Yoga is Union of our individual self with the larger Cosmic self. Yoga is Balance, reaching a point of aware acceptance. And we attain it through our physical self or the body.
Breathing or Pranayama, Organized and structured physical postures called Asanas, Deep aware relaxation or Yoga nidra, Mantra Chanting, Meditation, these form the essential components of Yogic practice.
Swami Satchidananda lineage I come from teaches this as a easy, compact, and best practice of Yoga and highly advises that Yoga is practised with no expectations or competitiveness.
Yoga in Pop culture is more about the Body and getting ourselves to do those head stands, hand stands, twists, turns and all those postures that look impossible, the oh-so-tight spandex apparel line, green shakes, commercially capitalizing the timeless practice. A closer look and subtle observation will help us see the truth: it’s the breath and higher energies that move the body.
Pic courtesy- Theformfitness
Now on to breath: What is the breath. Science tells us we inhale Oxygen and exhale Carbondioxide. Well, there is more to breath, we inhale the Life force known as Prana along with O2. In a future post I will tell you in detail about Prana.
I have dabbled with yoga for many years but it’s only since I started my AF journey at the end of 2017 that it’s been in my life more consistently. When I came back from the retreat recently, recognising that I had neglected yoga for a few months I set myself a 40 day challenge to do yoga or meditate every day in an attempt to embed the habit. I’ve missed 2 days so far out of 30. Some days it has been really difficult to get myself onto the mat and I’ve literally only been there for 5 minutes. More recently I’ve found myself prioritising it and looking forward to that time.
In his wonderful book, The body holds the score, Bessel van de Kolk talks about how trauma is held in our bodies and nervous systems, and people need more than talking therapy to help with that. It’s like the body’s smoke alarm is set to be triggered at any hint of danger, leading to over reactions, stress and catastrophising all over the place. Their research has confirmed what the yogis already knew; yoga calms it all down; encouraging balance between the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) rather than the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). It is also said in yoga circles that we hold emotional pain in our hips in particular; a result of those muscles contracting whenever our stress response is triggered. Sitting at desks and in cars for long periods doesn’t help either.
I’ve had tight hips as long as I’ve been aware of such things; particularly on the left. Years of running and riding and not stretching – the folly of youth! Yoga has helped ease it but I often have pain in that area, particularly as I fall asleep. I’ve been doing a lot of hip stretches in my yoga routine these last few weeks. When I wrote my last post about getting in touch with the origins of my depression; I didn’t say that whilst the memories flooded me as I was going to sleep my hip was throbbing intensely – not super painful but intense. I wrote the blog and the next night I dreamt that my mum died. It was now, not the past, and all I did in the dream was cry buckets of tears. Since that night I have not felt depressed in the same heavy, unmotivated way; and my hip is looser and the pain has gone pretty much. I’ve felt extremely grateful to my unconscious that it took care of the weeping so I didn’t have to in the day!
New Delhi, March 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) We are the generation of “good vibes” and the moment we realize we arent getting good vibes from the people around us, or the surroundings, we prefer to move away from it. As human being we also have our own internal energies within our bodies. We all thrive on energy in spite of being brainwashed with the convenient methods of healing, we fail to recognize, acknowledge and embrace the energy within us. Our internal energy is an alternate for medicines, says Dr Shyam Nidugala, Chief Medical Officer, Nimba Nature Cure
By embracing the energy sources within us, we can purify and filter those energies that bring a feeling of positivity and give us the power to heal ourselves and others, she notes. She explains how energy can be healed through Reiki, Pranic and Hypnotherapy
This is a continuation of my previous post, Conservation of Energy. It seems facetious and obvious for me to state that you should spend your time on things that bring you more energy and avoid things that don’t. I’d like to explore this concept with you in more detail.
It’s common to misidentify what we think will energize us. Binge watching a show starts out as a great idea, but usually ends with us becoming one with the sofa and sinking into apathy. In some rare circumstances, we’re able to power through the series and feel better at the end than when we started.
The discrepancy is due to our mental state – which in turn is largely influenced by the amount of skill we have and the challenge presented by the task. Take a look at the image below.
Just released March 20, 2020. A sign of the times? Maybe….
The Earth is trying to teach us to live better. To lead richer, happier lives.
Will we continue down the limited path of the mechanical mind?
Or will we tune into ultimate intelligence? The same intelligence that allows blood to flow through our veins, bees to pollinate flowers, birds to fly south, salmon to spawn, whales to migrate, caterpillars to become butterflies, the Earth to rotate, the moon to orbit, and the rest of nature to function perfectly of its own accord?
