Insight into the mind of a slanderer

A few days ago i had a unique experience of speaking directly with a person who actively engages in spreading slander of the worst kind. This experience was most educational for me, and i will share it here.

last week I shared on my facebook page an article which i have written and which was posted on Natha's web-portal www.nathayogacenter.dk. you can see the English version of the article here.
The article is entitled 'Health is a state of Mind' and describes the participation of Natha in Denmark's largest health fair - a truly marvelous event, which i had the good fortune of documenting.
Not long after I share the article on facebook, it was commented on. the comment came from a person whom i don't know and never talked to, but none the less he is one of my hundreds of 'facebook friends' (I am not very selective in confirming friend requests - you could have a profile named 'Hitler was right' and i would probably approve you as a friend).
I often get interesting comments on my posts, but this one was a whole other kind of interesting. This guy managed to jam a lot of meaning, emotion and suggestions into just 2 short words: 'Pedophile-joga!'.
I thought perhaps he was branding a new form of Yoga, but then i noticed another comment by the same person on my post: 'Sexual exploitation of children, intrusive in the "guru" etc etc' (google translation from the original language of the comment).


I do not want my facebook page to be a place for such discourse. A good name can take years to build and seconds to destroy. We should not be so casual about it. Its easy to spread rumors, but do we deserve anything less then the truth? and truth demands more then the phrase 'Pedophile-joga'. Such accusations should be backed up by proof - and most probably presented to the police and not on facebook. So, I proceeded to remove the comment from my wall. 
My first emotional reaction was of anger - He is talking about Gregorian Bivolaru, my Spiritual Guide, a man i know and of whose innocence I am convinced - both due to my experience with him and because i actually investigated. Further more - Grieg was actually accused of many things - and of all those accusations none are true. But Pedophilia was never one of them!!! So, my anger was, i dare say, justified. 
But then something happened. I realized that this person who posted these comments is also a human being, like me. Suddenly, despite being angry at his comments, I felt love for him. And so, I decided to send him a  feedback - why I removed the comment. 
You can see the feedback bellow (the first sentence was dictated as default from facebook, but i take full responsibility for all the typing errors - these are all mine):

I thought that was the last of it, but imagine my surprise when the person in question sent me back a message.
I must say, my heart jumped with joy. I have seen the work of people who have spread such terrible and offensive slander, but this was the first time I actually had the chance to speak with such a person directly!
The more the conversation progressed, the more intense became my curiosity to understand this person - why does he do what he do?

The European Council against Circumcision

2 days ago the European Council in Strasbourg has decided that the practice of Circumcision in both men and women is forbidden, until they have reached the age of 15 and can chose it for themselves. The Council called circumcision ''an injury upon the physical integrity of the children''.
This decision has sparked anger among religious groups, both Muslim and Jewish and even an angry response from the Israeli Foreign Ministry which said ''This decision is casting a heavy moral shadow on the entire council and is contributing to flaming the fires of hatred and racism in Europe''.

A lie is the absence of truth - part 2: who are you calling a sect?

Dear readers, friends, practitioners of spirituality and lovers of truth - this post is the 2nd in a series of posts aiming to expose a grave case of media manipulation. In the following 2 Thursdays, on the Danish television station TV2 will be broadcasted a 2-part show aiming to slander Natha Yogacenter as a dangerous sex-sect.
Natha yogacenter is the school were i learn and teach, so i definitely have what to say on this topic - since i know this school inside out.
For those who haven't  read yet the first post in this series recommend to read it as it provides important background information. you can read it here.

 In this post I wish to show the severe and unethical manipulation of facts which is done in this upcoming show, as is already visible from the presentations about it which have been released. As you will see, Bubber (the journalist in question) uses as his sole source of information the slander of 3 disgruntled former students who have repeatedly spreading their lies against the school for years. It is according to their claims that he presents Natha as a sect. On the other hand, there are a stack of solid expert testimony which clearly conclude that Natha is not a sect - among which are the official investigation by one of the world's leading experts on sects and an investigation by the Copenhagen Municipality. Therefore, how come that this evidence was found not worth mentioning, while the gossip of 3 people who obviously have an invested interest was given paramount importance?
When a journalist is only presenting the information which fits with his agenda and hides anything that can contradict him this is nothing short then a lie. When this comes from the 'wach dog' of civil rights it becomes only more outragous.

In the words of  Fredrich Nietzche: “I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.” 

To expose all these facts, showing the clear manipulation, I am bringing you below an article just posted by my teacher Advaitananda on his blog:

When journalism is replaced with one-sidedness activism

Who are you calling a sect?

When we think of sects, immediately associations of manipulation and abuse arise. Who among us didn’t meet such accounts on newspapers or TV?

