julie_adm20, auteur/autrice sur Yoga and lifestyle medicine

Mantra Yoga – Healing Mantras

What is mantra Yoga and why is it healing? Behind the practice of mantras hides a science.

Saturated by media coverage and over-information, our brains are in turmoil unable to think without influence and with intelligent judgment.

This pollution, both visual and sound, prevents us from making well-considered decisions, from concentrating on our tasks, from channeling our emotions, from taking a step back to learn the lessons of life and build our path in consciousness.

The tiniest noises are part of our daily life, such as the hum of the fridge, the quivering of halogens, road traffic, electromagnetic waves from laptops and computers… In short, a whole range of pollution with consequences on our body which treats all those vibrations that tire our nervous and immune systems.

However, it is complicated to isolate yourself in the Himalayan mountains or to go to a cave…

So how do you repair and evolve?

How to master your mind and body and to initiate your mind growth?

How to relax your mind?

It is the subject of this article that will give you a powerful key for healing and self-realization.

First let me introduce the subject step by step.

The science of mantras is a very technical subject offered by ancestral wisdom and more precisely the veda. The vedas form in a way the Sanatana dharma. But this one goes way beyond that. These oldest Hindu texts allow the human mind to grasp the teaching of the rishis, those Indian sages who have received the Truth.

The Sanatana Dharma tells us about the natural order that has always existed. The principles of the cycles, of the 5 elements of Nature, the law of cause and effect, the meaning of existence, the secrets of energy transmission, perceptions, behavioral tendencies, the interdependencies between planets and stars, the techniques of communication with the immaterial world, all this brings together the teachings of Sanatana Dharma.

Why do we make sounds?

One of the functions of sound emissions in humans is self-healing.

The harmonized sounds coming from our body vibrate all our cells, fluids and spaces, creating an internal massage that is extremely conducive to well-being.

Have you ever experienced singing? Why are singing lessons packed?

Do you know that for millennia voice work has been used as a healing and harmonizing method against physical and mental imbalances.

Our body has the ability to emit purifying, calming sounds to cleanse the negative.

In India, the practice of mantras finds its origin in the research carried out by the rishis, ancient sages, who studied the principles of action of sounds on our different physical, energetic and mental bodies.

What allowed Sanskrit to be born and to become this magic? Even those who hear it for the first time confirm it. These sounds jostle us, confront us and charm us.

Chanting mantras is a deep and healing process

Mantras for health

Chanting mantras is therapy. The sound sequences pronounced in Sanskrit, according to specific codes, awaken cosmic energies attuning us to the forces of nature and harmonizing us.

They harmonize us personally but also those around us, so it is a way to avoid violence and societal aggressiveness.

Today we see the birth of the name mantra therapy because mantras relax your mind, energize stagnant energy and release tension.

Mantras are effective in the management of digestive disorders, fertility, insomnia, migraines, depression and hormonal imbalances...

You just have to believe in it, practice and understand this quantum functioning.

Many in the West have taken to listening to mantras in their cars, while shopping, at home…why…because they soothe and balance the mind.

Behind the practice of mantras hides a science.

Today in the West, we popularize, but behind this popularization there is a loss of purity and rigor in mantric practices.

Mantras are practiced without understanding the Sanskrit language which inevitably leads to the loss of their magic and energy laws.

Mantras are specific phonetic codes. The more we respect these codes, the more we ensure their effectiveness.

A mantra is a code in Sanskrit, not an autosuggestion in our native language…otherwise it is called an autosuggestion and not a mantra.

The growth of the mind

When we learn something new, a language, a mantra, etc., our nervous system builds new neural connections, so when we learn a mantra, for example, new connections are built and we increase our potential for perception and understanding. sound emissions.

Then the recitation of a mantra involves the use of muscles of the vocal and ventral apparatus that we do not use when we speak.

Growth of the nervous system

During a mantra session, the nervous system both strengthens by creating new neural connections and relaxes because we are not in multitasking mode. This is called neuroplasticity.

The more complex a mantra seems to us, the more the nervous system concentrates, and this concentration is essential for meditation.

This mantric complexity increases our sound, intellectual performance and adaptability to stress.

At the end of a session, after having unraveled this mantra, we leave enlightened, the problems seem ridiculous to us, just like after a yoga session where our body is freed from muscular tension.

When we have crossed the barrier of Sanskrit, this language settles in our heart, settles in the memory. The more we practice, the more we develop this appetite.

By regularly chanting the Sanskrit alphabet with concentration and correct pronunciation, we have the potential to awaken Kundalini shakti, that cosmic energy that resides within each of us.

The mantras and texts captured by the rishis are based on the principle of energy activation. This practice is not only intellectual. Each of the mantras has a vibrational signature felt by the reciter in his physical and energetic body. These are vibratory sequences energizing our energy centers through the experience of truth.

The practice of mantras cannot be categorized as a method of chanting or as the formulation of a prayer or intentions. This practice connects all at once, all these approaches, transcends the mind.

Mananat trayate

Means by the Manan (constant thinking or recollection) of which one is released from the round of births and deaths is Mantra

Healing mantra : Karma and Rectification

Practicing mantras is an effective tool for the rectification of our Karma. The vibrational sequences allow us to cleanse our actions, bonds and unnecessary internal patterns imprinted from many lifetimes.

When we practice mantras correctly we restructure the vasanas, which are latent impressions already present in the mind, and the samskaras, which are impressions that are already functioning. For example, we say, “This is his samskara, this is his nature. All the impressions have formed part of his character.

With the help of the sacred vibrations, we can rise above the limitations we have received or developed since childhood to see our deepest potential and talents.

The goals in my life

We can practice specific mantras to advance towards all goals.

Purusartha is the Vedic concept in which 4 goals condition our actions from our birth until our death.

Dharma: vocation, just order for harmony
Artha: the pursuit of wealth or material advantage
Kama: well-being and pleasure necessary for development in accordance with the dharma
Moksha: Liberation from the material world, sleep, detachment, Union

How to practice?

By what is called japa.

Japa or repetition is an essential practice. It calms the inner cacophony due to the outside world, the monkey spirit, and the repetition of the mantra is invaluable for this effect.

This repetition leads to concentration or dharana and takes us on the path of meditation, dhyana.

This technique has been used for millennia.

Understand that when you pronounce a word like apple for example either silently or out loud, the object instantly appears in front of you and the mind focuses on it. And japa uses this particularity of the mind to focus on divine energies and forms. It removes the thoughts that hold us back to the material world and worldly pleasures.

One can use the mantra diksha which is a personal mantra given by an enlightened master, or an upaya mantra (remedial mantra). It is most often mantras between 2 and 9 syllables that are used for japa.

The 4 types of japa.

The recitation of a mantra can be practiced at different levels:

Recitation out loud (vacika japa)
Whisper recitation (upamsu japa)
Mental recitation (manasika japa)
Spontaneous recitation (ajapa japa)

Sitting japa is practiced beginning with audible recitation to reach a meditative state in which thoughts are put away. For a sadhaka (practitioner) it will be easier to achieve mental or even spontaneous recitation.

Japa Mala

The materials used are diverse and vary according to the energy sought

It allows to increase the concentration since it is realized on a japa mala or yogic rosary.

Mala is made up of pearls, each separated by a knot. It is held in the hand and after each recitation we advance one bead.

It is important to hold it close to the heart, where the energy of Anahata chakra is located and which is related to the sense of touch. The use of the fingers calms and focuses precisely this center of touch.

