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travel to any part of the world, but you will not find a country which has more diverse and good looking golf clubs than India. After great Britain, India was the first country to take up the game of golf. The first golf club was set up in India was in the year 1829. It was the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in West Bengal. Since then, Golf has been an integral part of indian sports. many professional golf courses have come up in almost all parts of India. Be it the heights of Himalayas, shores of Arabian sea, congestions of cities, or sands of deserts, there are golf courses suited to different moods and tastes of golfers. Even the number of professional tournaments throughout India are on the rise.

India always likes to keep a distinction for itself, no matter whether the aspect is good or bad. Similar is the case with Golf as well. India has the oldest golf course in the world outside the great Britain, the Royal Calcutta Golf Course in West Bengal and also the highest in the world, Gulmarg Golf Course in Jammu and Kashmir. The one in Gulmarg is an absolute treat for any golfer. Teeing off amidst the backdrop of lofty Himalayas and the pine covered surroundings is definitely a special experience. Such is the charm of the place that you spend half the time admiring the beauty, sometimes making golf secondary. Such magnificent Courses have made golfing in Jammu and Kashmir extremely pleasurable. Then there are golf courses that are not placed in such beautiful locations. But the way are planned, compensate more than enough for the missing natural beauty. These are called Designers Golf Courses. The surroundings might turn out to be an eyesore, but once you step inside the premises, rest assured, you will have to hold onto your jaw to stop it from falling down. Dotted with well placed lakes, pools and bunkers, these golf courses are challenging as well as fun. Jaypee greens Golf Resort in Noida, Uttar Pradesh is a perfect example of a designer course. It is the longest course in India and at 7343 yards from championship tee, it is probably amongst the longest in Asia as well.

There are many tournaments that are held in India. The most recently concluded Noida open Amateur series that was held in Noida Golf Course was a major success. many other main tournaments like Western India Amateur and RCGC Cup are lying ahead in the calendar year of 2007. Few things have changed exceptionally during last few years. one definitely is the quality of the players. many indian players like Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal have made their mark on the international circuit as well. Other things that have changed the face of the indian golf is the prize money that is offered now to the winners as compared to earlier times and the participation of women. There are many tournaments for women as well that are gaining much needed recognition.

India is a magnificent country that offers something unique and something that interests one and all. Get more information on Golf sports in India on http://www.indialine.com/travel/jammukashmir/golf.html
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You are staring at your umpteenth bland plate of salad or bowl of cabbage soup, while hubby and the kids tuck greedily into mouth-watering dinners. Does this sound familiar? How about the frustration of seeing the pounds you have just lost, reappearing out of the blue and bringing along a bunch of uninvited friends? What if you could discover how to lose 100 pounds in one year and keep it off permanently, without once taking a peek at a diet book or popping a weight loss pill? These 9 tips are all you need for a running start.

1. Stop The Couch Potato Syndrome

Every extra bit of activity helps you to lose weight and revs up your metabolism. Get going now! You don't necessarily need an expensive gym membership, an elliptical cross trainer or a stair climber. Why not try a dancing, yoga or pilates class? Or what about a swimming session, a brisk walk or a fun bicycle ride? Any activity is acceptable. Just choose something you will enjoy doing, otherwise you will soon be coming up with excuses to skip it. exercise for half an hour five times a week and you will be burning roughly 98,800 calories extra every year (around 380 calories per day). The calories burned will vary according to your body weight, the workout you opt for, and the level of intensity. This vital step will make up to 28 pounds disappear over a period of a year.

2. kick The Tea And Coffee Sugar Habit

Are you dumping teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar into your beverages without thinking? By reducing your sugar intake by one teaspoon in three cups of tea or coffee per day, you will save 75 calories daily. This adds up to 27,375 calories every year, or around 8 pounds of body weight. Your taste buds will soon adjust. In fact, within a week or two, you will begin to detest overly sweet tea and coffee.

