discovered from the cemetery of Bharja/Bhaja village. It is a broken bronze Buddhist Idol and very rare sculpture. It has exquisite Antique beauty with rust in red and corrosion in green. Sculpture of Buddha seated in Padma Asana (lotus posture) and his hand in Dhyan Mudra (meditation posture). Buddha is wearing the robe; the robe is decorated with the scene of Buddhacharita story, superimposed on the visible crust. This Sirohi district has the history of Jainism and Hinduism only, till the date there is no evidence regarding Buddhism practices in Sirohi district of Rajasthan. Sirohi is famous from its silk route in the valley, ancient Chandrawati city and Mount Abu, where thousands of temples of Jainism and Shivanism were built. Objective: what were the technique and technology used to manufacture sculpture? Where this artefact came from? What are the main characteristics & features of this sculpture? What carving scene depicted in this sculpture? Research analysis: For analysis of this sculpture we carefully look sculpture and magnify scene to compare with the stories of Buddhacharita. Moreover, check out that this sculpture is indigenous work of ancestral craftsmen or not. Also compare superimposed stories of Buddha and his life. Scientific method: Buddha sculpture is hollow in nature but very heavy in weight; Craftsman used the lost wax method to manufacture it. In ancient time the science behind manufacturing sculpture is very time consuming, first sculptors need to imagine about the subject, draft and then mould through melting, condensing, chiselling, hammering and exquisite carving. One of the oldest methods of metal casting according to Archaeo-metallurgy is bee wax method; this technique is now termed as the lost wax method. Conclusion: In the end, we like to conclude that in the history of Sirohi exploration, first time unearths the Buddhist sculpture but we have certain doubts that it mustn’t belong to Sirohi district. This idol is required for further critical research like dating and detailed mould-casting technique used in the manufacturing of this sculpture.

The Effect of Lotus Position on Dyspnea Management in Intensive Care Unit

To determine the effect of lotus position on dyspnea management. The case-control study was conducted from June to November 2016 at a training and research hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, and comprised patients with lung disease in an intensive care unit. The patients were divided into an experimental group who were exposed to lotus position for dyspnoea management, while the control group was subjected to Orthopnoeic position. Data was collected using a patient description form, and the Medical Research Council Scale. Respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate and blood pressure for all subjects were noted. SPSS 22 was used for data analysis. Of the 35 subjects, 17(48.5%) were cases and 18(51.4%) were controls. The overall mean age was 61.48±15.51 years. There was a significant improvement in the intra-group respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate and systolic blood pressure in both groups (p<0.05). Patients in both groups were similar in their vital signs both before and after the intervention (p>0.05). Both lotus and Orthopnoeic positions significantly improved dyspnoea-related variables, and lotus position was as effective as Orthopnoeic position.

Effect of Lotus Posture on Acupuncture Meridian Energies: A Controlled Trial.

Background:Many studies have assessed Yoga practices using instruments such as AcuGraph, which measures conductances at Jing-Well points of acupuncture meridians. Such studies find that participation in Yoga programs ranging from a weekend to many months systematically increases subtle energy. Here, we report comparison of Jing-Well point conductances before and after sitting in Lotus Posture with those before and after sitting in a chair.Methods:This was a controlled study conducted on 52 male Yoga practitioners (mean age in years 23.03 ± 3.23), all with >1 year experience of Yoga practices. Participants were alternately assigned into two groups, sitting in Lotus Posture and sitting in a chair. Each was measured on 3 successive days, before and after sitting as instructed for 10 min on the 1st day, 20 min on the 2nd day, and 30 min on the 3rd day.Results:The two groups yielded completely different results: those sitting in Lotus Posture for 30 min showed increases in subtle energy levels (E_Ls) in all acupuncture meridians; those sitting in chair produced universal decreases. Results for 10 and 20 min showed how these changes in energy values took time to build up with increasing time.Conclusions:Sitting in Lotus Posture is held to strongly stimulate subtle E_Ls, so results agreed with the experimental hypothesis. Nevertheless, decreases in E_Ls of those sitting in a chair were surprising since the rest might be expected to have no effect.

