Meditation - The Way To Reduce Stress

Meditation

 

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction.
Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process results in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

Types of Meditation

1.Focused Meditation: If the idea of clearing your mind of all thoughts stresses you out, focused meditation is great because you can focus on a sound, object, mantra, or thought. The key here is to just focus on one of these things and stay committed to that one thought or object. This is when relaxation music comes in handy. Even though you're essentially using your mind, you'll be amazed at how rejuvenated you feel afterwards. In our day to day lives, our minds really are in 10 different places at once!
2.Mantra Meditation: Mantras are words that are chanted loudly during meditation. It may seem odd to be making loud noises during a meditation session, but it's actually the sounds that become the object being focused on. In yoga, the mantra Om is regularly used since it delivers a deep vibration that makes it easy for the mind to concentrate on that particular sound.
3.Heart-Centered Meditation Techniques : Heart-centered meditation techniques help us to awaken the radiance of our loving-kindness and compassion. They deepen our empathy and forgiveness, and teach us to live in kinder ways.They begin first with ourselves, and then open the circle of our compassion to embrace all living beings. They draw inspiration from each of the other meditations: focus and the power of peace from concentration; deep listening and presence from mindfulness meditation; insight into the nature of suffering and a sense of interrelatedness from reflective meditation; imaginative resourcefulness and skill from creative meditation.

Benefits of Meditation

What is one of the primary benefits of meditation? Stress relief. The deep rest experienced during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique allows the body to naturally dissolve stress and strain. After learning the TM technique, it is common for meditators to feel less stressed and to notice that they deal more calmly with tense situations.

5 Benefits of Meditation

1. CALMNESS
The simple difference between those who meditate and those who do not, is that for a meditative mind the thought occurs but is witnessed, while for an ordinary mind, the thought occurs and is the boss. So in both minds, an upsetting thought can occur, but for those who meditate it is just another thought, which is seen as such and is allowed to blossom and die, while in the ordinary mind the thought instigates a storm which rages on and on.

2. Inner Peace

 Most people would like to experience more inner peace in their lives; at times peace feels an elusive quality because our lives are so hectic. Meditation teaches us how to switch off from the noise of the mind, we no longer give importance to the teeming thoughts which fly through our mind. Through meditation we can gain a clear state of mind; this is the secret of feeling a real inner peace.

5. LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE

A study at Harvard Medical School found that meditation lowered blood pressure by making the body less responsive to stress hormones, in a similar way to blood pressure-lowering medication. Meanwhile a British Medical Journal report found that patients trained how to relax had significantly lower blood pressure

6. Better Relations with Others

 Often we can have minor conflicts with other people because we dwell on minor faults of the other person. Whether it is justified or not, it is a common source of unhappiness and division. Meditation teaches us to give no importance to minor thoughts. When we meditate powerfully we develop a sense of oneness with other people; we naturally look to their good qualities. Their minor faults seem unimportant.

7. To discover a real sense of who we are

Our intellectual mind can seek to discover the answer to many questions, but the one question of who am I? always remains unanswered. To discover our real self; to be aware of our own soul we have to go beyond the mind. It is in meditation that we can become aware of a living spiritual presence. When we find this we feel a new purpose in life.

 

How to do Meditation at Home

There are several kinds of meditation techniques that have their own set of instructions to provide an effective solution to its practitioners. However, you can decide the one that best suits the need of the hour. The duration of the meditation also depends on the kind that is chosen. For the most basic level of meditation at home, follow the following steps:

Step One

To start with meditation at home, you should look for a place that is peaceful and serene. Absence of noise and pollution is very important while you sit for meditation.

Step Two

Try to sit upright and keep your spine straight for as long as you are comfortable, without exerting pressure on your body. You can either choose to sit on the bed or on a carpeted floor or even on a chair. The usual position for meditation is crossing the leg but if that is uncomfortable, you can choose to sit with your legs stretched or in a position that gives you utmost comfort and relaxation. The effectiveness of the meditation technique highly depends upon the level of comfort in which it is pursued.

Step Three

Start visualising a specific object in your mind and try to consider the object as yourself. Try to visualize yourself to be the way the object is in terms of shape, colour, and texture. In doing so, you will begin to feel relaxed and calm. If the visualisation does not come naturally, do not push yourself into thinking what your mind is not comfortable with. You can begin with plain concentration on something around you and gradually build into visualising the object to be you.

