Posts Tagged ‘Hatha Yoga is’

Yoga for the Infrequent Practitioner

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

yoga certificationBy Jenny Park

According to US News & World Report, baby boomers with sports injuries, mostly “weekend warriors,” or those who exercise only once a week, are now the number two group coming into doctor’s offices, behind only those with colds. Their injuries, caused by taking any exercise too far when practicing infrequently, can also be problem in Hatha Yoga classes.

Injuries caused by pushing the muscles too hard, such as tears or over extension, are more common with infrequent exercisers. Only familiarity with the muscle range allows yoga students to know how far they should push; the temptation to “take it to its limits” should be avoided. Regular practice also builds muscle memory and allows practitioners to assume the correct posture and position naturally.

Mentally, infrequent practice makes concentration more difficult. Only when the mind is focused does Yoga provide full benefits. “Yoga in the Workplace,” a book by Shameem Akhtar, stresses that regularity is more important than lengthy, infrequent practices. Yoga fights stress and muscle aches accumulated over hundreds of hours during the week- expecting a one-hour class attended irregularly to be up to the task of counteracting these issues is not reasonable.

Yoga Teachers Can Make a Difference

As an instructor, infrequent practitioners should be carefully observed and reminded to make sure appropriate modifications are made when needed. Tight hamstrings are a very common problem and affect poses like Downward-facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana, Triangle pose or Trikonasana, Reverse Triangle or Parivritta Trikonasana, and even seated poses like Staff pose or Dandasana. Office workers in particular carry a lot of tension in their neck and shoulders, which may translate into lack of flexibility in those areas.

Moving at one’s own pace should be emphasized, and the misconception that Hatha Yoga is an easy form of exercise should be dispelled. Pre-existing repetitive motion injuries may be more common in our Yoga classes, simply because people without much experience expect anything good to hurt a little. They come to classes thinking it’s easy and push past injuries without thinking. In fact, we know that Yoga should not hurt at all.

Don’t allow classes to become too crowded, as this prevents direct observation and correction of alignment if needed. There have even been cases of students in crowded classes injuring other nearby practitioners by falling over in a pose.

Encourage infrequent practitioners to spend time on restorative poses, as well as those that challenge their bodies. Yoga is not a competition, and he who forces himself into a pose or finishes first is not the winner.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Kinesiology Education for Yoga Teachers

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

yoga certificationBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Kinesiology is the study of movement. It includes the study of all of the physiological mechanisms of the body. The study of kinetics is important in educational disciplines such as rehabilitation therapy, sports medicine, exercise, biomechanics, and orthopedics. Since Hatha Yoga is based on movement, it makes perfect sense that someone specializing in teaching a physical form of Yoga would be knowledgeable about the kinetics of the body.

More specifically, kinesiology is the scientific study of the body’s bones, joints, tissues, nerves, and muscles. The practice of Yoga focuses largely on moving the body into positions, which will strengthen and lengthen the joints and muscles. It seems that kinetics and Yoga go hand in hand. When you are teaching Yoga, you are teaching your students how to safely move the body into specific postures for specific results. A Yoga teacher must be knowledgeable about the way the different parts of the body work in conjunction with each other.

Imagine a scenario where you are teaching a class full of beginners how to perform Triangle pose for the first time. You will make sure that students get into a wide stance with proper alignment, and then turn the toes out to the proper degrees. Then students must focus on their hips, keeping them squared forward, and practice moving from the hips as opposed to leading with the shoulders or another body part. Once the hips are in place, students must reach with top arm upward, shoulders down and back. Finally, the Yoga instructor must convey how to reach out and down toward the front foot, while reaching up to the ceiling, opening up the chest, and cast the gaze upward.

That one pose covered nearly the whole body, from toes to head. As students learn to go into the pose, the Yoga instructor needs to be able to understand student limitations and adjust bodies accordingly. This not only requires knowledge of the pose itself, but knowledge of how the body works. If a student experiences pain or discomfort due to a pose, it is the Yoga instructor’s job to tweak the body to alleviate the discomfort. This requires knowledge of body kinetics.

Kinetic knowledge is crucial background information for Yoga instructors. Although you might not always teach your students about specific tissues or joints, it is important in forming a general understanding of how human bodies work. One of the aspects of Hatha Yoga is to become more in touch with our bodies, so it just makes sense that a Yoga teacher should know the scientific ins and outs of the body.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Teaching Yoga: Benefits of Yoga Props

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

yoga instructor courseBy Narendra Maheshri

There is an attitude that a few Yoga teachers have in regard to the use of props. This attitude is based on intolerance for new students and students with special needs. Maybe the Yoga teacher has not received in-depth training of anatomy, or a compassion chip, but arrogant yoga instructors should label their craft accordingly.

Some suggestions would be sauna stretch, extreme stretch and torture, hardcore boot camp stretching, or no pain no gain stretching. By discarding the word “yoga,” there is no deception. A new student would realize that there is as much risk of injury in a class with these yoga teachers as there is in a boxing ring.

