8 Transformational Benefits of Yoga

You may have noticed that a regular yoga practice blesses you with many benefits. The practice of yoga touches us on many levels and we carry what we learn and experience on our mats with us into our daily lives.

Once I discovered the transformational powers and benefits of yoga, I was hooked. This ancient practice has given me insight, awareness, stillness, support, encouragement, happiness, bliss and has brought up deeply stored emotions (which I didn’t even knew I was holding and was then able to let go), tears, and released stress, tension, and anxiety.

Yoga has been a light on my path and has supported me in following my heart.~ Through my own practice, and by teaching yoga, I have discovered incredible transformational benefits you’ll get from a consistent yoga practice.

1. Physical Health

Yoga helps support your immune system, regulates your blood pressure and heart rate, encourages weight-loss, reduces blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Even in case of disease there are many yoga poses that are recommended to speed up the healing powers of the body. Breath work (pranayama) also benefits our health and overall well-being greatly.

2. Strength

You will notice, even just after a few weeks of regular yoga practice, that you are gaining strength. And not just physical, muscle strength but also in mind and spirit.
Your self-confidence increases, and you become a stronger person inside and out. This strength allows you to take care of yourself first and affirm yourself through kindness, love and compassion.

3. Flexibility

Yoga will show you the way to become more flexible without pushing yourself. The process will happen naturally and gradually. Similar to strength as mentioned above, the flexibility referred to here can be applied to the physical body as well as the mental and spiritual aspect.
As we cultivate flexibility in our body, mind, and spirit, we are in the flow of life. We let go of resistance and attachment, and open ourselves to new opportunities.

4. Balance

We tend to lose balance as we age. I remember that my grandmother was pretty healthy up until the moment she fell and broke her hip. Yoga supports us in gaining more balance every time we practice.
The more we practice our balance through yoga, the better we get at it. When balancing, we focus at a still point (“Drishti” in Sanskrit), and practice “Dharana” (concentration). This ability to hold drishti and maintain focus and concentration supports us in accessing those precious moments of stillness in the now.

5. Mindfulness

I like to think of the breath and asanas as a dance; with the breath leading and the asana following along. We link our asanas to our breath and flow in and out of poses to the rhythm of our breath.
As we practice, the breath remains, the asanas change. When we practice more vigorous or challenging asanas, we feel the quality of our breath changing. By being mindful, we can choose to come into a modification of the pose, slow down or rest in Child’s pose for a moment.
As we stay with our breath and each asana, relax into each pose and enjoy every second of your yoga practice, we cultivate mindfulness and inner peace.

6. Awareness

By practicing mindfulness, we become the witness of our own practice, thoughts, emotions, needs and physical sensations. Now, as we notice thoughts or emotions arising, we can choose to acknowledge them and let them go.
Yoga is a powerful mindfulness practice inviting us with every breath and every movement to be in the present moment, to enjoy being in the now. By being fully alive in the present moment, we don’t think or worry about the past or future. We bring awareness to thoughts arising, notice them, and then consciously let them go.
Now you can return to your breath, your yoga pose, the present moment. When staying aware and present in your practice, you will feel peaceful, balanced, calm yet energized, and maybe even radiant and blissful.

7. Gratitude

As we cultivate mindfulness and practice awareness, we can’t help but feel grateful. After taking a few rounds of deep, slow and smooth in- and exhales, bring your attention to your heart center and ponder upon the question: “What have I been given today?” or “What am I grateful for in this moment?”
Both questions will count your blessings and appreciate the abundance in your life. As you accept where you are, and appreciate all the gifts in your life (e.g. waking up healthy, a beautiful sunrise, warm bed, etc.), you are creating more abundance and blessings in your life.
Being grateful and realizing what you have been given will make you feel content and fill your heart with gratitude, compassion, and appreciation.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
~ Oprah Winfrey

