Treat Your Body With Yoga

Meditation is the practice of bringing your mind inward by focusing the attention on a single object in total concentration. Since it is the nature of the mind to continuously create thoughts and keep your attention jumping from one thing to the next, single-pointed concentration is essential for meditation to happen. However, over time, the effort and perseverance of daily meditation practice will pay off, as the thought waves will diminish and your mind will become calm and quiet.

Why Meditate?

Meditation creates an empty space within by quieting the mind. That space provides an uninterrupted flow of clarity and energy, because the usual preoccupations with the world completely disappear. That space allows you to tap into your true nature, and all ego-driven fears and emotions vanish. At the highest levels of meditation, duality also disappears and there is nothing but oneness with the Divine. This is called Samadhi. The permanent state of Samadhi is what we call Liberation or Self-realization, and it is the aim of all forms of yoga and all spiritual paths. Liberation is the ultimate aim of human life, and meditation is both the practice and the door to attaining it.

So the ultimate benefit of meditation is Self-realization, but a daily meditation practice will provide many other advantages, both on a physical and emotional levels, as well as in terms of spiritual development. Since it purifies the body in general, and the nervous system in particular, it can greatly enhance your overall health and prevent or improve any type of disease. Your energy levels and mental powers will increase as well; your creativity and intuition will be enhanced, and inner joy will becomes a regular experience. Meditation can highly reduce stress levels, and the medical community is starting to realize the value of the different practices yogis have been doing for thousands of years, particularly hatha yoga and meditation, and integrating them into the hospital environment.

If you are able to meditate at least for a half hour daily, you will become level headed and face life with peace and spiritual strength. Meditation is the most powerful mental and nerve tonic. Divine energy freely flows during meditation and exerts a benign influence on your mind, nervous system, and sense organs. It opens the door to intuitive knowledge and to other realms of reality. When your mind becomes calm and steady, inner peace becomes real and part of your experience.

With practice, duality disappears and Samadhi, or the superconscious state, is reached. Be patient and consistent, because reaching this state takes a long time, but what you acquire along the way, such as clarity and inner peace, are just as priceless.

Important Guidelines for Meditation

* As purity begins with the physical body, cleanse your body before meditation.

* The seat for meditation or asana should be made of wool on the bottom and cotton cloth on the top. Avoid sitting on the bare ground, since your energy may be drained off, and-most importantly-do not share your asana with anyone.

* Regularity of time, place, and practice are important, as they condition your mind to slow down, paving the path to deeper levels of meditation. Ten minutes every day is better than one hour every now and then.

* The best times to meditate are early dawn and dusk, when the atmosphere is quiet and charged with special spiritual energy. If it is not possible to sit for meditation at these times, choose a specific time and stick to it everyday.

* Try to have a separate room for meditation. As meditation is repeated, the energy will increase and the atmosphere will be filled with peace and purity.

* When sitting, face North or East in order to take advantage of favorable magnetic vibrations.

* Sit in a steady, comfortable, cross-legged position with the spine and neck straight but not tense.

* Keep your breathing rhythmic: inhale for three seconds and exhale for three seconds. The breath, the prana (vital force) and the mind are connected. Regulating and controlling one will regulate and control the other.

* Do not force your mind to be still, as this will just set in motion more thought waves. Allow it to wander without focusing or following any thought, by concentrating on a mantra (word of power) or specific technique. With practice, it will eventually become still.

* Select a focal point for your mind to rest. Most people choose the Ajna chakra (third eye), as it is close to the eyes and easy to focus on. Eventually, you may choose the Anahata (heart) chakra to go deeper.

* If you are not using a mantra, you can also focus on a neutral or uplifting object or image while concentrating on your breath as you inhale and exhale.

* Attempt to live a pure, pious, sattvic life. Treat your body as a temple. Strive to eat pure, nutritious food and avoid intoxicants. A vegetarian diet will certain decrease toxic energy and accelerate your spiritual development.

Living with asthma can be a real struggle and is often quite frightening when a sudden attack occurs. Being dependent on an inhaler and restricting your activities to those that won’t induce an attack can significantly lower your quality of life. However, you can begin to practice yoga to treat asthma and see that it is possible to ease many of your symptoms naturally. Of course, don’t change or stop your medications without consulting your doctor first. But why not try yoga-you don’t have to be flexible, the poses described below are great for beginners. Over time you may find your asthma symptoms lessening and your breathing is easier with fewer attacks.