Why Yoga Props Make Sense

Newcomers to yoga will find certain props invaluable, especially in the beginning when muscles are tight and rigid. At first, there may be a significance dependence on props that will decrease as flexibility increases. The greatest benefit to using yoga props, is they improve the quality of the pose which creates a better stretch.

Yoga Mats

A mat is probably the most useful of all yoga props. The purpose of a yoga mat is to provide a non-slip surface to stand on while performing yoga poses. A yoga mat protects feet from unwanted movement or slippage while holding a pose. This is instrumental in avoiding injury from slipping. A yoga mat may be used to cover another prop, like yoga block, to provide a non-slip surface. The importance of a yoga mat is creates a safe foundation when practicing yoga.

Yoga Blocks

Yoga block are extremely useful props, especially for beginners who don’t have much stretch and extension at first. A well-placed yoga block can extend the reach of an arm reaching to touch the floor when performing a wide leg stretch with a forward bend like in a triangle pose. Using a yoga block can create a deeper stretch without fear of injury. A yoga block can help maintain balance while posing, give support in a seated twist, or help maintain balance during a pose.

Yoga Straps

Yoga straps are indispensable when performing a seated forward stretch to the toes. Tight hamstrings may make it too difficult to reach the toes. Feeding a yoga strap around the toes and holding the ends of the strap in each hand will aid and enhance the stretch gently until the hamstrings loosen. Placing the strap around the toes anchors the yoga strap so the ends can be pulled to increase the stretch from the hips bending forward. A yoga strap aids stretching and holding yoga poses without straining. This makes it easy to push limits and improve yoga poses resulting in greatly improved flexibility.

Yoga Blankets

A yoga blanket may be used to comfort and support the body with a variety of yoga poses. The blanket can be folded and used to sit on to ease the strain of several seated poses, allowing the pose to be held longer with a deeper stretch. A yoga blanket can be folded or rolled to support the back or neck with poses that stress those areas. This is a versatile prop because it can be folded and shaped to suit almost any pose.

What are the Benefits?

Practicing asana, meditation, and pranayama without an injury is what we want for our students.  Some people cannot sit with their legs crossed on the floor.  In that case, we have to find a solution.  As Paulji often stresses, “Hatha Yoga is adapted to the needs of the individual student.”  Our students take yoga classes to have better health and props insure the experience is a good one.  Our objective is no yoga injuries at all.

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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The Secret Benefits of Yoga Practice

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

yoga certification

By Sangeetha Saran

As teachers, many of us already know the benefits of Yoga practice. Yet, the global masses are just beginning to become aware of the deeper benefits of a steady practice. During Yoga teacher training, we learn many skills, but the most important skill of all is communication. From the day a new student arrives or after years of practice, it is good to explain what students of various levels of experience should realistically expect from their Yoga practice.

For centuries, Yoga has been widely considered to have major health benefits in South Asia, and has recently become incredibly popular in the United States, with thousands of Americans beginning Yoga practice each year. Hatha Yoga can clearly benefit the practitioner physically, with fitness and flexibility, but routine practice can also lead to a number of less expected benefits.

Hatha Yoga, like any physical activity, can improve physical health when practiced routinely. What many do not know, however, are the specific ways in which Yoga may be able to help in relieving certain medical issues. Yoga has been shown to improve circulation and lower one’s heart rate.

Both of these effects can lead to a decrease in blood pressure and a stronger heart. Improved circulation has also been shown to aid in lowering cholesterol and in reducing the amount of sodium in the body. According to the Online Nurse Practitioner Schools website Yoga may decrease the level of triglycerides in the bloodstream.  This would reduce the risk of heart disease.  Of course, more studies will be needed before that claim can be clinically proven.  Yoga can also improve one’s pain tolerance, making it an effective exercise regimen for those with chronic pain issues such as fibromyalgia or arthritis.

Perhaps one of the least often discussed benefits of Yoga is the effect that routine practice can have on one’s sex life. Yoga not only makes practitioners more flexible and improves dexterity, but it may also increase stamina and muscle control during sexual activity. What’s more, Yoga gives participants more self-confidence and promotes relaxation, both of which can significantly improve sexual experiences for practitioners in any age group.

Since Hatha Yoga is a physical activity, many do not consider that it may have effects on an individual’s emotional or mental health. Yoga can relieve stress and anxiety, and many also feel that it can greatly lessen the effects of depression.

Many long-time practitioners also report an improvement in memory and a drastic improvement in the ability to focus and concentrate. Overall, Yoga creates a sense of calmness and well-being, and helps to eliminate anger or hostility.

Whether one is seeking a great exercise choice to help with arthritis, diabetes, or depression, Yoga appears to be a perfect way for everyone to be more fit and happy. The wide variety of Yoga styles and programs make it ideal for practitioners of any age or level of ability. Even beginners will see the benefits of Yoga after just a few weeks of practice.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher training courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga for Women – Aging Gracefully

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Gopi Rao

Yoga for women, in all of its forms, is an incredible tool to support in aging gracefully. The practice of Hatha Yoga is well-known in its ability to create and sustain good health. The practice of other Yogic techniques such as chanting and meditation also supports a practitioner in creating and maintaining good mental health.