The Death of Biological Motherhood

The Death of Biological Motherhood Pamela Mackey I sat, in the lotus position, on his exam table arms crossed. Draped in a pale green hospital gown, barely covered, head hung low as if all muscles suffered the fate of atrophy. Tears poured from my cheeks, clutching only worn damp tissues. The man who would save my life sat adjacent. With grace and well–seasoned technique he said, "There's one more thing we need to talk about … Do you want to have children?" I silently wept oceans and he said, "Your tears tell me your answer." That day was Friday May 13th, 2011. I was 33 and single. Beside me were my mother and my dear friend J. It was on that day I learned I would need to have surgery performed by my Gynecologist Oncologist. Several weeks prior my GI doctor had ordered an emergent CAT scan due to severe lower abdominal pain. He discovered I had large bilateral cysts on my ovaries. At least, they were thought to be cysts at the time. [End Page E2] My surgical consent did not include the removal of my ovaries. I was schooled meticulously by my surgeon and was very clear he was to preserve my fertility, at all costs. There was no time for any methods of fertility preservation prior to surgery. My mother disagreed with my decision to keep my ovaries. Being that he is such a close friend and a surgeon as well, I sought the advice of my friend J. He said something like, it's your right to make that decision I would just feel better if Psychiatry said that you fully and willingly understand the potential consequences of your action. I obliged and was blessed with Psychiatry's feedback that I was fully decisional and aware that I was willing to die in lieu of surgical sterilization. I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, stage IIIB on June 9, 2011. My surgeon excised many cancerous tumors that day, over many hours. My memory recounts waking from anesthesia, already being in my hospital room at about 1:00am, looking at my mother, feeling numb and asking, "Well what happened?" "You have cancer; he thinks he took it all out." "What am I missing?" "Nothing. You are ok." I went to sleep. After an arduous year of suffering and recovery—that is really putting it lightly—I resumed life, work, and dating. As years passed from my initial diagnosis my view of motherhood transformed to thoughts of parenting with cancer. Being a parent no longer meant relation by blood. Family is love and my deep appreciation for life and continuing to walk the Earth extends to all people and things. I was sharply sobered in the fall of 2015 finding myself in a familiar seat at my surgeon's office for what was supposed to be my last six month checkup before the tether loosening to one year appointments. I was told that he believed my tumors may have returned. After further testing I was once again scheduled for surgery. This time I relented, signing consent for the bilateral removal of my ovaries. I had one request: could I have a few weeks before surgery to live a little more life. He granted the request. I posed the question of seeing a fertility preservation specialist. It so happened he knew of a highly trained Attending setting up her practice at the same location where I was being treated. I found myself in her office several weeks later, depositing tears. She was lovely, kind, and very thorough in her detailed explanations of new state of the art treatments. She agreed to some hormone level testing at my request, as an initial step. She called a week or so later to tell me that my 37 year old ovaries were like those of an 80–90 year old woman and thus not eligible for any type of fertility preservation. The importance of this visit and information was, and remains, immeasurable. This time I felt a sense of control. I was better informed. After everything my scarred and chemically treated body had been through, it had made the decision about...

Mindfulness: it's not just about the lotus position!

Mindfulness: it's not just about the lotus position!

Mindfulness for surgeons.

Mindfulness for surgeons.

Severe isolated sciatic neuropathy due to a modified lotus position

A 51-year-old man presented to our hospital with progressive pain and weakness in his right leg. Neurological examination revealed atrophy of all muscles of the right leg, unilateral foot drop and paralysis of the anterior tibial and gastrocnemicus muscles. Electromyography confirmed a severe isolated sciatic neuropathy in the thigh. For unclear reasons, our patient habitually used to sit in a modified lotus position. We concluded that this position, in literature known as "lotus neuropathy" had resulted in the sciatic neuropathy. After more than a year our patient was referred again to our outpatient clinic. At that time there was only minimal improvement, now with an achilles tendon contracture and pes equinus due to immobility.