8. Happiness

Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras, verse II-46 “Sthira Sukham Asanam” can be translated as “Your pose should be steady, comfortable and enjoyable.”
By applying awareness and mindfulness to every pose, we can experience joy and delight in every moment. We are fully alive, and even when our asanas may be challenging, we can come back to the breath, observe ourselves, listen within, soften, and return to the joy of practicing.
Yoga teaches us to be ourselves, knowing that we are accepted for who we are. We are safe to go deep, and release old stored stressful emotions that may rise to the surface. We let go of what no longer serves us and make space for new and wonderful experiences.
Please let me know what transformational benefits you have been receiving from your yoga practice and add on to my list!

Here are a few of my favorite yoga quotes and sayings:

1. “It’s yoga practice, not yoga perfect.”
I’m not sure who coined this, but it’s a common one
2.. “Yoga does not remove us from the reality or responsibilities of everyday life, but rather places our feet firmly and resolutely in the practical ground of experience. We don’t transcend our lives; we return to the life we left behind in the hopes of something better.” ~ Donna Farhi
3. “Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar
4. “The yoga pose you avoid the most, you need the most.” ~ Unknown
5. “Yoga is an internal practice. The rest is just a circus.” ~ Sri Pattabhi Jois
6. “That nature of yoga is to shine the light of awareness into the darkest corners of the body.” ~ Jason Crandell
7. “In any pose, the breakthrough comes not when you learn what to tighten, but when you learn what to relax.” ~ Bikram
8. “Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a posture you go – what does matter is who you are when you get there.” ~ Max Strom
9. “A mind free from all disturbances is Yoga.” ~ Patanjali
10. “The attitude of gratitude is the highest yoga.” ~ Yogi Bhajan
11. “You cannot do yoga. Yoga is your natural state. What you can do are yoga exercises, which may reveal to you where you are resisting your natural state.” ~ Sharon Gannon
12. “Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.” ~ Yoga Sutras
13. “Don’t move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move. Move the way joy makes you move.” ~ Osho
14. “Don’t just do something—sit there!” ~ Unknown

Shambhavi MahaMudra and Meditation.

Fundamentally Shambhavi mudra has come from the mudra which Lord shiva has tought.
Its from Shambhu (i.e. Lord shiva 's another name)

If you see the photograph of Lord shiva you " ll find his eyes are focused
upwards seeing nothing from the outside , but seeing inside from the centre of
eyes.
 Thats shambhavi mudra.

Meditation is not possible without eyes being standstill, hence its shiva who is
the highest level meditator in the world, shows us  how to enter into meditation.
One look at his posture teaches a lot about it.
Looking from the eye energy source , which is behind the eyes, focused and
centered makes a person to achieve shambhavi mudra.

Meditation in Shambhavi Mudra.

Benefits of meditation #1: Improved cardiac health

Here areTwo studies published and examined how Shambhavi Mahamudra supported cardiac health. The studies showed that participants had a more well-balanced Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System and an overall increase in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) during the practice. A higher HRV has been linked to better immunity to stressful situations, and is said to bestow a greater survival advantage on individuals. A lower HRV on the other hand has been linked to various heart diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, chronic heart failure and myocardial infarction. The researchers conclude that practitioners of the Shambhavi Mahamudra have higher exercise tolerance, better cardiac response to stressful situation, lower probability of undergoing hypertension of cardiac troubles such as ischemia or infarction.

Benefits of meditation #2: Greater coherence within the brain

A study was done by  the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, IIT Delhi, looked at EEG (Electroencephalography) data from practitioner’s brains before, during and after practicing the kriya. The results show that practitioners experienced a greater level of coherence between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. EEG coherence is known to be a measure of how well connected various regions of the brain are. Higher coherence indicates greater exchange of information between various regions, as well as improved functional coupling and coordination. Higher levels of coherence are also correlated to higher scores on IQ and creativity tests, as well emotional stability and cognitive flexibility.

