How often do you think about the way that you breathe? If you’re like most people you probably aren’t aware of how you breathe. But how you breathe can have a huge impact on your life and your health. Medical studies have shown that the simple act of deep breathing can have significant health benefits. Here are the top 5 ways that simply taking a few moments to breathe deeply can really improve your health:
1. Deep breathing reduces stress – When you’re very stressed out stop and take 10 very deep breaths. You will instantly feel more relaxed. Try it, you’ll see. Deep breathing supplies the oxygen that your body needs to function well and that extra influx of oxygen can revitalize your body and your mind which will reduce stress and help keep you calm.
2. Deep breathing reduces pain – Have you ever noticed that doctors and medical personnel tell mothers that are giving birth to breathe deeply? Or maybe you’ve noticed that coaches tell athletes that are injured on the field to take deep breaths? That’s because when you take deep breaths your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s way of fighting pain.
3. Deep breathing helps you relax – Have you ever been told to breathe deeply and count to 10 when you’re angry or upset? Breathing deeply will help your relax and calm down which is why people are encouraged to breathe deeply when they are angry or upset. Taking deep breaths will increase the oxygen flow to your brain which will help you calm down.
4. Deep breathing can reduce your risk of high blood pressure – There are some medical studies that show a connection between high blood pressure and a shallow, fast breathing rate. So the faster your breathing rate is the more likely you are to suffer from high blood pressure. Taking time each day to be more aware of your breath and to breathe slowly and deeply can help you lower your risk of high blood pressure.
5. Deep breathing can increase your energy level – Do you have trouble staying awake after lunch? Do you always feel your energy dip in the mid-afternoon? Millions of people have problems keeping their energy levels up during the day and turn to caffeine or other stimulants when you can get the same energy boost by taking some time to breathe deeply. The extra oxygen that you get from those deep breaths can give you all the boost that you need to get through your day.
Jay Franco has been a Yoga enthusiast since an early age. He is constantly trying to find practical ways of implementing this ancient knowledge into his Western lifestyle.
Raja means kingly or royal. This form of meditation is based on bringing the mind and emotions into balance or harmony so that your attention may be easily directed to the object of your meditation or on the Lord directly.
Nine yoga-meditation points in human body - Photo: Wikimedia
Life force is generally a movement up and down the spine so that it becomes balanced and the emotions, as well as the mind, are serenely content.
Awareness is then directed to move forward to a point that is located in the center of one’s lower
forehead. This meditation point, which is also called the Ajna, or third eye, is located about 1 half inches above where the eyebrows meet.
When the energy becomes balanced throughout your body and brain and moves effortlessly into the area of the ajna, calmness seems to overtake your mind.
Certainly, your mind is not passive but it frees itself from the meaningless worries, thoughts, and clutter of the subconscious mind.
You derive a pleasant sense of well being in this state and your mind seems to be filled with a velvety
darkness.
As your consciousness courses toward your third eye, different pastel colors appear your forehead. There are sumptuous, glorious pinks, whites, indigos, purples, yellows, blues and green that take their turn in your forehead.
As your life force becomes stronger and more concentrated you may think you see lightning, fireflies or moonlight. This whole process is getting you ready to experience your true nature.
The person who practices raja yoga in its purest form lives in bless with the will completely be surrendered to God.
When you hear the words "wet yoga" chances are you're thinking about sitting in a room, contorting your body into all manner of positions and doing this all while the heat is at the center of the sun setting. If that isn't exactly what you hoped for don't worry, you have options.
Water yoga is a new way to keep fit that is allowing those formerly kept on the side lines to jump into the pool. Water has long been used to enhance applications such as orthopedic therapy and aquatic strength training. Combining the long known benefits of yoga with the cushioning ability of aquatic therapy has opened the fitness arena to many people for whom it was previously closed. The movements that are fundamental to yoga- known as asanas- can be preformed within the privacy and support of water with either freestanding movement in a shallow body temperature pool, equipment assisted poses or wall assisted poses. This partnership of water and yoga help to both strengthen and lengthen muscles and in many cases, help to alleviate chronic pain, muscle injury and protect weakened or fragile joints.