Adverse Events Associated with Yoga: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports and Case Series

While yoga is gaining increased popularity in North America and Europe, its safety has been questioned in the lay press. The aim of this systematic review was to assess published case reports and case series on adverse events associated with yoga. Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, CAMBase, IndMed and the Cases Database were screened through February 2013; and 35 case reports and 2 case series reporting a total of 76 cases were included. Ten cases had medical preconditions, mainly glaucoma and osteopenia. Pranayama, hatha yoga, and Bikram yoga were the most common yoga practices; headstand, shoulder stand, lotus position, and forceful breathing were the most common yoga postures and breathing techniques cited. Twenty-seven adverse events (35.5%) affected the musculoskeletal system; 14 (18.4%) the nervous system; and 9 (11.8%) the eyes. Fifteen cases (19.7%) reached full recovery; 9 cases (11.3%) partial recovery; 1 case (1.3%) no recovery; and 1 case (1.3%) died. As any other physical or mental practice, yoga should be practiced carefully under the guidance of a qualified instructor. Beginners should avoid extreme practices such as headstand, lotus position and forceful breathing. Individuals with medical preconditions should work with their physician and yoga teacher to appropriately adapt postures; patients with glaucoma should avoid inversions and patients with compromised bone should avoid forceful yoga practices.

The Loseable World: Resonance, Creativity, and Resilience

The Loseable World: Resonance, Creativity, and Resilience

English

For present study 75 volunteers between 20-40 years were selected (37 males and 38 females) Volunteers were trained for Transcendental meditation (TM.) After training period they practiced TM every day 20 minutes for 6 weeks. Anxiety score was measured by using clinical anxiety scale (C.A.S.) as given by R.P.Sainath et al [1] before and after the TM session in each volunteer. Comparison of anxiety score before and after the TM was done by statistical analysis. Anxiety score reduction was found significantly in females as compared to males who practiced TM. Key wordsTranscendental meditation, Anxiety score, clinical anxiety scale, statistical analysis International Journal of Medical and Clinical Research ISSN:0976-5530 & E-ISSN:0976-5549, Volume 3, Issue 4, 2012 Introduction Nowadays stress is an absolutely inevitable part of life. Stress causes hormonal changes, biochemical changes [2-4] various illnesses and psychosomatic diseases. [5, 6] Linkage between body and mind are now well appreciated and therefore one can use yogic practices in preventing and treating such stress related illnesses. Several studies have been done on effect of various yogic practices and meditation on anxiety score. [7-9] The present study examined the effects of TM on anxiety score Transcendental meditation (TM) is a common form of meditation that is easy to learn. Methods and materials Seventy five volunteers (37 males and 38 females) were selected. Following criteria were used for selecting the volunteers. 1. Age between 20 to 40 years 2. No history of heart attack, hypertension, diabetes, or any other chronic illness that required regular pharmacological treatment. 3. No history of major psychiatry disorders, current alcohol abuse/ dependency disorders. Each volunteer was explained the whole programme. Interested and co-operative volunteers were selected. Written consent was obtained from volunteers. The volunteers were asked to discontinue if they felt giddy. An approval of institutional medical ethics committee was obtained before commencing the study. Name, age, sex, height and weight of each volunteer were recorded. The anxiety score was measured in each volunteer and the readings were noted as controlled readings. 75 Volunteers were selected for present study 37 male volunteers and 38 female volunteers. Session was divided into: 1. Training session for 6 weeks 2. Practicing session for 6 weeks Session Training sessionIn this session volunteers were trained for Transcendental meditation (TM). This is a progressive relaxation technique. Technique was taught by giving individualized personal instructions. Technique of TM was taught as below [10-13] Meditator sits quietly in a comfortable position with his back erect, eyes closed, (lotus position) and takes slow and deep breaths. Citation: Mendhurwar S.S. and Gadkari J.V. (2012) Effect of Transcendental meditation (TM) on Anxiety score in healthy humans. International Journal of Medical and Clinical Research, ISSN:0976-5530 & E-ISSN:0976-5549, Volume 3, Issue 4, pp.-147-149. Copyright: Copyright©2012 Mendhurwar S.S. and Gadkari J.V. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Risk Factors for Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tear

