Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Eye flu

Got the pink eye - conjunctivitis, so have been spending a lot of time in pain & asking myself what did i do to bring this on. Both equally draining activities. Thats when it hit me - perhaps its the Almighty's way of telling me to spend more time loving myself. I realise im highly self critical, as are so many of us. even when others appreciate, praise me im not really believing them or let myself enjoy that moment. well, then you can imagine how unlikely it is to appreciate myself.
So, canceling all work, I did what i do best- ca some asanas, some pranayama but meditatively. 4 asanas in 30 minutes, just the lying down ones. Anuloma viloma. Honestly, i felt i had a spa treatment done :) I actually felt lighter, definitely happier & very very peaceful.

Moral of the story - any physical disease is a call to spend time with yourself. Do what ever gives you joy - read, watch movies, sip tea ....... but listen to your inner voice , its talking to you, always

Yoga is a lot more that excercise

Most of us think of yoga as bodily movements, flows, breathing exercise & all the health benefits that such physical actions will bring about. Yoga is all this & much much more. Its a discipline, a way of life, a way to walk, talk, eat, work - in short yoga is in everything, a step by step path to reach your highest potential. Yoga evolves the mind, raising the level of consciousness, to go beyond the mind & realise who you really are.
To understand better - animals have consciousness which is at a lower level as hu mans. They feel as we do but human can make sense of our feelings, analyse, ponder & choose our responses. Animals react as per their brain programming. What yoga does it to teach us techniques, some with the body, some with the breath, to raise our level of awareness. With greater awareness, we can choose to excercise greater options of behaviour, thought patterns & rise above our inherent programming. Thats creations - something new from what was.
We start by training the body because we have some control over it, so we discipline it first. Then the breath is trained. We train our senses as our awareness increases & make better, perhaps different choices. Overall, we create a new way based on harmony within ourself & also harmonious to all around us. Thats yoga.
"Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah" - Yoga is restraining of the mind. Thats the defination of Yoga according to Patanjali, the author of The Yoga Sutras. The Sutras are a compilation of every yogic wisdom in the world. Anything you need to know about yoga, refer to this single source. The problem is that these sutras or aphorism, 195 in all, are in sanskrit & you need an interpretor to decode & understand it. Thats the part i enjoy :)

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Yogic Tip: Diabetes

All abdominal compression asanas are great for diabetes. Pawanmuktasana, paschimotanasana, yoga mudra.

Living in peace with yourself & others


There are many situations in which we have no control over what happens, no ability to affect the outcome, but no matter what occurs it is possible to stay balanced. Such equanimity gives us strength and a sense of being unshakable in a world that is constantly making demands and creating challenges. We never know what is going to take place or when—nothing is predictable, permanent, secure, controllable, or dependable. Everything is subject to change in every moment. When we are at peace within ourselves we can embrace such change with greater sanity and dignity.

This is the end to which yoga works. Yoga is all about finding & maintaining your equanimty, the balance . . the unchangeable factor that come what may, i will be in my right frame of mind. In the Gita its called Samatvam. Success in life is in knowing nature of things. Freedom is in the fact that no one & nothing can affect my state of being.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

The energy that is within us


Everything in the Universe consists of energy, a vital, invisible, and moving force. Modern scientists recognize the existence of energy, with Einstein describing it in his famous equation: e=mc2.

In China, the existence of energy has been the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & acupuncture for thousands of years. In the yogic traditions of India & Tibet, people have understood the concept of energy, which they call "prana." The Jewish Kabbalistic tradition refers to energy as "yesod." In the Christian faith, energy is often called "Holy Spirit." The Lakota tribe of the First Peoples of North America call energy "wakan." The Iroquois tribe refers to this subtle, yet powerful force, as orenda."

The powerful force of balancing energies within the body, mind,
emotions & spirit to create vibrant health, and extending this energy to heal society the environment, and the planet.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Ayurvedic Tip: Digestion

During monsoons the digestive system is sluggish. also with all the festivities happening one tends to indulge. Ayurveda suggests the best way to restore harmony to your digestion is by having a CCF tea. 1/2 tsp each of coriander, cumin & fennel, boiled & steeped. Have a cup after each meal. Cheers!

Complaining??

"When you complain, you become a living, breathing crap magnet."

What an awesome quote! Im a firm believer of the Law of Attraction as explained in The Secret. Most often, I have noticed that the more i critisize the worse the situation gets especially in my relationships. As soon as I start focusing
on the stuff that bothers me about the person, it worsens.

It is the best and fastest way to see that "what you focus on expands."

That is why I wanted to share this quote with you.It left a sting in my belly because I had to admit that sometimes I am a crap magnet. At least now that I am aware of it, I can also choose to snap out of it as quickly as I see it.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Bhujangasana -The "Determination" pose


Bhujangasana means serpent or cobra pose. Its one of the best backbend postures. All backbends challenge us

"Like a snake, the spine should be moved from end to end, when the head moves, the movement is transmitted to the tail" - B.K.S. Iyenger

Doing the pose: Keeping the body fixed firmly to the ground with feet,heels together, forhead on the ground, palms on either side of the chest. The elbows are tucked in towards the back, shoulders away from the ears. On inhaling lift the forhead, nose, chin, spine, head upwards with little or no support from the arms.

This can be modified & done standing. Stand, place arms, fingers on back supporting it. Lift chin up & gently push the back outward, stretching it backward.

The resistance experienced here is from our spine as we try to move it against its natural form. We are using our will power to do so. Thats where determination comes in.

As Swami Sivananda Radha explains "The psychological implication of snake lies in the fear of being overpowered by the unexpected events of life - health, economic, relations.Its a constant battle, so it seems. Exhaustion & helplessness results until we realise that we never get a burden we cant shoulder".
The answer is within us, as always.The kundalini energy is symbolised as a coiled, sleeping snake lying dormant at the base of our spine.

Mythology uses snake to represent its powerful, fearsome, poisonous,watchfulness & wise image. Vishu with his 7 headed snake bed. Medusa, the greek goddess has snakes instead of hair growing from her head. Shiva has a snake around his neck. Krishna dances on the head of the serpent Kaliya.

We humans are designed to self heal & face any situation. This can happen only when we realise the power we have within. Instead of swaying to the music of the outer reactions, like the cobra does to the charmers tunes, we can create our own internal peace. From here comes the determination to lift ourself above circumstances.

As your back grows stronger from regular practice, you realise that you are not spineless & you are ready to reach up higher using your own power & strength. This surge of confidence, self assurance is what you need from your practice, to take into your daily life.

what are your thoughts while doing bhujangasana?