A japa mala is usually made up of 108 beads. There are also malas with 27 or 54 beads.

The materials used are diverse and vary according to the energy sought.

Most are in rudraksha seeds which represent Shiva and bring purification. Others are made of tulsi wood, representing, krishna and devi, love, devotion and compassion.

For those in sandalwood, they stimulate the development of noble qualities and strengthen the practice.

Some can also be composed of minerals according to our needs.

How to use Japa mala

Hold the mala with the right hand at heart level because the right side of the body represents the energy of the sun, of the gift, of the offering, of the light towards which the practice leads

Hold your hand in your upper body. because the vibration of the lower part of the body (after the waist) is lower.

Do not put your hand on your thigh or touch your feet.

The recitation is performed with the middle finger, the index finger being left aside because it represents the ego and an aggressive energy comes out of this finger. The advancement is therefore done by pushing on the middle finger.

A mala used for japa must then be stored in a natural bag. It carries the sacred vibrations and should not be exposed to the world by wearing it around the neck or on the wrist.

Don’t put your japa mala down. It has unfortunately become a habit of practitioners during yoga classes. But that defiles or discharges it.

A mala is the abode of shakti, so it must be taken care of.

Before its first use, wash the mala with water, if possible, water from Ganga or one of the sacred rivers, or have it blessed by a master.

Keep it in a pocket made of silk or natural material

Expose it to moonlight on full moon nights

Put it in contact with minerals such as rose quartz, labradorite, amethyst to purify and recharge it.

It can also be taken into the wild and suspended for a while on an oak or other large and strong tree.

You have to feed your japa mala, with love because the day when you will not have the enthusiasm for the practice it is he who will transmit it to you.

What mantra to start with?

Practice AUM

This japa is the simplest and most deeply absorbing practice. Use a japa mala to stay focused.

This mantra is short and allow easily stay focused. Help you mala 108 beads for that.

We can recite quickly or over the length of the exhale, mentally or aloud.

Bring out the Aum from the depths of your being and not only vocally. Stay concentrate on the vibration of the whole body in a still posture. vibrationis born in the belly (manipura chakra region) and raise it to the top of the head for each pronunciation.

It would also be necessary to address the emission measurements between the A, the U and the M, but this requires teaching. For meditative practices, we can sing the AUM disregarding the ratios and being absorbed in the sound mindlessly and counting the measures.

We can sing the mantras:

3 times (for those with 3 or 4 lines)
21 times
27 times (a quarter turn of 108)
54 times (half the turn of 108)
108 times
several times 108

One should not determine the recitation time by one’s desire. It is best to use a japa mala (a Vedic rosary).

What is important in the practice of mantras is regularity! Because the very principle of the mantra is repetition which calms the mind. It is therefore better to choose one or two mantras (at least for a certain period (1, 2, 6 months) and sing it every day at the same time of day.

So you might notice how the practice intensifies and goes deep.

If we sing a different mantra everyday is once again our mind having fun and looking for a new experience. This mental state prevents you from concentrating and taking the road to the Self. We can also, to better concentrate, sing the mantras to the planets that correspond to the days of the week, provided that we repeat the same thing every week.

Conclusion

A question may also arise:

How to choose a mantra if I do not feel Hindu or Buddhist and I have no particular affection for the deities?

The recitation of mantras is a science and is based on this fact more than on beliefs.

The science of mantras is the use of energy laws.

Deities can be compromised by a Westerner like mythological characters. But these characters only represent forms understandable by the human mind and are universal principles, that is to say archetypes.

The divinities are not idols to be venerated but supports of concentration on qualities whose energies we wish to activate. The names of the deities or the names of their attributes generate precise vibrations with a correct pronunciation and activate these energies in us.

About example, when we pronounce Ganapati, the letter ga is guttural and works on the activation of the glottis and the fundamental obstacles of the emission of sound by the vocal apparatus. It is for this reason that the god to the elephant head is invoked to overcome obstacles.

The symbolism of these archetypes must be studied to deeply understand their meanings and impacts.

With the diversity of qualities that stand behind the representations, there are parallel mantras of peace, abstract called vedantic.

References

Effectiveness of Mantra-Based Meditation on Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Repetitive speech elicits widespread deactivation in the human cortex: the “Mantra” effect?

Meditation on OM: Relevance from ancient texts and contemporary science

Neurohemodynamic correlates of ‘OM’ chanting: A pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Stages of illness according to Ayurveda.

Stages of illness is the end result of behaviors that are inadequate to maintain our full health.

Ayurveda is a medicine that educates us positively on our way of living, thinking and evolving in a healthy and serene environment to stay healthy.

It is therefore above all a preventive medicine before being a healing medicine and its effectiveness is no longer to be proven.

It educates precisely on nutrition, attitude and beneficial behaviors to follow according to our personal Ayurvedic constitution called prakriti.

Ayurveda and stages of illness

The disease can be detected and treated at any stage. Treatment and remission are, of course, more effective in the early stages of the disease.

The disease process begins with disturbances in the balance of the doshas (or biophysiological humors) vata, pitta and kapha.

Temporary imbalances are common and completely normal, but serious problems arise if the state of imbalance is not corrected quickly.

In the normal course of events, vata, pitta and kapha go through cycles of change in three stages: accumulation, provocation or aggravation, and pacification.

Imbalances examples

Pitta, for example, begins to show and accumulate in late spring. This is brought on or aggravated during the hot summer months, and Pitta dosha naturally subsides when the weather cools in the fall.

If the increase in the dosha is not appeased naturally by a change of season, it undergoes other changes and illness may result.

If a person with a vata-predominant constitution experiences some degree of increased vata in the fall due to cool, dry, windy weather, but returns to normal soon after, the disease will not develop. not.

With the right lifestyle and diet, everyone can restore their balance, for example by eating moist, warming foods and by dressing warmly in windy weather, for the person of Vata constitution.

If the aggravated state of vata persists, vata will move into the general circulation and into the deep connective tissue, where it will generate pathological changes.

The disease will then develop.

From the imbalance that persists over time we enter the phase of disorder, and disorder is disease.

Illness is like the growth of the fetus in the mother’s womb. It originates in the body and is known as samprapti or pathogenesis, literally “the birth of pain”.

What is the illness process according to ayurveda?

The accumulation phase

Due to various causes, such as diet, weather, seasons, emotions, etc., the doshas begin to accumulate in their respective sites: vata in the colon, pitta in the intestines, and kapha in the stomach. . This is the easiest step to dealing with any emerging health issues. The imbalance can be felt at this stage by diagnosing your pulse.

The accumulation of Vata can result in constipation, abdominal distension or gas in the colon. Pitta buildup can be felt as warmth around the navel area and can be seen as a slightly yellowish discoloration in the whites of the eyes or dark yellow colored urine. The person will be very hungry and will crave sweets and sugar.

The accumulated kapha leads to feelings of heaviness, lethargy and loss of appetite.

At this stage, the individual is still healthy and when a dosha begins to become unbalanced, the body is intelligent and develops a distaste for the causative factor and needs to feed on opposite qualities.

This can be done through food with qualities opposite to the dosha, lifestyle, management of thoughts to restore balance.

For example, if you ate ice cream three days in a row and the kapha builds up, you won’t want to eat ice cream anymore. Instead, your body will crave spicy foods to burn off excess kapha and counteract it. We must relearn how to listen to the body and its wisdom to avoid increasing the causes of our imbalances.