Background: Medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRT) have a different clinical effect from other types of meniscal tears. These tears are very common among Asian people and may be related to the frequent use of postures such as the lotus position or squatting. Purpose: The present study was designed to identify the risk factors for MMPRT among an Asian sample. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: An observational study was performed of 476 consecutive patients undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on their medial meniscus from January 2010 to December 2010. One hundred four patients had MMPRT (group 1), and the other patients had other types of medial meniscal tears (group 2). Demographic characteristics (age, sex, body mass index [BMI]), radiographic features (mechanical axis angle, tibia vara angle, tibial slope angle, Kellgren-Lawrence grade [KLG]), and environmental factors (occupation, trauma history, sports activity level, table use or not, bed use or not—variables that are representative of the oriental lifestyle of lotus position and squatting) were surveyed. We assessed the relation of these risk factors to the type of meniscal tear (group 1 or 2). Results: In group 1, there were 7 male and 97 female patients, with an average age of 58.2 years (range, 39-78 years) and BMI of 26.7 ± 3.4 kg/m2. In group 2, there were 136 male and 236 female patients (P < .01 compared with group 1), with an average age of 54.3 years (range, 17-77 years; P < .01) and a BMI of 24.9 ± 3.1 kg/m2 (P < .01). With regard to radiographic features, the mechanical axis angle demonstrated a significantly increased varus alignment in group 1 (4.5° ± 3.4°) compared with group 2 (2.4° ± 2.7°; P < .01), and the KLG was 1.4 ± 0.8 in group 1 and 0.9 ± 0.6 in group 2 (P < .01). Environmental factors showed no differences in occupation, table use or not, and bed use or not, except sports activity level. There were 41 patients (42.7%) in group 1 and 77 patients (20.6%) in group 2 who did not participate in any recreational activity (P < .01). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that female sex was associated with a 5.9-fold increase in risk (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.138-16.575), a varus mechanical axis angle with a 3.3-fold increase (95% CI, 1.492-7.153), a BMI more than 30 kg/m2 with a 4.9-fold increase (95% CI, 1.160-20.955), and lower sports activity level with a 2.7-fold increase (95% CI, 1.011-7.163) for MMPRT. Conclusion: Persons with MMPRT had significantly increased age, female sex predominance, higher BMI, increased KLG, greater varus mechanical axis angle, and lower sports activity level compared with persons with other types of meniscal tear. After adjusting for other factors, sex, BMI, mechanical axis angle, and lower sports activity level remained strong determinants of MMPRT. Interestingly, oriental postural positions including the lotus position and squatting showed no contribution to increased risk of MMPRT. This suggests that intrinsic risk factors (similar to those that predispose to osteoarthritis) predispose to MMPRT.

Uma posição incomum para alívio postural da dispneia

As can be seen in Figure 1, the lotus position appeared to have several advantages over the standing position, increasing SpO2 (93% vs. 97%) and decreasing HR (118 bpm vs. 112 bpm), as well as increasing diastolic blood pressure and decreasing systolic blood pressure (130/70 mmHg vs. 110/80 mmHg). In addition, MIP and MEP, measured at the mouth, were lower when the patient was seated in the lotus-like position than when he was standing, although FEV1 and RR remained comparable (1.35 L vs. 1.38 L and 32 breaths/min vs. 30 breaths/min, respectively). In addition, FVC was higher for the lotus-like position than for the standing position (2.57 L vs. 2.45 L). We believe that the symptomatic improvement reported by this patient is related to hemodynamic changes, secondary to the increase in venous return to the thorax, as has been previously observed in children with cyanotic heart defects.(5) In addition, the improved FVC might be related to the more erect position of the vertebral column. Simultaneous improvements in lung perfusion and ventilation would explain the increase in SpO2. These changes would be sufficient to improve the oxygenation of various tissues, including brain tissue. Although adopting a lotus-like position could be problematic for some patients with COPD, these clinical findings warrant further investigation. In the meantime, the lotus-like position could be taught as a potential aid to increase respiratory comfort in selected patients with chronic lung diseases. To the Editor:

