Critical Movie Review About Yoga Essay Example for Free

Critical Movie Review About Yoga Essay Seldom do we have movies which tackle yoga as plot but it was a welcome window in the 2000 movie The Next Best Thing top billed by pop-icon turned actress Madonna. Director John Schlesinger and Screenwriter Tom Ropelewski and the rest of the cast and crew were able to present that Yoga, being a plot in a movie, does not lack that dramatic necessity of conflict. Just try to figure out and visualize the conflict or struggle between muscles when youre trying to lift your foot behind your head in the eka pada sirasan or leg-head pose. Is it not the stuff of cinema? The power and effectiveness of Yoga was clearly manifested in The Next Best Thing where Madonna played a yoga teacher who has a baby with her gay best friend played superbly by Rupert Everett. Driving instructor Abbie (Madonna) has no problems getting her students to bend over backwards and tie themselves into knots for her. But in life she cant seem to find anyone to tie the knot with her. Robert (Everett), her best friend and confidant, is having equally dismal luck finding his Mr. Right. When Abbies relationship ended , she turned to homosexual Robert for comfort and advice. Under alcohol spirit they resulted into an unexpected tryst which made Abbie pregnant and decided to have the child. The two then committed to being good parents and created an unconventional but loving home for their precocious son, Sam (Stumpf). Now comes the yoga skills which Abbie used to remain celibate but she finally relented when she met Ben (Bratt). Roberts father image was threatened with the romance between Abbie and Ben. This was followed by tensions specially when Abbie and Ben planned to marry each other. Thereafter the movie pictured the family exploding over a heart-wrenching custody battle for Sam. Everett sparkles and Madonna oozes her usual cool in this drama/comedy from the director Schlesinger. Madonna 2 Yoga Journal and USA Today have made much of the authenticity of the yoga scenes in the movie. Madonna, a student of ashtanga yoga, brought in her own teachers, Kimberly Flynn and Noah Williams, to be consultants on the film. They advised on decor, class instruction, and fashion. â€Å"This really is the first time yoga has been taken seriously on a film project,† Flynn told USA Today. (qtd in Yoga at the Movies by Sherry Roberts). Yoga students can relate to scenes in the movie such as that of Benjamin Bratt’s first yoga class (he eventually becomes Madonna’s fiance in the movie). Toned and muscular Bratt falls over, peeks during chanting, and quickly realizes yoga brings a whole new dimension to â€Å"being in shape. † Perhaps the most refreshing scenes in the movie are seeing children practicing yoga: Madonna’s 7-year-old son (Malcolm Stumpf) leads a pretend yoga class with his friends in the backyard and later pulls up a mat and moves into the asanas (poses) right along with the adults in yoga class. (Roberts) Aside from the entertainment derived from the movie, presenting Yoga as the plot made the viewers really benefit from the true insights of the calming exercise with its physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effects. The public was able to cultivate their own garden with Yoga by discovering the tools that can bring each of us in touch with our true nature through. In addition to greater strength, flexibility, and a re-sculpted body, Yoga is one of the best stress busters one can utilize. The movie is not only about Yoga but also a story of love and family with all its fold, twist, and mutilation of those intertwining concepts. The characters find that inner peace is always susceptible to outside and traditional factors. What is good is that there is compromise. which is a big part of yoga. The movie may be more about yoga than it first appears but it is more important that in the end, the conflict was resolved in true yogic fashion, by moving on. Madonna 3 Works Cited Roberts, Sherry. â€Å"Yoga at the Movies. † 2001-2007. Yoga Bound for Yoga in the Movies. 5 December 2007 http://www. yogabound. com/yoga/art_at_the_movies. htm. Schlesinger, John and Ropelewski, Tom. â€Å"The Next Best Thing. † 2000. 5 December 2007http://movies. go. com/the-next-best-thing/c790385/drama.