Aggravation illness’phase

The accumulated dosha continues to accumulate in its own site. The stomach fills with kapha, the intestines fill with pitta, or the colon overflows with vata.

These accumulated doshas can then move from their sites. Kapha can rise in the lungs, pitta in the stomach and gallbladder, and vata can rise in the flanks.

You can also feel this phase.

An example:

If you eat too much food with kapha properties on Saturday evening, the next morning you may feel full and feel the need to fast or eat light. But if that same day you are invited and you eat a lot again, the next day you may have a cough or a feeling of congestion in the lungs. For what? Because kapha starts moving up the body.

Too much pitta in the second stage can cause heartburn or acid indigestion, and even nausea.

Vata can cause pain in the flanks or middle of the back, or even shortness of breath.

According to Ayurveda, the disease process can be treated at any stage, but specific treatments are needed for advanced stages. In these first two steps, one can reverse the process by using common sense and applying the principle of opposing qualities. And by taking some home remedies. But once the disease process has moved beyond the gastrointestinal tract and entered the third phase, it is no longer under its own control and qualified medical help is needed.

Diffusion illness’phase

The next stages of illness is diffusion. The dosha begins to spread from its place of origin, overflowing into the bloodstream and the general circulation of the body,. It is”searching” for a place to enter. Here, the disease process has progressed to the point where eliminating the causative factor will not suffice. A panchakarma, purification treatment (or similar cleansing regimen) is necessary in order to direct the doshas into their respective sites in the gastrointestinal tract so that they can be excreted out of the body.

Ama, Agni and the disease process

The biological fire of the body, which governs the transformation of matter into energy, is of thirteen main types. The central fire, called Jatharagni, governs digestion and assimilation of food.

The other agnis (the fire component in cells, tissues and organs) carry out the local process of digestion and nutrition. When agni is strong and healthy, then whatever a person eats, the system digests, assimilates and absorbs it. Then removes impurities.

But when the doshas are aggravated due to bad diet, unhealthy lifestyle or negative emotions, they first affect agni, which becomes imbalance. When agni becomes weakened or disturbed, food is not properly digested.

Undigested and unabsorbed food particles accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and other subtle sites of the body and turn into a toxic. This sticky, foul-smelling substance is called Ama. (Ama can also be formed by bacterial invasion and cell metabolism waste.) In the third stage (“spread”) of the disease process, ama overflows its site of origin to other bodily channels. It spreads in blood vessels, capillaries and lymphatics, and clogs the channels and cell membranes.

When these ama molecules clog the channels, the cellular intelligence (prana) that constantly circulates between cells gets blocked. And some cells become isolated. An isolated cell is a solitary cell, and a solitary cell is a confused cell.

Pathological changes begin to occur. But the root cause of pathological changes is the movement of these ama molecules. So the ama must be eliminated from the body by panchakarma or other means.

Deposit or infiltration of illness

The aggravated dosha enters a weak or defective organ, tissue or system. This is the consequence due to previous trauma, genetic predisposition, accumulated emotional stress, repressed emotions or other factors.

Smoking cigarettes, for example, creates weakness in the lungs. Eating too much sugar creates weakness in the pancreas and blood tissues, and so on.

The newly arrived and aggravated dosha confuses the cellular intelligence of the weakest tissue and overwhelms it. And it is altering its normal qualities and functions.

Aggravated dosha suppresses the normal qualities of tissue. It combines with it, creating an altered state, altering its structure and function. In this way, the “seeds” of the disease begin to sprout.

So far, the disease has not appeared on the surface, but it can be detected by a qualified doctor.

An alert person may feel subtle changes in the body. If the condition is not interrupted at this stage, it will break out as a disease in its own right.

Ilness’manifestation

In this stage of illness, qualitative changes become apparent. Signs and symptoms of real disease appear on the surface; the person becomes ill. Whether in the lungs, kidneys, liver, joints, heart, brain, or anywhere, the germs of disease germinate and begin to manifest in the area of defective tissue.

Cellular deformation leading to structural distortion

Now the pathological process is fully developed and the disease fully manifested.

Structural changes occur and complications in organs, tissues or systems become evident. It is also at this stage that the disease, fully developed, is therefore the most difficult to treat.

In the fifth stage of illness, for example, when the aggravated pitta dosha invades the stomach wall, it may manifest as an ulcer. But in the sixth stage, the pitta will perforate the ulcer and cause bleeding, or it may cause a tumor.

The function begins to be disturbed in the fifth stage, but here the structure of the tissue is affected, as well as the surrounding tissues and systems.

Obviously, the treatment and the return to balance is much easier in the early stages.

This is why prevention is so strongly emphasized in Ayurveda. It is much more effective to treat the disease at the seed stage, before it germinates and develops.

Health and disease are processes. All the stages of illness has been reached.

Disease is a process of abnormal movement of the doshas, while health is a process of normal functioning of the doshas.

Conclusion

A wise person understands that the normal rhythm and quality of the process can be restored by changing diet and lifestyle (stress management, yoga and meditation, healthier eating and mind habits), and avoiding the etiological factors that cause the disease.

The more attentive you are to how your mind, body, and emotions respond to changing circumstances; the more aware you are of your constitution and the instant choices you can make to stay healthy. The less chance you create of getting sick.

Interested to become Ayurveda Therapist? Have a look here or here (in french)

References

Utilization of Ayurveda in health care

Global Health Perspective

Ayurvedic research and methodology

Shakti: power of Healing

Shri Yantra: the absolute unity of the Universe and the source of all energies

Shakti has many healing energies in nature from the qualities, properties and powers of everything that makes up nature but also up to the metaphysical.

Shakti is an important Sanskrit term. Several meanings are there. These different meanings are essential to understand how the powers of the universe work from the biological level to the cosmic level, that is to say of life and existence.

Shakti mainly means power or energy.

To be more specific, Shakti is a reference to the power of decision making, or execution.

In the West, Shakti is best known as the creative and transformative feminine energy of Nature and the Earth in general.

Shakti represents the special powers of Nature, the powers of the nature of the Self, Atma-Shakti, and the nature of the world or Prakriti Shakti.

Shaktis: the powers of nature

What places do nature’s Shaktis occupy in Ayurvedic treatment?

To obtain healing, it is necessary to have the knowledge and preparation to obtain healing.

We need to identify and use the right Shakti according to the condition and the context, which can change, in order to use the right force to heal.

Each object or force has a unique power of Nature

For example, Dahana Shakti is the power to burn and purify like fire. It is used for various purposes, good or bad, from cooking food to setting fire to a building.

Kledana Shakti is the hydrating, moisturizing, and nourishing power like water. She can also drown.

For there to be healing, the appropriate shakti must be activated to deal with or balance the pathology or disease.

Nature has many healing Shaktis contained in the 5 elements:

– the powers of the sky and the atmosphere,

– minerals, plants, herbs

– Food,

– mountains, rivers and forests.

It is important to also consider that everything that Nature offers must be used appropriately. As much as it has this power of healing but also of destruction if used clumsily.

Shaktis and Ayurveda

Our food has its nutritious properties which is called Anna Shakti.

Herbs also have their healing energy or Aushadi Shakti

If we take an example, spicy herbs like ginger, cinnamon, sage or tulsi have a diaphoretic (perspiration) effect, called Svedana Shakti. This is useful if we wish to practice sweat therapies that are particularly effective in countering Kapha dosha.