The Use of the Lotus Position During Spica Cast Application for the Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: A Technical Note

Closed reduction and application of a spica cast is a standard treatment in children younger than 18 months. Proper abduction and flexion is crucial during cast application. The surgeon, who usually stands holding the lower limbs, often finds this position cumbersome and difficult to control limb position. During the past 6 years, we have used the lotus (crossed legs) position for the surgeon to achieve better control on hip flexion and abduction, therefore minimizing possible complications such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

The Post-Soviet Treasure Hunt: Time, Space, and Necropolitics in Siberian Buddhism

In September 2002, Buddhist lamas of the Ivolginsk monastery in the post-Soviet Republic of Buryatia in southern Siberia accompanied by independent forensic experts performed an exhumation of the body of Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov, the last head lama from the time of the Russian empire, who died in 1927. The body of the lama, found in the lotus position, allegedly had not deteriorated, and soon rumors spread that the lama was alive and had returned to Buryatia, as he had promised he would. According to the stories told by senior monks, before his death Itigelov asked to have his body exhumed thirty years after. He was first exhumed in 1955 (a little short of thirty years) by his relatives and lamas, in secret for fear of being discovered by the Soviet authorities. As expected, the body was intact, so they reburied him. It was only after the final exhumation in 2002 that the lamas installed the body in a glass case in the Ivolginsk monastery, which very soon became an international and domestic sensation, with articles appearing inThe New York Times, and Russian politicians and oligarchs rubbing shoulders with droves of pilgrims and tourists to catch a glimpse of the lama.

PADMASANA KAJIAN SENI HIAS DAN FUNGSI

Padmasana is a sacred building for the Hindu people. It is used to worship God. This building is located in the northeast zone of the worship complex (Pura) as the main building. Padmasana building is very closely related to the symbolic values reflected in the name ‘padmasana’ itself, also the shape of the building and its decorative art that adorning the entire padmasana. To reveal these symbolic values, the writer approached the topic using some theories on function that were proposed by some prominent functionalist. The conclusion was that Padmasana functioned, first regiously, second ethically or morally, third aesthetically, fourth economically, and fifth expressively. Keywords: Padmasana, decorative art, function