The positive benefits of yoga are seen over the long term with a gradual increase in strength, flexibility and endurance and when preformed in water this increase tends to happen far more quickly and with far less chance of injury or strain which is why this new form of fitness is quickly become so popular with all types of people. Aquatic therapy, including water yoga, have proven themselves extremely useful in pain management. Conditions such as fibromyalgia, and varicose veins where pain can be a constant the soothing cushion of water and the muscle benefits of yoga can allow those people to attain a higher fitness level without the pain of traditional exercise. It is the perfect marriage of function and comfort.
Crystal is an account coordinator with Location3 Media. Her personal blog discusses travel, health, fitness, and finance.
Almost everyone has experienced the fact that when one starts concentrating his mind on any immediate object or an idea, the mind starts wandering. It is very difficult to keep the mind busy with a single thought. The ancient sages too encountered the same problems. Arjuna, in Gita had mentioned that controlling the mind is an impossible thing on earth. Hence, he was advised by Krishna that though mind control is difficult, it can be made silent and steady by regular practice of vairagya and abhyasa. However, he has warned that yoga is very difficult for people whose minds are not steady and controlled. Pantanjali, in Yoga Sutra has emphasized these two qualities to achieve mind control. Hence ,these are the very qualities that make the essence of yoga.
Lord Krishna instructing the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna in Kurukshetra. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mind is like a disturbed pond with many impurities. First you need to stop the inflow of fresh impurities and then remove the existing impurities to clean the mind. Abhyasa is one of the practices for purifying the mind. Dhyana is one of the sub practices of abhyasa. This is a stage that a person reaches after practicing concentration for some time. At the start of dhyana, the mind is steadier and only a single thought about an object arises in the mind. Now it is safe to say that the state of dhyana is reached. Here, the mind becomes very stable like the flame of a lamp in a calm atmosphere and its contact with the object of experience becomes intense and complete.
There are two varieties of dhyana called sagunadhyana and nirgunadhyana. In the first dhyana, the stillness of mind is associated with an object of experience which can be experienced through the sense organs. The second one is completely mental. It implies complete absorption of mind into itself. Here, the mind is not associated with any external object. It becomes completely still in this state. This mind is supposed to remain still, silent and sensitive such that it can understand any past, present and future event that might have happened anywhere in the universe.
Many "Mixed Martial Arts" (MMA) fighters have the strength and endurance to be formidable opponents, but they struggle with breathing, balance, and flexibility. An excellent training method to solve this problem is yoga. Yoga is not just for a bunch of new age peace lovers it is a proven discipline for anyone with a desire to strengthen the body and mind.
Many MMA facilities across the country have started to incorporate yoga into their training programs. The correlation between yoga and grappling techniques used in Brazilian Jujitsu are remarkably similar. The obvious benefits of yoga are increases in balance and flexibility which enhances speed while it decreases the risk of injury.
There are many other beneficial properties of yoga training. One major quality is enhanced dexterity to formulate submissions in a more fluid and coordinated matter. Through yoga, a fighter can amplify balance and core strength in stabilizer muscles often ignored in standard "Mixed Martial Arts" training programs.
Balance improvement will greatly decrease the chances of slipping. How often have you seen a fight end in minutes due to an unfortunate slip? A perfect example of this is the Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli fight. Kimbo's lack of balance gave the fight advantage to his opponent he then lost the fight in eleven seconds.
Another important factor in "Mixed Martial Arts" is breathing control. You can easily observe the best fighters have mastered proper breathing. This enables them to outlast opponents and even persevere through a near submission.
Yoga added to a weekly workout routine provides a change rotation for muscles normally used in strength and condition training. This will rejuvenate any muscles used primarily during the week while still being able to make progress with scheduled training.
There are at least fifty other direct fighting benefits yoga can offer with unique training routines for any fighter. If you are really serious about winning, use this brand new fight training technique for a new yoga edge in the ring.
Satori is a Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor, Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher,and personal life coach.
Whenever we start something new we have a certain feeling of trepidation and uncertainty of the unknown and in most cases it is completely unfounded and we get on with things very quickly and easily. Sometimes it isn't and a simple little thing can cause us to have an entirely negative first impression and perhaps even never want to try that activity or passtime again. Yoga has so many health benefits, on both a physical and spiritual level, that it would be a tragedy for anyone to miss out on them because they made a silly avoidable mistake on their first day. With that in mind this article addresses the 3 most common mistakes of new Yogi, and how to make sure they don't happen to you.
This is, in fact, why I quit my yoga class. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mistake One: Not knowing what you want from Yoga.