For the power of oleation or Snehana Shakti, oils such as sesame, coconut… are particularly used for effective massages against Vata dosha.

Plants have Ayurvedic energy which give special actions. For example, tastes or rasa can have heating effects (virya) or special actions called prabhava. They are also forms of Shakti.

I can still mention the Shakti rasayana with rejuvenating, healing and regenerative powers such as ashwagandha, shatavari, bala, amalaki, haritaki, … They help at the deepest level of healing and revitalization.

Anna Shakti: the nutritious properties of food

The forces of Shakti and its powers are also present at a more subtle level and described in Yoga and bhut vidya (Ayurvedic psychology). These forces we find in the mantras.

Kriya Shakti is related with the beej mantra Kreem and Goddess Kali and Akarshana Shakti with the beej mantra Kleem and Tripura Sundari Devi. Mantras have the power to shift energies and heal the mind and emotions.

Dhyana Shakti is the power of meditation derived from the force of concentration called Dharana Shakti.

All these Shakti forces are activated by the regularity of the practices, the detachment and the internalization of the spirit.

Shaktis of the healer

The healer must have this healing power to be able to help others towards lasting well-being.

It develops Prana Shakti or life energy through connection to cosmic Prana through Pranayama and sattvic living. This is how he receives the Shakti of healing.

It also needs strong ojas, which is the power of physical immunity, patience and calm which is Kshamatva Shakti.

To be a healer one must also be wise, experienced with a sattvic intellect (buddhi). It is the Prajna Shakti necessary for proper diagnosis and treatment.

The powers of Nature are within us and surround us. They are part of the whole Vedic science of the powers or Shakti of healing, which must be learned in order to be able to heal.

These healing Shaktis come to us from Nature called Prakriti, itself connected to ParaShakti or ultimate and universal force.

References

Shakti and Shakta

Is Shakti Force?

Om Shakti

Control your emotions

Yogic practices are effective to control your emotions. It is a lifestyle and a strong understanding of your mind and body. You can still feel emotions, however through practicing yoga it can give you better control of your emotions by being aware of your imbalances and/or emotions and controlling them through asanas, pranayama and meditation to take control back.

Yoga and Emotional Dimension of Personality:

There are two kinds of emotions: positive and negative.

For example love, kindness are positive emotions, while anger and fear are personality development thoughts.

Similarly, our feelings and attitudes may be positive and negative.

For your self growth, emotional development, positive feelings, attitudes and emotions should be developed and negative ones should be controlled. The negative attitudes and emotions work as a mental blockages for the development of personality and conscious.

Yoga plays a critical role in development of positive emotions. It’s emotion therapy.

It brings emotional stability and helps to control negative ones.

Yogic practices such as yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara and meditation help in emotional self-regulation.

For example, the principle of non-violence will protect us from negative emotions and develop positive feelings of love and kindness for ourself and others. Similarly, other principles like yama and niyama will help to develop positive emotions and attitudes in our personal and social life.

How Yamas and Niyamas teach you to control your emotions?

Yama (restraints) and Niyama (observance) are principles which need to be adopted always in our day-to-day life.

These can be considered as the universal codes of conduct that help us in following high standards in our personal and social life.

Principles of yama are concerned with one’s social life.

The principles of niyama are concerned with one’s personal life.

Yama and niyama are part of Ashtanga yoga and help for self growth.

The five principles of yama are:

Ahimsa (non-violence),
Satya (truthfulness);
Asteya (non-stealing);
Brahmcharya (abstinence)
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness, non-grasping or non-greediness).

The five principles of niyama are:

Shaucha (cleanliness);
Santosha (satisfaction);
Tapas (austerity);
Swadhyaya (study of good literature and knowing about the ‘self’)
Ishwarpranidhana (dedication to the God/Supreme power/ what you believe).

Control and acceptance: the keys

It is important to have control of your body, you have to be conscious of all your senses, your mind, and your body inside and out.

You need to have an understanding of emotions and when and how they affect you. Feel emotions by not holding them back, however, you should not let the emotions take control of you either. You need to manage them, and yoga practice can help you do this.

Yoga is a spiritual science of self-realization, which means finding oneself through a spiritually journey.

People say they know themselves, but do they really?

Or do they only know their qualities, their idea of who they are?

I have spent a lot of my life just being happy, outgoing and suppressing sadness and anger. I surely did not have control of those emotions, but more of blocking/holding back.

Suppressing my emotions has caused me to be sick on the inside, and these emotions are retaliating and in force. The path of yoga and practicing has helped me to master my emotions and my well-being. It can assist you like an emotions therapy as well.

You can have a deeper understanding of your emotions and taking control back. Certain asanas can also help lift your spirit or the opposite by calming you down but you need to be guided properly if you have no body conscious.

Pranayama also assists with increasing or decreasing your mood through breath by acting on hormones and other physiological systems. You have a better balance and master yourself, mind and body.

Then, through meditation practice, proper and healthy diet, water, and general activities in your daily schedule you have understand the main tools to control your emotions.

Live with your emotions and avoid that your emotions make you live.

Everything is related between your guts and your brain. Meaning that if you have bas food intake then your brain functioning will reflect the quality of your food.

Many people including myself, have blamed someone for my own feelings of anger, sadness or even happiness, but it’s your reaction, not their action that causes these emotions. The emotions can quickly change from one to another and even in a short turn around. With not having control of these emotions, you can hurt yourself, something or even someone else.

Feeling these emotions are natural but you must live with your emotions and avoid that your emotions make you live.

Knowing them, feeling them, accepting them and move onward, through asanas, breath, meditation diet and lifestyle. Once you have understood that and practice that, you will have control of your emotions.

But not only you will master your actions, your reactions and therefore feel more balance within.

If your emotions are running wild and you need balance in your life:

Check your diet
Look at your lifestyle and change what you need to change to be balanced
Look at your emotions
See how you feel inside
Accept them
Move on

Balancing poses and pranayama: what you need to practice.

These asanas and pranayama below will help bring calmness, balance and cleanse the mind and body.

You have to practice putting your consciousness and commitment onto the breath for each asana in a way to feel, experiences and receive the benefits.

Sorry, there is no solutions in this earth than to commit and work little on yourself if you want to get results. You don’t want to put efforts to master your life, then do not complain and undergo.

**Asanas and pranayama** help by **bringing calmness, balance and cleansing the mind and body**

What poses to practice?

Vrksasana (Tree Pose):

– balancing for a beginner and advanced.

– develops nervous balance and strengthens the legs, ankles, and foot muscles.

To begin, stand on your matt, even out the weight between both of your feet.

You then shift your weight from your left foot primarily on toyour right leg/foot.

Lift your left knee out in front and grab your shin with your left hand.

Open up your hips with moving your left knee out to the left side and having a straight alignment from the knee to your hips.

Keeping your hips open place your left foot on your inner thigh, calf or ankle, just not your knee. From here you can open your arms down by your body with palms facing forward and looking ahead. You can also put your palms together in prayer position or up to make branches with your arms and look to your thumbs or the ceiling.

Relaxed your shoulders, keep the back straight, balance on the 3 points of your foot and keeping a straight line from top to bottom and having an awareness of your pelvis with anterior or posterior tilts. Hold this position up to 2 min each side. When you are ready slowly lower your leg and shake the legs out and swap sides.

If your mood is low and you feel down, and you need a push for energy, backbends are what is needed. They are good for opening up and embracing life and life’s challenges.

Then which backbends?

