Tag Archives: Breathing Exercises

Change Your Life for the Better with Yoga Meditation

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Yoga Meditation

There is a very valid reason why Yoga has become so popular worldwide and it is because people recognize it as a great way to improve their physical and spiritual well being.  There are many different types of Yoga, and they all have devoted proponents who use it to keep fit. Certain types of Yoga place as much emphasis on spiritual wellbeing as they do on physical health, and Yoga meditation is a big part of this sort of Yoga.

Yoga meditation is credited with having many health giving properties, and it is possible to bring one’s metabolism in control by doing this. Yoga Meditation is usually done in Hatha Yoga and not in Ashtanga Yoga or Hot Yoga because the latter two forms of this exercise are mostly followed by those people who want well toned and flexible bodies, and who are not very concerned with their spiritual health. Hatha Yoga is a very relaxed and leisurely form of Yoga and it involves slow paced bending and stretching exercises that are accompanied by regulated breathing exercises.

If Yoga meditation is what is important to you then you ought to visit only those Yoga studios that offer it. It is very easy to come across the right Yoga classes once you know what you are looking for. You have to make sure that the Yoga classes you are considering joining have to have a very serene ambience. It is almost impossible to meditate in unclean and distracting surroundings. In addition, the Yoga teachers at these classes have to be very experienced and dedicated. They also should have excellent communication skills and should be able to relate to students on a spiritual level.

If you wish to immerse yourself in the Yoga lifestyle, then you should consider going for Yoga retreats. These retreats are excellent opportunities for you to brush up on your Yoga and to spend a few days with likeminded people. Most Yoga retreats take place in beautiful locations where one can be close to nature. They enhance the experience by offering only vegetarian food during the retreat, and you will return from it feeling completely rejuvenated and relaxed. Almost every person who has gone on a Yoga retreat says that doing Yoga meditation and exercises while surrounded by nature is an unparalleled experience.

You could also attend Yoga workshops occasionally in order to brush up your skills or to learn new ones.

Practicing Yoga meditation and exercises regularly will have an unmatched effect on your body and spirit. You will feel completely healthy and stress free and you will not feel dragged down by daily pressures. You will have improved powers of concentration, and there will be an immediate impact on how you conduct yourself both in your work and your personal life. Do not waste any more time but start looking for Yoga studios where you can find the correct atmosphere and the right teachers if you want to make positive changes in your life.

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Yoga Works Great For Pregnancy

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Yoga Works Great For Pregnancy

Yoga an ancient practice that enables one to bring mind, body and soul aligned with the Creator. Yoga for women has been very popular since they play the role of working mother and wife. Being a successful woman involves constantly balancing between jobs, education, and family. Yoga is a successful way for women to heal their bodies and minds. It can help them deal well with stressful situations and to maintain a positive attitude. An effective tool for good and healthy physical well-being, yoga brings much fruit and harmony to a woman during her months of pregnancy.


A time when life is blossoming within a woman, regular practice of certain yoga exercises, meditation and breathing techniques will ensure that she is totally fit both in mind, body and spirit, thereby will be able to influence her unborn child who is connected to her emotionally and spiritually.


A combination of yoga postures (mudras), breathing exercises (pranayama) and relaxation techniques, will not only aid the pregnant woman, but will enhance her body with vital energy, physical flexibility and agility. Practicing yoga helps a pregnant woman by creating a positive, serene outlook and giving her a relaxed attitude. The repetition of certain sounds calms the mind and aids development of the unborn child brain.


Practicing Yoga during pregnancy will strengthen the muscles and make the woman body more agile which will aid her during delivery. Exercises for pregnant woman would generally involve strengthening the abdominal region to assist the carriage of the fetus and aid proper development.


A strong spine and back is necessary for general flexibility, toning and the healthy functioning of the nervous system. During pregnancy a woman shoulder stoops due to the extra weight. By practicing yoga regularly she will be able to carry the extra weight without stressing her spine and thereby reduce strain.


Pregnant woman experience strong feelings of nausea , lethargy and loss of appetite. Through shatkarmas, a cleansing technique for the body the intensity of this condition can be lessened. Another practice is Yoga nidra, a powerful practice to be used during pregnancy, which involves a progressive system of deep relaxation using visualization techniques.


Here the woman can imagine her child with a healthy body, a good character and a lively and creative disposition. Ideally yoga must be practiced by both parents to make them an appropriate host for their child. A good spiritual, physical and mental well-being of both the parents will draw positive effects on the child to be born.