The reality is that there are numerous different styles and forms of Yoga and each has it's different attractions. Ask yourself what it was about Yoga in general that attracted you and then you can investigate a style that caters more specifically to that. You may like to set goals, be they physical, mental or spiritual. If you do then it's a good idea to discuss them with the instructor of your class before you begin. Yoga instructors are usually very approachable and happy to talk about their passion. They will be able to talk to you about your goals for the class and let you know if you are being realistic, aiming too high or too low. Make sure you goal includes a timeframe so it becomes something that is measurable.
Mistake Two: Jumping in Feet First.
Having decided that they will give this Yoga thing a try many people take a running leap and jump in to a 12 month stage by stage class. These classes are usually an upfront payment arrangement and progress from one level to the next as the weeks progress. They are a fantastic way of learning Yoga and becoming very good at it, but it's quite possibly you will choose a class that is not ideal for you.
The best way around this is to join a Yoga beginner class, also known as a drop in class. If you do these classes for a few weeks you will notice a high turnover of students as new people join and old people move on. These classes are designed to give you a very broad feel for the different types of Yoga. The level of the students in the class usually varies greatly so you can expect the instructor to keep the classes quite tame. The other key benefit of doing this is that the classes are pay as you go so there is no big financial outlay for you while you decide the type and style of yoga that best suits you. You are also not obliged to attend every class. With the longer courses you can fall behind quickly if you miss a week or two in a row. With the pay as you go classes you will find that while each class is different the level stays quite low to cater for the newer people joining in.
Mistake Three: Choosing the wrong teacher.
Traditionally a Yogi had to be an apprentice to a skilled Guru for many years before he could teach even the simplest of Yoga technique. Nowadays a 3-day course over a long weekend is considered enough by some people. There is a big difference in what you will achieve depending on the skills and abilities of the person teaching you. Yoga is starting to make a regular appearance on the sports injury list and a large reason for this is instructors who have been taught just enough to be dangerous. A qualified teacher won't necessarily be fantastic and an unqualified teacher won't necessarily be terrible - but the odds are certainly cast in that direction, so it's a good idea to check your instructors background and qualifications before you begin studying with them.
Chair Yoga can easily work in harmony with most physical rehabilitation prescriptions. Many physical therapists have knowledge of Yoga or are teachers of Yoga. Many doctors, physical therapists, and medical professionals recommend Yoga to patients who are making a “come back.”
Yoga gives these patients the strength to move ahead, when many would be discouraged. The comebacks that I have personally witnessed are inspiring to me as a Yoga teacher. Over time, I have seen come backs from strokes, heart attacks, and car accidents.
It touches me that they thanked me for teaching them Yoga or Chair Yoga.
The courage to go on came from within their minds, but Yoga became a significant part of their lives. As a Yoga teacher the inspiration was mutual and made me feel helpful. After all, being of help, and being appreciated, are prime motivations for teachers of any subject.
Muscle tone is a result of stretching and flexing any muscle group. Active muscles display themselves on anybody that chooses to use them. This is also a good way to relieve oneself of anxiety, stress, tension, and prevent depression. Like the other benefits, previously mentioned, this results in whole body health. A healthy body does, indeed, compliment a healthy mind.
For those clients who are confined to a chair, it is wise to include some form of a weight bearing, or weight resistance, exercise program. For those who can stand, Chair Yoga is another weight bearing exercise that will stimulate bone building.
With progressive weight resistance, you use free weights or machines, but with Yoga you bear your own body weight. The end result of these exercise programs would be increased bone density and prevention of Osteoporosis.
Seniors spend more time alone, than any other age group. Sometimes, we all need a little solitude, but too much solitude can lead to depression, in some of us. Living life like a monk is not for everyone.
Chair Yoga classes offer a social activity that helps to stimulate the mind and body in a positive way. This becomes an uplifting activity that participants look forward to. Regular attendance, and socializing in Chair Yoga classes, is a healthy activity that leads to building strong relationships.
It also exposes seniors to the many activities that are going on within the community center. Participants of chair Yoga classes are exposed to whole health and gain a nutritional education as a member of a senior, community, or wellness center.
Lastly, all participants in Chair Yoga classes learn to relax and quiet the mind, through breath awareness, meditation, stage-by-stage relaxation, a combination, or another method. The end result being that these Yoga students can control their minds, focus on the good things in life, and prevent depression.