I have chosen Ushttasana (camel pose).

Physical benefits with this pose are the extension of the vertebrae,
stimulation of the spinal nerves which relieving backache, rounded back and drooping shoulders.
Having the neck stretched tones the throat organs and regulates the thyroid.
benefits the digestive and reproductive system, through the stretch in the stomach and intestines.

You would begin by sitting in vajrasana pose and then stand on your knees with arms by your side. Lean slowly backwards right-hand reach for the right heel and left hand reaching for the left heel.

Pushing the hips forward, keeping the thighs vertical and bend the head and spine backward as far as comfortable. Relax into the pose and the support is even through both arms and legs. Hold for up to 3min for a static pose and when you are ready to come back slowly release one hand at a time and transition into the counterpose balasana.

Forward bends are a good counterpose for backbends but also good for calming the emotions down. If you need to calm the mind, release anger or release ego these asanas will help.

Counterposes

Balasana (Childs pose)

stretches and strengthens the back muscles and separates the individual vertebrae from each other, releasing the pressure of the discs, this pose also tones the pelvic muscles and sciatic nerve.

Sit in the vajrasana pose and widen the gap between your knees close to the width of your matt.

Fold forward putting your forehead on the mat and making a curve in the spine.

Stretch your arms out forward with your palms facing down and your stomach rest between your legs.

Push your tail bone down towards your feet and relax, holding this pose around 3min or to calm anger up to but no more than 10 min.

After back and forward bending you should do a spinal twisting asana.

Spinal twist

Meru Vakrasana (spinal twist)

good for managing entangled knots and twists in your life.
give us the confidence and energy to learn how to deal with these problems.
good for the spine, and toning the nerves.
Alleviates certain types of backaches or neck pain.

Sitting with your legs out straight and back straight, bend your right knee and place your right foot on the outside of the left knee.

Breath in and raise your arms to the sky and on the exhale twist your body to the right.

Placing your left elbow on your right knee with your hand pointing up palm outwards and right hand flat on the ground behind you. On every inhale lengthen the body and exhale twist a little deeper. Holding each side up to 3 min, and when ready re-centre and change legs and twist to the other side.

After moving through some asana’s, pranayama and meditation should be added to the practice, or even on their own if required. They are useful for other ways to gain control of your emotions.

Which pranayamas to practice?

Many pranayamas are good for looking within and connecting with yourself deeply.

You can start by :

Nadi Shodhana should be practiced in each practice of pranayama to balance and purifying to form the basis for a successful practice of pranayama.

Bhramari Pranayama (humming bee breath) is good for relieving stress and cerebral tension and helps alleviating anger, anxiety, insomnia, which increases the healing capacity of the body.

Bhramari Pranayama includes a meditative state by harmonizing the mind and directing the awareness inwards. The vibration of the humming sound creates a soothing effect on the mind and nervous system.

Sit in a comfortable seated pose hands resting on your knees. Back straight and body relaxed.

Raise the arms out to the side, bend the elbows, and bringing the index fingers to plug each ear.

Bringing awareness to the center of the head take a deep breath in through the nose and exhale slowly and controlled while making a deep steady humming sound like that of a bee.

The humming sound should be smooth and continue for the duration of the exhale.

The softness of this sound will vibrate at the front of the skull.

At the end of the round, the hands can stay or be lowered and raised again for the next round. This practice can be between 5-10 rounds for beginners and increase up to 10-15 minutes, if increased tension and anxiety can practice for up to 30 min.

If sitting down is not comfortable for you then meditation with movement is something you can work with.

What about meditation for your emotions ?

One of the meditations of movement is walking, yes, just genal walking.

You can walk anywhere, your house, studio, garden, or the beach.

Anywhere you can walk without tripping can be used. This type of meditation is where you look on the ground just in front of yourself, so you can see where you are going, but having your awareness on your mind and body.

Keeping your body upright, aligned and dignified whilst being comfortable and natural, walk slowly and deliberate with each step.

Take each step by pressing the heel down first and flattering the foot and then lifting the other foot and step forward and place the heel on the ground following by flattening the foot and then taking the next step and repeat.

Just breath naturally (from the diaphragm) and focusing on the rhythmic flow of the breath during each step.

Walk around for at least 5min up to 15min focusing on your breath and your steps. This refocuses your thoughts away from any emotions that are causing you to feel sad, angry or even when you want to calm your pitta.

This meditation gives you the opportunity to look deep within and remember the Earth that sustains us and develop gratitude. Be mindful as possible by being aware of your body and the physical sensations in each step as you move.

Emotional balances from imbalance of doshas:

Knowing your ayurvedic constitution will help you to know what doshas imbalances you have.

You can use asanas to get your balance back for e.g. if you are having an imbalance with your pitta then twisting poses will help towards increasing pitta and forward folds to cool the pitta. Keep checking your dosha till you have a balance and this should help you have more control of your emotions also.

Yoga is a lifestyle and a strong understanding of your mind and body. You still feel emotions, however through yoga practice you have better control of your emotions, aware of your imbalances and/or emotions and controlling them through asanas, pranayama and meditation to take control back.

Wake up with love for yourself, your neighbor, and love for nature, whilst being aware of your emotions and practice what is needed to have control of your mind and body again.

Remember to just breathe, breath in deeply, and exhale completely.

Breath is the main part in charge of our homeostasis. If you are breathing badly, it will automatically impact negatively the state of your mind and system regulation in your body.

Conclusion

Emotions are temporary

Emotions come and go.

Simply become the witness.

Becoming the witness does not mean pushing away your thoughts and emotions; it means allowing them fully, giving them our full attention and awareness without believing that this is who we are.

Emotion takes place within us, yes, and you can even say that it is part of us, but it is not who we really are, and seeing that frees us to be able to fully experience an emotion.

When we are able to fully experience an emotion our world changes because the nature of life is that sooner or later everything changes.

We are not our thoughts.

What we resist persists

When you feel an emotion, don’t run away from it, don’t wallow in it.

Just give it space, feel the raw sensation in the body without stories, without involvement, just presence! This is the highest form of yoga.

If you can really do this, before you know it, the emotion will have changed or dissolved and you can feel the peace that comes from being the pure witness to all experiences.

I hope this gives you an idea of how to handle emotional pain in your yoga practice.

References

A study on effect of yoga on emotional regulation, self-esteem, and feelings of adolescents

Effect of integrated yogic practices on positive and negative emotions in healthy adults

Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life

Reasons, Years and Frequency of Yoga Practice: Effect on Emotion Response Reactivity

“I Just Find It Easier to Let Go of Anger”: Reflections on the Ways in Which Yoga Influences How Young People Manage Their Emotions

A study on effect of yoga on emotional regulation, self-esteem, and feelings of adolescents

Yoga For Osteoporosis

Women over the age of 50 are more prone to natural loss of bone mass

A specific Yoga protocol for osteoporosis fights it and helps prevent and reverse the condition effectively.

As with all other tissues, bone tissue regenerates. But osteoporosis results from an imbalance in the regeneration of new tissue.

Osteo” means bone and “porosis” means pores.

In osteoporosis, the bone structure becomes porous and bone mass decreases.

The consequences?

The bone becomes brittle, you are more prone to fractures and even on a simple movement or jerk.

In general, women over the age of 50 are more prone to natural loss of bone mass, and older women show a higher rate of bone mass loss as they age. The reason given is the decrease in estrogen after menopause. Estrogen is responsible for maintaining bone health in women.