Step Four

It is likely that while concentrating on an object, you may fluctuate between other issues concerning everyday situations. In such a situation, you should draw your attention to the pattern of your breathing. Try taking deep breaths and exhale completely. Ensure that you develop your concentration on your breathing pattern and gradually revert to visualising yourself as an object.

Step Five

Try to increase the speed of your breathing pattern and observe your stomach compressing and expanding. This will help you ensure that your mind is at one place. No matter what kind of meditation technique you opt for, practicing the above mentioned basic steps can help you figure out the complex ones with ease.

Meditation Facts

Meditation, in fact, has several different effects on the body; both on the physical body and on the psychological well-being of the mind. First, some of the physical benefits of meditation include:

• Oxygen consumption lessens

• Respiratory rates decease

• A marked increase in blood flow occurs, which in turn slows the heart rate

• Meditation actually increases the level of exercise tolerance in heart patients

• High blood pressure is lowered to normal levels

• A decrease in muscle tension and headaches

• Increases in the production of serotonin levels (which influences and mood and behavior). Note that low levels of serotonin have been associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and headaches.

• Meditation has also been shown to help in chronic diseases, such as allergies and arthritis.

• In women, meditation can reduce pre-menstrual syndrome. 

Conclusion

Once you mastered focusing on one thought you have reached the level of meditation where you focus on nothing at all. This is the essential level for cleaning your mind of chatter. If thoughts come back you can now look at them quickly, but you will have the ability to gently push them out of your mind. This level of meditation can take years so do not be discouraged if you cannot clear your mind of all thoughts. With practice it will come and you will become a master.

Surya Namaskar - The Secret of Good Health

Surya Namaskar

History of Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar, or more commonly referred to in the West as Sun Salutations, is one of the most basic yoga exercises that you will learn. It is known for its ease of performance and the wonderful rich benefits it can deliver both for the mind and body. But before you go deep into that, it is important to first gain an understanding on how it evolved by looking back into history.

         Some scholars attribute modern Surya namaskar practice to Tirumalai Krishnamacharya teachings. It includes modern day Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and the Visesha Vinyasa Sun Salutation subroutine from Vinyasa Krama Yoga, as well as a host of other popular forms of yoga.

          In his work The Yoga Body, Mark Singleton states Sūryanamaskāra may have been invented by Patinidhi Pant, the Rajah of Aundh. He adds that there is no evidence that the Sūryanamaskāra sequence was practiced prior to the early 20th century. According to Alter, while Pant Pratinidhi of Aundh called the warm up routine as surya namaskar, how exactly Sūrya Namaskāra came to be included in the yogic practices of Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga in India remains unclear.
His Holiness Meherban Shrimant Raja BHAVAN RAO SHRINIVAS 'BALA SAHIB', Pant Pratinidhi of Aundh (1868–1951; Raja of Aundh 1909-1947) occupies an important position in the history of surya namaskar. He helped to popularize surya namaskar as a simple physical exercise, introducing it into schools and encouraged ordinary men to be physically fit by performing surya namaskar every day. Some Western scholars classify surya namaskar as a modern physical exercise invented by Raja of Aundh. The Raja of Aundh himself never claimed to have invented Surya Namaskar, but rather stressed an ancient origin for this procedure.

Introduction to Surya

Surya has a lot of significance in the Hindu religion, while the term literally translates to “the Supreme Light”. Hindus believe it is the chief of solar deity since the term generally refers to the Sun. The mythical image representation of Surya has golden arms and hair. He is known to ride his triumphal chariot that is attached to seven horses that takes him through to the heavens. Those seven horses represent the seven chakras found all throughout the body.

 

1. Namaskar - salute. Standing with the feet together in tadasana, the mountain pose. 

2. Chandraasan - crescent moon pose. Inhale, raise arms above the head, extend the spine backwards.

3. Hastapadaasan - bending pose. Begin exhale, bending forward from the waist, place hands on the floor, relax head and neck.

4. Surya Darshan - sun gaze. Inhale, stretch the right leg behind in a big backward step, resting on the toes. Bend your back knee to the floor with your weight on your left foot and arch the spine backwards.

5. Adho Mukha Svasana - downward facing dog pose. Exhale, step left foot back in line with right, lift
the hips up.

6. Sashtang dandawat - lie down. Put the knees down first, then the chest to the floor. See that the 8 parts of the body are touching the floor: two hands, the chest, the chin or forehead, two knees and two feet. Sashtang means 8 limbs and dandawat means paying homage by touching the floor.

