Posts Tagged ‘yoga is a science’

Developing Yoga Awareness – Part I

Monday, April 25th, 2011

yoga teacher trainingBy Gopi Rao

Yoga grants us the time and space to the mind and body down. Moving in and out of physical postures while bringing our focus inward gives us the opportunity to sit in the seat of who we are. This level of Yoga awareness puts the practitioner in a state of connecting with the soul (spirit, innermost self) for the first time, in a long time, or regularly participating in Yoga practice as a bridge to connect the individual soul with universal spirit. Those who seek to go beyond the initially prescribed physical stretches for the body and tap into the mental acrobatics of the mind will uncover a limitless place of self-discovery.

In Yoga Therapy circles it is believed that by relaxing the deeper soft tissues of the body to expand the length of the body; that the body will realign itself to the upright, straight, and tall posture it is meant to keep. From this upper most vertical alignment, the earth’s field of gravity will properly support the body’s own energy field by establishing and grounding one’s physical and psychological well being.

This effect is actualized as the body realigns through Yoga posturing and meditation. When the body is in alignment, having done the work to create the space necessary for energy to flow freely, we are attuned to the earth’s natural magnetism. Being in tune with nature in this way enables the flow of positive energy all around. Acting with Yogic awareness and compassion is a natural by product of such synchronicity and one can accomplish much more than the average person with such a mental, spiritual, and physical expansion.

Attention to alignment must always be observed when performing Yoga poses. You want to ensure that you do not over extend your body or harm it in any way. Remember that Yoga is a science and was never designed for competition or risk taking. Yoga is about becoming aware. There are many people who are not aware of their physical body, true reality, or their own mortality. These people live on auto-pilot. You can easily observe people eating meals while driving, typing, or text messaging. Their reality is in a work-based virtual state.

Technology and a fast paced way of life have combined to make this work-based virtual state of mind. Open your self-awareness of your body (physical awareness). This state of mind will build self-appreciation for what your physical capabilities are and how often you push too hard or not enough, depending on your personality type. Physical awareness is the first of many steps toward full awareness.

© Copyright 2011 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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Yoga Teacher Courses – Train the Mind with Yoga

Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

Yoga Teacher TrainingBy Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

When we hear the phrase, “train the mind,” what comes to mind? Do we think of a change in behavior, morality, or intelligence? Higher forms of Yoga, such as Raja, Bhakti, Karma, and Jnana, can help us train the mind. Within all forms of Yoga are meditation techniques to develop the mind, as well.

Behavior

When considering behavior, there is always room for individual improvement. Unfortunately, none of us is perfect. Our perception of the objects around us has much to do with our personal behavior. Our inherent reactions to objects, or events, are different from one person to another. Two people hear the same message, but the mind’s unique level of awareness brings perception into clarity.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot translate the same message, in the same way, as the person beside us. One example of this is being a member of a book club. The members read the same book, but the club organizes meeting sessions to discuss various interpretations and increase the membership’s scope of intellectual abilities.

Diversity in interpretation also happens within groups, which read and examine scriptures. In the United States, the Supreme Court consists of one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. With nine extremely educated justices to interpret the law or the U.S Constitution, there is almost always a difference of opinion.

Enhancement of Intelligence

The enhancement of intelligence is a result of training the mind through study. This may happen in any form of Yoga, but Jnana Yoga encourages the aspirant to attain unity, through self-analysis and the investigation of speculative thought.

To study will increase one’s intelligence about a subject, but to study the Yogic system will bring about enhanced intelligence with regard to life. Yoga is a science of life. The more time one devotes to the study and practice of Yoga, the higher the odds are for accomplishing one’s intended purpose in life.

To be “book smart” is not enough to reach success in life. It is the application of knowledge toward all phases of life that tests a theory. Yoga and Yogic philosophy have moved far beyond theory. Yoga therapy has been successful, but a scientist wants to know: “why.”

Scientists, and some skeptics, argue that Yoga must now be tested on the other side of the Earth in order to collect enough data as to why it works. With every little step, Yoga has eventually been embraced by science and medicine as a system that works.

Moral Codes

The most neglected part of Yoga teacher training courses is a closer look at Yama and Niyama. In the Yoga Sutras, Maharishi Patanjali names Yama and Niyama as the first two limbs of Yoga. Yet, Universal moral codes are often over looked. Advanced students, especially Yoga teachers, should know differently. If each person reflected on the Universal principles of Yama and Niyama daily, we would suddenly have world peace.

© Copyright 2010 – Paul Jerard / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see our complete selection of Yoga teacher certification 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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NON-ATTACHMENT OR DETACHMENT

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

By Dr. Rita Khanna

In simple words, non-attachment can be described as the process of letting go the many attractions and distractions, of life that are clouding the true self. The life of Lord Krishna and Mahatma Buddha are great examples in this regard. Mahatma Buddha was a prince, married to a lovely wife, and the heir to his father’s throne.

What did he do? He renounced his family, wealth, and power and fled to the mountains to meditate upon the way of truth. After his enlightenment, the Buddha continued to exhibit the attitude of non-attachment. Lord Krishna lived a complete and luxurious life, took sides, waged wars, indulged in mischief, and yet, remained free from the fetters of life.