3. Skip The Whole Milk, take The Skim Milk

While on the subject of tea and coffee: Did you know that whole milk has a fat content of 4%, whereas skim milk comes with less than 0.5% fat? This reduces one cup of skim milk's calorie count to 86, compared to whole milk's 149 calories. Switching to a cup of skim milk a day will reduce your calorie intake with 60 per day. In one year, this is a further 22,000 unnecessary calories. This translates into 6 pounds weight-wise.

4. From Full-Fat Yogurt To Fat-Free Tubs

Why not exchange the 6 ounces of full-fat yogurt for 6 ounces of the fat-free variation? This will take away another 100 calories every single day, without a noticeable change in taste. Taken over a year, the count is a whopping 36,500 calories. There goes yet another 10 pounds of flab.

5. Hold The Mayonnaise

You don't have to cut this delicacy out completely. Just be somewhat less generous with it. If you can reduce your daily intake by 1 tablespoon, you will bank another 90 calories a day, or an astonishing 32,800 calories per year. Who's game for dropping another 9 pounds of body weight? All this while you still indulge in your regular, healthy recipes.

6. Way Less Wining

Say no to 4 fluid ounces or roughly 120 milliliters of wine a day, and you will reduce your diet and nutrition plan's calories by 100 a day. Tot these up and you reach 36,500 calories per year. That is another fairly easy to maintain 10 pounds in one year.

7. Stop The Soda Streams

While on the subject of beverages, you may want to take a look at those cans of sweetened soda guzzled down without a thought. A single 12 ounce (355ml) serving daily comes at a yearly calorie cost of 65,700! Breaking this habit will take care of 18 pounds of flab and fat. In fact, these numbers are likely to be even better, as many servings these days are more in the 20 ounce or 42 ounce region. Measure out 250 cups of sugar, and you will see what you or your kids gulp down in a year. Is that a scary thought, or what?

In addition to the weight you will lose, your digestive system is likely to function more efficiently. You will also have a less acidic body, making your insides less of a breeding ground for ailments. Your wellbeing will improve drastically once your body's PH gets into a more normal range. You will also support your dentist less regularly. Don't worry, you won't die of thirst. How about drinking some ordinary water, fresh veggie juice, or one of the refreshing, unsweetened iced teas on the market? You body will see this as much needed health news.

8. Preserving Your health

Another simple to implement change is to swop your twice-a-day two teaspoons of sweetened jam or preserves for one of the tasty low-sugar alternatives. This trims another 64 calories a day, or 23,360 calories yearly. Do you choose a jam jar body, or 7 pounds less in the flab department?

9. Potato Chip Pounds Or Popcorn?

Every time you crunch through one small bag (1 ounce or 28 grams) of potato chips, you add 150 calories, with loads of fat and no fibre. In contrast, 1 cup of air popped Sour Cream & Chives popcorn is fibre-rich and fat-free and weighs in at only 50 calories. This is another massive saving of 100 calories. If this swop happens just 3 times a week, you have taken off 15,600 calories in a year, or 4,5 pounds.

None of these changes are huge, but the results can be life-changing. Best of all, they can be sustained without hardship. By taking a look at what you eat, you should be able to dream up at least another 10 tips to cut calories. By doing so, you will be creating your own easy-to-manage weight loss diet plan. You will also be setting a sensible example for your kids, demonstrating that the diet-treadmill isn't the one they should be trying out.

So, stop doing the diet. Just do the math. Implement a few smart, sensible choices and you will have a workable, long-term weight loss plan.

Best-Juicing.com: Get the FREE Fat-Burning Secrets Series, and read the Juicing For Weight Loss article at Best-Juicing.com - by Rika Susan of article-Alert.com, where she shows you how your day job can become something of the past. Copyright of this article: 2007 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

Insight is the root of all this visible and invisible merit; hence to accomplish both, one must hold on to insight. It is the great science, the source of present nature, future purpose and liberation; hence with devotion from the outset, one must hold on to insight, the great mother

- Nagarjuna

the goal of Buddhist Tantras is to achieve the three secrets of the Buddha or more correctly to unify the secrets i.e. body, speech, and mind in one body called svabhavika kaya. It is stated in the very outset in the passage evam maya srutam.... of the Buddhist tantras. The most profound and the most secret element regarding attainment of the highest, not only to the Vajrayana but also to the Sutra Yana; as for as beliefs of Mahayana is concerned.