Yoga is a great disposition enhancer and it does it naturally. Any kind of exercise releases hormones that help ease the stress that often leads to the blahs, blues, or outright depression. Activity keeps your mind far from negative thoughts and allows you to gain insight on dilemmas in your life. People who are depressed or “down” often lack the stimulus to exercise. It doesn’t take near as much effort to do a Yoga routine as it does to work out to a video or drive to the gym. A word of warning; if you experience more than just the occasional bout of the blahs and feel down for more than two weeks at a time, you should seek professional help. They may feel that you need treatment or therapy, and proper exercise.
Very often people who are depressed frequently lack the concentration to stop and try to disconnect themselves from their thoughts. Yoga is meditation in movement so it is easier to move your mind away from depressing thoughts. Yoga’s focus on balance can also help you bring back your mental strength.
Yoga has a clear-cut connection between mind, body, and spirit that no other form of exercise or meditation can attain on its own. Negative thoughts can keep us from experiencing our vital inner nature. Doubt, hopelessness, despair, apathy and either sleeping too much or not enough are all signs of depression. Yoga is designed to bring you closer to your inner self; it then is only natural that it can help with some of the symptoms of depression.
Certain postures can influence your mood and allow depression to end. One special Asana can’t cure depression or the blahs. The Asanas assist in increasing your lung capacity allowing more oxygen to reach all the affected parts of your body including your mood. Asana postures can help depleted energy levels, and sluggishness. You should ask your Yoga instructor to help you and suggest postures that would best assist you balance your moods.
The practice of yoga calms the nervous system, and allows you to comprehend the link between your mind and emotions. They can both be used to help each other. As breathing is an important part of Yoga, it can also help you to limit anxiety, calm your thoughts, and help you concentrate on positive energy rather than negative.
Any style of Yoga can help you exile the blahs. It may not be physically demanding but you will feel so much better at the end of your session. Remember, if you have a severe depressive episode; seek advice from with a professional. Consult with your Doctor before starting to practice yoga to be sure there is no conflict with any treatment you may be undergoing. If you want to try a Yoga routine specifically for depression, find a teacher who can create a personal routine for you. Yoga teachers have been extensively trained for this purpose and know which positions that are the most suitable for remedial purposes.
Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning spinning wheel. These are a system of seven energy centers located along the spine. Each chakra corresponds to an area of the body, a set of behavioral characteristics and stages of spiritual growth. Practicing yoga and focusing your energies during different postures can help you to align your chakras and get all the wheels spinning in the same direction and speed. Understanding how to fine tune and control your chakras through yoga and meditation can help bring balance and peace to your mind, body and spirit.
There are seven chakras, each associated with a different part of the body along the spine from the perineum to the crown of your head. Each chakra is associated with a particular body location, a color, a central emotional/behavioral issue, as well as many other personal aspects including identity, goals, rights, etc.
The seven chakras are:
Muladhara- base of the spine;
Svadhisthana- abdomen, genitals, lower back/hip;
Manipura- solar plexus;
Anahata- heart area;
Visshudha- throat;
Ajna- brow;
Sahasrara- top of head, cerebral cortex.
Through the movements and postures of yoga, you can learn to focus your concentration and energy to and from the various chakras in your body. This can allow you to compensate for areas that may be out of synch with the rest of your body or not active at all. By balancing the energy among all seven of the chakras, balance can be achieved. This spiritual energy is known as Kundalini energy. In its dormant state, it can be visualized as a coiled up snake resting at the base of your spine, the Muladhara chakra.
Since the chakras act as valves or pumps regulating the flow of energy through your system, controlled and purposeful movements such as yoga can be extremely beneficial in realigning your chakras in a way that can cause great benefits to you in your physical and emotional wellbeing.
A human life is a priceless gift of God. The Lord does not have a greater gift than this to give his beloved creatures. Its specialties and potentials are so extraordinary that its results can only amaze us. This gift has been given to us to fulfill divine goals. But it is our ill-fate that we have forgotten our divine nature, God’s gift and the goal/ importance of a human life. Neither do we know our divine potential, nor the Lord’s goal, wisdom or meditation. We are straying far away in this dark, gloomy world. This forgetfulness is strange. People generally forget objects and also what they have read, heard etc. A person whom we had known in the past is now a stranger for us, since we have forgotten him. But it is rare to find a person who forgets himself. We think ourselves to be a body with name and form. We desire what our mind desires, we look upon the body’s needs as our own need.
