Yoga Does Promote Good Health

A new study led by an Indian-origin scientist has proved that meditation actually eases stress and promotes better health.

Meditation triggers a change in electrical activity of the brain, improving the mind and body in measurable ways, revealed Dr Ramesh Manocha at Sydney University, lead researcher of the study on work stress.

Within the context of meditation and stress, it's the largest study in the world and we've applied some rigorous conditions, the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dr Manocha as saying

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.

Karma Yoga - Yoga In Action

By Sally Janssen

Yoga is essentially a dynamic expression in the interpretation of the western mind. We are vitally concerned in any ideology which will promise more efficient living, more abundant health and more material improvements. And this no doubt attracts many students to follow Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Action.

Disciplining you life and achieving self-mastery through Yogic techniques will enable you to develop your life to become a fruitful accomplishment of all your inherent aspirations.

Everyone has abilities which would enable them to use for the benefit of others. Most people cover up their talents by a slothful attitude, or smother their secret longings for expression, under disappointment, frustration and procrastination. Practice of Yoga develops confidence in oneself and focuses what it is that you can give to the world - what it is that you and you alone can contribute. Then truly, your life is not wasted. Something will have issued forth from you, the world will be a happier, or healthier, or more enlightened place for some little effort you have put into your life. Everyone must have an unselfish longing to contribute to society, else the life span is concluded with a feeling of utter futility as if there was perhaps no purpose to your life other than your own personal experiencing of good and bad, knowledge and ignorance pain and pleasure.

Find out through personal searching what it is that you feel you could do to contribute to the welfare of others and once you have found an avenue to channel your energies, pour forth your enthusiasm in that direction. Only good can come of it. Seek to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge and techniques to enable the most creative and efficient utilization of your energies. The forces of evolution will be behind you, helping you to help humanity.

Achieve health through following the yoga diet and exercises, asanas, breathing and relaxation so you may become an example of right living habits. Develop confidence by self-searching and the discovery of your hidden abilities. Practise physical disciplines and body controls, deep breathing and positive mental attitudes. Cultivate your mind and concentration so that you may become an authority on your chosen studies. Clarify your psychological nature so there is no friction between the conscious and the subconscious mind.

Practise meditation so that you are aware of your link with God and understand the unity of life behind all apparent complexity. Find the simple key to your own happiness, and let the personality come to its happy flowering and achieve real peace. Let your conscience prevent you form doing wrong. Let your intuition guide you as to what to do. Maintain your equilibrium above all and balance your actions wisely. Do not be extreme in any attitude and maintain a healthy communication between your heart and your head! Let your feelings and thoughts blend into your own personal wisdom. Meditate to become aware of the truth and reality of your finest ideas.

Whatever you achieve in personal enlightenment you must put forth again into your daily life. Yoga practices are intensely practical in application once you have been guided to understand the self discipline which is the important requirement. Meditation should be completed by some action fulfilled so that in action we give forth that which we have received.

No action can be very helpful without some previous thought. Efficient actions come from meditation. Meditation is truly creative thinking - a state in which new ideas are born. Meditation then is the mother of perfect action, which to the karma Yogi is the goal. The Karma Yogi understands the basic law of action and reaction which is known as the law of karma and is expressed in the Christian teachings in the golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." A kind action will inevitably result in a kind action to you. A cruel action demands that sometime you suffer the same. This is one of the true laws of life that functions in every day life, throughout every year. Many people say they believe this law but in fact do not act by it. Do not just believe it is a law, but know that it is, and test it in your own life. Make it a dynamic, living principle!

The student of Yoga tries to live by the spiritual laws and be guided by the inner voice of the soul. To practise Yoga one must abide by the finest principles and standards you possess. Your life should be well disciplined, creative and unselfish, beautiful, peaceful and loving. You must practice the physical exercises and disciplines each morning, or evening to bring order into each day. Never let a day go by at the mercy of your passing mood.

• Determine to eradicate your bad habits one by one.
  
• Build your body structure strongly through deliberate exercise.
  
• Employ breathing techniques at all occasions possible.
  
• Learn to understand your link with God is through your breath.
  
• Develop and control the senses so that you feel alive and know that the senses are powers for you to control, not let them control you.
  
• Gain control over your mental activity and learn to calm the mind.
  
• Become a leader, one to whom other s look for strength and guidance.
  
• Have courage to stand for Beauty, Love and Truth when all outer vales falter.
  
• Stand firm upon the knowledge that there is a way of living which is right, that we must obey the law of Life which is that of our spiritual Father, and that all efforts will result in your spiritual development and be apparent at some future time.
  