Another key component of aging gracefully is the ability to stay socially engaged and active. Practicing Yoga at a studio or community center gives women the opportunity to nourish friendships amongst the community of like-minded Yoga students. As a woman ages, Yoga in all of its forms is a wonderful way for a woman to support her aging process with beauty and dignity.

The practice of Hatha Yoga helps to keep a woman limber, strong, and toned throughout her lifetime. Yoga also strengthens a woman’s ability to balance, which can be critically important when she is entering her sixties and beyond. If a woman’s yoga routine includes some weight-bearing postures such as Warrior III and Chandranamaskar sequence, a woman will also strengthen her bones.

Practicing Yoga is also a great tool for lowering stress, anxiety, and blood pressure levels as a woman ages. A balanced Hatha Yoga practice that incorporates some strenuous sun salutations, standing poses, balancing poses, and core abdominal work is very useful. These physical Yoga techniques will help a woman to maintain muscular strength, good circulation throughout her body, keep her joints mobile, and increase her sense of balance and coordination.

The emotional benefit of a regular Yoga practice will also serve a woman well as she ages. If a woman is able to maintain an active lifestyle through a regular Yoga practice, it will help her to counter the isolation and depression that affects so many people in the later decades of their lives.

Recently, there have been many studies done that document some of the keys to aging well and living a long, happy, and productive life. One of the key components to living well into your nineties and beyond is staying active.

Researchers found that as long as people were engaged in a hobby, volunteer or paid work, community service and so on, they lived longer and happier lives.

To simply be able to get out of the house and attend a regular Yoga, or Chair Yoga classes, breaks the backbone of isolation in our later years. In addition to warding off isolation and depression, the practice of Hatha Yoga offers a woman all of the physical benefits mentioned above. Truly, a regular practice of Yoga asanas in a community context can be a woman’s best friend throughout all the stages of her life.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our selection of Online Yoga teacher certification courses, please visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste!

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Yoga for Christians – is it Bad?

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Sangeetha Saran

For some Christians, the question of whether Yoga and its religious roots can be separated, poses a stumbling block. However, the practice of Yoga does not contradict Christian beliefs. Rather, Yoga can be used as an aid to living a more Christ-filled life.

The origins of Yoga should not be a problem for a Christian who is using the relaxation and exercise techniques to deepen his or her awareness of the Christian life. Yoga is a philosophy, and a way of life, not a religion. Yoga is a system of practices for the development of human potential and has become a valuable practice in the lives of people of all religious faiths.

Yoga can enrich the spiritual life of a Christian the same way as for a practicing Hindu or Buddhist. Yoga aids all who practice religion, by balancing the nervous system and calming the mind through its postures, breathing control, meditation, stretches and meditation. The practice of Yoga is comprehensive enough so that anyone can find techniques that will not conflict with his or her personal beliefs.

Practicing Christians should take from Yoga what makes sense to them and deepens their own faith and spiritual commitment. Today, Hatha Yoga is practiced by Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Moslems, Hindus and people of no particular religious affiliation.

Hatha yoga, originally developed to help people sit in meditation with a calmer body and a quieter, more focused mind, has all the elements of other forms of Yoga. Outside of India, the enhancement of spiritual beauty is rarely taught in Hatha Yoga.

For a Christian, two of the biggest obstacles to prayer are a restless mind and a restless body. Yoga addresses both of these obstacles. Physiologists tell us that the most effective way to unload tensions is through contraction and relaxation of the muscles and deep breathing; these are two basic elements of Hatha Yoga.

Practicing yoga has healthful benefits for everyone. The deep breathing, stretching, and strength-training exercises are wonderfully relaxing and beneficial to spiritual and emotional health. Yoga is unequivocally good for Christians when they use the elements of yoga to improve their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

By reducing tension and stress, Christians are able to give more time to prayer and Bible study. The meditational component of yoga can be used to meditate on biblical truths or passages, leading to peace and contentment. Yoga does not take anything away from Christians, but rather enables them to focus more deeply on their spiritual lives.

Yoga is India’s gift to the world, and it can be used selectively with benefits by people of different religious and philosophical beliefs.

© Copyright 2011 – Sangeetha Saran / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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The Popular Forms of Indian Yoga

Monday, January 10th, 2011

yoga certificationBy Gopi Rao

There are many styles of Yoga from India. Most are not nearly as well known as Hatha Yoga, but all are important and have significant relationships to each other. Although there are many styles, the article below will cover the Nine main styles from India.

A. Jnana Yoga, which is known as union by knowledge, is a practice comprised of primarily study and meditation. Jnana Yoga is an intellectual practice.

B. Bhakti Yoga, which means union by love and devotion, is a practice that centers on devotion to God or a guru. Bhakti Yoga is a practice of the heart.

C. Karma Yoga, which is union through rightful action. Karma Yoga is a practice that is defined by right action and selfless service. Karma Yoga is also giving without regard for personal gain.

D. Mantra Yoga, which is union by voice or sound, is the practice of repeating (out loud or within) certain syllables, words or phrases (mantras). Mantra Yoga is a practice, which stems from the throat.

