Alka's YogaSutra : Yoga @ your home. Learn Yoga in the comforts of yo...

Alka's YogaSutra : Yoga @ your home. Learn Yoga in the comforts of yo...: Yoga @ your home. Learn Yoga in the comforts of your home, at your convenient time. Call 9898376663

Yoga @ your home. Learn Yoga in the comforts of your home, at your convenient time. Call 9898376663

Why Is Breath So Important in Yoga?

Why is there so much focus on the breath in yoga? What is the link between yoga and breath, and why is it so important (besides the fact that it keeps us alive)?
In a typical yoga class, we are instructed to consciously breathe, connect to our breath, breathe deeply, retain our breath, etcetera. What impact does the breath have on us, and our yoga practice?

Breath And Length Of Life

A yogi measures the span of life by the number of breaths, not by the number of years.
-Swami Sivananda
It is said that if you breathe 15 times per minute, you will live to 75 or 80 years. If you breathe 10 times per minute you will live to 100. The speed at which you breathe will dictate the length of life. If you breathe fast, your life will be shortened. This is why dogs have short lives.

Conscious Breathing

We are continually instructed to “breathe consciously” when we are in yoga class. Breathing consciously is the essence of yoga as it assists us in connecting with the subtle energy within. It is through the breath that we are able to navigate different levels of consciousness. Moreover, breathing consciously has a biological effect on our mental, emotional, and physical state.
Firstly, connecting with your breath is a method for being present. When you concentrate on each aspect of the breathing process, you are present; you let go of the past and future and are focused on the moment inside the breath. This is why breathing consciously is its own meditation. But this is just the beginning of why conscious breathing is important.
When you breathe consciously you activate a different part of your brain. Unconscious breathing is controlled by the medulla oblongata in the brain stem, the primitive part of the brain, while conscious breathing comes from the more evolved areas of the brain in the cerebral cortex. So conscious breathing stimulates the cerebral cortex and the more evolved areas of the brain. Consciously breathing sends impulses from the cortex to the connecting areas that impact emotions. Activating the cerebral cortex has a relaxing and balancing effect on the emotions. In essence, by consciously breathing, you are controlling which aspects of the mind dominate, causing your consciousness to rise from the primitive/instinctual to the evolved/elevated.

Controlling The Breath

By changing the breathing pattern, you can produce different states of mind. Slowing down the breath has an impact on your emotional state. The cerebral cortex is activated through consciously slowing down the release of breath. Then the cerebral cortex sends inhibitory impulses to the respiratory center in the midbrain. These inhibitory impulses from the cortex overflow into the area of the hypothalamus, which is concerned with emotions, and relax this area. This is why slowing down the breath has a soothing effect on your emotional state.

Channels Of Subtle Energy

Breath controls the body, mind, and emotions. There are 72,000 nadis, or channels where the subtle energy flows throughout the body. Of the 72,000, there are 3 that are the most important: Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna.
The Ida Nadi begins at the Muladhara Chakra, courses through the chakras and ends in the left nostril. Ida is aligned with the moon energy and has a calming and cooling effect.
The Pingala Nadi originates at the Muladhara Chakra, courses through the chakras and ends in the right nostril. It is associated with the sun energy and has a heating effect.
The Sushumna Nadi is the central channel. This is the nadi that the Kundalini energy travels. It is associated with balance.
During the course of the day, the left and right nostril alternate in which one dominates. This is accomplished through erectile tissue in the nasal passage that inflates with blood to cut off, or reduce the flow of air. One of the nostrils will dominate based on your mental, emotional, and physical state. They alternate throughout the day. As they change over, the Sushumna is activated, but only for a couple minutes. The key is to activate Sushumna for a longer period of time. This is accomplished when both the Ida and Pingala are flowing evenly.