The Iroquois Indian Nation Essay -- History Native American

Nothing is more fundamental yet so important to the freedoms we enjoy as Americans as the United States Constitution, which guarantee our right to do and say as we please so long as it does no harm to anyone. The Iroquois Nation preamble is placed on perfect peace for the welfare of the people. Their focus was fighting for the liberty of the people. Among the Indian nations whose ancient seats were within the limits of our republic, the Iroquois have long continued to occupy the conspicuous position. Nations they now set forth upon the canvas of the Indian history prominent as for the wisdom of their civil institution of the federations. Only the Iroquois had a system that seemed to meet most of the demands espoused by the many parties to the debates the Iroquois certainly have a considered the influence of the drafty of our own constitution, and we present day Americans owe them a debt of gratitude. The Iroquois is a tribe of the Eastern Woodland Indians. The Iroquois is one tribe that is separated into given nations. These nations are called Seneca, Cayuga, Onondags, Onedia, and Mohawk. In the eight-tenth century Tuscarora joined the Iroquois Nation making them the sixth member of the confederation. The name Iroquois has two possible origins. It is believed that it could be derived possibly from the phrase â€Å"hiro kone† which as used by the people of the first Nations known as the Haudenosaunee who are known commonly today as the Iroquois. The phrase was a combination of the words â€Å"hiro† and â€Å"kone†. â€Å"Hiro† meant â€Å"I have spoken† while â€Å"kone† meant either â€Å"in sorrow, in truth, or in joy†. To the French then it is supposed that it sounded like Iroquois instead of â€Å"hiro kone†. Another version goes that it derives fro... ...like any other Indian tribe in the United States of America. The culture and view of the members of this nation within a nation are broad, stemming from large tribal groups. The conditions are highly diverse, ranging from lush green valleys to snowy mountains. The combined effect of all these variables, in both environmental and tribes, contributed to the making of the Iroquois Nation. Works Cited http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1520684/mohawk_indiansironworkersskyscrapers.html?cat=37 (1) http://2010.census.gov/news/ (2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Citizenship_Act_of_1924 (3) http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/91-1833.ZO.html (4) http://www.iroquois.org/Index.aspx?ID (5) http://info.ihs.gov/Disparities.asp (6) http://www.catskillmtn.org/guide-magazine/articles/2007-08-a-cultured-life.html (7) http://www.iroquoismuseum.org/ (8)

Research Process and Terminology Essay

To be a qualified researcher, they must know different terminologies and the process to become one. There are many of terminologies that a researcher must know to do his/her job. Some of them are the steps in research, the Lucifer effect, informed consent, and shield laws. Knowing the proper terminologies and how they apply to the criminal justice field can help their research in the criminal justice field. Not knowing the proper terms can make their research invalid and produce incorrect information. It is best for researchers to take the proper steps when they conduct their study. The steps in research are problem formulation, research design, data collection methods, analysis and presentations of findings and conclusions. The problem formulation is the particular area that is going to be investigated. The research design is a type of experiment or studies of the group over a period. The data collections methods are the choice of methods that are going to used. The analysis is the summarizing and reporting of the findings. The last step is what the researcher believes the study has to say (Hagen, 2010). The steps in research already apply to the criminal justice field. For example, California wants to know what type of offender goes in and out of prison the most. They would study this over the next five to ten years and come up with robbery offenders tend to come in and out of prison. Not knowing the proper terminology can not only affect the results time wasted on researching the subject matter and taking the incorrect way of doing things. Understanding these terms will assist in analyzing research or data will help out a lot because I would know what each step the researchers did and how they came to his or her conclusion. I would not be lost in translation on what this means or even get confused on why they believe their study has to say. According to the book is a term coined by Zimbardo that refers to the transformation of a good person to engage with evil actions† (Hagen, 2010). Knowing wha t Lucifer effect is applies to the criminal justice field more with psychologist than anyone else. When they profile someone, for example, Ted Bundy, they wanted to know this good person all of a sudden turned evil and started killing women. Psychologists believe that Ted Bundy’s breaking point was when his first love dumped him he dropped out of school moved back home. He later found out that his so called sister was his mother, and his parents were actually his  grandparents; that is where psychologist think he snapped and started killing. Bundy could not accept the lies and was killing his first love because all the victims’ resemble her in a way. This is more of a Lucifer effect because it was not overnight that Bundy started killing, it was more each lie and the more he got hurt he began to transform into a serial killer (Montaldo, n.d.). Not knowing the proper terminology can affect the way a person conducts criminal justice research because not knowing what this term entirely means can make a wrong diagnosis. If a psychologist believed that that the criminal had the Lucifer effect and tried to lower the sentence with the help of the defense council, it can jeopardize the case. Because the Lucifer effect is not recognized as a proper diagnostic. Understanding this term can be an asset in some ways, but I do not think when conducting a study. Zimbardo had to stop his experiment because it became too dangerous (Zimbardo, 2006). To study Bundy’s’ and his actions and publish them they needed his families or his consent to publish their findings. When researching the sponsors require an informed consent from the subjects, so they are aware of the intentions and studies that is being done. An informed consent applies to the criminal justice field because when researching, they need consent from anyone who participates in the study, so the participants know what’s going on and so the researchers can publish their findings without a participant suing them. Not knowing what the term means can affect me in research because I just tell the subjects what I am doing without getting their signatures I can be sued of even worse lose my job. Understanding this term can help me conduct a safe research where the subjects know what is going on and why I am doing the study. By having their signatures saying that I can include them in my research is a benefit because that is just one more thing that is going to either approve or disapprove my hypothesis. When doing the research, researcher need to know that what they find can be protected under shield laws. The book states that shield laws â€Å"constitute a governmental immunity from prosecution and the right to confidentiality for researchers if they are subpoenaed† (Hagen, 2010). Shield laws apply to the criminal justice field because it protects respondents by ensuring that the data provided will not be used to invade their privacy. Not knowing the full terminology of shield law can affect my criminal justice research. For example, if I think that everything in my  research can be used against me I might leave out some information so it will not be used against me. Knowing this term can asset me when I am conducting research because I know that I cannot be prosecuted for my research and even if the courts subpoenaed me I was still protected from giving my field data up, etc. In conclusion, knowing the right meaning of these terminologies can help researcher conduct a more proficient study. That can help the criminal justice field in more in more than one way. Knowing the right process of these terms can help the researchers perform the proper steps to do the research. To make sure that they all have the informed consents from the subjects and to know that they are protected from giving up their data by the shield law. References Hagen, F. (2010). Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Zimbardo, P. (2006, January 1). The Lucifer Effect. Retrieved August 21, 2014. Montaldo, C. (n.d.). Ted Bundy: Profile of a Serial Killer. Retrieved August 21, 2014.