ATTACHMENT

Holding on to things dearly, as if you cannot live without them, is attachment. We are attached, not only to our bodies, but also to our possessions. We continually weave a net of clinging around our clothes, our car, our house, and our wealth. We hate to part with these things and always try to accumulate more of them. Common attachments are hopes, fears, upsets, goals, emotions, spiritual ideas, beliefs, dreams, desires, plans, drugs, unhealthy habits, pleasures, sex, service to others, and gluey relationships. In fact, they are the mental bonds you develop with things and objects you believe are important for you and your happiness.

STORY

A man took resort in a forest – renouncing all worldly attachments. At that time, he owned no possessions, except a cloth piece. In daytime, he used to wrap it round his body to clothe it; and at night, he would spread it on the ground to make a bed to sleep in. In the forest, there lived many rats, which nibbled his cloth. The man thought of protecting his cloth from the rats anyhow. With this idea, he tamed a cat. Milk was needed to feed the cat. So the man had to tame a cow, as well; but grass (fodder) was required for the cow. Now, to employ a cowherd became essential for this job. A house was then needed for the cowherd. As soon as the house was built, a maid servant was engaged to look after the house. The maid servant expressed her desire to keep her kith and kin along with her. The man built separate houses for every one of them.

Thus, in some days, the forest was filled with the hustle and bustle of the city; yet his troubles went on increasing by leaps and bounds. The underlying idea is that, by and by, even a petty attachment assumes large dimensions in the long run. Therefore, it is most essential to get rid of attachments at the initial stage.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF NON-ATTACHMENT

We have come from the unknown; we will return to the unknown. We should be grateful to the Lord, to providence, for whatever we have. All the things of the world are meant for us, and we have the right to use them. However, they are not ours, so we should not possess them. We have no right to establish ownership over the things we have, because they have been given to us to use; but they are not ours. We should use them as means, but we should not possess anything. Learn to love all the things of the world – just as means, but don’t get attached to them. This is the secret—the philosophy of non-attachment. Every man should think that he has certainly to depart from this world one day, leaving behind land, house, gold, sons, wife, and relations; in fact, leaving even his body. Hence, why all this mad strife for worldly attachments?! If you really want to enjoy life, and be happy, learn to practice and understand the philosophy of non-attachment.

LET GO OF YOUR ATTACHMENTS

To give up the belief that this thing belongs to me is the virtue of non-attachment. You can start the journey by becoming aware of your likes and dislikes and what you value most in your life. Find out what you criticize, whom you criticize, what you defend, and whom you defend, what you oppose, what you want to change, what you avoid, and what makes you happy and unhappy, fearful, contended, angry, or hurtful. These are your reactions to different situations, objects, and perceptions caused by your attachments. They are rooted in your past experiences and shaped by your attachments. Become aware of your hopes and aspirations, your opinions, judgments, memories, vulnerabilities, feelings, emotions, passions, beliefs and anxieties through mindfulness, detached observation, being a witness of yourself. Know what makes you happy and unhappy, what drives you crazy, what holds you back, or forces you into desperation. These are the responses you have learnt because of your attachments to objects, people, beliefs and knowledge. When you learn to respond differently, or stoically, to whatever that seems to evoke a response in you habitually, you break the shackle of your past and set yourself free from the illusions of your own mind. It is not an easy process; but by becoming aware of them, truthfully, honestly, and mindfully, you are opening yourself to the possibility of life without limits.

STORY

The practice of non-attachment is a practice for each and every moment of life. There was a forest. Daily, some cowherds led the cows to graze in that pastureland. While grazing the cows one day, they chanced to see ripe mangoes hanging from a tree. Their mouths watered on seeing the mangoes. When one of the cowherds cast a pebble at the mangoes, two mangoes fell down. He ate them and enjoyed the delicious fruits. The mangoes were really very sweet. This made another cowherd think – “Why to miss such tasty fruits? I shall also pluck a mango just now.” So saying – he picked up a pebble and struck at the mangoes. Instead, the stone piece struck the head of a saint meditating under the tree. His head was injured and started bleeding. This horrible sight terrified all the cowherds. Seeing tears flowing from the eyes of the saint, the cowherds approached him and spoke humbly – “O saint! We are guilty. You are all merciful. Please pardon us. We have inflicted severe injury and pain to you.” The saint replied calmly, “I have suffered no pain.” The cowherds again questioned, “If you have felt no pain, why are tears bursting from your eyes?” At this, the saint replied, “Boys! When you cast pebbles at the mango tree, it gave you sweet and tasty mangoes; but now, when your stone piece struck me, I have nothing to give you in return. That is why tears are flowing from my eyes.” The cowherds paid homage to the saint, lying at his feet, and returned home. The instant the feeling of compassion grows in the human heart – it is the beginning of pious happenings in life.

THE PATH OF YOGA

Yoga is a science that gives us the skills for living with wisdom and experiencing joy. It advises that we should be satisfied with less material objects to practice non-attachment or ‘Vairagya’. A practitioner, who follows the path of Yoga, reaches a state of detachment, wherein he does not get affected by anyone or any situation – or for that matter, by anything that happens around him. This doesn’t mean that you don’t need to have some possessions. It means that you should be detached from them – that they mean less to you. It is the constant craving for possessions that feeds the ego, which can never be satisfied.

To illustrate, if you have 20 T-shirts, you should narrow it down to 15, or even 10 to start. Why? Why do you need 20 T-shirts? Do you wear all of them? If you had less, you wouldn’t need to wash, dry, fold, and organize them. Think of the time and space you could save. Now, the question arises: how do you dispose of them in a Sattvic (pure, respectful) way? My suggestion is to lay all your T-shirts out and pick your favorite one. Keep it! Choose your next 5 favorites, and put them away. Now you have 6 T-shirts that you love, that fit you and that you feel good in, and 14 T-shirts left on the bed. Some you like; some you know are not that great. Why are you keeping them? You are not responsible for those objects. You don’t need to take care of them anymore.