Prana And Pranayama

In yoga we learn to control prana, the vital force, through pranayama. We use the breath in pranayama to learn to control prana, but don’t confuse prana with breath. Prana is the energy that animates the lungs. It is NOT the breath. Using the breath is the easiest method for training prana. Once you are able to control prana through pranayama you are better able to control the movement of prana to other organs and areas of the body.
The breath being the mode of pranayama, we focus on the three stages of respiration: inhalation (pooraka), retention (kumbhaka), and exhalation (rechaka). However, according to yogic texts, pranayama is retention. Inhalation and exhalation are methods for affecting retention.
Kumbhaka, or retention of the breath has a physiological effect on the brain. First, it provides more opportunity for the cells to absorb oxygen, and eliminate more carbon dioxide. This has a calming effect on the mental and emotional body. In fact, scientific studies have proven that slight increases in carbon dioxide for a short amount of time reduce anxiety levels. However, it is only beneficial up to a certain level. Carbon dioxide becomes very harmful, even fatal at high levels.
Furthermore, when the breath is retained, the brain panics because the carbon dioxide levels increase. Increased carbon dioxide levels stimulate the brain’s capillaries to dilate. In this way, more capillaries in the brain are opened up to improve cerebral circulation. This builds up an immense amount of nervous energy in the brain, forcing the creation of new neural pathways and the activation of dormant centers; the brain is activated and awakened!

Breath And Sound

Every vibration has sound. Breath, a vibration, also has sound. The Yoga Chudamani Upanishads states that the breath has a sound that is heard at a particular level of consciousness. According to the Upanishads, the sound of the breath is “So” during inhalation, and “Ham” during exhalation.
When you withdraw your senses from the external, you are then tuned into the internal sound and can hear the breath. By mentally chanting – So-ham, the mantra manifests as an audible sound in the inner ear. In Kundalini Yoga, we mentally chant Sat on the inhale, and Nam on the exhale which serves the same purpose.

Mind, Prana, and Breath

Basically we can look at the breath like the oil in a car, prana as the gasoline, and the mind as the engine. By understanding their relationship to one another you are better equipped to navigate your life to a higher elevation, and repair it when it breaks down. The yoga mat is just the starting point of your journey.

One Breath at a Time.

Be Strong. Be Flexible. Be Peaceful. Be a Yogi.

One Breath at a Time.

Yoga is a spiritual path that leads to the center of yourself. It’s is a hero’s journey that takes you through valleys of darkness where you will meet fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, pride, jealousy and much more on the way. Along the way you cultivate the tool of the equanimous mind so that you can be strong and be brave. Once you arrive at the center of yourself a wellspring of light, knowledge, peace and love fills your heart. Practice until your cup overflows. Practice until your world changes. Practice until there is nothing left but the pure joy of surrender. Believe in yourself through the power of yoga. Practice every day. Never give up.

The Many Ways Of Doing Meditation

Mediation has multiple facets. Selecting the one that fits your physical health, profession, nature, and time available, forms the core. 5-7 am and 6-8 pm are the best times for practising. Dhyan establishes mental poise, enhances confidence and concentration, reduces mental agitation. It provides solutions to cardiac problems, high blood pressure, aches, ulcers, acidity, etc.

Dhyan – A Blissful Meditative State

Do you remember the time when you were totally absorbed in what you were doing? Hours may have passed, yet it seemed like only a moment. Remember what a good feeling it was to be completely absorbed in those moments, how accurate your perception was, how clear your thinking was, and how alive you felt?

The simple example to illustrate Dhyan (meditation) in action is of a mother cooking for her family. When she devotes her total mental attention, warped in emotional warmth, in the process of cooking, the cooked food is distinctly different than when cooked otherwise.

The Principles Of Meditation

There are numerous methods of practising meditation, but select the one that fits your physical health, profession, nature, and time available. Follow these principles whenever you meditate:

• Decorate your place of meditation with inspiring pictures of great saints, prophets, great teachers, and God.
• Wash your hands, legs, and face before beginning meditation.
• Early morning 5 to 7 AM and evening 6 to 8 PM, are the best times to meditate.

The Different Types Of Meditation

OM Mantra Dhyan

1. Sit in a comfortable meditative pose with eyes gently closed.
2. Keep your back straight and stretched up, with the shoulders relaxed.
3. Silently recite Om Mantra, focusing your mind on the rhythmic flow of mantra.
4. Practice for a minimum of 10 minutes daily, and slowly increase the time.

