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According to Patanjali, the Yamas are the first limb of Yoga. Ahimsa is often referred to as the first Yama. Ahimsa is to restrain from violence, but we live in a violent world. Just open any newspaper, or watch the news, and you will be overwhelmed with negative feelings, when you consider the innocent victims of all this violence.

So, how do we live a non-violent life in a world filled with random violence? According to Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, but I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Life was not easy for any of those who lived under the rule of the Roman Empire, but Jesus advises us to forgive our enemies and our suppressors. As he was being crucified, Jesus also stated, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. His ability to forgive was super natural.

Mahatma Gandhi said, "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Many people will state that they cannot live up to the standards of Jesus or Mahatma Gandhi for non-violence. This is understandable, but do most of us really try?

Every person on the planet should make a conscious effort to try to be as forgiving as Jesus Christ or Mahatma Gandhi. To help those who have, or would do you harm, is not an easy task.

This should be a matter of putting thoughts, words, and actions, to good use. It is easier said than done, but to do this, we have to be tolerant of everyone. It requires us to make decisions and actions without prejudice - at all times.

However, if you are being physically attacked, and your survival, or the survival of friends, or family, is at stake, non-violence may not be a viable option. In history, there have been conquerors who massacred millions of peaceful people like sheep.

Unfortunately, history has documented far too many holocausts for us to ignore the right to defend oneself. To be humble on the outside, but bold within, is a much safer course when you plan your day. When you put your best foot forward, most people will respect you for it, but beware of those who see your good manners as a sign of weakness.

Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

guitar Hero was originally released on the PS2 on one glorious day in November of 2005. This much anticipated video game was special in that instead of the usual control pad used to play, the game was designed for use with a life-like guitar shaped device.

This unique controller was modeled after a real guitar called a Gibson SG. Using the guitar controller was very similar to using a real guitar, albeit with a few minor adjustments for simplicitys sake. Instead of containing several frets and six strings, the guitar hero controller had 5 fret buttons of differing colors, and a strum bar for strumming.

Originally developed by a video game company named Harmonix, it went on to receive numerous awards for its ingenuity and for the core of the game, its musical soundtrack. With 47 rock tracks by various big name artists, from the modern day to the 60s.

Due to the success of the first game, a second was released for the Playstation 2 in 2006, this time with an astonishing 64 musical tracks. Additional features included were the ability to multi-play against friends and non-friends alike. It went on to become the fifth highest grossing game of 2006 for the PS2. And due to unprecedented demand, a guitar Hero II version was released for the Xbox 360. This version came with a special guitar and more songs.

The third in the series, aptly named guitar Hero 3, will be released in October of 2007. The company behind it this time is Activision, who have taken over development of the game from Harmonix. But fear not, as Activision is a major power-house in the gaming industry, having churned out such classics as the Tony Hawk Series and the Call of Duty series.

The much anticipated Guitar Hero 3, has been confirmed to contain at least 46 songs, with new characters and an all new Battle Mode. Characters from the previous games to be featured in the new Guitar Hero 3 are Casey Lynch, Axel Steel, Judy Nails, Izzy Sparks, Johnny Napalm, Xavier Stone and Lars Umlaut. A brand new playable character will be Midori. Unfortunately Clive and Pandora were removed from the game. For the boss battles, there will be three. One of them being Slash, who is also rumored to be a playable character.

Guitar Hero III, also known as Legends of Rock, will be available on the PS2, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. Activision are also actively looking to bring the game to the Nintendo DS.

According to Patanjali, the Yamas are the first limb of Yoga. Ahimsa is often referred to as the first Yama. Ahimsa is to restrain from violence, but we live in a violent world. Just open any newspaper, or watch the news, and you will be overwhelmed with negative feelings, when you consider the innocent victims of all this violence.

So, how do we live a non-violent life in a world filled with random violence? According to Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth, but I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Life was not easy for any of those who lived under the rule of the Roman Empire, but Jesus advises us to forgive our enemies and our suppressors. As he was being crucified, Jesus also stated, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. His ability to forgive was super natural.

Mahatma Gandhi said, "I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Many people will state that they cannot live up to the standards of Jesus or Mahatma Gandhi for non-violence. This is understandable, but do most of us really try?

Every person on the planet should make a conscious effort to try to be as forgiving as Jesus Christ or Mahatma Gandhi. To help those who have, or would do you harm, is not an easy task.

This should be a matter of putting thoughts, words, and actions, to good use. It is easier said than done, but to do this, we have to be tolerant of everyone. It requires us to make decisions and actions without prejudice - at all times.

However, if you are being physically attacked, and your survival, or the survival of friends, or family, is at stake, non-violence may not be a viable option. In history, there have been conquerors who massacred millions of peaceful people like sheep.

Unfortunately, history has documented far too many holocausts for us to ignore the right to defend oneself. To be humble on the outside, but bold within, is a much safer course when you plan your day. When you put your best foot forward, most people will respect you for it, but beware of those who see your good manners as a sign of weakness.

Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html