E. Yantra Yoga, which means union though vision. Yantra is the practice of meditating or contemplating on visual objects, which have the power to bring enlightenment to the contemplator.

F. Kundalini Yoga, which is union through arousal of a latent psychic nerve force, is best practiced with a qualified Kundalini Yoga teacher and involves the use of Hatha Yoga and intense meditation to awaken the “sleeping serpent” within. This serpent power is drawn up the spine to the crown of the head to produce enlightenment. Kundalini Yoga is a practice of the unseen, but very powerful, energies that exist within us and surround us.

G. Tantra Yoga, which means union through harnessing the sexual energies is both a term to distinguish physiological systems of yoga with those that are non-physiological and a Yoga practice in which control of sexual energies and union of male and female (literally or imaginatively) play a part.

H. Hatha Yoga, which is union by bodily mastery is the best known and most widely practiced from of Yoga. Sivananda, Iyengar, Bikram, and Kripalu are just a handful of the many Hatha sub-styles. This practice consists of pranayama, meditation, and asanas. Hatha Yoga is a practice of physical and mental mastery.

I. Raja Yoga, which is union by mental mastery involves direct work with mastering consciousness and stilling thought through meditation and Hatha Yoga. Raja (royal) Yoga is said to be the highest form of Yoga.  This practice is tied to the Yoga Sutras and particularly, the eight limbs of Yoga.

That defines the main forms of Indian Yoga. The distinctions may still be unclear to you, for good cause. Though each Yoga has a unique and distinguishable emphasis, they are necessarily intertwined. It would be difficult to practice only one type of Yoga without delving into others to lesser and greater degrees.

They are not outlined here or anywhere to represent a list of choices of which a person can only choose one, but to show the doctrine that comprises a practice that has existed for many centuries and takes many forms.

© Copyright 2011 – Gopi Rao / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Hatha Yoga for Back Pain Prevention

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Hatha Yoga is a good complementary therapy for people who suffer from back pain. In the case of those who suffer from pre-existing chronic pain in the back, Hatha Yoga should help reduce pain and help improve one’s spinal alignment. This is not to say that Yoga will cure chronic back pain, but that it is often a good adjunct therapy to orthopedic and chiropractic medicine.

With reference to Hatha Yoga as a method of back pain prevention, the record speaks for itself. Yoga is thousands of years old and the Mother of all health maintenance systems. There are many other health maintenance systems that may show a fair amount of therapeutic application.

However, many alternative therapies teach aspects of Yoga, and some are very often branches of therapeutic Hatha Yoga, under different names. In fact, despite its depth, Hatha Yoga is just one of nine main branches of the Yogic tree. All forms of Yoga reduce suffering of mind, body, and spirit. The following three Yogic points will help anyone prevent back problems and reduce pain:

1. Aerate the spine daily. You need to create space between the vertebrae, by extending the spine. This allows the spinal discs a break during the day. One example of a method that will do this is performing Ardha Uttanasana (Standing half forward bend). This beautiful posture is often overlooked because almost anyone can do it.

If you reach for a wall, counter top, or pole, and gently draw back, you will aerate your spine. The opposite of this is to remain seated in a chair, all day, and let your spine compress in the office. It is a wonder that most of us do not experience back pain sooner, by compressing the spine daily.

2. Moderation is the cornerstone of Yogic philosophy. Never be lazy and never over do it. Mindfully lift everything, by using your legs. When you have to lift an object, think about leverage, good posture, and avoiding strain when lifting anything. Lifting should be in moderation. Lifting objects, that are too heavy, can cause permanent harm to the spine and skeleton.

3. Keep your spine as straight as possible throughout the day. This is a difficult task, as many of us slouch and slump when it comes to posture. Picture yourself practicing good Yoga asana alignment all day long. This applies to sitting, walking, standing, eating, and sleeping. Good posture is a daily mission for prevention of back pain.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

To see our complete selection of Yoga teacher training courses, please feel free to visit the following link.

http://www.aurawellnesscenter.com/store/Teacher-Courses/ 

FREE Yoga Report. FREE Yoga Newsletter. FREE Yoga Videos. Free Podcasts. Bonus: Free Yoga e-Book, “Yoga in Practice.”

FREE CONTENT: If you are a Yoga Teacher, Yoga studio, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is, including the resource box above. Namaste, Paul

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Effects of Breathing on Body and Mind

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

By Victor Sfirlea

The ancient yogis known very few on physiology but this didn’t stop them to know very much on the effects of the breathing on body and mind and to develop different breathing techniques.

For example they say that the breath is the link between body and mind. They also stated from a long time that if we control our respiration we can control every aspect of our being. We will take a look on how this bold statement can be sustained.

The yogic breathing exercises are having two purposes: the physiological effects and also the build up and control of prana, the main form of subtle energy, most simply collected by breathing the air which is considered by yogis the principal food.