Liberate yourself from them. Give some of them away to goodwill or one of the many charities, such as a group home for teenagers, or abused women’s shelter. What have you accomplished? Besides giving yourself more space, you have lessened your dependence on material objects that only serve to boost your ego. Happiness is never achieved through consumerism; it lies within. You have given generously to others who need it more.

From the Bhagavad-Gita: “What is it that you lost that you are grieving for? What is it that you brought into this world that you have lost? Whatever you gained, you gained from this world. Whatever you lost, you lost to this world. What belongs to you today, belonged to someone else yesterday, and will belong to someone else tomorrow.”

A FEW SIMPLE SUGGESTIONS TO PRACTICE DETACHMENT

The following suggestions may help you in your efforts to overcome attachments.

• Start with a few attachments and work on them. It may be a particular food item you like or dislike; a habit that has become part of your daily routine, or a relationship that you have trouble accepting.

• Let go of your attachment with money. Participate in some voluntary work. Make a donation. Help a child in his or her education.

• Overcome your attachment with the body. Take a cold bath. Wear simple dress. Practice Yoga and exercise.

• Deal with your preferences for food. Eat the food you do not like. Fast at least once in a week.

• Practice detachment with the usual forms of recreation you are attached to, such as watching TV or movies.

• Become aware of your actions, arising from your need for recognition, power, and influence. Practice silence when you are urged by the compulsion to speak in a group or conversation. Listen to learn. Consider others view points and arguments with which you disagree.

• Let go of your attachment with discipline and perfection. Forgive yourself and others for faults and oversights.

• Let go of your possessions. Remove the clutter from your life. Give away the things that you do not need and do not use.

• Become aware of the motives behind your actions and words. Overcome the profit motive and selfish motive.

• Let go of your need to dominate and influence others.

BENEFITS OF DETACHED LIFE

A detached life is a librated life, in which the boundaries of self, the notions of oneself, and one’s identity dissolves. Detached consciousness is alert, attentive, calm, and spontaneous. It offers us a chance to be what we truly are, to experience life without fear, or the compulsion of choice. From non-attachment comes the true joy of living in the present and here.

A detached person lives in the present, unburdened by the memories of his past, or the uncertainty of his future. He does not look far ahead or plan things in advance, meticulously, to secure his life. He lives without fear. He is contended with what life offers him and accepts life as it comes, without complaint, without judgment, and without striving. He is a traveler, who is on a journey of self- discovery, without any baggage, and without any conditions, with complete trust in the reality of the present moment. He has attained perfection because he has transformed himself from becoming – to being. Non-attachment is like a fire that can burn the binding power of past Samskaras. Non-attachment gives freedom, but attachment brings bondage.

STORY

There lived a learned king in a city. He used to recite a Sanskrit couplet (shloka), as soon as he got up in the morning, daily. He would step down from the bed, only after he had recited the full couplet. An extremely poor, destitute Brahmin also lived in that city. Although he was poor, yet he was a good scholar of Sanskrit language.

Being fed up with the sufferings of poverty, he thought of committing theft one day. He decided to enter the royal palace for this act of stealing, rather than breaking into the house of an ordinary householder, in order to get hold of a good booty. He thought that this act would cause no suffering to the king, since he had a vast royal treasure. One night, he stealthily entered the royal palace. When all the inmates of the palace had gone into a deep slumber, the learned Pandit began to roam hither and thither, inside the palace, in search of something worth stealing. He caught sight of precious articles in the palace – one after the other, with the result that he was at a loss to decide as to what things he should steal and take away.

While wandering, he entered the king’s bedroom. A lamp was illuminating the room. All the costly objects kept there, to adorn the room, were clearly visible. He was so much enamored by the sight of those lovely decoration pieces – which he could not make up his mind as to what to steal. At last, he saw the gold bricks placed under the legs of the king’s bed to raise its height. He decided to steal one of them; but the problem was how to remove the brick from under the leg, without waking the king. The night passed in this condition of indecision. As soon as the day dawned, the king woke up and started reciting the Sanskrit shloka – sitting in his bed. He succeeded in completing only three steps of the shloka. The king repeated the three steps, time and again, but could not recite the fourth step. The three steps that he recited were:

“I am the master of several beautiful and charming young damsels as my wives. I have many true friends and brothers. Many sweet-speaking submissive servants attend on me. Many elephants trumpet at my door, and many fast racing horses are there in my stable.”

On hearing the three steps of the shloka, the learned Brahmin, who had got into the palace with the main intention of stealing, could not control himself. Then, and there, he instantly composed the fourth step and recited it to the king as under:

“As soon as a man breathes his last, none of these horses, elephants, wives, friends, servants, and attendants will accompany him to the other world”.

The king was taken aback on hearing such a fine step, which completed his shloka. He looked at the learned Brahmin with surprise and asked him, “O learned scholar! Who are you? How and why have you come into my bedroom?” The Brahmin related the whole tale of his wretched campaign. Being pleased, the king rewarded him handsomely and bade him farewell.