We have access to nature’s silent message—if we take the time to listen.
In this spellbinding collection, Stillman guides us from the lush forests of the North Cascades, through the sandstone slot canyons of Utah, and into the border country of extreme southern Arizona. In this classroom, we learn not from books, nor words, nor lectures. Wilderness is the school of life, where we learn not from that which thinks—but that which knows.
Nature’s Silent Message suggests the existence of something far greater than what we see on the surface. It’s about breaking through old patterns so that new ones may emerge.
The message is simple and pure, but when you try to define it, it vanishes into thin air. And in that vanishing, you find it again. Like a beautiful butterfly that can never be caught. Try and catch her and she’ll drive you mad, eluding you forever. But learn to fly with her, and all the wonders of the world will be shown, and all the answers to your questions be known.
If you haven’t jumped on the yoga craze yet, make 2020 the year you find out what you’re missing. From better strength and posture to gaining flexibility and calming the mind, yoga has all the benefits. Those who like to sweat usually go for an Ashtanga or hot yoga class, yet some others prefer a gentler practice. For a slow-paced class to de-stress and revitalize, try these four yoga styles.
1. Hatha
Those who are looking for a calming practice can certainly find it in Hatha yoga. The classes mainly focus on basic yoga poses, so Hatha is great for a beginner.
During Hatha, you’ll learn about pranayama, which means breathing techniques and asanas which refer to yoga postures. Essentially, it is breath control
Hatha is about achieving harmony between the energies of the sun and the moon, in spiritual terms. After a few weeks you’ll have all the basic poses down and will be ready for a more advanced class, if you wish to do so.
2. Kundalini
Kundalini yoga borrows many of its postures from Hatha, so the two are very similar in a physical sense. The difference is that Kundali generally uses more meditation, and chanting mantras with a strong focus on kundalini energy.
This recently added to my library. And I’m glad I did.
When we eat, can we feed the soul as well as the body? Can a diet have an impact on spirituality? Spiritual Nutrition empowers readers to develop personal diets that are appropriate to their lifestyles and spiritual practices. Drawing on 14 years of clinical experience and research, Dr. Gabriel Cousens discusses nutritional issues that can help answer these questions, including raw vs. cooked food; high vs. low protein; the concepts of assimilation and fasting; alkaline–acid balance; attitudes about food; nutrients, energy, and structure building.
In addition, Cousens shares his new dietary system of “spiritual nutrition” that is based on the relationship that the color of the food has to corresponding colors of the human chakra system, hence, the “rainbow diet.” For true nourishment, he strongly promotes the connection of diet to meditation, fellowship, wisdom, and love.
Gabriel Cousens is the author of seven internationally acclaimed books including Spiritual Nutrition and Creating Peace by Being Peace. Known worldwide as a spiritual teacher and the leading expert in live, plant-source nutrition, Dr. Cousens functions as a holistic physician, psychiatrist, family therapist, and cutting edge researcher on healing diabetes naturally.
He holds an M.D. from Columbia Medical School, a doctorate in homeopathy, and diplomas in Ayurveda, clinical acupuncture, and holistic medicine. His multi-cultural background as an ordained rabbi, an acknowledged yogi, and a four-year Native American sundancer, adds insight to his “whole-person enlightenment” teachings.
Dr. Cousens is the founder and director of the Tree of Life Foundation and the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, an innovative holistic retreat center for the renewal of body, mind, and spirit, based in Patagonia, Arizona. In his book, There Is A Cure For Diabetes, Dr. Cousens presents his rejuvenation center’s program for reversing diabetes naturally.
Since beginning my Reiki private practice, I have been performing self Reiki to make sure that I incorporate self care into my practice. Usui Mikao, the founder of Reiki died of a stroke four years after his awakening on Mt. Kurama which manifested his ability to heal with his hands. Subsequently, he created the current day, Reiki practice and taught it to many students, as well as healing four or five clients at the same time during these four years. However, I believed that he was not diligent in self care that may have resulted in his death through a stroke. His story is a life lesson for all Reiki practitioners.
I have been providing Reiki therapy for my twin flame who has the same emotional and physical issues as me. Therefore, after treating him, I would treat myself on the same issues. Since performing self Reiki, many fears and buried emotions have come to the surface. I have been experiencing nightmares regularly, disrupting my sleep nightly. They deal mainly with self doubt, fears of failure, and fears of the unknown. In these dreams, I do not feel at peace, and feel agitated, and unsettled.