Pranayama, the yogic science of breath control is the very heart of Hatha Yoga practice. Basically, Hatha Yoga is mastering of body and breath. This control is gained gradually

Breathing is usually at the edge of our awareness but will and volition are always at disposal to choose the manner of breathe. Most of time people run automatic breath. Yoga emphasize on choice. The sages discovered the value of regulating respiration consciously of breathing even and diaphragmatically, of hyperventilating for certain purposes, and of suspending the breath at will. But in the mean time the classical literature of Hatha Yoga warns students against experimenting intemperately with breathing exercises. In Hatha Yoga Pradipika is written: “Just as lions, elephants and tigers are gradually controlled, so prana is controlled trough practice. Otherwise practitioner is destroyed”.

The muscles of respiration

The respiration, which consisting basically in inspiration and exhalation, is a result of muscular activity. Three main sets of muscles are active in the normal breathing process: the intercostals muscles, the abdominal muscles and the respiratory diaphragm.

The intercostals muscles are disposed in two layers with the fibers oriented on a right angle to each other and are used in the thoracic breathing.

The abdominal muscles are very important for what yogis named even breathing and they are also the key of many exercises.

The respiratory diaphragm is complete hidden into the torso. Simply described, diaphragm is a domed sheet of combined muscles and tendon that spans in the entire torso and separate the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Diaphragm is shaped like an umbrella except that is deeply indented to accommodate the vertebral spine. The surface of the dome is built by a central tendon which is the only tendon not linked to the skeleton.

Diaphragm movement Diaphragm works as a piston during the breathing process and have huge importance in many yoga techniques. Whenever the chest and spine are fixed as typically occurs during relaxed breathing in a supine position the top of the dome is pulled down during inspiration, like a piston with the chest wall acting like a cylinder. During the normal breathing process the movement of diaphragm is interrelated with the movement of the other respiratory muscles. The single positions in which we found the pure diaphragmatic breathing are the supine and the inverted positions.

Diaphragmatic breathing is also named abdominal breathing or belly breathing. We can also name this kind of respiration as abdomen-diaphragmatic breathing because the downward movement of the dome of diaphragm not only draws air into lungs but also pushes the abdominal wall in front. This way the diaphragmatic breathing makes a good massage of the internal organs stimulating their blood circulation and functionality. Diaphragmatic breathing is also known for the fast psychological effect of reinstating calm and self confidence.

Diaphragmatic breathing exercises

Posture 1 – a variation of Bhujangasana.

Lie face down and interlock arms on behind. Strongly tighten all the muscles from the hips to the toes and use the neck and deep back muscles to lift the head, neck and chest as high as possible. Inhale and exhale deeply to the nose. Notice that each inhalation rises the upper part of the body higher and that each exhalation lowers it. Because you keep the back muscle engaged continuously during both inhalation and exhalation, the lifting and lowering action is done entirely to the muscles of respiration. This is an excellent exercise for strengthening the diaphragm.

Posture 2 – the diaphragmatic rear lift.

Lie face down and place your chin against the floor, with the arms along the sides of your body and the palms near the chest. Keeping the chest firmly pressed to the floor relax all the muscles from the waist down, including the hips. Take 10 – 15 nasal breaths at the rate of one per second. You will feel at every inhalation the lift of the lower back and hips. This movement is also made by the action of diaphragm only.

Because the inhalation increases the lumbar curvature this exercise is good for anyone with back pain problems.

Respiration and the Nervous System

As ancient yogis stated that breath is the link between body and mind they included in this expression what we call today nervous system.

The nervous system influences breathing and breathing influences the nervous system with a great importance on our state of the mind and on the emotional status.

Let’s take for example what’s happen when we have a big emotion and how breath can magnify this emotion so as it become uncontrollable and how breath can reduce the emotion bringing calm. Our process of taking oxygen into the body and eliminating carbon dioxide is happening just in the millions of tinny alveoli which compound our lungs. All air in the rest of respiratory system is named dead air space because in the buco-nazo-laringian cavity, in trachea, bronchia, bronchioles, all the way down to the alveoli, no gas change happen.








So if someone breathes fast and superficial as is the tendency under a big emotion is to breathe, the amount of new oxygen is very low because almost no fresh air with new oxygen content does not entering in the lungs. The need for oxygen will increase so the stress level. This situation can lead to a vicious circle figurate in the drawing below. The result of such wrong breath pattern can lead to a panic attack.

There is a strong link between our minds, heart beat rate and respiration. For example if we are very concentrate on reading, or making a very delicate and precise operation, or meditating, the attention and calm of the mind will lower the respiration which will be very rare or even suspended for a time, automatically and as a consequence the heart rate will lower too. This is how mind influences the hart beat rate and the respiration.

If we are not highly skilled yoga masters we are not able to control our heart beats. Our emotional status is hard to be controlled. But in a very easy way we can control our breathing which will make the heart to beat more calm and regularly and will bring gradually the peace of the mind. Respiration is the key.







The connection between heart rate and breathing is known as respiratory breathing arrhythmia. It involves reflex activity from the circulatory system to the brain stem that causes the heart to beat more slowly during exhalation than it does in inhalation. We are able to produce effects that are usually regulated by autonomic nervous system by proper breathing techniques.

2:1 Breathing

One breathing technique that can produce a beneficent effect on the nervous system, especially on the autonomic nervous system is taking twice as long to exhale as to inhale. For a healthy person the ratio could be 6 seconds exhalation to 3 seconds inhalation. The practice will slow the heart down and will give a subjective experience of relaxation. Both inhalation and exhalation will be made thru the nose.