To sum up, these physical possessions belong to us, so long as we breathe and survive. No sooner do we give up our body, and all this vast wealth is left here in this world. All our affluence and grandeur; i.e., wealth and property, except our immortal soul, are not our own, and are perishable. Therefore, the immortal soul, alone, is our real self. We should always make incessant efforts, only for its uplift.

AUM SHANTI

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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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Yoga is a Very Complex Science of Health

Monday, March 1st, 2010

By Katerina Nicodemus

Yoga is a very complex science of health and can have a profound effect on over all health and well being. Yoga means union, its mission is to unite body, mind and spirit. Even if people are skeptical towards the mystical concept, the value of bodily exercise and meditative techniques makes thousands of people to practice Yoga on a daily basis. The principal yogis have understood for ages that proper exercise is designed not to develop muscles and exhaust us, but gently stretch and tone the body and mainly to stimulate circulation in every cell of our body so that full health can be restored. Many people are attracted to Yoga as a way to keep their bodies fit and therefore looking good. Others practice Yoga for specific health issue like tension or backache. Some people are just looking to get more out of their lives. Whatever reason, Yoga can be an instrument to give people what they came for, and more. To be able to understand what Yoga can do, people need to experience it for themselves.

Yoga is an eye opener about ourselves, our feelings, values and of course our health. With regular practice people will suddenly start noticing changes not only how toned and relaxed their bodies became, but also a way of calming the mind and need for searching their inner peace because it is our true nature. It is the self-realization people are looking for whereas they are consciously aware of it or not. Self-realization leads people toward indentifying what their health problem can possibly be, not the medical observation. The body is our instrument and nobody knows it better than we do, once we learn to read it, Yoga can restore and maintain our health.

In such a hectic and high paced living, we do not even realize that we might have a health issues. We are too busy to pay any attention to our body signals which are trying to tell us there is something wrong. We do not admit or allow ourselves to be unwell because it feels like it becomes a sign of weakness which can slow us down in our materialism orientated life style. So many people suffer these days with tension headaches, anxiety, digestive disorders, insomnia, which all these conditions I believe can be fixed simply just by stepping back and taking a deep breath. What is worse, that even children are starting to have similar problems from very young age. So many studies have shown that relaxation in the Corps Pose can help relieve, for instance high blood pressure, and that regular practice of Yoga can help with arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, asthma, varicose veins and heart conditions.

Depression right now is incredibly on the rise because of an economic situation as so many people are loosing their jobs and therefore have no money to pay their monthly bills. Yoga practice can be a way to help people to deal with depression. Most commonly suggested treatment by doctors for depression is intake of antidepressants. From yogic perspective, antidepressants are simply tools, not good, not bad. What is crucial is to use them wisely in times of need and stay away from them if not needed. There are people who are depressed without knowing it. Both men and women may even avoid treatment because of embarrassment, seeing themselves as weak individuals or believing that not much can be done to help them. Since stress is a huge contributor to depression, part of yoga’s effectiveness is its proven ability to alleviate tension, lift mood and help to lower cortisol levels /cortisol-stress hormone/. Something as simple as a proper posture and deep breathing can affect your mood immediately. Yogis also believe that letting go of muscular tension; can counteract feelings of stress and depression as having another beneficial effects. It is well acknowledged that some depression may have mainly biological basis, yogis often ask: What can be learned from depression? Not only modulating our response to stress, which yoga does very well, but trying to go deeper and searching whether there are other areas of our life – relationships, work, ability to set aside time for ourselves- that need to be addressed. For people who choose yoga as a path out of depression, having faith, being patient and committed to the practice becomes crucial. Faith in yoga is about seeing that what you are doing appears to be working. Certain postures like backbends seem to be therapeutically for people suffering from depression, because the energy required to move into a backbend often overpowers the agitation of the mind, and can bring a feeling of calm. To name a few postures, Supported Downward-Facing Dog Pose is very grounding, stabilizing pose for the emotions and using head support to counteract the fatigue that often comes with depression. From a yogic perspective, active inversions like Headstands and Shoulderstands and restorative inversions like Legs-Up-the-Wall pose are helpful to cultivate emotional stability. It is thought by yogis that regular practice of inversions, especially if done for months or years can have enormous effect, calming and quieting the mind and stabilizing moods. One of the ideas of B.K.S. Iyenger for students with depression was that they hold the tension in the outer portion of their eyes. He would sometimes ask these students to try to, as he puts it, “move the edge of the eyes toward the temple and ears”, while doing a challenging pose. Chanting also is a wonderful practice for people with depression. But as with anything, because we are all unique everything needs an individual approach. What works for one person might not work at all for another.

Many times we have all heard the statement, we are what we eat. This is true of course, because food is necessary for our physical well-being. The yogic diet is quite simply the most nature. It is based on fresh, light, nutritional food such as fruits, grains and vegetables. It’s reason is to keep the body lean and limber and the mind clear and sharp in order to get the most out of yoga practice. Yogis advocate a vegetarian diet because it comes first hand to us and is purely produced by nature. For yogis meat, fish or poultry is considered second hand food, where animal flesh is full of toxins and tends to cause diseases. Most Indian Yogins are lacto-vegetarians, which means, they do not eat meat, but do eat milk and milk products. Many studies are showing that a balanced vegetarian diet is extremely healthy and provides all the essential nutrients a body needs.