Kevin Pederson can guide you on the working principles behind Yoga which focuses on the benefits of Yoga techniques intended to produce a positive state of mind in us. Yoga is an effective tool for good and healthy physical well-being to a woman during her months of pregnancy.

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Yoga for Children Antidote to Stressed Families

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Yoga for Children Antidote to Stressed Families

Yoga for Children is a wonderful antidote to the hectic lives that our children lead. Yoga can be relaxing, stimulating, and promotes well being. It provides closely controlled exercise and is enormous fun for children at the same time.

A number of Yoga for Children programmes have been created by Yoga teachers to introduce the benefits of yoga and relaxation at an early age in a playful, simple and fun way. The combination of special yoga moves, breathing exercises and relaxations will energize, strengthen, loosen and balance little bodies, while helping to calm and control and relax little minds.

Kids yoga is a wonderful opportunity for the child to learn life skills that can be implemented into their daily routine. Whether it\’s breathing and relaxation techniques that will help them, focus, concentrate or be calm; or postures that will help their endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination these are all very naturally a strong part of yoga.

Yoga for children is most successful if the children are encouraged to use their imagination. A dynamic, creative and stimulating approach grabs the children\’s attention.

Yoga for children is practiced in the United Kingdom. It is not new to Britain, with after-school clubs and classes gaining popularity in recent years as parents realize its wide-ranging benefits. What is new to the UK, however, is the method of Research on Yoga in Education (RYE), an international non-profit making organization which blends the standard school curriculum with exercises on concentration, attention and relaxation, drawn mainly from traditional yoga.

What is also claimed is that Yoga for children gives the benefit that the children may be protected from injuries and at the same time they get all the benefits of exercising the system. This is not to suggest that the other exercise including outdoor forms of exercises and sports and games are not beneficial.

Parents have expressed appreciation for the presentation of yoga in a playful manner with its presentation of actively moving exercises balanced with those that require stillness and inner concentration, all in a child-friendly way. Parents may be practicing yoga themselves, and kids are always interested in what their parents are up to.

When assessing yoga trainers for children, parents should also inquire as to the spiritual nature of the classes; some instructors take a strong religious stance, while others offer no particular religious slant, instead focusing simply on the movements and breathing.

In the best classes the kids learn balance with dozens of yoga poses, develop strength, improve coordination and enhance their flexibility all with these children\’s yoga exercises. Furthermore, kids develop an overall sense of strength, flexibility and well-being, while they get hold of their active lives and sometimes overactive minds. Kids get to prowl, growl and wiggle through yoga animal poses from Alligator to Zebra! Certified children\’s yoga instructors will introduce stretching, breathing, standing poses and simple meditation.

Kids yoga provides an answer to children who we might described as being are little bit harder to reach, although we stand firm with our belief that every child has an angel deep down inside them.

We have said that children’s Yoga allows a child to deal with daily stress. What do we mean by that?

The answer is that each time a child enters a Yoga class for kids, he or she can “close the door” on negative feelings that stress overload brings. They can simply put that behind them throughout the lesson and afterward doing that tend to take a more mature perspective. Kids need a way to manage all of their stress and anxiety. It is not healthy for a child to feel so much anxiety over any given situation.

There you have it! Kids and yoga seem like a natural match. It can be immensely therapeutic for those who need it.

However, yoga can be presented well and insensitively. The best trainers recognize that kids need a practice that suits their physical and emotional needs. Luckily, many yoga schools across the nation are responding to the growing interest in yoga for the younger set in a very well managed and sensitive way.

It is a fact that to provide kids yoga a specialized training might be needed, and is in some places being made available, but patience is a key quality needed for Yoga instructors who want to embark on this path. I teach children myself, and a Kids Yoga class has to be well devised, be fun, and include games.

So, we hope that we have shown you how yoga is such a great way to relax and de-stress equally for the child and the adult.

However, did you know that there are even now some yoga practitioners who are providing training to parents in yoga from soon after birth?

By using yoga with babies, parents confidence grows in handling, playing and having fun with their babies. The classes are fun class in a system which also offers gentle post-natal yoga and tummy toning exercises for mummy!

Yoga is one of Steve Evan’s favourite subjects. We encourage you to go to his Yoga for Children web site where he writes about the yoga instructorsr.

Top 5 Widespread Yoga Myths Exposed

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Top 5 Widespread Yoga Myths Exposed

It is not surprising to those of us who are long time yoga practitioners that the popularity of this profound spiritual science is now exploding on a world wide scale. Unfortunately though some of the authenticity and truths about yoga are being lost and some myths are creeping in with regard to what yoga is and how it is to be practiced. In this article I will look to clear up what I find to be the top 5 myths about yoga.