7. Bhujangaasan - cobra pose. Lower the pelvis and abdomen to the floor. Inhale and stretch toes and legs, raise the head slowly. Arch the spine and neck and look up. Keep legs together and elbows alongside the body.

8. Adho Mukha Svasana. Exhale back to downward facing dog.

9. Surya Darshan. Inhale and bring the right foot forward and assume pose #4.

10. Hastapadaasan. Exhale and bring the left foot forward, to pose #3.

11. Chandraasan. Inhale and return to pose #2.

12. Namaskar. Exhale and stand erect

 

Benefits of Surya Namaskar

Each one of the postures in Surya Namaskar was designed to benefit a portion of the body. The very first act of bringing the palms together in front of the sternum facilitates the spreading of the scapula which can become scrunched during a normal day of stress. When lowering into Plank Pose, the triceps are engaged and by holding the pose a few seconds longer, strengthened. The legs are engaged in alternately stretching and grounding into a pose such as Warrior Two. By maintaining this posture for the length of several breaths, the quadriceps of the forward bending leg along with the hamstrings of the back outstretched leg are strengthened with the effort of keeping you balanced. Contracting your abs throughout the series will ensure the safety of your lower back and have the added benefit of whittling your waist.

Tips

Attempt each pose in the Surya Namaskar series before you string them together. Discover the nuances of the postures and be aware of your limits. Surya Namaskar yoga is a challenging undertaking, but with practice can be enjoyed for its many benefits.

 

Practice 

Surya Namaskara, like most asanas, is recommended to be performed on an empty stomach. Therefore some recommend a gap of at least two hours after eating and before performing the namaskara. It is generally practiced in the morning before breakfast or in evening. 

Shavasana is practiced at the end of practice for rest. 

Pranayama is synchronized with asanas. 

Mantras can be pronounced at the start of each Surya namaskara. Bījas (seeds) or the 12 mantras specific to each asana can also be chanted while performing each asana. The 12 specific mantras, though, repeated mentally instead. 

Chakras are points-of-focus, when performing asanas. 

There are a total of 8 different asanas in the sequence of the 12 asana changes of Surya namaskara. Some asanas are repeated twice in the same cycle of a Surya Namaskara. 

In a traditional Hindu context, Surya Namaskara is performed facing in the direction of the rising (east) or setting (west) sun. 

As per the scriptures one who performs the Surya Namaskaras daily does not get poor in a thousand births

 Conclusion

Regular practice of surya namaskara for at least three months raises self-confidence, improves posture, helps manage menstrual complaints and boosts overall general health.

 

Yoga - The Divine Experience

INTRODUCTION

The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. The aging process, which is largely an artificial condition, caused mainly by autointoxication or self-poisoning, can be slowed down by practicing yoga. By keeping the body clean, flexible and well lubricated, we can significantly reduce the catabolic process of cell deterioration. To get the maximum benefits of yoga one has to combine the practices of yogasanas, pranayama and meditation.

Regular practice of asanas, pranayama and meditation can help such diverse ailments such as diabetes, blood pressure, digestive disorders, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, asthma, varicose veins and heart conditions. Laboratory tests have proved the yogi's increased abilities of consciously controlling autonomic or involuntary functions, such as temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure. Research into the effects of yogic practices on HIV is currently underway with promising results.

According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body. Yoga acts both as a curative and preventive therapy. The very essence of yoga lies in attaining mental peace, improved concentration powers, a relaxed state of living and harmony in relationships.

Through the practice of yoga, we become aware of the interconnectedness between our emotional, mental and physical levels. Gradually this awareness leads to an understanding of the more subtle areas of existence. The ultimate goal of yoga is to make it possible for you to be able to fuse together the gross material (annamaya), physical (pranamaya), mental (manomaya), intellectual (vijnanamaya) and spiritual (anandamaya) levels within your being.

 Yoga History  

Yoga is more than mastering postures and increasing your flexibility and strength.
"The traditional purpose of Yoga, however, has always been to bring about a profound transformation in the person through the transcendence of the ego,"
In Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism the word yoga means "spiritual discipline". People often associate yoga with the postures and stances that make up the physical activity of the exercise, but after closer inspection it becomes clear that there are many more aspects of yoga. It is an activity that has been practiced for thousands of years, and it is something that has evolved and changed overtime. Different factions of yoga have developed since its conception.
The exact history and origins of yoga is uncertain; however, there are pieces that have been connected and allow us to make some conclusions. It is known that yoga originated from the East. The earliest signs of yoga appear in ancient Shamanism. Evidence of yoga postures were found on artifacts that date back to 3000 B.C. Evidence of yoga is found in the oldest-existing text, Rig-Veda. Rig-Veda is a composition of hymns. Topics of the Rig-Veda include prayer, divine harmony, and greater being.