Osteoporosis symptoms

Generally, there are no signs and symptoms in people with osteoporosis. They often realize this after a fall, therefore during a fracture. Osteoporosis is diagnosed by bone densitometry, a technique that involves checking the bone density in the hip and spine.

The precursor symptoms that may appear are slight back pain due to the appearance of microfissures in the vertebrae and the weight of the body may be the reason, the loss of a few centimeters in height and the appearance of kyphosis ( forward curvature of the top of the spine).

Wrists, hips and vertebrae are the most common first fractures due to osteoporosis.

Your vertebrae can weaken to the point that they crumple and collapse, which may result in back pain, lost height and a hunched posture

The rate at which we lose bone mass in the last years of life depends on the quality of the bones during our young age.

We therefore understand the importance of taking care of your body from an early age.

How to prevent osteoporosis?

This is about prevention. And it’s not for lack of telling you in my posts.

People who start exercising at an early age are less likely to develop osteoporosis later on.

A sedentary lifes t yle is one of the most common causes of osteoporosis along with excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use leading to loss of bone mass.

People with smaller frames (less bone tissue) feel the impact of osteoporosis more than those with larger bones, because smaller frames have fewer stores of bone mass to lose to osteoporosis. Reduced secretion of sex hormones in both sexes (estrogen for women and testosterone for men) can initiate the disintegration of bone mass.

In addition to age, which causes the natural decline in sex hormones in both sexes, the functioning of the prostate in men and of the breast in women can contribute to the decline in sex hormones in both sexes.

Overactive thyroid, parathyroid or adrenal glands can also lead to loss of bone mass leading to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis can be prevented by including adequate amounts of calcium in the diet (dairy products, powdered eggshells, green leafy vegetables, soy, orange juice and fish with bones).

Vitamin D, through exposure to the sun, plays a vital role in the absorption of calcium.

Fractures due to osteoporosis can prove fatal for older people because in most cases they do not live beyond the first year after the fracture.

Yoga for osteoporosis

Is yoga good for osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is the main cause of arthritis, this type of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis.

The loss of mass from the bony surfaces that meet at the joints makes joint movement difficult and painful. The friction between the two adjacent bones that form the joint becomes problematic.

How to practice

Yoga poses for bone health emphasize spinal alignment. Asanas are practiced that keep the spine straight in order to reduce the kyphosis that has set in due to osteoporosis.

As bone mass decreases in the vertebrae, they appear to collapse on top of each other and reduce the space between them. This limits the freedom of movement of the spine.

So focus on lengthening the spine while doing gentle yoga for osteoporosis. This recreates the natural movement and restores space between the vertebrae. A rigid spine is very likely to fracture at the slightest jolt it undergoes.

Yoga poses for osteoporosis include yoga asanas that bear the weight of the body on the arms and hands, to build bone density in the practitioner’s arms and hands.

To prevent osteoporosis with yoga and to treat osteoarthritis, gentle back extensions are practiced, lifting the chest and placing the spine in an arch towards the back.

That helps improve the density of bones that are affected by these movements.

The yoga asanas that are listed here under yoga for osteoporosis have been structured in an easy flow or a vinyasa flow to avoid any jerky movements.

Most fractures in osteoporosis patients result from a poor sense of balance. Transitions between yoga poses are performed appropriately with poses that challenge the balance of the practitioner.

Balance-enhancing yoga poses improve the strength of the balance center in the brain, which proves to be a boon in the later years of life when the sense of balance falls victim to the natural process. of ageing. Yoga poses designed for bone health are good for osteoporosis because they deliberately avoid extreme flexion and extension towards

Yoga Poses for Osteoarthritis

Here some of poses which can be practiced, all depends on your conditions and pathologies. These poses are only examples of what i can suggest during my yoga classes.

If need some help to build your yoga and healthylife style, click here for a free session.

References

Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss

Effects of Yogasanas on osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Yoga and Bone Health

Effectiveness of Pilates and Yoga to improve bone density in adult women: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Improve your vision with Trataka

For someone who practices traṭak properly from childhood, it is not necessary to wear glasses during his life

Regular practice of Tratak Kriya improve your vision. For someone who practices traṭak from childhood, it is not necessary to wear glasses during his life.

Tratak Kriya, simply Trataka or Tratakam, is one of the six practices of yogic purification (Shatkriya). It is used in Hatha Yoga and also in Tantra yoga practices.

Trataka: the concept behind the practice

Blinking in the waking state is common to all animals. When you stare at an object, blinking occurs on its own. Tratak is the practice of staring at an object without blinking until tears flow. The ancient sages of India incorporated it into the system of yoga.

Blinking is the act of Prana, the life force. The activity of Prana is directly related to the activity of the mind. When Prana moves, the mind also moves. Likewise, when Prana stops, the mind also stops.

There are five types of Prana which deal with the main functions of the body and also five types of sub-Prana which deal with auxiliary functions.

Kurma is one of the five auxiliary Pranas or Sub-Pranas. The main function of Kurma Prana is blinking. Blinking occurs automatically when Kurma is active. If we stop blinking, the Kurma stops working. Therefore, the mind also ceases to function. This is the concept behind the practice of Tratak Kriya.

What types, practices and benefits of traṭak?

The eyes, one of the 5 senses, by which the spirit experiences the exterior, that is to say the material reality, presents the graphic and visual details of this external reality to the spirit.

All five senses (nose, smell, skin, touch, tongue, taste, ears, sound and eyes, sight), generate a vision of the outside world. They present the same reality but from their individual point of view.

Spirit constructs the final reality by convincingly overlaying this five-pronged information on the same perception: outer reality.

The real eye is the bundle of nerve cells known as the optic nerve located between the retina and the brain where the actual image is constructed using signals received by the externally visible oval-shaped eyeballs.

The eyes are the most important sensory organ for man since 80% of the information collected in his environment, essential to his survival, is received by the eyes.

It is therefore very important to provide proper care and maintenance of eye hygiene.

Yoga offers a number of techniques that describe ways to keep the eyes healthy for as long as one lives.

I invite you to practice the techniques regularly to take advantage of the resulting benefits.

What is Trataka?

As already said, but repeating is learning 😉, Trataka is a yogic cleansing (a shatkarma) and tantric meditation method that involves staring at a single point such as a small object, blackhead, or candle flame. It brings energy to the third eye (ajna chakra) and promotes various psychic abilities.

This consists of central fixation of the sight, looking at or focusing the sight on any object.

The mind has an important role in what we see. The eyes only follow thoughts. It is possible to read a multitude of feelings just by looking the eyes from someone.

To do Trataka, the mind must be trained to focus for longer intervals of time in order to keep the gaze fixed on an object.

How to practice Trataka:

You can use those objects cited below to fix your gaze:

on the flame of a candle,
a point,
the sun
the moon,
the vegetables,
the Om symbol,
a circle,
the tip of his nose
etc.

There are approximately 36 items that can be used to perform Tratak. The safest are the moon, the flame of the candle and contemplation of the thumb.

Ideally, Trataka is best done in the morning or evening on an empty stomach.

If you’re a beginner, you might be able to keep your eyes open without blinking for 15 seconds or so. After a while, you may increase this as stamina allows. Some people will moon gaze for ten or fifteen minutes without blinking.

Look at the sun : Surya Tratak

The sun is a great source of Prana, life energy. Looking at the sun provides a lot of Pranic energy.