The body and mind are the 2 wheels of the chariot of our life. But we have totally forgotten that we are the soul and not the body. No doubt we hear time and again that the body is different from the soul. But it is very rare that someone actually experiences this fact. And even if we experience it, it is in a very hazy manner. If we understand true reality and the difference between the life-force and peripherals that manifests in our consciousness, we will give prime importance to soul well-being. We would give only that much importance to material objects as is required. Today we are walking with feet devoid of shoes and decorate our cars with frills of gold. We are dying of hunger and give clarified butter to vehicles. “We” means the soul and vehicle means body or mind. The Lord is serving his servants. It is indeed strange that he has forgotten his responsibility.
ATTAINING THE SOUL’S GOAL
The goal of life is to attain self-fulfillment. This self-fulfilled state can only be at the level of divinity. In order to attain God, the mind should get concentrated on him. Before constructing important buildings, their maps, plans and models are designed. An engineer, architect etc. will build buildings based on these models. An image of God with his qualities, activities and nature is carried out for the purpose of meditation. As a result one experiences nearness, oneness and a sense of merging of God. This is the true nature of meditation.
The goal of true meditation is to regain our lost memory regarding our real nature. If someone happens to regain it, it is definitely akin to a man coming out of a very scary dream. It is only then that one experiences a condition akin to a child being lost in a massive crowd or like that of a man who has lost the memory of his identity. Those undergoing such anguish, experience a great loss and they hurt their near and dear ones. Since we have lost our memory (that we are the mighty soul and not the body), our condition is as demeaning as a baby lion being brought up in a family of goats. As a result we are giving pain to our true nature, which is divinity.
The goal of Yoga of meditation is to overcome loss of memory i.e. to awaken to the fact that we are the soul and not the body. In that one remembers God and one experiences one’s soul nature. The memory of the union of a living being (Jiva) and God (Brahman) is re-activated and one experiences, that this very Divine Power contact was broken by us, is in reality our Divine Mother and Benefactor. Not only this but like the proverbial wish-fulfilling cow (Kamadhenu), it is so powerful that by drinking its nectarine milk, we attain divinity. By sitting in the shade of a wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpavriksha) one can attain anything. After contacting, coming close to that Divine Centre, one does not lack anything and thus we can overcome all types of poverty. Thus Yoga of Meditation helps us attain this goal.
CONCENTRATION
It is not something great to attain Divine Powers. It should be protected from any type of wastage and should never be misused. The benefits of attaining Divine Powers are encountered when they are gathered in a safe place and that they are utilized only for sacred tasks.
As a result of heat, a lot of water of the oceans gets converted to steam. So much steams rises into the atmosphere from cooking gas, fire etc. All this goes in waste. But in an engine, a little bit of water is converted to steam. This steam is not allowed to stray in the atmosphere and is in fact collected in a tank. Later its energy flow passes out of a small hole and reaches the piston. As a result of this small process, the engine of a train starts functioning. Not only does it move but it runs at a great speed. Its movement is so powerful that it tugs alongwith it many other compartments at a high speed.
If tons of gun powder are spread out on the ground and lit with a match-stick, it will show a little light for a flash of a moment and then get burnt to ashes. This is a total wastage and is of no use to us. But if it is enclosed in a small area of a gun and by pressing the trigger a little, sparks of fire touch the gunpowder, this infinitesimal gunpowder gives amazing results. The bullet runs at a mammoth speed to its target. Wherever it lands, it topples that object. One can thus clearly note the difference between just lighting up tons of gunpowder with a matchstick and on the other hand, lighting up a minute amount of gun powder in a gun.
The rays of sun light are scattered all over the earth. Daily the sun rises and then sets in the evening. This sunlight can give only a little heat and light to us. But if a few sunrays are concentrated on paper using a special lens, the paper starts burning. If it is thrown in a huge jungle, a forest fire ensues which destroys that entire area to ashes.
During Draupadi’s Swayamvar (choosing you own groom), the condition for getting married to her was that the prospective bridegroom should pierce the eye of a bird placed at a distance with an arrow. Dronacharya was helping his students to master this art. Before his students aimed an arrow, Dronacharya would ask them as to what they were seeing. On an average the students would say that are seeing a bird on the tree. As a result Dronacharya would declare that such students would never succeed. When it was Arjun’s turn, he answered that I can only see the bird’s eye and nothing else. Thus Dronacharya declared that Arjun would definitely succeed. Truly at the Swayamvara ceremony of Draupadi, Arjun pierced the eye of the bird with one single arrow and thus got married to Draupadi.