Statistically, vegetarians have a lower incident of heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, and cancer and they are less likely to suffer from obesity. Being a vegetarian is a personal choice which is entirely up to us, but maybe just as a first step try to eat less meat. Try to go for more nature wholesome foods, include more fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds into our diet. Stay away from processed foods, like white flour, hydrogenated fats, sugary sweets, chemical sweeteners, too much coffee, tea, alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Becoming a vegetarian is not about stopping to eat meat but finding a new way of life. Personally, the ideal diet is the one which makes you feeling and being truly healthy, being comfortable and stable in body and mind, experiencing normal bodily functions, and having the strength and endurance to engage in vigorous exercise and the demands of everyday life.

What attracts me most about yoga is its versatility and simplicity at the same time. You can do as little as you want or push yourself as far as you feel like and it is still going to make you feel good. Yoga can be done by anybody, regardless of their age. There are yoga classes for children, pregnant women, elderly, people with injuries and they all can do yoga. To do yoga during pregnancy is one of the best thing a women can do for themselves. Yoga will help them get through pregnancy and delivery, whatever their health or circumstances, and provide a positive environment for the growing child, right from the start. Yoga can be a great source of strength and help women to be more loving and giving mothers. Likewise starting yoga when young gives children the best foundation in life. All children are naturally flexible and have a sense of balance. They are adventurous and love to mimic others, especially when it comes to make different animal poses. Meditation from an early age can help tremendously with children’s concentration.

For elderly, it is never too late to take up yoga. We are only as old as we feel. Our bodies have incredible regenerative powers and even after short yoga practice people will start sleeping better, be more energetic and have more positive outlook on life.

What yoga did for me? As a mother of three little children, I can get pretty stressed out and tired with no time to do anything for me what so ever. Since practicing yoga, every day, I will get up before anybody else and do 40 minutes of yoga exercise and 15 min. of relaxation or breathing. I have always been into exercising, but never realized how much it can really mean to me and how great it can make me feel. If I do not do my yoga in the morning I will always try to squeeze a little time for it during the day. Even If it’s a 5 min. headstand and 5 minute shoulderstand with my youngest daughter who will keep poking into my belly button and think I am being silly. Some days I will feel really tired and upset for what- ever reason. I will close my eyes and take a few deep breaths in our garden and life will suddenly look brighter. As a big bonus, I developed my muscles on my body which I could have never have done before and managed to loose all my baby weight. Whenever I feel stiff, I love doing Sun-Salutation to stretch my spine and feel the energy flowing in my body. I am surprised at myself, what poses I can actually do and how flexible my body has become. I am also lot more aware of my posture and breathing in connection to stress and tiredness. I find myself a lot calmer, rounder, happier and mostly content and fulfilled with what I do. I would be lying if I say I do not have bad days and do not get stressed out, but, most importantly I found tools to help me to deal with it. Lots of my relationships have changed because I started to see people differently. I became even more connected to nature and simplified my life. I do not spend money anymore on things which I thought are making me feel better. I do not need fancy clothes to look and feel good. I finally found myself and realize who I really am. Apart from being a dedicated mother, loving wife, daughter who unconditionally loves her parents, I am a girls who fell in love with yoga and realized that yoga is what I was always meant to be doing. I really wish to become a good yoga teacher. So I can make people happy, healthy and feeling good about themselves.

My case is just an example, how far can Yoga take you if you truly believe in it. If a lot more people could start practicing Yoga, the Earth would become a happier and healthier place to be.

Namaste – light within me, solutes light with in you.

Katerina Nicodemus is a certified Yoga Teacher.

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Yoga is a Science of Life

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Lotus PoseBy Kimberly Tharpe

Yoga is a science of life. Contrary to popular perception, Yoga involves much more than just yoga poses and meditation. With regular practice, yoga can be an extremely powerful healing tool; it is beneficial to the health of virtually everyone who tries it. Experienced as a slow sequence of postures, yoga is utilized as a mind opener, a stress reliever, a way to tone, balance, and bring flexibility to the body, align the spine and promote overall good health and well being. The meaning of Yoga is uniting the body, mind, and spirit. Traditionally, yoga is a method joining the individual self with the Divine, Universal Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness. From it we gain peace of mind and a healthy body.

Yoga is beneficial to our bodies. Yoga can be therapeutic and is often used as a healing tool as well as to aid in disease prevention. In fact, yoga is the only natural physical activity that massages all the internal organs and glands. It creates stimulation that removes harmful toxins from the body. This can improve health by warding off illness and disease and by providing a forewarning at the onset of a disease or disorder. Yoga can be practiced by anyone of any age and aids in promoting a healthy life. One of the most studied areas of the health benefits of yoga is its effect on heart disease. Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. Lowering one’s heart rate is beneficial for those with hypertension or at risk for heart disease and stroke. On a biochemical level, studies point to a possible anti-oxidant effect of yoga. Oxidative stress is the process that you can counteract by eating your green leafy vegetables or take antioxidant vitamins: the production of free radicals, those highly reactive molecules that damage proteins, membranes and genes. Yoga can reduce this oxidative stress by increasing more antioxidants in the body. Yoga has also been associated with decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as a boost in immune system function. Some other benefits include: Increased circulation, strengthening of the heart muscle, increased efficiency of the circulatory system, better sleep, maintained bone density, increased lubrication of the joints, ligaments, and tendons, as well as reduced occurrences of medical conditions such as clinical depression, relieving symptoms of asthma, body aches and pains, and arthritis in those who practice yoga regularly. There are even some clinical trials for yoga and its health benefits for insomnia and multiple sclerosis. Yoga acts positively in maintaining the health of the human body. One of the most prominent benefits of Yoga is the ability to be young once again. People who constantly practice Yoga have found immense benefits from it and report feeling better than the way they felt in their younger years. According to yoga philosophy, it is the flexibility of the spine that determines a person’s true age. Yoga slows down the aging process by increasing elasticity in the spine, firming up the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the muscles, and correcting poor posture.

