Yoga

Marjaraasana - For Sound Physical And Mental Health

Yoga today is all the rage. It is a subject that excites people’s curiosity and enjoys much popularity. This is especially so since the asanas (exercises) and pranayamas (breathing techniques) that owe their origins to ancient Indian wisdom have proved beneficial in promoting holistic health and mental peace as also in developing personality. In this article we will discuss Marjaraasana - the cat pose.

Process: Sit on your haunches with the knees and toes on the ground. Ke...

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Process: Sit on your haunches with the knees and toes on the ground. Keep the palms on the floor in such a way that the distance between them is about the same as that between the shoulders, i.e. equal to the width of the back. Keep the distance between the palms and the knees about the same as that between the shoulders and the hips, i.e. equal to the length of the torso. The distance between the knees should be the same as the width of the waist. Turn the toes back so that the soles face upward. The distance between the soles should be the same as that between the knees. Relax the muscles in the trunk region and let the trunk descend under gravity. At the same time, let the neck and head curve backward as far as possible. Relax the stomach and close the eyes. Direct your attention to the entire body and practise conscious differential relaxation. Keep the mind engaged in pranadharana (consciousness of breath). This is the final posture of marjaraasana –maintain it according to capacity.

An extension of the above posture can be attained in the following manner: staying in the final posture obtained above, open your eyes. Move the palms about 10-15 cms towards the knees. Curve the back upwards so that it shapes like an arch. Relax the neck and hang the head down. Draw the chin towards the chest and relax the abdomen, practice differential relaxation and then do prandharana. This is the final extension posture of marjaraasana- maintain it according to capacity.

Releasing the asana: Start by lowering the right leg by bending it at the knee, then rest the knee on the floor. Lower the head and make the back parallel to the ground, loosen it up and relax.

Benefits: The spine becomes flexible and supple; it helps to correct the functional defects of the back and spine. The health of the organs in the torso improves. You are relieved of backache and pain in the neck resulting from exertion. It also soothes the neck muscles and the lumbar region of the spine and invigorates the spinal nerves, improves blood circulation in the abdominal region thereby making digestive, respiratory and excretory processes. This asana is also useful in treating respiratory disorders.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions before following any of the asanas from this article and the site. To avoid any problems while doing the asanas, it is advised that you consult a doctor and a yoga instructor. The responsibility lies solely with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

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Main advantages of Bikram Yoga

Bikram Yoga is a popular variant of the art of yoga that offers a number of advantages. Yoga
Bikram yoga is often called due to the fact that heat is conducted in an area which is heated to a high temperature, which is said to help promote the benefits for participants.

--> In general, the act of Bikram yoga is based on the asanas or postures very similar observed in more traditional forms of yoga. Area heated chamber, which can be of the order of 105 °, provides an ideal environment to help increase circulation and flexibility. This environment is very beneficial oxygenated warm blood to move through the system that is essential to improving the health of the body and balance. Moreover, to enjoy all the benefits of this form of yoga, a typical session can last for hours on a year and a half and include 20 or more poses.The benefits of Bikram yoga practice can vary, with some benefits immediately noticed and others noticed overtime. Here is an overview of the benefits of a participant is likely to experience the use of this type of yoga.

Immediate: If the exercise in a heated room, which has the advantage of helping the body burn fat faster and efficient supplies. Organs, glands, muscles and tissues are all higher levels of oxygen, while the cardiovascular system is also able to benefit from a complete routine. In addition, heat is useful to promote the movement of muscles, joints and ligaments.Long term: The practice of this unique type of yoga is also able to offer a number of benefits over time. One of the most notable benefits for the improvement rate of metabolism. If this is done to help more flexibility, the function of the nervous system and increases weight loss. During prolonged use, this form of yoga will also help to promote the health of the body's immune system and the development of muscle tone.

If the session Bikram yoga is practiced law the right to offer a number of benefits that may not be as easy to achieve with the more traditional variety this year. Improving the ability of a participant to lose weight is probably one of the main benefits for long-term health. In addition, yoga is very beneficial to increase the ability of a person to relax, strengthens muscles and also greatly improves the flexibility of a person.

The 5 Divine Sheaths of the subtle human body.

Summary:

The partitioning of the 5 sheaths has been presented in the categorization of the three bodies. These 3 are the gross, subtle and casual bodies. The gross body is made up of the food and Vital Force Sheath. The 5 elements and 5 Vital Forces ( Pranas) are embedded in it. The subtle body is made up of the mental and Intellectual Sheath. These 2 can be called conscious intellect and unconscious mind. The casual body is made up of the Bliss Sheath.