Top 5 Myths About Yoga:


1. Yoga is a Form of Physical Exercise:


This is perhaps the most common view of yoga. That it is a form of physical exercise. This certainly needs to be clarified and I am going to provide some details about true yoga practice in order to do this.


Yoga is actually has 8 parts to it, with the physical aspect being just 1. These 8 parts, include yoga dos, yoga don’ts, physical exercises (asana), breathing exercises, sense control, concentration, meditation and divine union.


So you can see from above that although the physical aspect of yoga, which is called asana, is an important part of yoga, yoga as a whole is certainly more that just a series of postures and movements. Yoga is essentially a spiritual science whose objective is to still the mind of thoughts, so that the truth of Oneness hidden behind the waves of the mind can be clearly seen and embraced.


2. Yoga is a Religion:


The other extreme and incorrect view on yoga is that is it a religion. Commonly yoga is considered part of Hindu religion, but yoga is not a religion. It is a time tested spiritual science with the goal of revealing the true nature of reality. As indicated above, yoga practice is a step by step process with the end goal of calming down the thought waves in our mind and thus prevent them from distorting the truth.


3. To Practice Yoga You Must be Vegetarian:


There is a notion floating around that in order to practice yoga you must not eat meat and be a vegetarian. This is not true. Although there are tremendous benefits to being vegetarian and this is being more and more validated by the mainstream medical community, there is no requirement of vegetarianism in order to practice yoga.


One point I would like to add here is that, vegetarianism is consistent with the non-violence which yoga advocates and it certainly would be to your benefit to reduce meat intake, nevertheless, you don’t have to be vegetarian in order to be a great yogi.


4. You Need to be Initiated by a Guru:


I have also come across this notion that many believe you need to be initiated and have a guru in order to learn and practice yoga. This is not true. According to yoga, the true guru is within and although it would be to your benefit to learn yoga from an accomplished teacher, this is not a requirement.


5. You Have to be Flexible to do Yoga:


Not so. No doubt yoga will improve your flexibility, along with your strength, balance and overall health, but in order to practice yoga you do not have to be flexible. Yoga is designed to be practiced by all.


Different bodies have different degrees of flexibility and in this case one size does not fit all. For most of the complex yoga posture which require great flexibility to do, there are plenty of modifications which allow you to get the same benefits for those who are less flexible. In fact one of the original reasons I took up yoga because I was not flexible and wanted to improve this aspect of my physical dimension.


Summary:


So there you have the top 5 myths about yoga. Essentially, what these myths do is prevent people from taking up this wonderful science. So if you feel you will have to change faiths, find gurus, stop eating meat or are too inflexible to take up yoga practice, you are wrong. Don’t pass up the wonderful opportunity to learn and practice this amazing science, which helps you discover your true divine and eternal nature.

Anmol Mehta is modern Yoga & Meditation master. His massive Guided Zen Meditation blog offers the ultimate Meditation Techniques Guide and free Yoga to Detox & Cleanse Your Body.

A REAL-TIME CHALLENGING SEQUENCE [IN 4 PARTS] TO BUILD STAMINA, TONE THE BODY, BURN CALORIES AND GET YOUR CARDIO IN! TRY WHAT YOU CAN, AND MOVE TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS AND WHOLE BODY TRANSFORMATION, TODAY! With Sadie Nardini, Director of East West Yoga in NYC, author of the “Road Trip Guide to the Soul”, and Cretor of the “Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga Power Hour” DVD, both available on Amazon.com now! For more, visit www.SadieNardini.com!

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What is Kundalini Yoga?

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What is Kundalini Yoga?

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Taken from the book Open your heart with Kundalini Yoga, by Siri Datta

Throughout the ages, in every civilization, there has been a hidden pathway, a secret technology of discovery, which enables the individual to reach the ultimate potential. This is a technique that has the ability to elevate, inspire and awaken the individual to their own greatness. That greatness is within every one of us, and the technology that can do this is Kundalini Yoga.

As an enthusiastic teacher of Kundalini Yoga, I am always asked ‘What is it? Is it like Hatha Yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga? Is it dynamic or static? Are there meditation or breathing techniques?’ My answer is always the same: it is all of those things, and a multitude more.

Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, now living in New Mexico, has explained that there are 22 major forms of yoga, each one expressing a facet of the whole. A good way of understanding this is that each different form of yoga is like the facet of a diamond. The diamond herself is Kundalini Yoga, the mother of all yogas.