Yoga is an effective way to gain and maintain a healthy body. This ancient meditative art is a great way to get rid of extra flab from the body. Yoga is said to be the best way of weight reduction because it has no negative side effects on your body. It is simply meant to proportionate your body weight in accordance to your height and lifestyle. The mechanism of Yoga in your body is simple yet extremely effective. Moving slowly in and out of the poses, or asanas, practiced in yoga utilizes ones body weight as a means of building strength, flexibility, and balance and results in shaping long, lean muscles. Maintaining or losing weight with a yoga regiment has many advantages over other weight loss programs. Yoga allows the body to adjust naturally using the body’s ability to adapt and improve its self, resulting in a attainment of a healthy weight and toned muscles over time. In contrast to other common exercise programs, Yoga increases flexibility a great deal by helping to loosen tight muscles which can trap lactic acid and result in soreness and stiffness. Flexibility is not just for the muscles, it also means keeping the tissues, joints, and bones firm and strong; the internal organs healthy. A strong, flexible body is less prone to injuries because it can netter withstand physical stress.

Yoga is extremely beneficial in strength and endurance building. It is human tendency to feel heavy, exhausted, drained and weak after work. To overcome such a feeling, many physical trainers suggest yoga practice. It is a proven fact that Yoga makes one feel strong and light. After regular practice of yoga for a few months one starts feeling stronger than before. Yoga through its various breathing techniques ensures that the cells in the entire body get optimal levels of oxygen. Proper breathing provides sufficient oxygen for efficient functioning of every body cell. Without sufficient oxygen, the cells cannot metabolize food properly. Nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, are wasted. This process enhances the burning of fat cells and ensures improvement in immunity and activeness. Yoga is also greatly effective in developing endurance in the body. It also helps to attain proper coordination of all the body parts and smooth functioning of all the organs. The series of asanas done in a yoga practice work by safely stretching your muscles. Yoga is safe for stretching muscles because it is practiced slowly and to your own comfort level. These slow, stretching poses release and prevent the build up of lactic acid. Yoga increases the range of motion and lubrication in our joints. The outcome is a sense of ease and fluidity throughout the body. Yoga stretches not only our muscles but all of the soft tissues of the body. That includes ligaments, tendons, and the fascia sheath that surrounds the muscles. In one study, participants had up to 35% improvement in flexibility after only eight weeks of yoga. The greatest gains were in shoulder and trunk flexibility. In yoga, we are not just helping the muscular strength and flexibility, we are improving our balance and coordination as well. Few of us have proper balance. Imbalance in certain parts of the body can create stress and strain, often resulting in susceptibility to injury or chronic pain. By developing our ability to stay grounded in the poses practiced in Yoga, we keep our bodies balanced. Yoga can help us by facilitating symmetry throughout the body, making it feel stronger, and bringing balance to the equilibrium. By practicing Yoga we establish a foundation of health that prevents problems and gives our bodies strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination.

Improvement in balance is one of the major benefits of Yoga. Improved balance is referred not only to the physical coordination we gain, but also to the balance between our left and right sides, front and back and high and low aspects of our bodies. Standing poses are especially good for balancing as our bodies tend to rely on the stronger and more dominate side. You can learn how to strengthen the weaker side so it will match your stronger side. Uneven bodies can eventually lead to major health problems. Yoga helps us attain hormonal balance as well. Yoga poses affect the endocrine glands in a positive way by stimulating specific glands. The balancing benefits come from subtle compressions of the glands that regulate secretions and bring the system back into homeostatic regulation. This is especially important from a female point of view, and even more so for pre-menopausal and menopausal women, who want to find ways to balance their hormones naturally. Yoga also balances the insides of our bodies such as the nervous system which forms a starting point for a healthy mind.

Discipline of the mind and the body is the essence of yoga. Many yoga practitioners feel that without proper discipline and control over the mind and body, you cannot truly experience the full benefits of yoga. Part of the practice of yoga involves concentration and meditation, usually centered on breathing, to clear the mind and ground oneself spiritually and emotionally. Using meditation and deep breathing exercises can bring peace, calmness, and focus to one’s mind by directing awareness inward. When the mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and nutrients. We become at ease with ourselves which allows us to focus and relieve ourselves of negative energies, such as negative thoughts of any kind, worry, anger, or self doubt. All of which can cause stress. Meditation strengthens the mind. It helps us to gain control which in turn enables us to provide effective guidance to the physical body. It is a powerful tool in improving concentration and mental strength. As one practices Yoga, positive effects will begin to show. A sense of well being envelops the individual. It helps clarify one’s deepest motivations and aspirations, restoring confidence, hope, and meaning by giving life rationale. We all like feeling good, having a peace of mind, being joyful, feeling animated and calm. The sad part however is that most of us know that we are not feeling as well as we should, physically or mentally.