New Year Wishes From the Arts and More

When the clock strikes twelve on December 31st, people all over the world cheer and wish each other a very happy New Year. For some, this event is no more than a change of a calendar. For others, the New Year symbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow. So, if you look forward to a good year ahead, spread happiness with these wonderful New Year wishes. Irish toastIn the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want. Minnie L. HaskinsAnd I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way. Movie: When Harry Met Sally, Harry BurnsAnd I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And its not because Im lonely, and its not because its New Years Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. Edith Lovejoy PierceWe will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Years Day. Charles DickensA merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to the world! Sydney SmithResolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment. AnonymousYour Merry Christmas may depend on what others do for you. But your Happy New Year depends on what you do for others. William Makepeace ThackerayCertain corpuscles, denominated Christmas Books, with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of the old and the inauguration of the New Year. Aisha ElderwynEvery new year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself. F. M. Knowles, A Cheerful Year BookHe who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool. G. K. ChestertonThe object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul. John Greenleaf WhittierWe meet todayTo thank Thee for the era done,And Thee for the opening one T. S. EliotFor last years words belong to last years language and next years words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. Emily MillerThen sing, young hearts that are full of cheer,With never a thought of sorrow;The old goes out, but the glad young yearComes merrily in tomorrow Martin LutherGlory to God in highest heaven,Who unto man His Son hath given;While angels sing with tender mirth,A glad new year to all the earth Walter ScottEach age has deemed the newborn yearThe fittest time for festal cheer Benjamin FranklinBe always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man. Edgar A. GuestA happy New Year! Grant that IMay bring no tear to any eyeWhen this New Year in time shall endLet it be said Ive played the friend,Have lived and loved and labored here,And made of it a happy year. William Arthur WardThis bright new year is given meTo live each day with zestTo daily grow and try to beMy highest and my best! Ella Wheeler WilcoxWhat can be said in New Year rhymes,Thats not been said a thousand times?The new years come, the old years go,We know we dream, we dream we know.We rise up laughing with the light,We lie down weeping with the night.We hug the world until it stings,We curse it then and sigh for wings.We live, we love, we woo, we wed,We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,And thats the burden of a year. Charles LambOf all sound of all bells, the most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year.