RE:Many thanks
by Shameem on Jun 01, 2007 11:15 AM Permalink
Thanks for your encouraging words. And detailed message. It is amongst the most sensible messages I've seen since I have started writing on Rediff.com. The purpose of message boards is for having an intelligent discussion and exchange of views, news and assistance (as with problems etc). And messages must need have a coherence of thought. I see that your message reflects this role aptly: unfortunately, message boards otherwise seem to be used more by people regressing into juvenile-teen mentality or who misuse it smear net grafitti or worse, lavatories for their verbal diarrhoea:) You have restored my faith in the freedom this medium upholds. And about my views on this topic you mention, I have blogged extensively on this, and you will find my take on it at my blogsite, mentioned above on such topics like Turmeric. In any case, it is a subject close to my heart and bothers me a lot, because though the government of India has woken up patenting in yoga, its still not taken an aggressive stance on this. The last I heard of this was that it was preparing a list of yoga asanas/practices and props that it intended to give to the International body dishing out these patents, to dissuade it from issuing such patents (and I know prestigious yoga institutes like VKS was involved in helping the government in compiling this list). But I have not seen any subsequent media report on whether the compilation of this list is complete or whether it has been handed over to the concerned in
RE:RE:Many thanks
by Shameem on Jun 01, 2007 11:35 AM Permalink
internationa body. You may know that Pilates is largely yoga-based, with simple names for yogic practices (though practitioners, and definitely instructors and franchisees will claim otherwise). So also Bates method, based largely on yogic trataka. Hypnotherapy is also hugely influenced by Indian dhyana, while the popular Progressive Relaxation Technique is based on yoga nidra. Last year an international dancer visiting Mumbai claimed to have created yogic dance therapy (largely, no doubt based on Bharatanatyam, referred to as flowing yoga or vinyasa yoga), while I was amazed to read an article by a popular international yoga magazine the claim by a North European that he had invented rope yoga (which is credited to Lord Hanuman and is a variant of the Mallakhamb or pole yoga). I can cite more examples where claims such as these when left unchallenged, will be granted patents. But we just cannot fret and fume about the government's role. In other countries the baton of such responsibility in promoting and preserving local pride, tradition, culture has been passed on to industrialists. Our country too has to engage private initiative in such issues.
RE:Many thanks
by Mahesh Atale on Feb 14, 2008 11:33 AM Permalink
while I was amazed to read an article by a popular international yoga magazine the claim by a North European that he had invented rope yoga.. is the sentence in this parra.. I WANT THE HARD COPY OF THAT MAGAZINE IF possible. Mail me to mallayoga@rediffmail.com