It is said that a flying creature called a buzzing bee catches hold of a caterpillar and continues to buzz in front of it. As a result of continuously hearing the buzz of the bee and visualizing the bee’s form, the mental state of the caterpillar becomes that of a bee. The caterpillar starts thinking itself to be a buzzing bee. As a result the body of the caterpillar takes the shape of a buzzing bee instead of a grown up butterfly. Zoologists may doubt this but it is a definite fact that whenever man concentrates/ focuses his mind on a particular name and form, his mind too takes up the name, form and characteristics of that object. As a result of focusing her mind on beauty and youth, a prostitute regains her beauty to a great extent at an advanced age too. On the other hand, many young men and women look aged because their minds are all the time thinking of hardships and dire circumstances. All this is a result of focusing one’s mind on a particular good/ bad thought. This could be intentional or unintentional.
Spiritual concentration means to stop the mind from straying away from its center and that after focusing one’s Divine Powers at one central focal point, one should utilize the same for sacred endeavors only. This is called control of mind or focusing of the psyche in spiritual texts. A lot of discussion takes place regarding Yoga of Meditation. It should be surmised as an art of concentrating one’s mind. When we hear about it, its success seems mediocre but in reality, it is a great achievement. When one masters this art, man by focusing his scattered conscious energy in one place, utilizes it for some sacred purpose and thus attains amazing success.
Water is filled in dams. But when it is ejected from a small opening, a stream of it flows at break neck speed because of water pressure generated by the dam. This flow has extraordinary energy. Its influence aids the movement of wheels of many machines and as a result these machines start moving. The construction of huge electric powerhouses takes place near gigantic dams. It is very expensive to generate electricity using engines and machines but hydroelectricity is cheaply operated near dams. Near smaller waterfalls, you have water mills. The resultant energy is not due to the stream of water but it is due to its concentration. By focusing a widespread area in a smaller area, you generate power.
The aim of Yoga of Meditation is to concentrate mental thought scattering in one small area of thought. The more an individual succeeds in concentrating his mind, the more his psyche will radiate with power. Like an arrow of word, it is easy for him to attain his goal. If spirituality is his aim, he will advance spiritually and his psyche will radiate with Ridhi-Sidhi or what are called Divine Powers. If the aim is material progress, we will attain this goal too. In whichever appropriate direction this energy is used, it will reap good dividends.
Concentration/ focusing means overcoming the wasteful scattering of the thought waves of our mind. By obstructing the water flow of a small stream, a dam is created and thus a small pond, lake is created. Then artificial streams are created from this lake which give water to far off arid regions. If this stream were not converted into a dam, it would have lashed at the shores and caused wasteful flooding in surrounding regions. This would lead to material destruction in that region. One should not look upon the thought flow in our mind as less important when compared to a hydroelectricity generator. The power of an electricity powerhouse is limited and can transmit electricity to a very limited region in its vicinity. But this cannot be said about the mind. Its potential of today can be augmented infinite fold in the future. Its area of influence which is today limited to the family and friends will in future encompass the entire world.
Generally people of great authority like scientists, philosophers, artists, scholars, sculptors, authors, managers, leaders etc are like ordinary laymen. Their body is very ordinary and their minds lack a magical wand. Whatever difference one perceives in them alongwith the miracle of their greatness, is a result of their inner special qualities which in turn are related to the focusing capacity of their mind and their steadfastness in reaching the desired goal. Everybody possesses infinite amount of intellectual energy. To the extent that weak brained individuals too have a lot of radiance. The difference only is this that some have activated this radiance and the rest have not done so. Even a very wise person is like a dead corpse when he is in deep sleep. But on waking up, he manifests his intellectual brilliance. This holds true for the brain too. Due to certain circumstances, the intellectual powers of some people remains latent and thus look weak intellectually. But if their intellect is activated with effort, not only will they be as brilliant as other wise people but sometimes they will march ahead of them too.