Jyoti Dhyan

1. Sit in a comfortable meditative pose with eyes open.
2. Keep a burning candle 4 feet from you, at your eye-level.
3. Initially watch the flame (Jyoti) without focusing too hard.
4. After a while, start gazing at the Jyoti as long as you can, without blinking the eyes.
5. After some time, close the eyes and mentally watch the flame.
6. Visualize the pattern and color of the Jyoti.
7. Concentrate on flame for as long as your can hold your concentration.
8. Do it daily for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes.

Jyoti Dhyan is also one of the parts of “TRATAK SHATKARMA”.

Walking Dhyan

1. When you feel agitated or restless, walk for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes down the corridor, or at your work place or home or in the park.
2. Try to harmonize your steps with your breathing.
3. The repetitive and rhythmic motion of your legs and arms, help you to enter a meditative state which takes away the anxiety and anger.

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Image Dhyan

1. Place a picture of the God in front of you.
2. Sit in a meditative posture, concentrate gently on the picture till your eyes become watery.
3. Keeping your head still, move your gaze on the various parts of the picture like, feet, legs, body, and the crown of the head.
4. Then, close your eyes gently and visualize that picture.
5. Repeat the same process as many times as you can.

Memory Dhyan

1. Read two to three pages of a book.
2. Then, close the book and focus your mind on what you have read.
3. Allow the mind to associate, classify, group, combine and compare.
4. If you attend the subject on hand very carefully, you will receive a clear impression.
5. If the impression is strong, you will have a very good memory.

Dhyan On Thoughts

1. Sit comfortably in any meditative posture.
2. Keep your back upright, neck and shoulders relaxed.
3. Close your eyes gently.
4. Concentrate on whatever thought comes to your mind.
5. Let these thoughts come and go without trying to hold on to them and being judgemental.
6. After some time, thoughts will disappear and your mind will become completely quite and calm.
7. To get better results, starting with 15 to 20 minutes a day is good. Increase as per your comfort.

Naad Dhyan

1. Sit in your favorite Asana.
2. Gently close your eyes with your index and middle fingers, and close the ears with your thumbs.
3. Try to hear the Anahat sound (mystic sound).
4. After practising for two to three days, you will hear various kind of sounds such as flute, thunder storm, humming of a bee, etc.

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5. You will hear sounds in your right ear initially. Occasionally you may hear in your left ear also.
6. Try to stick to the sound in one ear as this is an easy way to control the mind.
7. Doing this repeatedly will lead to a state where you will not hear any sound.

Chakra Dhyan

This is an advance meditative practice in which the concentration is focused on the various energy centers or 7 chakras.
There are 7 chakras in human body and they are described corresponding to different endocrine gland.
a) Mooladhara – Root Chakra
b) Swadhisthan – Sacral Chakra
c) Manipura – Solar Plexus Chakra
d) Anahata – Heart Chakra
e) Vishudha – Throat Chakra
f) Ajna – Third Eye Chakra
g) Sahasrara- Crown Chakra

1. Hold your attention on each Chakra for as long as you please.
2. Imagine you are breathing in and out from the chakras on which you are holding attention.
3. Try this method of Dhyan for 10 to 15 minutes every day.
4. Perception of these psychic centers will bring in development of the endocrine glands, and corrects unbalanced psychosomatic and metabolic activities.

Benefits Of Meditation

• Mental agitation and aggressiveness get dissolved, and helps develop reasoning abilities.
• Improves mental poise and confidence, and enhances your stress tolerance capacities.
• Improves concentration level, enhancing your ability to do tasks more efficiently and skillfully.
• Helps control anger, and improves your temperament.
• Helps improve interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Improves analytical and reviewing abilities.
• Allows easy detachment from materialism and consumerism of modern life.

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• Makes us live in the present moment.
• Provides preventive solutions to cardiac problems, high blood pressure, neck pain, back pain, ulcers, acidity, etc.
• The larger benefit of meditation covers most of the diseases which are psychosomatic in nature.