It is necessary to start the practice at the FIRST RAYS OF THE RISING SUN or at the rays of the setting sun. Only two or three minutes in the first rays of the sun are recommended. More than that, you risk incurring harmful radiation.

When you look at the sun, imagine that the pranic energy is coming from the center of the sun towards your eyes in a straight line and filling your body with Prana. Imagine that your body shines like the sun full of Prana. Similarly, imagine that your exhale reaches the center of the sun and you inhale directly from the center of the sun. It heals every cell in your body.

Moon glazing:

The moon itself is a powerful meditation object because of its influence on the subtle psychic energy and dream functions. People who are very sensitive tend to be quick to notice this.

Moon gazing can be practiced on a clear night, very beneficial during full moon nights.

Keep your eyes relaxed, do not stare too hard, and avoid blinking as much as possible throughout the observation period.

Why gazing at the moon is good for the eyes?

In Ayurvedic medicine, moonlight is believed to help heal and soothe the body.

The moon gently energizes, in contrast with the sun’s sharp brightness. Moonlight exposure is thought to also relieve anxiety and stress and improve relaxation by prompting the natural release of melatonin.

Ayurveda holds that moonbathing (or moon gazing) may have particular benefit for females, since the moon is thought to help increase fertility and lead to more regular menstrual cycles.

Relief from insomnia
Remarkable concentration abilities
Correction of eye problems such as myopia, farsightedness and the early stages of cataracts (I haven’t verified this, but it’s a common claim)
Development of the third eye and intuitive abilities
Deep relaxation and many of the other benefits you receive from meditation

How to contemplate the flame of a candle?

Contemplating the tip of a candle flame is another way to practice Trataka.

A simple wax candle or basic lamp with a wick immersed in ghee or any oil will suffice.

Sit in any meditative posture: Siddhasana, Sukhasana, etc.

Place a lit candle 40-50 cm in front of you in line with the eyes, not at any angle to them, the neck should not turn to either side.
Adjust according to your needs and comfort. A dark environment will help focus on the flame better
Keep the flame at eye level.
The candle should be placed directly in front,
The flame must be stable and not waver (avoid drafts and wind).
Close your eyes and try to focus on the breath for a moment to be in the present.
Keep the body relaxed, straight and the spine straight
Fix the gaze on the smallest possible area at the end of the flame and stabilize the gaze with the will. The quality of the gaze is inversely proportional to the area on which the gaze is fixed
Keep your eyes relaxed and avoid blinking (the eyes will naturally adjust to the glare in a while) as much as possible until they become watery.
After which close your eyes for a while and try to create the afterimage of the flame in the closed eyes.

The clarity of the after image depends on the quality of concentration with which the gaze has been practiced.

Once the image disappears, take a few breaths with your eyes closed and then open them slowly

Apply the heat generated by your previously rubbed palms to your closed eyes to further relax them

Start with a minimum duration of one minute, then gradually increase to ten minutes or whatever is comfortable according to your abilities.

Advantages of staring at the candle:

Eyesight is improved
Eye muscles are strengthened
Improves concentration, intelligence and memory
Prepares the mind for meditation as it induces deep focus and concentration
Improved self-confidence, willpower and patience. What makes you efficient and productive in whatever is undertaken
The mind slows down, calms and leads to inner peace
Decision making becomes positive due to improved clarity of thought.
All mental afflictions are alleviated with improved attitude.
Alleviates insomnia or induces drowsiness, effective tool in the fight against headaches
Relieves daily stress

Gheranda Samhita even mentions acquiring the ability of clairvoyance as one of the benefits of candle contemplation.

How to contemplate the tip of his nose?

Nasikagra Trataka is looking at the end of your nose.

One can sit in any comfortable posture, keeping the spine and neck straight.

Now fix both eyes on the tip of the nose for one to two minutes. Repeat this several times, taking rest intervals with your eyes closed in between.

Look between the eyebrows or Bhrumadhya Trataka

Sit comfortably with your torso and neck straight.

Fix the gaze between the center of the eyebrows for one to two minutes, then relax the eyes by keeping them closed for a few seconds. Repeat this operation several times.

This eye exercises technique is also known as Shambhavi mudra.

Looking between the eyebrows stimulates the olfactory and optic nerves which in turn energize the central and autonomic nervous systems.

The brain is soothed and generates a feeling of calm. Then, the mind and the eyes are closely linked, the state of the mind is reflected in the eye movements: a restless mind will also have a restless eye and vice versa. It also helps activate the Ajna Chakra.

Look at the right shoulder: Daksinajatru Trataka

Look at his right shoulder (look at the end of the right collarbone). Keeping your body straight, your neck steady, fix your gaze on the tip of your right shoulder. Take care that the neck does not move or twist towards the right shoulder as only the eyeballs turn towards it. Stay in this position for a minute to two minutes before closing your eyes to relax them.

Look at the left shoulder: Vamanjatru Trataka

The left shoulder gaze is done in the same way as explained above for the right shoulder gaze, the only difference being that here the gaze is fixed on the left shoulder instead of the right shoulder .

With regular practice you will achieve a certain level of efficiency and stability in these practices.

The last four Trataka practices can be performed in a sequence with equal durations.

What to do or not to do after trataka?

Wash the eyes with cold water to stimulate blood circulation after the Trataka is finished.
Do not use any externally applied eye medication after practicing Trataka
Contraindications
People with schizophrenia should avoid doing Trataka or do it only under the guidance of an expert.

Conclusion

Trataka sessions improve working memory, spatial memory, and spatial attention.

Tratak is just the outside help you need to focus your mind.

If you pass the Trataka, the next steps will unfold on their own.

If you meditate on a specific object consistently, the object reveals itself. Such is the power of meditation.

The Trataka kriya makes it possible to achieve this.

Regular practice of Tratak Kriya gives you healthy and shiny eyes. For someone who practices traṭak from childhood, it is not necessary to wear glasses during his life. The sight becomes comparatively sharper than that of those who do not practice. For a person who wears glasses, the number of glasses will not increase.

Through the practice of traṭak, a practitioner can activate the chakras and raise the Kundalini. But this requires the advice of a guru.

Similarly, many siddhies can be attained during the traṭak sadhana. This may vary from practitioner to practitioner. However, he should not give them importance. Likewise, it should not be practiced for the purpose of reaching the Siddhies. They become the cause of distress rather than doing good.

Accomplished yogis can perform Shaktipat and cure disease by performing Tratak on the diseased part of a person.

References

Effect of trataka on cognitive functions in the elderly

Effect of Trataka (Yogic Visual Concentration) on the Performance in the Corsi-Block Tapping Task: A Repeated Measures Study

A clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of Trataka Yoga Kriya and eye exercises (non-pharmocological methods) in the management of Timira (Ammetropia and Presbyopia)

Response to “trataka and cognitive function”

What is Panchakarma treatment?

Ayurveda uses preventive and curative therapies, the Panchakarma is one of those. It uses also other various methods for purification and rejuvenation.

Ayurveda is more than just a healing system; it is a science and a proper art of living that helps to achieve longevity. It can guide each individual in the right choice of diet, lifestyle, and exercise to restore balance in body, mind, and consciousness, thereby preventing disease from gaining a foothold in the system.

Panchakarma is a treatment program for the body, mind and consciousness, which cleanses and rejuvenates.

It is practiced individually to precisely meet the needs of one’s Ayurvedic constitution and specific disorders of the mind. It therefore requires observation and supervision.