Everyone knows that many threads unite together to form a strong rope and many broomsticks join together to form a broom. Many drops of water constitute a jugful of water. This example is given to accept the fact that by obstructing the wayward scattering of the intellect, one can focus/ concentrate one’s thought waves at a focal point. One can easily understand that wayward scattering of thoughts in various directions diminishes our mental prowess and that if these thoughts are concentrated at one single point, it will give us miraculous mental strength.
By advancing mental concentration, great scientists, Yogis, philosophers etc. enter the deep ocean called the mind and thus collect priceless jewels. Those who just float on the surface of the sea, attain nothing but those who dive deep into it, attain priceless materials. Superficial thinking is like a wayward blade of grass moving aimlessly here and there. On the other hand focusing one’s thought waves at a single point in the psyche via meditation gives miraculous results.
Bikram Yoga is widely known as the hot yoga. It was also called the Bikram Method Yoga. As a matter of fact Bikram Choudhury was the founder of Bikram Yoga, but with time numerous wrong styles of spelling bikram yoga got to be used: bickram yoga, bikhram yoga, bikrahm yoga, bikrham yoga, bikrum yoga.
Bikram Choudhury at a book signing.
Bikram Choudhury (born 1946) is a multi-millionaire
Indian yoga guru and the founder of Bikram Yoga, (
It was Bikram Choudhury, that gave yoga solutions to some of modern medical problems. He was the founder and a yoga practician. He evolved Bikram Yoga after he had an injury in a weightlifting accident. He was so tenacious that he had picked up some healing benefits in using some yoga exercises. A lot of people have evidenced the benefits of Bikram Yoga so the exercise was communicated and numerous people proceeded to practice it. There are some people who do not believe in the benefits of Bikram Yoga. Bikram Choudhury developed Bikram Yoga with the assistance of some scientists. While Bikram was on his research at Tokyo University, he brought out that the healing operation takes place when all the body systems are serving well, are conditioned and robust. If the body is weak, employing the yoga practice and healing method will be difficult to obtain.
The scientists from the University of Tokyo University Hospital showed that Bikram Yoga has medical benefits. Some of its benefits include the reviving of tissues and helps in curing chronic ailments. The findings and benefits were submitted at the International Medical Conference in the year 1972. It was expressed that Bikram Yoga has the aptitude to shape the body internally.
Bikram has come up with twenty-six posture exercises which are to be applied every day. In doing so, treatment in the body can be easily obtained. Bikram or hot yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room, which is usually preserved at a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Some poses are collected with the combination of the western and eastern disciplines in Yoga which focuses on the stretching of the muscles, tendons, organs, nerves, glands and ligaments.
So, there are many reasons why you should exercise Bikram Yoga. The rewards of Bikram Yoga can completely modify your life. It's amazing how Yoga can trigger off your life and shift your positions.
In order to be successful with the healing process of Bikram Yoga, you require attachment in doing it. The positions and hot air replenishes the cells with flushing toxins in our body. It also oxygenates blood throughout our body maintaining it clean and healthy.
Anyone who wishes to do yoga can use Bikram Yoga. It chooses no age at all. This type of yoga works with balancing, stretching and creating pressure which is all done at a same time to keep a good blood flow to all the parts of the body. So next time when you don’t know if it is bickram yoga, bikhram yoga, bikrahm yoga, bikrham yoga, or bikrum yoga, just say hot yoga.
The writer Wayne Cameron is really interested in subjects associated to Yoga poses. Working on his Yoga writings on Bikram Yoga the columnist confirmed his deep knowledge on the topic.
Instructor de Kundalini yoga practicando Pranayama (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pranayama, also known as yogic breathing is the method of silencing the breath. Prana has been defined as the air which flows through the body. Pranayama is made up of three parts: controlled inhalations, controlled exhalations and holding of the breath. When you do all three parts, it is called sahita, while doing only the holding breath without the other two is called kevala. You should start with sahita till kevala comes into being. This is a technique that controls all that is associated with prana.
Our breathing is made of two acts of inhalations and exhalations. These acts are followed in cycles where inhalations and exhalations succeed each other, where you take in air into the lungs and then release some of it back from the lungs. In between the inhalation and exhalation, there is a short gap which usually escapes our attention. This act is called respiration and is usually completed in four seconds in the resting phase. We usually respire nearly fifteen times a minute. You can take in about 400 cubic centimeters or 0.4 liters in a minute. When you do deep inhalations, you take in additional 1.6 liters of air and 2 liters in all. At the time of deep exhalations, you throw out all these 2 liters of air but still your lungs contain another 1.5 to 2 liters of air.