Respiration types

Thoracic breathing

Thoracic or chest respiration is sometimes banned but in fact there are two separate types of respiration, the empowered thoracic breathing and the constricted thoracic breathing.

The empowered thoracic breathing is have many positive effects on health. It expand the rib cage and increase the lung respiratory capacity, is bring a lot of oxygen in the body and also prana. It consist in breathing profoundly with maximum opening the thorax. In hatha yoga inhaling as much as you can is an excellent chest exercise any time you are doing standing backward bends, diaphragm assisted backbends, cobra postures, the upward facing dog, prone boats and bow postures, fish postures. Whenever is to take the deepest possible inhalation this can only made placing an emphasis on empowered thoracic breathing and is work in any posture in which is natural to thrust the chest out.

The constricted thoracic breathing is typically shallow, rapid and irregular. Is commonly associated with stress and tension and is inadvisable as habitually breathe. Is breathing described above as generating the vicious circle which can lead to increase of stress and “practiced” in a moment of tension leads to panic.

Paradoxical breathing

Empowered chest breathing carried to extremes is paradoxical breathing. Is happen when the abdominal wall moves rather in than out in inhalation. It naturally can appear in situations which shocks a person. The paradoxical breathing stimulates strongly the sympathetic nervous system. The one who do it 10-15 times becomes spontaneously jumpy and nervous. Paradoxical breathe gives an immediate jolt of adrenaline. It prepares for fight or for running and inhibits the digestion, sexuality and immune function. If it becomes habitual it will give a life lived in a continuous emergency.

Abdominal breathing

The antidote for chronic thoracic and paradoxical breathing is abdominal breathing or abdominal-diaphragmatic breathing. It is simple and relaxing especially in supine position. It calms, it give peace and confidence that why is used in many yogic exercises.

The role of will

Many physical, mental and environmental factors are join to influence our breathing. Our will can override most of them. You can counter the state of being sleepy and bored by practicing bellows breathing. In smelly toxic air areas from a crowded street you can hold your breath few seconds to escape in a cleaner area. If you have the habit of breathing you can learn meditative breathing and if you are upset you can change your state breathing slowly. Is important to learn to observe healthy breathing patterns while you are doing hatha yoga postures then to carry the refined habits into daily life.

References:Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers, and Practitioners: H. David Coulter, Timothy McCall

Victor Sfirlea is a certified Yoga teacher. He teaches Yoga classes in the Tuzla, Judetul Constanta, Romania area.

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MEDITATION… TOWARDS SELF DEVELOPMENT

Monday, January 18th, 2010

By Dr. Rita Khanna

This article is an extension of my last article – Yogic Ways of Cleansing and Seeding the Mind. Before reading this article, you must read that one first.

MEDITATION

The process of Meditation is a part of Raja Yoga. Just as Hatha Yoga is primarily concerned with the body, Raja Yoga is primarily concerned with the mind. The work you have done under the four Sessions (see my last article), will provide you with a very healthy base for Meditation. Therefore, before going on to Meditation, let me briefly sum up the work of those four Sessions:

• All undesirable thoughts have been removed from the mind. The mind has been freed from the burden of unnecessary elements. Your basic desires are now rooted in your mind.

• Steps for proper care, and protection, have been taken to ensure satisfactory growth of the symbolic seeds.

• Steps have also been taken to weed out the unwanted growth from the vicinity of the planted seeds.

• The seeds, which were planted a few weeks ago, have become plants; and they are in a very healthy condition. Their growth is satisfactory. They are well protected, getting proper nourishment, and are growing fast to become healthy trees.

CLARIFICATION OF A FEW ASPECTS

Meditation concerns your past, present, and future. The past performances are analyzed to see what improvement could be made in the future. The present problems, likewise, are considered to see what needs to be done today or tomorrow; what requires priority; and what is the best way of doing it. Everything concerning the present activities is taken into consideration and analyzed, evaluated, and planned afresh.

The future has a lot of importance in Meditation. What you have done, during the four Sessions, also relates to your past, present, and future; but the basic difference between the two phases is that the work of the previous lessons will not be repeated – unless extremely necessary. What you are going to do from now on will be repeated.

BASIC STEPS OF MEDITATION

There are three basic steps of Raja Yoga. They are Dharana (Concentration), Dhyana (Meditation), and Samadhi (Contemplation). Basically, there are only two major divisions of the steps of Raja Yoga – Concentration and Meditation. Concentration is one-pointedness of the mind. By mastering the skill of concentration, the fluctuation of the mind is controlled.

Meditation goes further. Through Meditation, the individual not only concentrates one-pointedly, but also uses his mental faculties to analyze and evaluate his thoughts, plans, and actions in a proper and desirable manner. One finds out what is right and what is wrong in one’s daily actions, and what needs to be done to improve performance. One becomes equipped to re-establish oneself on its own, when one had erred in certain situations and conditions. One masters the art of overcoming obstructions and hindrances.