Keywords:

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he trend of 5-faced photographs and images of Gayatri is seen, so that those who take recourse to the spiritual practice of this MahaMantra, ask a pertinent question as to what we should do in future? Mantra chanting, meditation, eulogies to God, reading religious texts, sacrificial fire rites etc. are preliminary practices. As a result of this, the preliminary goal of purification of the body and concentration of the mind is achieved. Yet there are more milestones to be reached. For its attainment spiritual seekers should look out for necessary information and then imbibe alertness, steadfastness and capability, to walk on that path. If a spiritual seeker remembers all this always, then know for sure that the aim behind creating photos/images of a 5-faced Gayatri has been duly achieved.

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In reality Gayatri is the worldwide Super Power of the Almighty Lord. It has no particular form. If one desires to have a glimpse of God’s form, it can be in the form of light only. Wisdom is compared to light. The god of Gayatri is Savita. Savita means the sun – a gigantic ball of brilliant light. When Gayatri Super Power manifests in a spiritual seeker, he gets a glimpse of a pinpoint of light, when he meditates. A spiritual seeker sees a small/ big ball of light either in his heart, head, navel or eyes. Sometimes it augments and at other times it diminishes. Many types of shapes, colors of light rays are seen in it. In the beginning stages it keeps oscillating, sometimes it is visible and at other times it disappears. But slowly a state comes, when all the different shapes, movement and colors are warded off and only a point of light remains. In the initial stages, this light is of a small shape and with lesser radiance but when one’s soul state advances, this point of light starts enlarging, becomes more dazzling and manifests a lot of bliss. Just as a lotus blooms forth when the early morning sunlight caresses its bud, so too when our inner soul is touched by this divine light, it experiences bliss of Brahman, absolute bliss and bliss of one’s very existence and consciousness. Just as the Indian red-legged partridge (bird) keeps gazing at the moon for the whole night, in the same way a spiritual seeker yearns to experience untold bliss by gazing at this inner light. Sometimes one desires that just as a moth lays down his life for the flame lamp i.e. it gives up its ordinary existence for the glorious flame, so too I must merge my lowly individual ego into this cosmic light of God.

This is a minor glimpse of meditation on the formless Brahman (God). From the standpoint of experience, a spiritual seeker feels he is experiencing Brahman and spiritual wisdom. The gift of wisdom i.e. imbibing great idealistic activities in our daily lives should awaken within us, inspirations and yearnings. Not only awakening but that it is taking the form of a firm resolve, inner state and as truth. This is the symbol of experience of divine light. Because when the ignorance of power of illusion (Maya) and selfishness is overcome, man starts thinking with a generous viewpoint and imbibes acts of great men. Such a person never hesitates to step daringly on the path of spirituality, unlike people full of avarice, selfishness, delusion and narrow worldly attachments. In order to execute appropriate acts, he marches ahead speedily on the path of spiritual well-being with great valor and enterprise.

So far we have dealt with the nature of high stature wisdom and meditation on the divine power in the form of ‘Gayatri’. In the preliminary stages, it is not possible to get such high stature experiences. One must first imbibe preliminary, spiritual practices like Mantra chanting, worship, meditation, eulogies, fire sacrifices etc. At such times it is a must that one takes help of photographs and images. Meditation in the preliminary stages is possible only via name and form. The stage of formless meditation is very much higher up on the scale. Even in that state there is no need to give up image worship and instead by including it in one’s daily chores, one controls one’s accumulated psychic imprints. When a huge building is constructed, its foundation is in the form of pebbles and stones. Once a firm foundation is laid down, one can build a building of various hues and designs. Later one fails to notice the pebbles / stones in the foundation, yet there is no need to renounce or mock at them. One should realize that the basis and firm foundation of that gigantic building are these pebbles, stones etc. The spiritual progress of meditation with form too can be called a foundation stone. In the preliminary stages its requirement is a must. Thus the commencement of spirituality right from ancient times has taken place with the help of image worship and steadily it marches ahead. It is with reference to this that the shape of Gayatri Super Power has been molded. Just like other images of God, its image too right from ancient times has been used in mediation and worship of God.

Ordinarily only the image of a human face with one face and 2 arms are apt. This is the best from for meditation and worship. Gayatri too should have those kinds of hands and legs just like a spiritual seeker’s beloved mother has. Hence in meditation and worship, one uses the image of Gayatri Mother having 2 arms and one face seated on a white swan and having a book and water pot in her hands. But in some regions one sees images with 5 faces. Maybe its meditation and worship is not apt, yet it has one important message and direction in it. We must see that minutely.