Metaphysically Five families which represent form, sensation, and conceptualization, imprint of past actions (samskara) and awareness of phenomena (vijnana) when merged they become three: body, speech, and mind. Through the unity of the body, speech and mind of the Buddha in its completeness and in its utter purity, one attains six supernormal powers of the Buddha. It is this power of the Buddha which has to be sought through the various means, necessary far the well being of the world.

To fulfill a bodhisattva vow that one will resurrect each and every one from the wheel of life and death, the unity of the three secrets are most important since through these, one commands every one and leads them to the path. Secret body is necessary to tame the living beings; secret speech is required for teaching the truth, and secret mind is necessary for knowing all things as they are. According to manifestation of these three elements of the Buddhas one achieves the rank of bodhisattvas.

There are eleven stages of its manifestation of the three secrets of the Buddhas. According to Buddhist tantras Vajrasattva is the supreme Buddha known as Tantrik Buddha in whom three secrets reside in completeness. From the three secrets arises the great reality of the five secrets, the very attribute of the Buddhas: 1-bodhichitta 2-understanding it 3-its realization 4- its non-abandonment 5- the knowledge characterized by attainment often represented by five goddesses in tantras.

These five goddesses are as follows Vajrasattva, ragavajra, vajrakilikil, vajrasmriti, vajrakamesvari respectively though many tantras exclude Vajrasattva and only consider four goddesses. Those bodhisattvas who have generated Bodhichitta to its utmost limit possess the harem of the four queens i.e. goddesses. Mind of enlightenment has above said four qualities symbolically called lovers since they give pleasure.

In tantra practice the three secrets body, speech and mind is brought about in unity and perfection through mudra, mantra and Samadhi. Through the practice of mudra body is transformed in to vajra body, through mantra recitation speech is transformed in to vajra speech and in Samadhi mind is transformed in vajra mind. A Tantrik in his generation stage, intermediate state and completion stage unites these three in a systematic procedure. In these three stages of sadhana he refines the three through generating the emanation body, the enjoyment body and the truth body respectively.

Author is an art critic and writer of three books ' contemporizing Buddha', ' Hindu Tantra Yoga' and 'Concerning The spiritual In Art-an Indian modern art perspective'. He has been awarded with 'Lalit kala Academy Scholarship Award' for art criticism in 2005. Currently working on a book 'Buddhist tantra yoga'. He lives and works in Delhi india.

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, a Tibetan yogi often compared to the great Milarepa, when addressing the issue of Yidam practice within the Vajrayana vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism, has said: It is the blissful body of the yogi or yogini that is the true Deity. So what might this mean? And how, if at all, is it (or could it be) related to the practice of yoga asana? Lets explore

Yidam practice unfolds in two stages: (1) The Generation or Creation Stage, in which the specific deity that one is working with is created, i.e. given a form within the imagination of the practitioner; and (2) The Completion Stage, in which that created form of the deity is dissolved: resolved into emptiness, and (its residue, its true intelligence) light/radiance. The practice also, over time, evolves from one in which the deity is merely a conceptual projection, to one in which the natural deity appears, non-conceptually, before the practitioner, as a visible aspect of his/her own radiance.

Yidam practice as a whole is based, in large part, upon a productive use of the imagination. It takes that capacity (and strong tendency) most of us have to make mental pictures, and uses this as a tool to align us with, open us to, a reality that is deeper, more profound, and truer than the one were habitually tuned into. The imagined forms of the deities have the quality of being able, potentially, to act as portals, or gateways into these deeper realities to put us in touch, directly, with aspects of awakened mind.

Now its important to notice the distinction between ~ on the one hand ~ this Yidam-practice way of using our imagination (as a very specific form of mental training, which ultimately can liberate us), and ~ on the other hand ~ a use of the imagination which amounts to no more than (habitual, and often largely unconscious) fantasizing. To engage in fantasy is ~ from the perspective of Buddha Dharma ~ a non-productive use of the imagination: one that takes us further into the territory of conceptualization, mental elaboration, and as such further and further away from a reality which has the potential to liberate us.