Yogic breathing is very effective in producing and maintaining relaxation and concentration. Because of the deep, mindful breathing that yoga involves, lung capacity often improves. This in turn can improve performance and endurance. Most forms of yoga emphasize deepening and lengthening one’s breath. This stimulates the relaxation response, the opposite of the fight-or-flight adrenaline boost of the stress response. Through yoga, we learn to increase the supply of oxygen to the body which reduces stress and increases energy flow and mental clarity. In life we often develop unhealthy breathing habits. Positions such as slouching diminish lung capacity which in turn causes shallow breathing. If we do not take in a sufficient amount of oxygen then toxic build up can occur, leading to pre-mature aging and a weaker immune system. Proper breathing from a yogic stand point, teaches that air is charged with prana, otherwise known as “life force”. In bringing more air into the blood stream and brain, we can use this energy force to heal ourselves and channel peace of mind. It has also proved to be helpful in the prevention of major illnesses.

Yoga is beneficial to the mind, body and spirit. Yoga makes us healthy, stronger, aware of ourselves, and better focused. Mentally and emotionally, yoga is a great match for anyone trying to change patterns and habits in their lives.

Kimberly Tharpe is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Roswell, Georgia area.

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Yoga and the Cultivation of Positive Energy

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

MudraBy Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga is a science of life. The quality of our lives is improved through Yoga practice. With that said, a Yogi is one who pursues a path of harmony, tolerance, peace, compassion, loving kindness, and the cultivation of positive energy. The path less traveled is indeed a difficult one.

It is easy to be swept up in the moment. The news media indicates these are the worst of times. Yet, it must be realized that bad news has never traveled faster than it does today. In an instant, we can become “Chicken Little.” Imagine being hit on the head with an acorn and believing that the sky is falling.

As children, we might laugh at this fable; but as adults, we easily “buy in” to bad news. Some adults wear bad news on their faces, and they envision life as a daily struggle, complete with traps and pitfalls around every corner. While it is true that we should be cautious in our actions, it is also true that we cannot sit down and enjoy a steady drone of sad events.

Most of us have come to the realization that the cultivation of positive energy is essential to having the best quality life. In Yoga, we cultivate vital energy through pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques). This is an excellent way to gather and store positive energy, as well.

Yet, the cultivation and storage of positive energy, within the mind, requires some additional techniques. One method is to focus on where you are and where you want to go. This may sound easy, but some Gurus will tell you this is their key to attainment.

One point you should not focus on is the one that will cloud your judgment. This will usually cause you to take your eyes off your objective. Our objectives should be realistic, and we should not place extreme pressure on ourselves to accomplish goals. All of the little things in life should be appreciated.

As an example of this: Attaining positive feelings requires quite a bit of mental focus, while attaining Samadhi is unusual. This does not mean that attaining Samadhi is impossible, but transcending into an advanced state of consciousness requires guidance, focus, study, and work.

Why should we make the journey into a competitive race? It’s human to want everything right now, but it is not realistic. Positive energy is abundant, and it is easy to cultivate it if we stop to enjoy our lives and appreciate those around us.

Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga and the Song that Inspires Your Mind

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Yoga and music hold an intangible power to cause positive arousal within the mind. The comparison of Yoga and music does not stop here. We might say that Yoga is a science, and music is an art, but both create innovation within the practitioners of these two disciplines.

Have you ever risen in the morning with a song in your heart? Is it a song filled with joyful anticipation for the new day? In this case, the day will likely be filled with happiness. Although happiness is not a guarantee of a successful outcome, positive inspiration tends to carry you forward – even during trying times.

Inspiration runs much deeper than motivation, because it causes the mind to act and create. All too often, people suppress creative ideas because their motivation level has run low. Inspiration is a form of internal or divine guidance that helps us to create and solve problems.

Our dilemma is deciding which voices to listen to. Should you listen to the voice that tells you Yoga, music, and creativity are bad? Should you take a chance? Should you leave all of your responsibilities behind? Some of us believe in an “all or nothing” approach to life.

When you move toward something that inspires you, it is wise to take small steps in moderation. We should use our mind as well as our heart, when risk is involved. Outside advice is always worth considering – whether we agree or not.

Yet, how can you be absolutely assured that a risk you take will not leave you vulnerable? In truth, when it comes down to taking a chance, you cannot be absolutely assured. You can study to your “heart’s content,” but when you take a risk, there is always a chance of failure.

In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson: “I hold it true, whatever befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; ’tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” We often forget that we can always learn from our past mistakes, but our daily life is a matter of chance.

Yoga and a song that inspires the mind make life and its risks much easier to bear. Take the time to enjoy your Yoga practice and the music you hear each day. The outcome of a day is determined by many different factors, but a positive mindset sways the odds in your favor.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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Yoga Has Never Been More Popular

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Viparita Virabhadrasana By Shuchi J. Gokhale

Yoga has never been more popular as a therapeutic and as a preventive science due to its well-proven benefits for stress-relief and relaxation in today’s world. But its true effects on health go way deeper than just these few to mention. Though, yoga is a subtle spiritual science which teaches us to take an inner journey towards self-realization and achieving good health, may not be its main goal, but is a necessary and initial step towards this long journey. As per Patanjali, only a healthy body and mind can achieve Samadhi.

In general, we can define good health as a state when all the organs and body parts including joints, tissues, muscles, cells, nerves, and glands function perfectly in harmony under the intelligent control of the mind, and science of Yoga is geared toward this physical and mental harmony approaching both as an integrated entity not separate ones. Yoga emphasizes that good health can never be isolated at the physical level and it is much more than toning, stretching, and strengthening of few muscles or bones in our bodies. The body, mind and spirit interact at various levels of consciousness and imbalance in one will lead to the problem in the other. Yoga practice is always aimed at bringing harmony at body, mind and spirit level.