The five faces of Gayatri are the 5 sheaths covering a Jeeva (living being). They are the 5 manifestations and the ten arms of the 10 Sidhis (divine powers) and experiences. Five arms are on the left hand side and the other 5 are on the right hand side. It points out to the 5 material and 5 spiritual powers and Sidhis that are conjoined to Gayatri Super Power. Whenever this Super Power manifests, there one will definitely see the 10 experiences, special qualities and wealth. The meaning of executing spiritual practices is not merely sitting in one particular spot daily so as to perform some scientific rite. In fact it means that by making our entire life a form of spiritual endeavour one should raise the stature of one’s qualities, actions and nature so high, that one sees those divine glories in them, which are found in a symbolic form in the image of the 5-faced Gayatri. The aim of spiritual practices is to generate divine energy. When 10 energies and 10 Sidhis are attained, know for sure that some spiritual seeker is successfully marching ahead on the path of high leveled spiritual practices.

The 5 faces of Gayatri tell us that the 5 demi gods of a living being’s very existence are conjoined to it, so as to fulfill its goal. Because they are under the influence of sleep, they look dead and hence are of no use. As a result a living being exists like a weakling. But if these powerful aides are activated, if their power is aptly utilized, then man instead of leading an ordinary run-of-the-mill life actually attains extraordinary material and spiritual heights. Man will get a golden chance of renouncing his demeaned state and in its place, lead a life of exalted glory. The 5 elements of the body have been depicted as the 5 demi-gods as follows –

The Lord of space is Vishnu. The goddess of fire is Maheshwari power. The Lord of wind is Sun. The Lord of earth is Shiva and the Lord of water is Ganapati Ganesh. In this manner the 5 gods of our body are the Lords (existence) of the 5 elements (KAPILTANTRA). The 5 Pranas (vital force) too are called 5 demi-gods.

All living beings have 5 demi-gods. Because they are imbibed with vital force, they are Shiva. This group manifests Kundalini Shakti (Divine Serpent Power). Its shape is like that of dazzling lightning. (TANTRARNAV)

Kundalini is awakened when the 5 sheaths of our body are activated. When the Kundalini is activated the 5 sheaths of the body of a spiritual seeker radiates brilliance (MAHAYOG-VIGNAN)

The human body is made up of 5 elements. Its Sattva Guna is seen as the 5 radiations of consciousness. (1) Mind (2) Intellect (3) Will (4) Mind stuff or psyche (5) Ego.

From the Rajas principle of the 5 elements arise the 5 Pranas or Vital Forces. On this basis the 5 sense organs carry out the functions of the 5 sense objects.

From the Tamas principle of the 5 elements is created the gross/physical body. They form 1) Juice 2) Blood 3) Flesh 4) Bones 5) Marrow. The 5 special organs viz. brain, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and the 5 sense organs of action are a creation of this area.

The 5 demi-gods given to us, in order to help the living body, are also called the 5 sheaths. Superficially the body looks single yet its power augments more and more. Despite being invisible, it is so powerful that if it is activated, man can become great from lowly and also the cosmic soul (God) from his present status of an individual soul. These 5 coverings of a living being are called the 5 sheaths 1) Food Sheath 2) Vital Force Sheath 3) Mental Sheath 4) Intellectual Sheath 5) Bliss Sheath.

Taitariya Unpanishad proclaims that the Vital Force Sheath is in the Food Sheath, the Mental Sheath is in the Vital Force Sheath, the Intellectual Sheath is in the Mental Sheath and that the Bliss Sheath is in the Intellectual Sheath. Over here there is some parity and at some places there are differences. Its discussion is as follows –

Man is full of food and juice. This is its head. This is its southern aspect. This is its northern aspect. It is the soul. The hind tail is situated on the Merudand (subtle spine).

-     TAITARIYA UPANISHAD ( 2/ 1/ 1)

The soul which is within the Food Sheath made up of food, juice etc. is yet separate from it and is the vital force. It is omnipotent. It is of the same shape. Its activities too are similar. The vital force of the Vital Force Sheath is the head. Its Vyan vital force is the Southern aspect and the Apan vital force is the northern aspect. Space is its soul. Its status in earth is tail-like.