The researchers also measured signals at various prominent EEG spectral bands known as the alpha, beta, delta and theta. Shambhavi practitioners were seen to have higher alpha band power in general, indicating that they experienced lower stress levels. There was a high increase in delta band power and theta band and a notable reduction in beta band power. A reduction in beta band power indicates reduced susceptibility to mental tension, excitement and anxiety. Higher theta and delta activity have been noted in previous research as indicative of conscious access to deeper states of meditation. “Delta rhythms combined with alpha are known to reflect an inner intuitive empathetic radar, a kind of sixth sense” the researchers note.

Benefits of meditation #3: Improved sleep

A study was presented at the 20th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Lisbon, Portugal compared the sleep patterns of 15 male meditators with a control group of 15 age and education-matched, male non-meditators. Participants were aged between 25 and 55 years. The meditators had practiced Shambhavi Mahamudra/

Whole-night polysomnographic measures were recorded in participants and EEG data was recorded, along with other parameters. The results showed that the percentage of REM sleep, sleep efficiency and total sleep time of meditators was significantly higher as compared to the control group of non-meditators. Meditators also experienced better sleep quality as evidenced by fewer awakenings after sleep onset.
The study concludes that consistent practice of the Shambhavi meditation has a positive impact on quality of sleep.

Benefits of meditation #4: Reduced menstrual disorders

75% of women are thought to experience problems related to menstruation, which has a huge physical, psychological, social and economic impact on their life. The primary means of treatment for such issues are known to offer less than satisfactory relief, even when patients choose surgery as a last resort. Currently, Yoga has become very popular as one of the mainstay alternate treatments for many disorders. The benefits of meditation and yoga in relation with such ailments have been under study for a while and show great promise.
A team from the Poole Hospitals NHS Trust, UK, and the Indiana University School of Medicine, conducted a questionnaire survey of 128 female practitioners of the Shambhavi Mahamudra between the age group of 14 and 55 years, from the USA, UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Lebanon. 72% of the respondents practiced every day and the rest practiced 1-3 times in a week.

The questionnaire asked respondents about the prevalence and impact of various menstrual disorders before they began the kriya and after they had practiced it for at least six months. Disorders covered included Dysmennorhea, symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, heaviness of menstrual flow, irregularity of menstrual cycle, the need for medical or surgical intervention for disorders, and the impairment of work during the menstrual period.

The results showed a 57% decrease in the impact of Dysmennorhea, a 72% decrease in psychological symptoms such as irritability, mood swings, crying spells, depression and arguments, a 40% decrease in breast swelling and tenderness, and a 50% decrease in bloating and weight gain. There was an 87% decrease in the incidence of severe menstrual flow and an 80% decrease in the irregularity of the cycle. There was a 63% reduction in the need for medical or surgical interventions, and an 83% reduction in the number of instances of impairment at work.
The authors conclude that the kriya “can be considered as an adjunct therapy for menstrual disorders given the improved symptoms in all the parameters.”

Other benefits of meditation

In a questionnaire asking about improvements in life experienced from practicing the Shambhavi Mahamudra, 536 respondents indicated how the kriya had helped reduce medication and eliminate problems such as depression, allergies, asthma and other ailments. 91% reported greater inner peace, 87% reported improved emotional balance, 80% experienced greater mental clarity, 79% experienced increased energy levels, 74% reported improved self confidence and 70% reported better concentration and higher productivity.

Among meditators who had been suffering depression, 87% reported improvement, 25% reduced their medication, and 50% were able to stop their medication. Similarly, for those suffering anxiety, 86% reported improvement, 28% reduced their medication, and 50% were able to stop their medication. Among those with insomnia, 73% reported improvement, 40% reduced their medication, and 30% were able to stop their medication. Similar improvements were seen for those with poor resistance to colds and flu, those who had suffered from headaches, asthma, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorder, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and a range of other chronic ailments.

Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutations is a sequence of Yoga poses. When performed correctly, it aids great amount of Body, good amount of Mind, and optionally, some amount of Spiritual Well Being. This is a pictorial presentation on how to perform Surya Namaskar. Press the hands against each other tightly. The thumbs are together and are made to press into the chest.

Namaskaarasana

Posture 0: Breathe normally.
Namaskaarasana: Hands in a namaskar posture, with thumbs of hands pressing hard into the chest. The lower part of the hands should be parallel to the earth. This is a good exercise to practice how to stand properly. The weight of the body is equally distributed to both the feet. The sagging stomach muscles are pulled in and supported by the upper body. Hence a good exercise for the stomach muscles.

Urdhva namaskaarasana

 

Posture 1: Inhale.
Urdhva namaskaarasana: Palms of both hands are joined, and slowly pulled up with the hands ending up to the sides of the ears,the body is bent backwards, with eyes looking towards the hands. If you cannot hold palms together, open them but tie the palms with the thumb fingers. This activates the front portion of the body from toes to forehead. This posture is very good for upper and lower back. Hip muscles become stronger, the chest becomes wider. Blood circulation increases to the head and hands.

Adharaasana

Posture 2: Exhale.
Adharaasana or Uttanaasana: The body is bent down, with hands stretched down to touch the ground. Ideally the entire palm is supposed to rest on the ground, with the head touching the knee bones. This activates the back of the body from heels to head. This is good on the stomach muscles, arms and knee muscles.

Eka paada prasarana aasana

 

Posture 3: Inhale.
Eka paada prasarana aasana (One leg behind): One leg goes behind and body gets lowered. The two palms will be resting on the ground, the knee of the leg which goes behind touches the ground. The head looks up. Complete exercise to both the legs, lower back and chest.

Chaturanga Dandaasana

 

Posture 4: Exhale.
Dwi paada prasarana aasana or chaturanga Dandaasana (Both legs behind): Second leg joins the first leg with both feet joined (press them to one another), body in a inclined plane. In this posture, only the two hands (palms) and the fingers of the legs touch the ground. The head of the body should be at a higher plane and the legs will be in a downward slope. The head will be looking straight and focus the eyes to 10 feet in front of the body. Remain in this posture for 15 seconds. Stretches the complete body thus activating the blood circulation.

Ashtaanga namaskaraasana

 

Posture 5: Exhale and hold.
Ashtaanga namaskaraasana: The body is lowered to touch the ground at the forehead, chest and the knees. The rest of the body will be up in the air supported by the forehead, chest and knee. Remain in this posture for 5 seconds. Exercises the back, shoulder and chest muscles.

Urdhva mukha shavanaasana

 

Posture 6: Inhale.
Bhujangaasana or Urdhva mukha shavanaasana: From posture 5, pull the body forward with the hands (palms) on the ground and feet touching the ground. The body should be in a curved towards the ground. Excellent for the lower back, shoulders, neck, chest and abdomen. Wrists also get their share.

Adho mukha shavanaasana

 

Posture 7: Exhale.
Adho mukha shavanaasana: Pull the body inward, with palms and feet firmly on the ground. Press the feet so that, the heels touch the ground. Don’t bend the knees. Extend the spinal–cord to the maximum. Pull the stomach in. Expand the chest, while pushing the shoulders back. While pushing the head in, try touching the chin to the chest. The body will look like a hill, pointing up towards the sky. Good for feet, calf muscles, thighs, hips, back and neck. Energizes the limbs – best for athletes.

Posture 8: Inhale.

Eka paada prasarana aasana:

Eka paada prasarana aasana

same as Posture 3.

Adharaasana or Uttanaasana:

Posture 9: Exhale.

Adharaasana or Uttanaasana

same as Posture 2.\

 Urdhva namaskaarasana:

Posture 10: Inhale.

Urdhva namaskaarasana

same as Posture 1.

Namaskaaraasana:

Posture 11:Breathe normally.

Namaskaaraasana

same as Posture 0.