Thus, the total lung capacity of the human body for a normal individual is about 5 liters. The amount of air that you can exhale through deep exhalation after a deep inhalation is called as Vital Capacity. Dividing this number by the weight of the body gives you the Vital Index, which shows the capacity to breathe as well as the vitality of the body and its efficiency in the body’s functions. Regular practice of yogic breathing has been shown to increase yogic breathing. This raises the vitality of the body and efficiency of the bodily functions.
Sit on your knees with palms on thighs. Close eyes and relax, but keep spine and head straight.
Inhale deeply and lift arms above head, keeping them straight and shoulder-width apart. As you breathe out, bend forward from the hips, keeping arms and head in a straight line. Hands and forehead should eventually rest on the floor in front of your knees. Bend your elbows, so that arms are fully relaxed and hold for five seconds.
Then breathe in and slowly raise arms and body back to the upright position.
Exhale and return your palms to the top of your thighs. Repeat 3-5 times.
MOUNTAIN POSE (Parvatasana)
Strengthens nerves and muscles in the arms and legs, and stimulates the circulation in the upper spine.
Kneel on raised heels and stretch your arms forward so your forehead is on the floor. Breathe deeply and relax for a few seconds. Raise yourself on to your hands and knees, keeping your toes tucked under and your back flat.
Inhale and push up onto your toes. Raise your buttocks and lower your head between your arms. Your back and legs should form two sides of a triangle.
Exhale, rest your feet on the floor and try to touch the floor with the top of your head. Hold the position for 10 seconds.
Streamlines the waist and develops balance. Stand with feet 8 inch apart and fix eyes on a point directly in front of you. Interlock fingers and turn palms outward. Inhale deeply as you raise arms over your head. As you breathe out, bend from your waist to your left side, taking care not to reach forwards or backwards. Hold for a few seconds, then inhale deeply and slowly return to the upright position.
Repeat 5 times to each side.
CAT-STRETCH POSE (Marjari-asana)
Kneel and lean forward to place hands on floor below your shoulders, fingers facing forward, hands in line with knees. Arms and thighs should be at right angles to the floor; knees may be slightly separated.
Inhale deeply, raise head and drop spine so your back is concave. Fill your lungs and hold for three seconds. As you exhale, lower your head and stretch your spine upwards. At the end of the breath, pull in your buttocks, contract stomach muscles and place head between arms.
Diabetes in various forms affects up to 5percent of the world population with 12 million diabetics in Western Europe alone. Of the different ways in which diabetes presents, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is probably the most commonly encountered genetic disease. NIDDM or Type II diabetes is multifactorial, depending also on environmental factors including obesity, sedentary lifestyles and nutritional imbalances.
Yoga has shown some beneficial results in curing diabetes. The yoga exercises that are prescribed for curing diabetes is different from hatha yoga exercise because it involves positions tailored to treat certain conditions, as well as meditation, relaxation and stretching exercises.
One of the studies conducted to cure diabetes was the one set up by the Yoga Biomedical Trust, founded in 1982 by biochemist Dr Robin Monro, and an Indian yoga research foundation which discovered that practicing yoga for 30 minutes a day for one month helped reduce blood glucose levels in some diabetics.
The yoga patients took part in one or two 90-minute sessions a week and were asked to practice at home. The classes included the specific yoga exercises of the spinal twist, the bow and abdominal breathing.
At the end of the 12 weeks blood sugar levels fell significantly in all patients in the group and were slightly raised in a control group which had not joined in the yoga sessions. Three yoga students managed to reduce their medication, including one man who had not changed his drug regime for 20 years.
It has been known for a long time that exercise is helpful for diabetics. Yoga therapy may help reduce stress levels which could play a part in maturity onset diabetes. But one drawback is that some patients would find it hard to keep up the regular sessions needed to sustain the benefit. All the patients said they would like to see these classes set up on a permanent basis but we don't have the money.
It is not necessarily the exercise component of the yoga therapy package which is most important, because there is not enough physical exercise to account for the changes, but stress reduction has a lot to do with it. Stress hormones increase sugar levels in the blood. People also benefit from the stabilization of their moods which yoga brings, an increased feeling of well-being and a feeling of being more in control, which may help with their diet control.