Kundalini Yoga is the most inclusive of all yoga practices as it includes all aspects of yoga within its teachings. In this practice there are over 8.4 million kriyas (completed sequences, or sets). These kriyas are made up of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), mantra (chanting), mudras (hand gestures), bandhs (body locks) and meditation.

The kriyas are a blend of dynamic and static postures that deliver a perfect sequence of energy, tones and feelings played upon the instrument of the body. In the ancient scriptures it is said that Kundalini Yoga is the fastest way to create the transformation that the individual is seeking. There is a certain depth, completeness and timelessness that is inherent in Kundalini Yoga.

Kundalini Yoga is a legacy. It has been practised as an exact science by masters in communication with Infinity, coming directly from the Soul. It is a practice that has been experienced and handed down through enlightened souls for many thousands of years. It is said that Christ, Buddha and Moses practised Kundalini Yoga.

In ancient times it was often taught and passed down through the line of kings. These Kundalini Yoga masters did not specifically or personally pass on the knowledge. Rather it is thought that the teachings were handed down via an authentic lineage of Raj (Royal) Yogis. Kundalini Yoga knowledge was transmitted through meditation and altered states. It was this practice that was kept within the bloodline of royalty. We understand that the very first transmission of Kundalini Yoga was passed to the Hindu god Shiva, who in turn passed the knowledge to his consort Parvarti. From the Bhagavadgita we can understand that Lord Krishna was a keeper of the teachings, which were then passed to King Janaka, who was an early Raj Yogi and master of Kundalini Yoga. This was passed on through that lineage to Guru Ram Das, a Guru of the Sikhs, via the subtle realms. Guru Ram Das was bestowed the High Throne of Raj Yoga, known as the Takhat.  The word takhat literally means ‘high throne’ and is not specific to any exclusive form of yoga; there are many other takhats. This meant that he had to pass the technology on with his blessing to anyone who came along. It was through Guru Ram Das that the teachings were passed on to Yogi Bhajan. In 1969 Yogi Bhajan took Kundalini Yoga to the United States, against the wishes of his peers. Until then, it had always been highly secret and was never practised in public.

Since Kundalini Yoga has become so popular in the United States the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) has been developed. This was founded to verify, promote, produce and preserve the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, exactly as they had been passed down.

There is much confusion surrounding kundalini and Kundalini Yoga. Some experts say that it is the most potent and powerful way to change consciousness, while others warn against practising it, or veil the entire teaching in secrecy. Yet how can something as essential to consciousness as kundalini be feared? Some people worry about raising the kundalini energy, but teachings from Yogi Bhajan have dispelled many misrepresentations and myths surrounding kundalini and his explicit teachings have given researchers techniques that can be thoroughly tested out. Kundalini Yoga is also known as the ‘yoga of awareness’. Awareness leads to understanding and understanding gives way to acceptance. When you can accept yourself, all your limitations fade away. All your fears, insecurities, and self-belittlement cease to be. In its place are abundance, hope and the wisdom of your true worth. Kundalini Yoga is so much more than a set of physical exercises. If genuinely practised, with respect and reverence, it will change your life.

There is only one way that you can practise Kundalini Yoga. It is very specific, clearly laid out and it is practised as it was given, with no alterations. Its path can take you to many places, whether you wish to achieve enlightenment or to release parts of yourself that are out of date and do not reflect the person you wish to be. Kundalini Yoga can also offer an approach for those who have only limited time to devote to this practice, but who also deserve the rewards of this priceless gift. The practice is easily understood and accessible for complete beginners to yoga who have decided that they need a tool to help them balance out everyday pressures. This is the yoga for modern humankind. This practice is for our present-day dilemma: to feel whole and complete while maintaining our day-to-day responsibilities. Kundalini Yoga is a sacred technology that is greatly needed at the present time. It is direct, powerful and simple.

It is important to understand that Kundalini Yoga is concerned with preparing the body for the kundalini energy to rise up through the Sushmana (the energetic spinal column). The scientific aspect of Kundalini Yoga is designed to provide you with the experience of your highest consciousness through the raising of your kundalini. Kundalini is your latent spiritual potential. Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, this psychic nerve centre is awakened; its revelation is the release of your true potential. For this energy to awaken safely, body and mind need to be strong and able to deal with this very powerful change in consciousness. The practice of Kundalini Yoga is the powerful cleansing of the whole being. Not only do the body and mind need to be cleansed but also the energetic aspects of ourselves. The chakras (energy centres) and meridians (energy pathways) need to be unblocked and activated to allow this new influx of dynamic energy to flow freely throughout the whole being.