‘Sect’ is the new ‘S’ word – as it is today one of the most degrading slurs that can be used against a group or an organization. And the ‘S’ word is used with great ease, regardless of the devastating effect it has on those that it is flung upon. But apart from the pejorative  meaning given to this word, the journalist is committing another big error (crime?): replacing journalism with an aggressive form of activism that risk to threaten the very essence of this important work. Especially when the object of the journalistic attention is a social group that is engaged into a spiritual work …  the deviation can be immense and consequences bigger than one can estimate.

A lie is the absence of truth - part 1: an incoming media case

Dear readers, friends, practitioners of spirituality and lovers of truth I wish now to draw your attention on an unfortunately only too typical a case today of media manipulation. We can see such manipulation often, but this time it hit very close to home - this time the target is the yoga school where i study and teach, which I love - Natha Yogacenter.
 In the following 2 Thursdays, on the Danish television station TV2 will be broadcasted a 2-part show aiming to slander Natha Yogacenter as a dangerous sex-sect. Having been in in this school for 12 years, i think that if it was a sex sect i would know about it. But, don't take my word for it. 
In the next days and in a few posts I will follow this story and will expose compelling facts about this matter - showing the depth of the lie and the manipulation. Keep tuned and follow this blog and  you can expect some very interesting facts and materials on this.

First, for your background information, i offer in this post an article which my teacher Advaitananda posted on his blog already 3 months ago about the history of the communication between Natha and the leading charcter in the show in question - a danish journalist called Bubber. You will be able to clearly see from the way in which Bubber chose to contact Natha using lies and disguises in the beginning and then with very strange conditions that he was never interested in making an objective review of the school but rather was looking only for a scandal. So far of objective journalism - more like tabloidism.
Bellow, is the article from Advaitanada's Blog:

Where is the balance between rights and duties?

An incoming media case?

"Journalism is a guardian that never sleeps and protects the freedom of the people" - Winston Churchill"

Celebrating the fact that the Mayans apparently got their calculus wrong, elements from the Danish press are preparing to balance the things by putting an end to their loudly praised deontology. Appointed as the watch dog of our society in its highly important role of providing a voice for the public, the mass media is bound by a code of ethics and is accountable for its actions. However, the human element in this equation gives room for all the possible nuances of subjectivity to enter into the apparent search for truth and personal agendas and ulterior motives often dictate the outcome.

Video: Experiecnes of a Tantric Couple - a lecture and workshop in the Tantrafestival, 20-21 April 2013

Last weekend, the 20-21 April 2013 i participated in the very first Tantrafestival in Århus - the 2nd biggest city in Denmark. We have already kept the Tantrafestival three times in Copenhagen - but this was the first time to keep it outside of Copenhagen. The tantrafestival is always a wonderful experience, but this time it was even more fascinating because of the new surroundings.
The Tantrafestival gathers many renowned Tantric teachers, practitioners, therapists, massagists, artists and more for two days of lectures, workshops, performances and debates - allowing the public to get an insight into the various approaches in the field of tantra. The tantrafestival in Århus was a great success and we will keep it there again next year. Soon, I will offer you here a beautiful video presentation of that event.

This time, i also had the chance to participate as a gust teacher in the festival. Together with my lover, Minodora, we kept a two hour lecture and workshop entitled 'The tantric love relationship - Experiences of a tantric couple'. I offer bellow the video of the first part of this lecture-workshop. In this part we present some principles and elements which can help make the couple relationship more harmonious, full of happiness and love, and more transforming. In the second part of the workshop we guided the participants in the practice of yogic postilions for couples (which allow harmonizing the energies of the couple and achieving much deeper intimacy on multiple levels) - but this part is not offered on this recording, yet if you like to experiment with these exercises for couples you are invited to the Tantra Summer Retreat for the happy couple-relationship, which will be kept in Paradise Retreat Center on 6-14 July 2013.


Keeping this lecture and workshop was a transforming experience for Minodora and I, and we are very delighted to share with others the elements which helped us find so much happiness.
I hope you find this useful, and intend to post more on this topic in the future.

In conclusion, i wish to thank the Tantrafestival team and all those who helped make it such a great success.

Video Blog: 3 reasons why it's hard to be old today - or - why we should live every day fully

I was asked today why is it that it seems that more and more people in the autumn of their lives today exist in a sorrowful state; Why is it that old age seems to be curse, while in the past it was considered to be the age of wisdom. I have been thinking about this issue for already several years and in my opinion this issue is connected to some fundamental questions that we should all ask ourselves - old and young alike. I share here with you in this video blog some thoughts on this matter.

Video Blog: Know where you are by knowing your states

Dear friends,
Following a presentation on this topic by my Tantra teacher Advaitananada, thre months ago, this issue has been on mind and in my heart. I here offer you a short video post with some thoughts on this matter:
What is a correct way to evaluate where we are on the spiritual journey, what level have we reached?