FIRST SESSION (PREPRATION FOR MEDITATION)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLACE

You can meditate in any place where you have privacy. It should be neat, clean, peaceful, with plenty of fresh air, and free from insects. You can sit on a blanket, a mattress, or a carpet. Preferably, Mediation should be practiced on a padded floor. Those who find it difficult to sit on the floor may use a chair.

BODY CONDITION

At the time of Mediation, the body should not be heavy with food, but neither should the individual feel hungry. A gap of two hours should be given after breakfast, and a gap of three to four hours, after lunch or dinner. The practitioner should be neat, clean, and free from the effects of drugs, alcohol, and smoking. The body should not feel tired, tense, or uneasy. The practitioner should wear light clothes and should not be in a hurry.

TIME

Practice Meditation at a fixed hour every day. Mornings and evenings are good times. However, in special circumstances, it can be practiced at any time, according to the convenience of the individual. For practicing at odd times, the body condition must fulfill the above-mentioned requirement.

DURATION

For this process of Meditation, a period of three to five minutes is quite sufficient and satisfactory. Practitioners are advised not to devote more than ten minutes of one sitting. Putting in more time is quite unnecessary. The ideal practicing time is about five minutes.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The practitioner should remain sitting in the chosen Meditative pose, undisturbed from the beginning to the end of the Session. There should be no disturbance. If for some unavoidable reason, one is disturbed while meditating, the Session should be terminated. In other words, when you sit for Meditation, remain undisturbed for a period of three to five minutes or for as long as you are meditating.

MEDITATION POSTURE SUKHASANA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be seated on the floor – in the Sukhasana (easy pose). For performing the Sukhasana, fold your right leg at the knee and bring the foot in front. Let the thigh and the knee rest on the floor as much as possible. Then fold your left leg at the knee and put the left foot on the right leg. Your left leg should rest on the right leg. Those, who can’t sit in the Sukhasana pose on the floor, are advised to sit on a chair.

Sit erect with the spine, neck, and head in one line. The left hand should be brought to the lap first and then the right hand put on the left hand. Now, close your eyes and relax the body. There should be no stiffness in the body. Though the body is erect, it should not be strained and stiff.

GUIDELINES

Before starting the actual Mediation, practice the preparatory posture for a few days. Remain seated in the Mediation pose for about three to five minutes at one stretch. When you are accustomed to the position, and feel comfortable, your Session in Mediation begins. A practice for two to five days should be enough to acquire ease in this sitting practice.

SECOND SESSION (ACTUAL MEDITATION)

• Be seated for meditation. See that you are sitting properly. Close your eyes… breathe normally… be mentally at peace… see in your mind what you desire the most…

• Try to make a clear picture in your mind of your Desire Number One… try to visualize its shape and details as accurately as possible… this should take about half a minute… when visualization occurs, concentrate on the mental vision and say to yourself mentally, “This is what I want… This is what I wish to have…”

• Now, visualize your Desire Number Two… make a comprehensive picture of the desired object… when the visualization occurs, even for a few seconds, say to yourself mentally, “This is what I wish to acquire next… This is what I wish to have…”

• If you have a third desire, and have planted the seed for it, then visualize your Desire Number three… visualize it for a few seconds… then say to yourself mentally, “This also I wish to have…”

• After visualizing and concentrating your mental energy, to intensify the wish for the fulfillment of your long-cherished desires, let the mind perceive and think of those things which have importance in your present and future life. Let the mind consider those items, one-by-one, and meditate on them.

SOME EXAMPLES:

• Picture the mental health you wish to acquire and say to yourself, “I wish to become like this…” (Go into detail).

• Say to yourself, “I am changing. I am correcting myself. I am improving and changing myself into a better, happy, healthy, and prosperous person.”

• Say to yourself, “I do not want to harm anyone. I do not harbor any ill-feeling, hatred, jealousy, and a desire for vengeance against anyone. I do not think ill of others”.

• “I realize that I have made some errors and mistakes. I accept them. I have learned lessons from those mistakes, and I am not going to repeat them again. Those lessons have made me a better person now. I do not have any feeling of sin or guilt for those wrongs. Those were only mistakes”. “It is possible that I might make mistakes, and even blunders, in the future. When I know that I am wrong, I will correct myself. I consider making errors naturally in the process of human growth.”

• “I am going to see all these things fulfilled – some tomorrow, some the day after, some in months to come, and some in years to come. What I wish to acquire – I am going to have.”

• After meditating on these various aspects of your life, let the mind analyze, examine, and think of anything else that comes to your mind naturally… let the positive thoughts come into the mind… do not bring the negative thoughts back into the mind…

• In case, during Meditation you feel that certain elements, forces, or people are trying to create hindrances and obstacles in your way… consider them as forces of obstruction… consider them as undesirable elements… just tell them mentally to fly out or run away… they will have to run away and fly out because they can not stand against the power of the individual who is making efforts toward self development…

• When you have spent about five to ten minutes in Meditation, end the session. Slowly open your eyes. Remain seated for a while in the same position. Get up slowly after half a minute, and then walk slowly for a few steps. Your session is over.