Kundalini and chakra work are closely linked. The kundalini energy can be depicted as a serpent, coiled in three and a half turns, sleeping in the Muladhara (Base, or Root, Chakra), the densest of all the chakras. But please note that Yogi Bhajan does not support the concept of kundalini as the coiled serpent, but rather as the blueprint for the full potential of humankind. Kundalini is known as the spiritual nerve, seated in the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened. With the practice of Kundalini Yoga this nerve can be stimulated and start to become activated as it breaks through the blockage at the Muladhara, travelling upwards through the Sushmana and piercing every chakra along the way, until it reaches the Crown, where full enlightenment is attained.

You do not have to charge in with the intention of raising the kundalini to full enlightenment, although this is the goal of all forms of yoga. There is a more acceptable, more gentle, way of introducing you to the sheer potential that is within you, and showing you how this potential can be released. This method is to gently rouse or stir the kundalini energy in the Ida and Pingala channels, which interweave around the Sushmana, every time you embark on a kundalini kriya. The general pattern of a kundalini kriya is to awaken and build up the Pranic energy. This is then guided to the relevant area that you wish to work on. For example, if your digestive system needs working on, a set to help with decision-making or an emotional state that is upsetting you might be helpful. By directing the energy to a particular chakra, organ, or issue in your life, this blockage will be dissolved and once again you will be back in balance. The negative effects will harm you no more.

There are over 8.4 million kriyas, all designed to deal with the day-to-day challenges we face. There are kriyas for physical issues, such as the digestion, circulation, immune system (disease resistance), lower back problems, glandular malfunctions, menopause and sexuality problems. There are also kriyas for the mind, to clear confusion, addictions, haunting thoughts and creative blocks. Additionally, there are kriyas to balance the emotions, to bring about feelings of ecstasy, to dispel fear and paranoia, to bring about stillness and to attain the empowering ability to accept and forgive all aspects of your life.

Meditation is also a very important part of the practice. This allows the body and mind to process the journey of the kriya. The energy has travelled along a certain pathway, awakening, dispelling and moving your energetic bodies. The meditation process is a lesson in inner awareness. Sometimes the meditation will have a breathing technique to enable the mind to quieten as you turn inwards into the realm of feelings and emotions. When this happens you will be able to observe your thoughts as they come and go. This is the start of the practice known as ‘becoming the watcher’. It is through this method that you become master of the mind.

At other times there will be a mantra to accompany the meditation. A mantra is always equipped with a coded sonic vibration that cuts through the psyche and starts to balance out areas within that need attention. When there is a mantra, you may find yourself immersed in the sound. This is the most powerful part of Kundalini Yoga. The word mantra breaks down into man, which means ‘mind’ and tra, which is ‘to vibrate’. Therefore, mantra means ‘to vibrate the mind’. This miraculous technique shifts many character traits and behavioural patterns that keep us suffering. In the chapter on Mantra (see page 51), I will explain exactly how this sonic science works.

I would like to close this section by saying that you can never predict a kundalini class. It is always full of surprises, since many changes will be going on in all the various people present. There have been times in my classes when there have been outbursts of laughter, which is always good fun and I actively encourage it. Yoga is usually synonymous with seriousness, quiet and solemnity, but this is not always the case. Laughter is common in my classes. It is, after all, an explosion of happiness. This usually happens when a painful emotion or memory has been released. It is also common to find yourself so immersed in the kriya and the breathing that you surface to find tears falling down your cheeks. You may not actually be crying, but tears are falling silently. This is always a very powerful realization of the many changes that are taking place within you.

When you experience this, you will find that harmony and balance are restored to you, and you will feel within an endless supply of energy and happiness. When you experience this, even for a few brief moments, your life will not be the same again. The inner light is now switched on, shining through you, and others will not fail to be drawn towards you. You will become a beacon for humankind, a touchstone for the truth, and the living reality of who we really are.

To everyone who embarks on the path of kundalini, I wish you the greatest journey. May your path show you the many examples of Divinity that are around you at any given moment. May you realize the ultimate truth: that only Love can set you free. Be free, my friend, as it is your birthright.

Be Grateful, BE GREAT and BE FULL Yogi Bhajan

Read more from Siridatta here

Siridatta is an International Kundalini Yoga Teacher and Teacher Trainer. Author of Open Your Heart with Kundalini Yoga and the Raw Food and Yoga BIBLE, Mini Size Me.

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