Yoga and Meditation - How Can You Prevent Work Related Stress ?

by Anthony D'Agostino

Follow these simply stress reduction techniques to improve you work day. Plan Regular Breaks. Plan short breaks during the day. Take a moment to stretch out, take several deep breaths, get up and take a short walk. Finally make sure to take a moment in reflective thought, and to apply the principles of yoga and meditation to your workday.

Plan Regular Breaks. Plan short breaks during the day. Take a moment to stretch out, take several deep breaths, get up and take a short walk. Anything to clear your mind and change your environment for a few minutes will do. Especially at lunch, try to get away from the office for a while.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time in The Morning. Don't rush. Give your self an extra 15 minutes to get to work each day. Don't add to your stress levels by having to worry about be late to work in the morning.

Create Balance. Make sure that you have enough time planned for family, friends, social activities and personal pursuits. All work and no play is a recipe for increased stress.

Prioritize. Make a spreadsheet, that lists three categories ranking from highest, most important (must do today type tasks) to lowest, least important (can do whenever I get around to it type tasks). Then tackle these tasks in order of priority with the most important getting your utmost attention first, and the lowest only getting your attention after all higher ranking tasks have been completed. Review your list periodically and clean it up. Discard those lowest ranking tasks that still haven't been completed. If they aren't important enough to complete after several weeks, let them go.

Break large projects up into smaller ones. When a large project seems overwhelming, simply break it up into smaller bite sized components. Then prioritize the pieces and tackle each smaller task in order of importance until the entire project is done.

* Delegate. Let go of the need to control every aspect of the job. When others can handle a particular part of a task, why not let them? You will immediately release stress when you allow others to help.

On a more subtle level you can use the intelligence you gain from practicing yoga and meditation to help. Use your increased self awareness to attune to your emotions and their impact while, using insight and intuition to guide you in your decision making. Use your increased levels of self control to better adapt to your changing circumstances and job environment. Use your relationship skills to understand and react to others, while inspiring, and influencing those around you by becoming a strong positive role model.

Yoga and meditation provide amazing ways to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in the workplace.

Benefits Of Yoga During Pregnancy

Karan Khalsa

The ancient Vedic art and philosophy, yoga, is all about experiencing the oneness with the God. It is also the way of finding peace of mind and controlling the mind all by ownself. Be it Hatha yoga or Ashtanga yoga or Kundalini yoga - Yoga enriches the life with divine tranquility and takes one to a higher level of spiritualism. Yoga is a blessing for all, criss-crossing age or sex. This ancient art is very much popular among all for its beneficial and life-enriching qualities. Women find it truly helpful in the most important phase of their life i.e. during pregnancy. For ages yoga has been practiced by pregnant women to avoid any kind of complications during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga ensures pain-free and smooth delivery. And if some soothing yoga music can be included in yoga practicing, it delivers better result.
Apart from being in shape and staying healthy, yoga has lot more to offer to the expecting mothers in their most crucial as well as vulnerable stage of life. Many and many women are opting for prenatal yoga for a relaxed and comfortable birthing. It gives protection to both the mother and the baby. By practicing yoga the mother-to-be can learn to rediscover her own inner strength as well as how to ensure herself and her baby’s overall well being. It is very normal for women to experience fear of pregnancy which sometimes leads to a serious problem. Yoga practiced with meditation music, is also beneficial to overcome this fear of pregnancy. For those expecting mothers who cannot join a yoga class, various prenatal yoga DVDs available at Spirit Voyage, can be of great help.

meditation is a part of yoga. Meditation is the way to develop a favorable mindset which is very much necessary in this period. Because the happiness of the mother-to-be has great influence in the positive growth of the fetus. So, yoga or meditation helps to develop a positive attitude by controlling any kind of mood-swings and thus it creates a balance in the mind. Yoga music plays a very important role here. The soothing tunes of the spiritual music fills up the mind with divine purity. Regular meditation makes the woman ready for the childbirth. Whereas the breathing exercises provide more oxygen to the baby in the womb. And above all, the sacred tunes of meditation music will shower the divine blessing to the mother and her child.

Practicing yoga during pregnancy promises two vital task, natural child birth and minimal pain during delivery. It also ensures some post-delivery benefits like getting into the right shape, maintaining the proper body weight and strengthening both the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor. Yoga helps to get a flexible body which will be able to adjust the changes during pregnancy and post-pregnancy. So, weave the sweet memories of tension-free pregnancy with the yoga DVDs and books offered by Spirit Voyage. Birth Without Violence by Frederick Leboyer, The Awakening by Donna Amrita Davidge, Yoga Para Despues del Embarazo / Postnatal Yoga DVD by Natalie Stawsky, Postnatal Kundalini Yoga for New Mothers DVD by Gurmukh, Baby and Mom Pre Natal Yoga DVD by Gurmukh etc. are some of the yoga CDs and DVDs which are perfect for pregnant women.