THIRD SESSION (VISUALIZATION AND MEDITATION)

VISUALIZATION

Now, you are going to Meditate in a very comprehensive way. Carefully follow the instructions given below:

• Lie down on your back on a carpeted floor… keep your eyes closed… breathe in a normal way…let every part of your body rest loosely on the floor… now start breathing deeply…

• While breathing, you must make deep and prolonged inhalations and exhalations…your stomach should rise while inhaling… and go down while exhaling… there is expansion… and contraction… of the abdominal muscles in this deep breathing…

• Gently, bring your right hand onto the stomach… put your palm flat on the stomach, without exerting any pressure… the hand should just rest on the stomach… then inhale slowly, but deeply… take in as much air as possible… while inhaling, let the stomach expand… your hand on the stomach will also rise as an indication of the upward expansion… after you have inhaled, pause for a second…then start exhaling slowly… the stomach will contract and come down… contract the stomach as much as possible… when the exhalation is complete, pause for a second… then, start inhaling again as before… always remember to pause for a second after each inhalation and exhalation… do ten rounds of this inhaling and exhaling… In this deep breathing, the mouth should remain closed throughout. Breathing should be done through the nostrils.

• After completing ten rounds of deep breathing, put your right hand on the floor. Let the body be completely relaxed. Feel as if you are going to take a nap for a few seconds. Stay in this relaxed conditions for three to five minutes.

• After relaxing completely, for about five minutes, become mentally alert…focus your mental attention on your toes, then move gently towards the knees…the thighs… waist… spine… shoulders… neck… and move to the area of the head… now, proceed gently to the area of the mind… let the mind see the mind… let the mind visualize the transformed condition of the mind… visualize patiently and slowly… what do you see…

• You see a big change on the mental horizon… the seeds which were planted some time ago have now become plants… they look very healthy… the plants are well protected… there are no weeds around them… the whole area appears neat, clean, and decent…the fence around the plants is intact… the plants are getting the necessary nourishments… they are growing without hindrance and developing satisfactorily…

• The healthy condition of the plants generates a hope that your desires are going to be fulfilled… it shows that you have made good progress compared to what you were before… your progress towards fulfillment will be in accordance with the condition of the plants…

• Now, breathe deeply twice… then open your eyes… keep lying on the floor for a few seconds… after ten to fifteen seconds, sit up slowly for Meditation…

MEDITATION

• Sit in a Meditation pose… be quiet for a while… close your eyes… be at ease… then begin to meditate on things concerning your present and future life in a systematic and coherent way…

• Meditate on your Desire Number One first… spend about thirty seconds on various aspects of this desire… similarly spend about thirty seconds on your Desire number Two and Three respectively…

• Then Meditate on what you plan to do today and tomorrow… evaluate and analyze whether things are being done correctly… try to find out if you have made any mistake or error in your various activities… if you have made any mistake, accept it as your fault… say to yourself that you will not repeat those mistakes in the future…

• Say to yourself that you are not thinking of harming others… you have no jealousy or feelings of hatred against others… you are using your powers to make yourself a better, healthy, and prosperous individual… conclude your session by saying, “I am changing… I am improving… I am becoming healthy… attractive… powerful… I possess sound, physical and mental powers… I am going to use them in a creative and constructive way…. I am going to do wonders… I am happy to see my own progress…”

• Allow some time for Meditation on those aspects, which come to your mind, automatically and naturally, during Mediation. You can follow the pattern of Meditation, as suggested in the previous Session. When you have meditated for about five to ten minutes, end this Session, by just opening your eyes. Remain seated for about half a minute after the Meditation. Then get up slowly. The Session is over.

ADVICE AND CAUTION FOR REGULAR MEDITATION

• Practice Meditation, at least five days in a week, at a regular hour, unless there are some unavoidable reasons. In case your daily routine is disturbed for one reason, or another, and your Meditation is discontinued for some days, begin the practice all over again. The gap of a few days should not discourage you from continuing Meditation.

• Meditation can be performed immediately after Shavasana, if you are practicing Hatha Yoga.

• When your desires are fulfilled, your new desires should be according to your changing conditions and requirements. Meditate on them during your Meditation period.

• Occasionally, say – at the interval of few months, practice visualization of your mind by lying on the floor, according to the technique already explained. This visualization should be done just before you are going to meditate.

• Meditation can be practiced by any person, of any age, or sex, for curative, preventive, and creative purposes.

CONCLUSION

Let me conclude by saying – that if you continue to practice Meditation regularly, you will always maintain sound mental health and power. In case you are faced with a difficult or unpleasant situation, Meditation will serve as a tool, an instrument, or a technique for overcoming the problem. You will be able to maintain a normal life, with the enhanced power of your mind, and the unforeseen obstructions. It would, indeed, help to maintain the excellence of both body and mind.

Om Shanti

If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.

Mobile: + 919849772485 Ph:-91-40-65173344

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Website: www.yogashaastra.in

Dr. Rita Khanna

Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in the field of Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by world famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).

She believes firmly that Yoga is a scientific process, which helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy. Over the years, she has been successfully practicing these therapies and providing succour to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga Teachers Training.

At present, Dr. Rita Khanna is running a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).

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