-     TAITARIYA UPANISHAD ( 2/ 2/ 1)

Separate from the Vital Force Sheath is the Mental Sheath. The Vital Force Sheath overflows with the Mental Sheath. It is very similar to it. The Vital Force Sheath is very similar to the Mental Sheath. Yaju is its head. Rig is the southern aspect and Sam is its northern aspect. Its soul is command.

-     TAITARIYA UPANISHAD ( 2/ 3/ 1)

Why are the Vedas correlated to the Mental Sheath? This answer is given in the Shankar Bhashya (commentary) in SankalpaManthan and the sentiments are depicted in the form of Yaju, Rig, Sama Vedas.

Different from the Mental Sheath is the Intellectual Sheath. The Mental Sheath is covered by the Intellectual Sheath. This is the Intellectual Sheath and is similar to Purusha. It is like the Mental Sheath. Faith is its head. Relative truth is its southern aspect and divine truth its northern aspect. Yoga is its soul. Its hind status is in importance.

-     TAITARIYA UPANISHAD ( 2/ 4/ 1)

The Bliss Sheath despite dwelling within the Intellectual Sheath is separate from it. The Intellectual Sheath overflows with Bliss Sheath. This too is similar to Purusha (God). It is like the Intellectual Sheath. Beloved is its head. Inner bliss is its southern aspect and external joy is its northern aspect. Bliss is its soul. Its hind status is in Brahman.

-     TAITARIYA UPANISHAD ( 2/5/ 1)

In the PANCHDASHI religious text the verses 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 of chapter three, depict the 5 sheaths as follows:

The body of a creation of the father’s sperm, which in turn is made from the food that he partakes, is situated in the Food Sheath. Because the body undergoes birth and death, it cannot be the soul. The conscious soul is different from it.

-     PANCHDASHI (3/3)

The Vital Force Sheath which is an inspirer of the senses which give power, abound within the body. But this too being unconscious like the body, cannot be the soul. It is separate.

-     PANCHDASHI 3/5

What exactly are the 5 sheaths? The Upanishads while describing them say –

The group of sheaths created by food; this visible body is called the Food Sheath. The group of 14 elements along with the vital force (Prana) is called the Vital Force Sheath. The group of sense organs and mind, embedded in these 2 sheaths, is called the Mental Sheath. The Intellectual Sheath plays the roles of discrimination (Viveka) and intellect. The natural form and place of the soul, present within these bodies is called the Bliss Sheath.

In this manner human consciousness has been partitioned in 5 ways. This partitioning is called 5 sheaths. The Food Sheath means sense organ consciousness. The Vital Force Sheath means our very life force. The Mental Sheath means thought process. The Intellectual Sheath means the unconscious center and flow of sentiments. The Bliss Sheath means soul wisdom and activation of the soul.

The state of living beings evolves on the basis of these conscious layers.

The high stature spiritual practice of Gayatri is carried out so as to unveil the 5 sheaths and activate them. In order to point at this high stature spiritual practice, the symbolic form of the 5-faced Gayatri is depicted. This depiction points at the activation of this chief potential of the 5 sheaths of the subtle body and thus attains supreme benefits of this great science.

Via these sheaths one can attain that divine potential which can decorate our personality with wealth and glory. The conscious arena can be made as wealthy as the Lord of Wealth called Kubera. Sheath means a veil or a covering. When these veils are removed one after another, you ultimately come face to face with the absolute truth / reality. Those obstructions in the form of mental taints are removed due to activation / unveiling of the 5 sheaths which are the root cause of the living being failing to attain those powers given by the Lord and as a result of which, he leads a demeaned life.

The partitioning of the 5 sheaths has been presented in the categorization of the three bodies. These 3 are the gross, subtle and casual bodies. It is called Tripada Gayatri (3-legged). The gross body is made up of the food and Vital Force Sheath. The 5 elements and 5 Vital Forces ( Pranas) are embedded in it. The subtle body is made up of the mental and Intellectual Sheath. These 2 can be called conscious intellect and unconscious mind. The casual body is made up of the Bliss Sheath. Certain scholars differ on this subject, yet the reality is this only.

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Using Yoga to Improve Your Health and Well Being

Summary:

There are many things you can do to improve your health. It is a fact that you will need to adopt some sort of exercise program. Although everyone perfers differnet activities for exercise Yoga can by far provide you with so many benefits both physically and psychologically. Find out how Yoga can improve your over all well-being.