This is the first such video blog that I make, and it is an experiment. I will improve in the next posts the quality of audio and video. I will appreciate your feedback.

A spiritual note about Passover

2 days ago i was sitted at the table with 30 memebrs of my family, celebrating the Jewish holliday of Passover.
The celebration entails a feast which follows precise indications, step by step over several hours, with various texts which are read, toasts consecrated and symbolic gestures. For most this is just tradition - and tradition is not small matter for Jews. but for those who know the esoteric secrets behind this ritual - this festivity is full of deep meaning.

A remarkable initiaitve: Soteria International's Seminar: What is the Role of Spirituality in Modern Society?

3 months ago, on 8th of December 2012, i had the good fortune of participating in a ground-breaking event: a gathering of representatives of various spiritual paths, to discuss the role of spirituality in modern society.

The event was organized by Soteria International - an organization which is defending Spiritual Human Rights.
Soteria International aims to bring the notion of Spiritual Human Rights to the for-front of public dabte regarding human rights. Spiritual Human Rights involves protecting spiritual organizations and practitioners from prosecution, as well as promoting strategies for integrating spiritual principles in society as a solution to the problems that modern man faces today. Soteria functions as both a think tank and a network.
I myself am a member of the organization and it is a passion of mine. I will tell more in the future about Soteria International, but for now, if you want to know more, visit the site here: www.soteriainternational.org

Pictures from Kulturhavn 2012 - the beauty of Yoga in the sun

In August 2012 i had the pleasure of participating in Natha's activities in Kulturhavn - Copenhagen's biggest social activity. kept every yer, this event gathers around 200 associations to display their activity to the public in an open and free space of hundreds of meters along the canal in Copenhagen.
We kept there tantra lectures and workshops, open yoga sessions, a yang spiral meditation and more.
Saturday afternoon, a few of us who have just finished an open class just felt like feting together and creating some formations of asanas in group, simply enjoying ourselves and wanting to share the beauty of yoga with the people.
A crowed quickly gathered around us and a photographer who became fascinated with us took these beautiful pictures that you see bellow.

7 Reasons why I stand on my head and like it

Every person has at least one thing that they are passionate about, that they love doing and look forward to. For me, it’s standing on my head. Some people watch movies, others play basketball. I stand on my head. For many years I have been standing on my head every day for a quarter of an hour each day. Just to be clear, this is not some strange hobby – this is an ancient yogic technique called Shirshasana in Sanskrit and today usually referred to as the ‘Head Stand’. Moreover, it is not a hobby – it is a very powerful tool!

Some might think that I am wasting my time or that I am a some kind of dreamy eyed hippy (I apologize to all the dreamy eyed hippies), so to set the record straight – I am 35 years old with both feet on the ground (accept for when I am standing on my head, of course), am working in marketing, am also studying psychology and am a retired military officer. For me this practice of standing on my head is a very efficient investment of my time. And I am not alone. Many great persons had the same conclusion. For example, the founder and first prime-minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, is known to have been spending some time every day on his head (despite having an entire nation on his head, so to speak).

With my feet tickling the sky and my head rooted steadily on the ground, I feel my body becoming so soft and relaxed. The thoughts slow down, rising up to the surface of my awareness, inner tensions and conflicts are made conscious of and dissolve, the mind becomes more and more clear and calm until eventually a great silence sets in. Now an ineffable journey begins into mysterious spiritual realities and altered states of consciousness.

Interview with the winners of the Yoga Contest June 2012

Here is an interview which I kept a few months ago with the 2 winners of the Yoga Contest that took place on 16th June 2012. The interview was kept right after the conclusion of the contest. Unlike most contests which make one compete with others, the Annual Yoga Contest for Promoting the Spiritual Values aimed to make the participants compete with themselves, to raise beyond their limits and strive to come ever closer to Perfection.
This interview gives us an opportunity to see Yoga through the eyes of these 2 magnificent women, and to better understand how through Yoga we can transform ourselves.
Enjoy.


Copy Right Natha Yogacenter 

Welcome

Welcome to my blog.

My name is Arthur Lederer and I am a student of Spiritual Transformation. My tools are Yoga, Tantra and Meditation. My teachers on this path are Gregorian Bivolaru, and his student Advaitananda. They represent for me my ideal - to learn to follow the waves of transformation of Life, like a surfer rides the waves of the ocean; to be actively carried by the ripples of continuous transformation, in an expansion towards the recesses of the Universe, and on the way, repeatedly rediscover my Center.

In the words of Gregorian Bivolaru: ''What you are now, also I have been; what I am now, also you will be one day.''
In the words of Advaitananda: ''A good teacher is the teacher who never stopped being a good student.''



In this blog I aim to share some of my experiences and incites on the path of Spiritual Perfection, with the hope that it may be of use to others who travel this road as I do. 

With blessings of Love and Light to all,
Arthur