Introduction

Introduction Kwok Pui-lan What are the images that come to mind when one thinks of Asian spirituality? Meditation with legs crossed in a lotus position? Going to the serene and peaceful temples in Kyoto? Offering flowers at the shrines for gods and goddesses in India? Hearing the Dalai Lama speak? While these may be some of the favorite images, Asian spirituality encompasses much more. Spirituality is hard to define in the Asian contexts. Some of the Asian traditions have a strong sense of the ultimate and believe that there is the spiritual realm and the other world. Others preach about nothingness, emptiness, and the self as an illusion. For a Buddhist, spirituality may mean seeking to live according to one's true nature. For her Confucian neighbor, it may signify a self-cultivation process in which one strives to live harmoniously with nature and other human beings. For many, it may simply mean following the rituals and practices that have been passed down for generations. Christianity encountered a land of rich religious symbols, practices, and rituals when it arrived in Asia. From the early roots of ancient Christianity in India, which can be traced to St. Thomas, and the Nestorians in China, the small Christian communities struggled to interpret their faith and practices to people with diverse spiritual longings. Colonialism and Christian exclusivism set the Christian communities apart from the people, such that the Christian church has often been seen as a foreign religion. During the anti-colonial struggles and the post-independence period, Asian churches have sought to address changing Asian realities through the processes of inculturation and contextualization. The successive waves of Asian immigrants brought their rich and colorful religious practices to North America. As tiny minorities living in a strange land, these religious and cultural practices provided an essential link to the homeland and a means to negotiate new identities. After the immigration law of 1965, which abolished the national origin of the quota system, the number of Asians living in the United States increased rapidly. The 2000 U.S. Census indicated that there were about 11.9 million people of Asian descent, making up about 4.2 percent of the total population. Asian immigrants no longer [End Page 217] concentrate in the big cities such as New York or San Francisco, but can be found in many urban areas throughout the United States. The spread of the Asian people and the proliferation of their religious institutions have changed America's religious landscape, helping to make the United States the most religiously diverse country in the world. 1 Asian American's religious life and spiritual practices have not received the kind of scholarly attention that they deserve. The contributions of Asian Americans in shaping America's national culture and religious life have often been left to the margins. In recent years, a new generation of Asian American scholars have produced exciting works that fill this gap of our knowledge. They have integrated race, ethnicity, and religion in their exciting attempts to investigate the lived experience, transnational connections, and generational difference in the religious life of Asian American communities. 2 Their interdisciplinary collaborations chart a new course in ethnic and religious studies in the American context. Asian American churches play important roles in providing communal support and spiritual sustenance for their members. Marginalized by the white society, church members find that the ethnic congregations provide them a space to practice their faith and exercise spiritual leadership. The churches become crucial sites for cultural passage from generation to generation, identity and gender formation, and linkage to spiritual resources from the homeland. 3 Some of these churches have consciously included Asian cultural elements in their liturgy, festivals, and communal celebrations. In the wider society, a growing interest in Asian practices is evident in the decline of membership of mainline Christian denominations and the flourishing of New Age spirituality. Sociologist Robert Wuthnow notes that since the 1950s, there has been a shift from a spirituality of "dwelling...

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in Tibetan Buddhist Monks

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common diagnosis in athletes and especially runners. This article discusses 3 cases of patellofemoral pain caused by pronounced inactivity and prolonged knee hyperflexion at altitude in a unique population of Tibetan Buddhist monks. In this case, the monks responded well to a program of activity modification and exercises.

The Opening to the Womb of the World

The Opening to the Womb of the World John Hales AU seven teenagers stopped hiking at the same moment, turning to examine more closely the arrangement of sandstone slopes and clefts that marked the place where a dry streambed joined the broad sandy floor ofCoyote Canyon. "It's a sipapu," one ofthe students, a pale blond girl, said. They argued a little about this. One student said that a sipapu was manmade , a feature located in the floor of a kiva, the reUgious meeting place for Pueblo Indians. The blond girl responded with some heat: she had recently been thrown out of her house and was Uving week to ¦week with a succession of equaUy unenthusiastic relatives, and was feeling aggressive. She said she knew about kivas. That wasn't the point. A sipapu was an opening to the womb ofthe world, to mother earth, she said, and they happen in nature, too. As they walked up and down the wash, examining the sandstone formation from different angles and talking quiedy the group came to the conclusion that the blond girl was basicaUy right, if not exactly correct in her details. One boy said, with uncharacteristic delicacy, "it looks like . . . weU, a vagina," and we looked again, taking in the contours, the steep rounded banks, the narrow channel that emerged from a tangle of ledges and waUs to fifll ten feet into a round deep hole that melted like a funnel between two sloping sandstone thighs. There was no missing it. "Let's meditate here," a girl said. They paused, thinking: how do you meditate around a sipapu? "Let's do yoga," another student suggested, and everybody agreed: yoga was the thing to do. Another group might have continued the argument concerning the exact definition ofthe sipapu, discussed the complexities of culture and reUgion , invoked the sciences of geology and anthropology. Not these kids. They sfid their packs from their shoulders, walked from the sandy bottom ofthe wash onto a slickrock ramp that led to a kind ofporch attending the opening, a flat triangle bordered by the angled waUs of the thighs. 22 John Hales23 The opening, the hole, the sipapu—for that was what we now caUed it— was as round as a weU, five feet in diameter and textured with circular ridges stained darker as the tunnel deepened beneath the level triangular space where my students arranged themselves, each one facing the opening, filling the narrow space bordered by the sipapu and the sandstone waUs that echoed the form ofa woman's legs folded and bent upward from the groin, the posture of a woman on her back in the midst of dutiful sex or advanced labor. They assumed the lotus position, sitting with backs straight, calves and knees bent and interlaced in a way that never failed to cramp me up, extended their arms straight from their shoulders, and began chanting: "om . . ." A photograph hangs framed above the desk at which I'm writing, nearly twenty-five years later. In the picture, seven teenage boys and girls, my students , long hair loose and tangled or tied in ponytails or bound in handkerchiefs , wearing Levi's, sweatshirts, oversize flannel shirts with sleeves roUed to the elbows, sit cross-legged around a deep sandstone pothole. From the angle I'd chosen for the photograph, the indentation looks especiaUy vaginal, tan thighs spread open to reveal what might be a channel spiraling deep into the earth. I've framed this picture to remind me of a remarkable fact about history and about myself, proofthat at one point in the mid-1970s this actuaUy happened : a group of twenty-five teenagers identified by school counselors as "at risk" walked with their several teachers into a winding canyon in southern Utah that eventuaUy joins the Escalante River, which not many miles later empties into a murky arm of Lake PoweU. One of my students (we'd divided ourselves that day into smaUer groups) suggested that the rock formation looked like a sipapu, the passage to the earth's womb revered by native people who have occupied the American Southwest—long ago, the Anasazi; today, the Hopi and Zuni. This was an anthropological...