Apart from these prenatal and post-natal DVDs, Spirit Voyage also has a huge collection of spiritual music CDs and DVDs. A huge number of CDs, DVDs and books are available on every form of yoga, be it Kundalini yoga or Hatha yoga. The renowned spiritual singers like Deva Premal, Snatam Kaur, Wah!, Donna De Lory and Gurmukh have lent their pure soulful voices in these albums.

Yoga Meditation - Whole Body Scan to Balance Your Energy

By Julia Denham

Are you new to yoga? Your entire yoga practice is a meditation. As you perform your yoga poses, you focus strictly on what's happening with your body and what you're trying to do. You move out of everyday consciousness into real concentration which is the basis of meditation.

There are specific yoga meditations you can do. Here is an excellent one: a whole body scan to balance your energy.

1. Sit Down or Lie Down, and Become Aware of Your Body

You can do this meditation either lying down on a flat surface, like the floor, or when you're sitting upright in a chair. If you're lying down, relax completely, and become aware of your body. Take several long slow deep breaths. Close your eyes if you wish.

2. Follow Your Energy Throughout Your Body

Starting with your left foot, become aware of it. Be aware of your toes, be aware of your ankle, then be aware of the sole of your foot.

Next, be aware of your left leg's calf muscles. Be aware of your left knee. Gradually move your awareness to the top of your left leg, and then focus your awareness on your right foot. Gradually focus on every part of your right leg, then focus on the rest of your body.

Move your awareness slowly right throughout your body, going as quickly or as slowly as you like.

3. Let Thoughts and Feelings Go

Thoughts and emotions will interrupt your focus as you move your awareness through your body. Just be aware of any thoughts and emotions, and then let them go. Return to your body scan.

4. How to Manage Strong Feelings: Welcome Them

Strong feelings will arise in you. You could treat these emotions in one of two ways. You can either let them go, or you can welcome them, and feel them deeply. Feelings and emotions are stored in your body. Every trauma you have ever experienced has laid down its traces in your body.

This is why occasionally you'll find yourself weeping, or laughing as you do yoga. You're not going crazy, you've just encountered one of these traces.

One way to remove these emotional traces is to welcome your emotions and to focus on them completely for a few moments. Some emotions are very strong, and if you feel an emotion is becoming too much for you, go back to your body scan.

However if you can welcome an emotion, and allow it, you'll find that the emotion rises to a crest and then slowly dissipates. You need to feel emotions to remove the emotional traces in your body, so never be scared of any emotions which are aroused by your yoga. They're perfectly natural.

When you've completed your whole body scan, lie still for a moment, and assess what's changed since you began the meditation. This is a powerful, balancing yoga meditation. If you're stressed, it will relax you, and if you're tired, it will energize you.

Yoga Meditation - First Step to Mental and Physical Health

By Brit Forchet

Did you know that practicing yoga meditation can bring you some health benefits? Yoga meditation can be particularly helpful to you if you've been experiencing a lot of stress lately. This practice could be one of the best things you can do. In fact, it can even be life saving.

There are many types of yoga meditation you can try. One of these is Sahaja meditation. However, before you jump into it, you'll need to first learn about this technique and the things involved.

Essentially, it is the fusion of yoga and meditation. Of all the exercises you can do, these two are the most relaxing. The main objective is to get your mind, body and spirit in sync. You don't just focus on one aspect; you focus on all three simultaneously. Exercising regularly can help you tone your body and get you in shape. However, a healthy body isn't complete without a healthy mind and soul. And this is where yoga and meditation comes in.

Nearly everyone can benefit in some way or another from doing it. In fact, yoga meditation systematically deals with every level of your being, and that includes your interactions with yourself and the world. Right after your first session, you'll notice how your stress levels have gone down. This is because it addresses the senses, body, breath and mind. It helps ensure that your mind, body and soul are in sync. It is like no other exercise.

Sold on yoga meditation? To get started, register for a class at your local gym or fitness center. This way, you'll work with pros who know all about the proper way to do it and guide you as you do it. With this set up, you'll have someone who will let you know if you're doing something wrong and possibly prevent injuries The great thing about it is that you'll get to make the most out of it this way. After your first few yoga and meditation sessions, you'll notice that you're less stressed and your muscles feel looser. Best of all, you'll feel better overall.