"The primary goal of shamanism was to heal members of the community and act as religious mediators,"

Yoga originally focused on applying and understanding the world. Its focus later changed to the self. Self-enlightenment became the ultimate goal.
It was not until the sixth century B.C. that the poses and meditation became a critical element. They were implimented by Buddhist teachings.

Benefits Of Yoga

Physical: The movements of yoga will carve out a long, lean, strong, and confident body.

Mental: All those deep breaths reset your mind back to its natural state: calm, focused, and sharp.

Psychological: All the focusing inward illuminates our behaviors and tendencies. The same habits we have on our mat are the ones we have in our lives. We see this, and we gain the freedom of choice. Who do I want to be? We get to create or re- create ourselves each day. Regular practice gives you a clear mind and the inspiration and courage to be constantly expanding and improving your life.

Neurological: When your brain is “on yoga” your neurological system is brought back into balance and is conditioned to steer you naturally toward a healthy lifestyle. Our bodies are constantly rewired to make whatever we practice get easier. When we practice healthy, balanced living we get more healthy, balanced living.

Intuitive: When there is tension in the body and mind, your intuition gets buried and your body switches to survival mode. Your yoga practice makes space in your body physically, releases tension, and calms your mind, making room for your intuition to float to the surface and guide you.

Creative: Creative juices start to flow when your body and mind begin to release mental blocks. Creativity doesn’t like to come out when there are stressors, whether from physical tension or mental cloudiness. When the stress melts away, creativity can come out to play.

Connected: Yoga is the practice of getting connected. However you choose to view your spirituality, when you practice yoga, you remember that we all are connected, here to help each other, and that we have so much potential when we are kind to others.

Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You

  As we all know, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right yoga kit and tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start Practicing Yoga - to feel fitter, be more energetic, be happier and peaceful.

Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga - from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise.

Benefits of Yoga to Your Bones, Muscles, and Joints

• The physical benefits of yoga are myriad. Yoga keeps your body strong, as it involves all the muscles in your body to hold and balance yoga asanas (poses). The various yoga postures strengthen your feet, legs, hands, abdominals, lower back, legs, and shoulders.
• Yoga's stretching and breathing exercises improve your flexibility, helping joints, tendons, and muscles stay limber. People suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis will see a noticeable improvement in their stiffness, pain, and other arthritic symptoms by practicing yoga poses and postures.
• Yoga improves your endurance, especially the more athletic forms of yoga such as ashtanga yoga, power yoga, vinyasa yoga, and Bikram yoga. These rigorous yoga practices follow a specific sequence of poses (asanas) that become more challenging as you progress. Unlike the more gentle hatha yoga, the forms of ashtagna yoga, power yoga, vinyasa yoga, and Bikram yoga require you to keep your body in constant motion between poses, resulting in a strenuous cardiovascular workout and improved core strength.
• Hatha yoga can relieve chronic back and neck pain, since the poses and postures gently stretch and strengthen your back and neck muscles.
• Yoga is often prescribed to help heal various injuries, including repetitive strain injuries, knee and back injuries, pulled hamstrings, even minor skin burns. Of course, you should consult your physician before using yoga as a treatment for any injury!
• Yoga is an excellent weight-bearing exercise that can improve your bone density. This is particularly beneficial for women approaching menopause, since yoga can help ward off osteoporosis, or thinning of the bone.

Benefits of Yoga to the Cardiovascular System

Yoga has tremendous health benefits for your heart. Most notably:

• The gentler forms of yoga lower your blood pressure because the asanas (yoga poses, postures, and yoga positions) keep blood flowing evenly throughout your body while you focus on your breathing.
• People suffering from hypertension can benefit from yoga tremendously, as hatha yoga can lower your heart rate and blood pressure.
• Many practitioners claim that yoga has also lowered their cholesterol.
• Power yoga is an excellent form of cardio conditioning, which strengthens core muscles while it keeps blood and oxygen circulating throughout your body.