• Have patience to suffer your trials and know that they are your due whereby you learn some necessary lesson.
  
• Be grateful for your good fortune and know they too are deserved by past deeds of goodness.
  
• Take refuge in nature's law and the Law of Karma.
  

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.

Yoga Breathing Is Feeling The Source Of Life

By Rose Windale

Breathing is the source of life, and in yoga, breathing is everything. When you say you "breathe", it is actually more than inhaling oxygen. More than inhaling and exhaling, breathing is a way of restoring balance and cleansing the body. And then again, there is a proper way, and an improper manner of doing it. In order to gain optimal results from breathing, you ought to know how to do it correctly. In the same manner as with other things, it takes time to learn proper yoga breathing. Gaining better know-how of a technique does not happen quickly. The following pointers, however, can guide you through basic yoga breathing exercises.

First there is the Kapalabhati, which is a basic technique. This method allows you to breathe in order to purify the body. In the Kriya method, there are six practices, and the Kapalabhati is one of them. In this practice, your breath is short, strong and fast. The organ primarily involved- the lungs- acts as a pump which expels waste from itself. You breathe deliberately fast, coming from your stomach and not from your chest. Another yet fundamentally important technique is to breathe through the nostrils alternately. You breathe through one nostril and then you hold your breath. Then you exhale through the other nostril.

It's inhale-hold-exhale with the ratio 2:8:4. The Brahmari breathing technique on the other hand is not used as often. You partially close the glottis while inhaling through both of the nostrils. The lips are closed causing the palate to vibrate because of the nasal airflow. Sithali, Sitkari is a technique rarely used. This yoga breathing technique works in a different manner. You stick your tongue out a bit. Then you softly curl the sides of the tongue up. Inhaling in this technique is done through the mouth. Yoga is a combination of exercises done with breathing. Fundamental to these breath exercises are yoga exercises.

One is not without the other. In any type of session, the fundamentals of breathing are taught. Breathing is the source of life, and this is one of the central focuses of yoga. Where you feel life and let it move through you and in you. With regular yoga practice, you experience inner cleansing. And you begin to gain equilibrium or balance. This is the importance of yoga as a spiritual practice. It greatly aids in healing and relaxation. You tend to yourself holistically- mind, body and spirit. For boosting and enhancing the total person, yoga is a recommended practice.

Many people have proven how it is beneficial for stress relief and relaxation, and even for weight loss. Even more so, you get to nourish your inner self- you get more in touch with yourself. And as you do, you gain better awareness of what is around you. You can learn about this holistic practice from online and offline sources. You can also opt to enroll in a health center offering similar courses, or else you can ask for the guidance of an expert.

Patanjali Yoga - Secrets of Meditation

By Diwakar Vashist

Meditation is a part of the yogic tradition of India. It is a union of body, mind, soul, spirit and environment. This union is possible through meditation, as described by the sage Patanjali many years ago. According to Patanjali, yoga is the progressive settling down of the mind, into the field of pure silence. When the mind is silent, we are in our essential state, which is pure unbounded consciousness. In the course of our daily routine, our essential state is overshadowed by the activity of the mind.

Our expression or existence has three levels - the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body. The physical body, according to quantum physics, is a space and time event. It has two components: (1) the material component, which is made up of food, and (2) the energy component, or what we call the vital force. Some of us are very energetic and some of us are lethargic. If we derive adequate energy from our sensory inputs such as vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste, then we will be energetic.

Sight Energy: If we visualize colourful, attractive scenery, it will energies us. On the other hand, if we watch horror movies or violent scenes, it will de-energies us.

Touch Energy: Touch is also a very important part of healing energy. Shaking hands, kissing, hugging, embracing, petting and massage therapy, including acupressure, are known to release healing substances such as endorphins which are responsible for a feeling of well-being. But if we pinch or slap somebody, that is a negative touch influence and liberates jittery molecules. Self-massage with oil (abhyanga) is excellent for health.

Smell Energy: Fragrance, smell or aroma also energises us, though the effect varies among individuals. The smell of spirit may cause nausea in someone, while the smell of incense may have a healing influence on the same individual.

Sound Energy: Certain sounds have the power to energise us. Invocations and chants such as Om, Ameen and Amen fill the body with a healing force.

Taste Energy: Gustatory or taste sensations also energise us. All the tastes, including sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent, should be consumed in moderation depending on the dominance of our dosha - vatta, pitta or kapha.

The various types of meditation are transcendental meditation, Raj yoga meditation, Japa meditation, primordial sound meditation, mindfulness meditation, breathing meditation, Gregorian chanting and Tibetan chanting. Though the methods are different, the objectives of all these techniques are the same.