Let’s take a deeper look at yoga philosophy to find its effects on various aspects of health: physical, mental and spiritual.

According to yoga philosophy, the body is made of three layers : casual body(karana sharira); the subtle body(sukshma sharira) and the gross body (karya sharira) and five sheaths: The anatomical sheath (annamaya kosha), which is regulated by Asanas; The life-force sheath (pranamaya kosha) regulated by pranayam practice; The pshychological sheath (manomaya kosha) regulated by meditation; The intellectual sheath (vinamaya kosha) by studying the scriptures with sincerity; The sheath of bliss (anandmaya kosha) achieved by regulating the previous four sheaths.

A complete yoga practice which is also termed as “Sarvang Sadhana” helps penetrate these layers and sheaths in the body and finally reach level of consciousness itself, thereby resulting in all-round development and harmony of mind, body and soul. These benefits are unlike other forms of exercises which work on specific body parts mainly working with the skeletal and muscular systems.

Even distribution of prana or life-force energy is also a very important aspect of Yoga science, as most diseases in today’s world are caused by the fluctuations in brain, clutter of mind and behavioral pattern of the body. Most of the Prana or life force energy is wasted in our body in cluttered thoughts, emotional blocks and worries making us sick. By quieting and calming the mind through asana, pranayama and meditation practice, 100% of vital energy is channelized towards bodily healing and rejuvenation. It should be noted that it is depletion of prana or vital energy which is the main cause of many of the health problems such as high or low blood pressure, osteoarthritis, diabetes, asthma, anorexia. Asana and pranayama practice can help towards even distribution of prana or life-force energy, improving the circulation throughout the body, cleansing the toxins and restoring good health. As per Swami Vishnu Devananda, “All diseases of the body can be destroyed at the root by regulating prana; this is the secret knowledge of healing”.

Another main focus of Yoga practice is the health of the spine. As per a Chinese proverb, “ Youth of a person is determined by the health his spine”. By maintaining spinal flexibility, circulation is improved nourishing the whole nervous system. Physical benefits of yoga practice are very well explained by Swami Vishnu-Devananda, “ It acts as a lubrication system to joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons by increasing circulation and flexibility. The focus on spine within yoga leads to improved posture, freedom from aches and pain. Yogic exercise can be compared to no other system in its complete overhauling of the entire being.”

Another unique feature of yoga is its ability to strengthen, regulate and balance Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous systems representing “Ha” and “Tha” sides respectively. Any imbalance in their functioning is supposed be the cause of various illnesses ranging from digestive problems to the mental illnesses. A comprehensive practice including proper sequencing of postures, meditation and Anulom-vilom will bring the obvious and subtle health benefits in this direction. Meditation and Yoga-nidra practice have the ability to help us reach the sub-conscious level of our mind with full awareness and to alter many of the negative thought patterns, bad habits to restore the normal functioning of Sympathetic and Para Sympathetic nervous systems.

Effects of Pranayama or different Yoga breathing techniques on health are numerous too. Yoga breaths can cleanse, heal, balance, calm and energize at various levels. Breath is considered as a direct link between mind and body. As per yogis,” if we can control our breaths, we can control every aspect of our life.” Since there is a direct relationship between our breaths and state of mind, pranayama practice can easily help cleanse, calm and balance the mind bringing clarity in thoughts and reducing stress. As our stressful lives always lead to anxiety, depression, anger and, restlessness causing pain, fatigue, indifference, doubt, confusion, laziness, self-delusion and despair. Pranayama and meditation practice can help overcome such negative emotions by strengthening the nervous system, bringing chemical balance of the brain, emotional stability and clarity of mind to improve our capacity to endure stress.

Another unique health benefit of yoga practice is hormonal balance which is mostly ignored by other forms of exercises. The endocrine system in our bodies consists of pancreas, thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, adrenal, gonads also called ductless glands, secret the hormones directly in blood stream or lymph. It is the delicate balance between these hormone levels which is very essential for normal functioning of different organs in harmony. Mental and physical fatigue, fear, sorrows, anger, jealousy, hatred, love and other emotions directly affect the functioning of these glands causing imbalances which lead to various health problems such as blood pressure, heart problem, thyroid disorders, menstrual disorders in women and many more. Many of the yoga postures strengthen and nourish these glands to bring balance and restore health.

The spiritual health benefits of yoga practice are the most powerful but very subtle at the same time as it can fill the spiritual void created by our materialistic lives and give us the purpose of life by uniting with the self which the supreme goal of yoga. As per a yogic saying “There is a beautiful world to be explored inside each one of us. Unless we understand our inner world, we cannot understand and truly enjoy the external world.”

In conclusion, yoga is a complete health package with its endless health benefits. It is a way of life and more of work-in than work-out. Stress reduction, relaxation, pain management, strengthening , stretching and toning of muscles are not the only benefits of the yoga practice. It has power to heal the root cause of diseases by bringing harmony at mind, body, and intellect and soul level. Any sincere veteran yogi would agree that its benefits begin at the physical level, leading to mental peace and clarity which ultimately leads towards happy, purposeful life to love and serve the world, the ultimate goal of yoga.

Shuchi J. Gokhale is a certified Yoga teacher. She teaches Yoga classes in the Edison, New Jersey area.

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