The Iguana Column

AddictionVolume 97, Issue 1 p. 121-122 Free Access The Iguana Column First published: 12 January 2002 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.0093d.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Our widely syndicated columnist has recently been found in her office in what she tells us is the first ever achievement of the lotus position by an iguana. Iggy writes: I’ve long been devoted to the Italian journal Alcologia, partly on account of its lettuce-coloured cover, and partly for its quixotic habit of publishing articles on beverage production along with all the usual fare on alcohol-related mayhem. But now I have a third reason to recommend this journal to Addiction readers. Whoops! Let’s leave the lotus position alone for the time being – too much of it might be bad for an iguana’s health. What has so pleasingly caught my notice is an invited review in a recent issue of Alcologia entitled ‘Yoga in addictive diseases – practical experience’ (Nespor 2001). It has elements within it of a handy self-help manual. Let me give you its advice on ‘how to smile with your legs’. ‘We lie flat on the back, raise both legs and make cycling movements with them. Similar movements we make with the hands. In the same time we repeat the syllables “ha, ha, ha-ho, ho, ho-he, he, he-hi, hi, hi-ha, ha, ha-ho, ho, ho, ho-he, he, he-hi, hi, hi-ha, ha, ha, ha-ho, ho, ho-he, he, he-hi, hi, hi, hi, etc.” This practice is rather physically demanding and has similar contraindications to Pawanmuktasana, part 2.’ I will be glad to hear from readers of Addiction how they get on with their attempts at this exercise, together with any responses they have provoked from colleagues who may have inadvertently disturbed a practice session. He, hi, ha, etc. to all my dear readers and a hi-ha of a New Year. Reference Nespor, K. (2001) Yoga in addictive diseases – practical experience. Alcologia, 13, 21– 25. Google Scholar Volume97, Issue1January 2002Pages 121-122 ReferencesRelatedInformation

A struggle to contextualize photographic images: American print media and the “Burning Monk”

On June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Duc sat in a lotus position in the middle of a busy Saigon intersection and set fire to himself. His self‐immolation was caught in an award‐winning series of photographs by Malcolm Browne. The “Burning Monk”; photographs — now recognized as some of the most powerful visual images to have come out of this period of history — became a frame through which many Americans perceived the events unfolding in South Vietnam during the Summer and Fall of 1963. This essay suggests that although these visual images engaged the American audience, their meaning — and thus the frame they provided — was the subject of a dispute within the American print media. How this frame was constructed depended largely upon whether the images were situated against a backdrop of religious oppression, or a war for freedom against the communists.