How does yoga help to alleviate asthma symptoms? The main way is by promoting deeper breathing. People with asthma tend to have shallow breathing, so breathing deeply will encourage a better breathing pattern. Also, yoga poses that expand the chest and ribs will increase your lung capacity which also helps you breathe better. So which poses are best to treat asthma? Try the three described below:

* Fish Pose – Lie down on your back, with either your legs straight and together with toes pointed outwards or with them bent at the knees. Place your hands palms down under your buttocks and keep your elbows close to your body. Lift your torso off the floor but keep most of the weight on your elbows. Rest either the top or back of your head gently on the floor, keeping your face and neck relaxed. Breathe deeply for about 15 breaths, then lift your head slightly and lower your body back to the floor.

* Camel Pose – Kneel down on your knees with your thighs about hip width apart. Start to lean backwards slowly, reaching behind you for your feet. Only go as far as is comfortable. If you can’t reach your feet, you can use a prop until you become more limber. Don’t tilt backwards at your thighs, keep them vertical. Hold this pose for about 30-60 seconds, then come back up slowly and rest.

Everyone needs a break! It’s important to take time out for you and focus on a little rejuvenation and relaxation. You may not always be able to get to the spa or a fitness retreat so I’ve created eight great steps to creating your own at home wellness day. Taking care of your body and de-stressing are just as important as fitness and nutrition.

1. Make a game plan. Set out your schedule and follow it. Try starting with fitness in the morning and ending with the pampering aspects. A sample wellness day could look something like this: 8am Invigorating Cardio, 9am Strength Training, 12noon Healthy Lunch, 1pm Yoga, 2pm Do It Yourself Hand and Foot Massage or Soak, 3pm Do It Yourself Body Scrub or Tub Soak, 4pm Rinse or Shower and Moisturize, 4:30pm Healthy Snack, 5pm Rest and Relax, plan for your next At Home Wellness Day.

2. Fitness. Invigorate your body, get your heart pumping and strengthen and tone muscles with fitness. Pick a fitness class you’ve never tried before or choose one that you know you love but haven’t participated in for a while. Mixing it up can help keep it fresh and new for your mind and your body. Plus, make sure to make your At Home Wellness Day special and different.

3. Incorporate Healthy Meals. Let’s go all the way for this health and wellness day. Make sure to eat healthy too! Skip the fast food and check out your local organic grocer. If you’re not into cooking, you can also plan out your meals or make sure you have healthy take out in mind. Lay off of the refined carbs and stick to lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Salads loaded with vegetables, nuts and seeds are a great way to incorporate many healthy goodies in one meal.

4. Mind Body. Relax, refresh and renew your mind and body! Add in some mind body time. Try a yoga class, pilates mat or even meditation to rejuvenate your mind and completely relax your body. Let the stress leave your body as you breathe, let go and unwind.

5. Body Time. Time to treat your body right! Give yourself a hand and foot massage or soak, book a massage with an at home massage therapist or body treatment or utilize a Jacuzzi and/or steam room. Pamper your body and release toxins to add to your wellness day.

6. Relax. Take a few minutes for you that are specifically for you and are free from noise. Turn your cell phone off and enjoy at least 15 minutes of complete silence without phones, computers or TV. Relaxing without distractions can be beneficial for your mind. You’ll be able to think clearly and focus on yourself.

7. Schedule. Plan your next at home wellness day. To keep up with the benefits from your relaxing day, you’ll need to make sure you continue your regimen. Schedule a health and wellness day at least once a month. Adding it into your planner just as you would a business meeting can help you stick to your plan.

Restoring the body into its balanced state-that’s what Restorative Yoga is all about. As a physical illness, back pain is linked with the disintegration or malfunction of the Chakras. Before starting a new treatment method for pain relief, it is a must to visit your doctor first.

Salutation to the Sun (Surya Namaskara) consists of 12 postures that are used with meditation of the divine power and rhythmic breathing. As the god of health and long life, the Sun is considered the most potent and life-providing force in the planet. The Sun Salutation yoga pose, which is also called Surya Namaskar or Suryanamaskara, helps prevent back pain when combined with mantras and chakra awareness meditation.

In the field of New Age and Metaphysics, the Chakra Energy Centers are popular and very well taught. Chakras, which are an original part of ancient yoga practice, can be your best option in treating pain. With Chakras, you are able to recharge the seven energy centers in your body. That way, you can eliminate the emotional obstacles and open the connection between your mind and body, which is accompanied by breathing techniques, asanas, and yoga mantras. All these are connected in several ways to pain in the neck, shoulders, and back.

What are Chakras, you might be wondering. Used by yoga experts for a long time, chakras are a spiritual and natural system in the body. Chakras enable you to instantly open up to empowerment, happiness, unconditional love, improved health, stress management, and better income for everyday lives.

When you do the Chakra Yoga, you energize your body and mind to heal. An imbalanced lifestyle can be bad for your health, relationships, career, finances, school life, and other concerns. Chakra Yoga focuses on establishing flexibility, strength, and grace while keeping meditation in the practice. Therefore, it is a great complement to traditional Yoga to treat back pain and other injuries.