Benefits of Yoga on Mental Health

• Yoga benefits anyone's mental health by helping him or her relax, and it is an effective form of psychological therapy. Yoga reduces anxiety and stress, resulting in better health, better mood, and better concentration throughout the day. Yoga has been used to help treat a wide variety of emotional and mental disorders, including acute anxiety, depression, and mood swings.
• Even children can benefit from yoga. Those with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity can learn to relax and get control by using yoga breathing and yoga asanas.
• Because yoga is a form of meditation, it results in a sense of inner peace and purpose, which has far-reaching health benefits.
• Yoga has been used to help heal victims of torture or other trauma.

Benefits of Yoga on Other Health Conditions

• Do you have frequent headaches? Yoga can rid you of tension headaches and migraines because yoga circulates blood and oxygen to your head, which can often prevent headaches from starting.
• A regular yoga practice helps boost antioxidants throughout your body, resulting in a stronger immune system and improved ability to heal quickly from disease or injury.
• Yoga can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight throughout your life. Power yoga is a vigorous form of yoga that burns calories, resulting in weight loss.
• Many women going through menopause report an easing of symptoms when they begin practicing yoga.

Benefits of Yoga in Everyday Life

• Yoga can help cure insomnia, as regular yoga practice leads to better and deeper sleep.
• Yoga can help fight fatigue and maintain your energy throughout the day.
• Yoga is an effective treatment for a variety of autoimmune diseases because it can reduce the symptoms these diseases often cause, such as stiffness, malaise, fatigue, and weakness.

The Five benefits of yoga I found most surprising: 
 
1. Compassion

 Who would have thought that a physical practice could help me feel compassion and understanding for myself and those around me? Yoga philosophy tells us that we’re all one, but it’s the experience of many bodies moving and breathing simultaneously that I think really created that understanding for me. I realized that we’re all just doing the best we can in life. There’s something very liberating about that mind-set that can melt away ill-will, competition, and petty disagreements like nothing else.

2. Mindful eating

I am not a health-food yogi. In fact, at one point in my life, my daily diet consisted of little more than chicken fingers, French fries, and soda. But after a just a few months of yoga, I found myself craving leafy greens. Yoga changed the way I ate because I started to pay more attention to how the food I took into my body affected me. I still eat my share of junk food (I do love a good cupcake!), but thanks to my yoga practice, it’s an occasional treat instead of a daily habit.

3. Strength

I was shocked when I realized how much strength it took to get through a yoga class. I was even more surprised by how quickly how strength-building poses that were once incredibly difficult for me got a little easier. I wasn’t just getting more flexible–I was becoming stronger, too.

4. Confidence

It’s one thing for someone to tell you that you can do anything you set your mind to. It’s another thing to actually experience it for yourself. It takes a lot of time and determination to stand on your head, hold the weight of your body on your hands, or even just to consistently unroll your mat to practice. But once you’ve experienced it, you really start to believe you can do anything! You also start to see a beauty in yourself that you never knew was there. For me, this translated into a boost of confidence that I really needed.

5. Better relationships

What do you get when you mix a little heightened awareness, a dash of compassion, a pinch of self-confidence, and a smidge of positivity? The ability to relate to people in a more meaningful way. And that means you get a stronger network of friends, confidants, and supporters. Of all the benefits I’ve reaped from my yoga practice, perhaps this is the most valuable of all.

Anyone can practice yoga

Yoga is non-competitive and suitable for anyone, regardless of their age or fitness level. Your yoga teacher should carefully guide and observe you, and modify postures when necessary. An asana should never cause pain. If it hurts, ease back on the stretch or don’t do it at all. It is important to keep within your physical limits. If you are over 40, haven’t exercised for a long time or have a pre-existing medical condition, you should check with your doctor before starting any regular exercise routine.

Conclusion

The purpose of Yoga is to create harmony in the physical, vital, mental, psychological and spiritual aspects of the human being. In the foregoing pages of this book, I have described the Technique of relaxation in different postures viz., standing, lying and sitting postures which brings in this harmony. Yoga is not mere practice for an hour or two in a day but it is the most scientific way of living, all the twenty-four hours of the day. During the whole day you may be only in one of these three postures and hence a skilful adjustment in them will effect the required harmony. "Yogasthah Kuru Karmani- Be established in Yoga and do all your duties." "Yogah karmasu Kausalam-Yoga is skill in action." Skill here means to be in tune with the nature of the Supreme Reality. Be a Yogin always, is the loving instruction of Lord Krishna. Convert life into Yoga, so that you may ensure success in all the fields of activity. By regular practice, by using your presence of mind, skill and wisdom, you can become Yogins and enjoy happiness and peace, whatever be the circumstances and conditions in which you are placed.