Keywords:

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With all the new television infomercials on gadgets and videos on improving one’s health and wellbeing there is one strong hold on low impact exercise that not only improves your body but also improves the psychological state which give your entire being the sense of positive well being. By being involved in Yoga on a regular basis one can expect to feel better and more alive. Yoga does promote positive energies within the body which in turn will create positive energy in the mind increasing your total well being.

One of the physical benefits you will experience is increased flexibility. As most people know Yoga consist on many movements, stretches and poses which act on various joints in your body. Many of these joints are joints that are rarely used. So the stretching and use of these joints, ligament and tendons help to increase your flexibility. These movements also provide flexibility to the supporting joints, ligament and tendons.

Yoga provides massage to all your organs and glands including the prostate which never gets external stimulation. The gent stretching of your muscles and joints when doing yoga maximizes blood flow in your body enabling your body to flush toxins, provide nourishment to your body and in turn slows aging and increases energy.

By stretching and using muscles to hold many of these positions, Yoga helps to tone the body provide correct posture and keep your body tone and firm.

Yoga is an excellent exercise which helps with all aspects of your life both mentally and physically. Yoga has been used to improve sleep, decrease pain in joints, increase energy, range of motion and also has many psychological benefits.

An exercise like Yoga through the bending and stretching of the spine builds strength, endurance and lowering the stress hormone that cause aging. The reduction of stress will reduce the acid conditions within the body and enabling your body to intake more oxygen. It also balances the nervous system helping to reduce depression and anxiety and increases your concentration and enhances your mood.

Yoga when practiced regularly puts your body in a positive healthy state. This in turn puts you mind in a positive healthy state which helps to keep your body looking and felling good. Yoga provides a continuous loop of positive well being and continual rejuvenation. The stretching also contribute to improving your posture allowing you to stand straighter with your back erect and your hamstrings fully stretched and flexible leaving you in a alert and confident state.

Yes it is true that people are living longer today but the real question is what is their quality of life? If you have the option to start now and exercise your body using a low impact stretching and toning exercise, enabling your body and mind to get into a place of optimal health and well being or to have to rely on doctors to poke and prod at you and prescribe medications after medication what would your choice be?

Hopefully as yoga grows in popularity citizens of the world will enjoy the benefits of this low impact exercise and increase the positive energy in their mind and bodies enabling them to live longer and healthier lives.

What Yoga Exercise Do For You!

Summary:

Yoga loosens up large muscles, so they aren't stressing smaller muscles and bones resulting in injuries. It also loosens up joints and improves circulation, which is good for health.

The procedure is to go through a contortion which stretches the large muscles causing them to loosen up. As the largest muscles loosen up, the force shifts to smaller muscles. If the position is held too long, a small muscle could get injured.

So when muscles are real stiff, a position shou...

Keywords:

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So when muscles are real stiff, a position should only be held for a few seconds. Under these conditions, you should feel your way through the exercise. Instead of trying for perfect form, you just bend enough to add some force to the largest muscles. Then you shift weight a little moving the force around to different muscles. After that, return to a resting position for a few seconds.

Yoga is a complete science of life that originated in India many thousands of years ago. It is the oldest system of personal development in the world encompassing the entire body, mind and spirit. It is the union between a person's own consciousness and the universal consciousness.

The Ancient Yogis had a profound understanding of man's essential nature and of what he needs to live in harmony with himself and his environment. They perceived the physical body as a vehicle, with the mind as driver, the soul as man's true identity, and action, emotion and intelligence as the three forces which pull the body-vehicle. In order for these to be integrated, these three forces must be in balance. Taking into account the interrelationship between body and mind, the Yogis formulated a unique method for maintaining this balance - a method that combines all the movements you need for physical health with the Breathing and Meditation techniques that ensure peace of mind.

Yoga may seem like the fabled elixir of life - a cure-all solution to man's daily problems and concerns such as illness. But actually, the benefits that Yogis or Yoga practitioners have been experiencing for thousands of years are only being gradually proven by medical science now.

The classical techniques of Yoga date back more than 5,000 years. In ancient times, the desire for greater personal freedom, Health and long life, and heightened self-understanding gave birth to this system of physical and mental exercise which has since spread throughout the world. The word Yoga means "to join or yoke together," and it brings the body and mind together into one harmonious experience.

Yoga, an ancient science, can help Women cope with health issues and help them develop the state of their body and mind. It can help alleviate the pain that goes with Menstruation, manage stress, and ensure an easier delivery among other benefits. Yoga poses are also designed to tone and exercise the muscles of the body to eliminate excess fat, and make it more flexible and stronger.

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