So how does any of this relate to the practice of yoga asana? We could, first of all, consider each specific asana as a deity-form: something we construct/project (a la the Creation Stage) and then dissolve (a la the Completion Stage). And certainly asana practice is based largely upon a distinction between productive and non-productive alignments/uses of the body. The productive alignments (a la the productive uses of mental imagination) are those which have the potential to open us into a reality deeper than the mere physical, e.g. to the level of the Central Channel/Shushumna Nadi, and the subsequent conscious flow of that awakened energy outward, into the whole network of nadis within the subtle body of the yogi or yogini. The non-productive alignments (a la fantasies), on the other hand, simply keep the energy of our subtle bodies circulating unconsciously (divorced from the truth of the Shushumna Nadi) in old samskaric patterns, i.e. keep us circling on the wheel of bith-and-death which in Buddhism is called Samsara.

And in the same way that in deity practice there is an evolution from the deity as a mere conceptual projection (though a potentially productive one!) to the non-conceptual appearance of the natural deity; just so in our asana practice we often begin with a rather outside-in approach, in which the asana is actually a form of conceptual projection, i.e. its an idea we have (from our teacher, or books, or whatever) that we put forth in the form of an arrangement of (the appearance of) bones, muscles, etc. but its not yet real or natural. As our asana practice matures, more and more were able to work from the inside-out, in which the asanas emerge spontaneously, non-conceptually, as aspects of our natural intelligence/radiance. Our movements in and out of the asanas are infused with the spirit of what in Taoism is called Wu Wei: an effortless effort which quite naturally produces the correct alignments (as opposed to imposing those alignments based upon some external moral code of asana practice).

So how then do we progress from a conceptual to a natural way of expressing our asana practice? From the poses as mere conceptual projections to expressions of an awakened bodymind? A practitioner of the Generation Stage of Yidam practice might move in this direction by finding the Completion Stage within the Creation Stage, by finding the dissolution of the form as an inherent aspect of the form itself (much as ~ in Taoist theory/practice ~ Yang is an inherent aspect of yin: they inter-are). In this same way, our asana practice might re-member the dissolution of form within every form/asana taken. And might ~ to extend the principle ~ put into conscious and ever-evolving relationship all opposing movements So little by little our ideas about the right way to do the pose are replaced by an ever-more-subtle tremoring which spontaneously aligns us in a way that allows our conceptually projected body to dissolve into the blissful body of the deity: an aspect of our own radiance, pouring forth, shedding itself continuously, for the benefit of all living beings.

One of the initial trainings in Dream yoga ~ once the practitioner is able to be lucid (i.e. awake) within the dream ~ is to transform the body: to change the shape of ones body into the body of a bird; into an airplane (and fly to Paris!); or ~ relevant to our current exploration ~ into the shape of a deity, which ~ in the context of dreaming ~ is quite easy to experience and understand as being an empty form, i.e. a form made only of color, light & energy (much like a rainbow). In this same way, our vinyasa ~ our movement in and out of asanas, upon the thread of our awakened breath ~ might become, with practice, a kind of Rainbow Painting (Ive borrowed the phrase from a book with this same title written by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche): merely a play in color, light and energy, a toggling back and forth between the display of empty forms (the specific asanas), and the bliss which is the residue of their dissolution.

And this, perhaps, represents ~ simultaneously ~ the waking up of the dream of our asana practice, and the waking up of the dream of our Yidam practice; represents the waking up from the dream/fantasy of religious practice into the blissful radiance of the Present Moment Amen and Sobeit.

Elizabeth Reninger has been exploring yoga ~ in its Hindu, Buddhist & Taoist forms ~ for more than twenty years, and is a student of Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. She is also a published poet, and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado. For more essays on yoga-related topics, please visit her website at: http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger

Although the art of golf first reached the shores of Cyprus quite a few decades ago with the opening of the first course within the British Sovereign Base at Akrotiri, it was the opening of the Tsada golf course in 1994 which truly marks the beginning of the games spread across Aphrodites Isle.