Combating Depression with Yoga

Adding yoga to your life when you are struggling emotionally can be an excellent adjunct therapy. While this isn’t the advice of a doctor or mental wellness expert (and please see one if you feel you need one), yoga can be an excellent tool when combating depression.

Physically speaking, it releases your body’s chemistry. Emotionally, it can be liberating to absorb some of the core values of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra philosophies as you practice.

Combating Depression with Yoga

When we calm down and address the physical symptoms of depression, the emotional ones can be a little easier to see through. Yoga uses inversions like Dolphin, Down Dog, and Headstand to reset the parasympathetic nervous system. This helps to calm any anxiety and stress physically in our bodies.

We also use long deep holds like Pigeon, Lizard, and Butterfly to help open particular aspects of our bodies that store emotions. We have all heard our instructors telling us to release anger from our hips, sadness from our chest, and stress from our shoulders. Storing emotions physically in our bodies can hinder us from opening to our fullest capacity, and vice-versa. Not opening our bodies can lock those darker feelings in place and lend towards depression, and sometimes even injury.

Being physically active is known for procuring higher serotonin levels via an endorphin rush. (Very simply put, serotonin is the hormone your body produces to maintain a good mood.) The Vinyasa Flow and the Sun Salutes themselves are a great way to get active in between postures and create enough heat to produce this effect.

Being physically active encourages endorphins to be naturally produced by your body instead of adding them from the outside. This in turn re-teaches your body how to lift those serotonin levels by itself when needed.

Mantras are often curbed as cliché yoga tools. However, therapists and psychiatrists use them all the time, and guess what — they are effective. So let’s use them where they are truly needed. Your mat.

Posture and Mantra Combos

Here are few holds with mantras that are centered around the five basic goals of practicing yoga: Purpose (Shraddha), Peace (Samadhi), Mindfulness (Smriti), Wisdom (Prajna) and Commitment (Virya).

Together, these will help you in the three physical areas of procuring better mind and body wellness; calming residual stress and anxiety, releasing emotion from your muscles and joints, and also increasing your bodies endorphin levels and serotonin uptake naturally.

1. Eagle Pose

  

Eagle Pose forces you to concentrate on the here and now. It takes you out of your brain and into your body in the present moment.
The twisty binds help your body to balance the parasympathetic with sympathetic nervous system to reset your mood.
Eagle Pose opens your hips and the back of your chest to release grief, frustration, and resentment, and the intensity of the pose will build heat to produce those much needed endorphin levels.
Mantra: “SHRADHA: May the past be the past, the present be crystal clear, and the future be everything I dream.”

2. Dolphin Pose

Dolphin Pose opens your hamstrings and triceps as well as lengthening your spinal muscles and deepening your forward fold. These are all places we stash emotional baggage.

The upside-down factor will calm you way down within 30 seconds as per the parasympathetic nervous system reset button. The heat and hard work of this posture will produce a higher endorphin rush more quickly then a simple Down Dog or a lengthy headstand. This lends to a blissed out and happier yogi.

Mantra: “SAMADHI: Peacefulness comes from seeking — and finding — happiness in the smallest of things”

3. Lizard Pose

Take a Yin Lizard Pose: relaxed and on cold muscles. You are likely holding deep and heavy emotions in your pelvic region. Namely in the biggest joint in the body — the hips. Holding a cold, relaxed Lizard Pose for 3-5 minutes on each side deepens your hip flexibility and entices a moment of quiet while you rest.
In true Yin yoga fashion, allow your thoughts to come and go as you hold the pose — try to practice detaching from any concerns that come up. Witness them and allow them to leave you. This makes room for newer, possibly slightly happier thoughts, to enter your mind.
Mantra: “PRAJNA: I am not the divine. I don’t need to be perfect. I am here as a student to make mistakes and to learn. This makes me stronger.”

The final Mantra is Virya- commitment. You made it to the end of this article, which in itself shows you already are committed to your mind and body wellness. No mantra needed.