Since those days, golf in Cyprus has experienced a veritable explosion in popularity especially due to the growing influx of immigrants and holidaymakers from the UK.

Now, just 13 years after Tsadas opening, Cyprus already features three additional courses (not including those in the British bases), with another eleven to fourteen being constructed during the coming 3 to 5 years in a concerted effort to put the Republic of Cyprus firmly on the international golfing map.

What about the Republics existing golf courses?

The Aphrodite Hills golf and Country club:

Located near the village of Kouklia, about halfway between Limassol and Paphos, this spectacular complex is currently considered to be the jewel in the crown of golf in Cyprus. this 6269 metres spectacular course is located on two plateaux separated by a ravine running down to the nearby coast, plays to a par 70/71 and offers some truly spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea.

The Secret Valley golf and Country club:

First opened in 1996, Secret Valley was the second golf course to be opened in Cyprus. As the name implies, it is located in a secluded little valley, so close to Aphrodite Hills that some of Aphrodite Hills golf properties actually overlook the Secret Valley course. this particular venue is currently undergoing a major expansion programme which is set to make it one of the finest golf resorts in the Mediterranean, but more of these plans shortly.

Tsada golf course:

Cyprus original golf course is still considered by many to provide the best playing experience of any course on the island. Set at an altitude of around 500 metres above sea level in the hills above Paphos, Tsada is never without a cooling breeze. Its elevation also puts it well above the coastal humidity zone, so it offers a pleasant playing experience, even in the heat of the Cypriot summer.

Vikla golf Course:

Unlike the Republics three other courses; Vikla is not located in the Paphos area. Instead it is set in the hills above Limassol, just a few miles north-east of the town. Originally designed as a 9-hole course, Vikla was later extended and now offers a decidedly family-orientated playing experience. With no handicap certificate required, this course provides an ideal starting point for novice golfers.

But what of the new golf courses in Cyprus?

Some time ago, the Cypriot government, in association with the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), declared its unswerving commitment to firmly establish Cyprus place on the international golfing scene by issuing licences for the construction of a further eleven golf courses across the island.

Whilst there can be no doubt that all of these courses will be well designed and thought out, there are nevertheless two venues which have attracted more attention from golfers (and indeed overseas homebuyers) than any of the others.

Secret Valley:

With the addition of a further three courses to the existing facility, this is easily the most ambitious and luxurious golf development in Cyprus and, once finished will see the resort rivalling such exclusive destinations as Vale dos Lobos, Sun City and La Manga.

But golf courses are not the only thing being constructed at Secret Valley. In addition, the resort will also include a large number of highly exclusive golf properties, a retail village, leisure & fitness centre, football & tennis academies, two 5-star hotels, a seafront entertainment & water sports complex and 500 metres of manmade beach.

There is no question that, once works have been completed, the Secret Valley golf and Country club will become the Jewel in the Crown of golf in Cyprus, if not the entire Mediterranean.

Larnaca golf Course and Country club:

Whilst not as grand a plan as Secret Valley, the Larnaca golf course has nevertheless attracted an awful lot of attention, simply because it is set to become the first 18-hole grass course in the islands east. Set just outside the small village of Tersefanou near Larnaca, this course will form the heart of a large scale leisure and residential golf complex, including hotels, shops, bars, restaurants and more which is sure to turn it into a main attraction for the Larnaca area.

If, like many avid golfers, you are tired of the rain, floods, fog and the generally damp playing environment found in the UK, you might want to consider taking a look at Cyprus. With an average 326 days of sunshine each year, there is certainly no shortage of opportunities to play its courses, both current and future.

As an avid golfer, Brian Rettendon has been living in Cyprus since 2001. Since 2005, he has been working as a sales manager for Aphrodite property Sales, the 100% independent Cyprus property specialist. To find out more about Golf in Cyprus or any of the courses featured in this article, please visit the Aphrodite property Sales website.