The Panchakarma therapy principles

The treatment begins with pre-purification measures called Snehana and Svedana, then cleansing methods, Shodan are applied.

It is based on Ayurvedic principles that creation is made up of 5 main elements. Each of these 5 elements is present in greater or lesser proportions and includes a range of qualities that manifest themselves in a more or less obvious way in each individual and depending on the situation. The five basic elements are ether, air, fire, water and earth.

The combination of these elements constitutes the three doshas (tridosha): Vata, Pitta and Kapha, and their balance is unique to each individual.

Vata: a combination of ether and air,
Pitta: a combination of fire and water.
kapha: a combination of water and earth, are called the tridosha.

These are the three humors or the three organizations of the body, which also derive from consciousness.

Each individual constitution and mind temperament is determined by the proportions of these three doshas at the time of fertilization meaning that when the embryo is formed, the constitution is determined.

When this doshic balance is disturbed, it generates disorders causing symptoms and eventually leads to disease.

Each individual constitution therefore has its own unique balance according to its own nature (vata, pitta and kapha or VPK).

This balance of VPK is the natural order. When this doshic balance is disturbed, it creates an imbalance.

Health is order; disease is disorder.

Order is the state of health, as defined by Ayurveda. It exists when the digestive fire (agni) is in a state of balance; bodily humors (vata, pitta and kapha) are in balance, the three waste products (urine, faeces and sweat) are produced and eliminated normally, the seven bodily tissues (rasa, rakta, mamsa, meda, asthi, majja and shukra/artava ) function normally, and the mind, senses and consciousness work harmoniously together.

When the balance of these systems is disturbed, the process of disease (disorder) begins.

The doshas according to their balance or imbalance:

Vata (air+ether) in balance: great agility, dry hair and skin, thin body, creative, energetic, flexible, excitement, new experiences

Imbalanced vata: hypertension, constipation, weight loss, weakness, arthritis, anxiety, insomnia, digestive problems.

Pitta (fire+water) in balance: perfect digestion, luminous complexion, good appetite, precise, quick-witted, direct and frank.

Pitta out of balance: itching, indigestion, excessive body heat, burning sensations, irritable temper, arguments.

Kapha (earth+water) in balance: great endurance, wide and soft eyes, strong body, soft skin, loyal, patient, stable, understanding.

Kapha out of balance: oversleeping, overweight, suffers from asthma, depression, diabetes, resistance to change, stubborn.

Benefits of Panchakarma

Eliminate toxins and toxic conditions from your body and mind.
Restore your constitutional balance by improving your health and well-being.
Strengthen your immune system and become more resistant to disease.
Reverse the negative effects of stress on your body and mind, slowing down the aging process.
Bring deep relaxation and a feeling of well-being.

Purvakarma : the pre-purification measures:

Before the purification processes begin, it is necessary to prepare the body to promote the elimination of toxins. These two procedures are called snehan and svedana.

Snehan is oil massage. The oil is applied all over the body with a specific massage to move toxins to the gastrointestinal tract. Oil massage also makes superficial and deep tissues soft and supple, helping to eliminate stress and nourish the nervous system.

Snehan is administered daily for three to seven days.

Svedana is sweating or perspiration. It is practiced every day immediately after the snehan. A herbal concoction can be added to the steam to further loosen the toxins from the individual. Svedana helps liquefy toxins to direct them into the gastrointestinal tract.

After three to seven days of snehan and svedana, the body is ready to receive the method or methods of panchakarma given according to the constitution and disorders of the individual.

Cleaning methods: shodanas

Vamana
Virechan
Basti
Nasya
Rakta Moksha

Vamana: Vomiting Therapy

When there is congestion in the lungs causing repeated bouts of bronchitis, colds, coughs or asthma, the Ayurvedic treatment is therapeutic vomiting, vamana, to remove the kapha causing excess mucus. Often this also releases pent up emotions that have been held in the kapha areas of the lungs and stomach along with the accumulated dosha. Once the mucus is released, the patient will feel relief instantly. Congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath are likely to go away and the sinuses will become clear.

Therapeutic vomiting is also indicated in chronic asthma, diabetes, chronic cold, lymphatic congestion, chronic indigestion and edema. After vamana, it is recommended to rest, fast, smoke certain herbal cigarettes, and not suppress natural urges (i.e. urination, defecation, gas, sneezing, cough). If vamana is administered correctly, the person should feel relaxation in the lungs, be able to breathe freely, have lightness in the chest, clear thinking, clear voice, good appetite and all symptoms of congestion will disappear.

Virechan: Purgation therapy

When excess bile, pitta, is secreted and accumulated in the gallbladder, liver and small intestine, it tends to cause rashes, skin inflammations, acne, chronic bouts of fever, vomiting of bile, nausea and jaundice. The Ayurvedic literature suggests in these conditions the administration of a therapeutic purgation or a therapeutic laxative. Purgatives help relieve excess pitta that causes biliary disorders in the body. In fact, purgatives can completely cure the problem of excess pitta. When purgatives are used, the patient should not eat foods that aggravate the overriding mood or unbalance the three humors.

Basti: Enema Therapy

Vata is a very active principle in pathogenesis (disease). If we can control vata through the use of basti, we have come a long way towards the root cause of the vast majority of disease. Vata is the main etiological (causal) factor in the manifestation of diseases. It is the driving force for the elimination and retention of feces, urine, bile and other excreta. Vata is mainly located in the large intestine, but bone tissue (asthi dhatu) is also a site for vata. Therefore, drugs administered rectally have an effect on asthi dhatu. The lining of the colon is related to the outer covering of the bones (periosteum), which nourishes the bones. Therefore, any drug administered rectally penetrates deeper tissues, such as bones, and corrects vata disorders.

Nasya : Administration nasale

The nose is the doorway to the brain and it is also the doorway to consciousness. The nasal administration of drugs is called nasya. An excess of bodily humors accumulated in the sinuses, throat, nose or head is eliminated through the nearest possible opening, the nose.

Prana, vital force in the form of nerve energy, enters the body through the breath carried out through the nose. It is found in the brain and maintains sensory and motor functions. Prana also governs mental activities, memory, concentration and intellectual activities. A dysregulation of prana results in malfunctioning of all these activities and produces headaches, convulsions, memory loss and reduced sensory perception.

Nasal administration, nasya, is therefore indicated for prana disorders, sinus congestion, migraines, convulsions and certain eye and ear problems. Breathing can also be improved by nasal massage. For this treatment, the little finger is dipped in ghee and inserted into the nose. The inner walls of the nose are slowly massaged, going as deep as possible.

This treatment will help to open the emotions. (The tissues of the nose are tender and for this application the nail must be kept short so as not to injure the delicate mucous membranes). Since most people have a deviated septum, one side of the nose will be easier to enter and massage than the other. The finger should not be inserted by force. The massage should be done by slow penetration, the finger moving first clockwise, then counterclockwise. In this way, the emotions stuck in the airways will be released. This treatment can be used morning and evening. This way breathing patterns will change as emotions are released and eyesight will also improve.

Rakta Moksha: Ayurvedic blood purification

Toxins present in the gastrointestinal tract are absorbed into the blood and circulate throughout the body. This condition is called toxemia, which is the root cause of repeated infections, hypertension, and some other circulatory disorders. This includes repeated attacks of skin disorders such as hives, rashes, herpes, eczema, acne, scabies, leucoderma, chronic itching or hives.

In these conditions, in addition to internal medication, elimination of toxins and purification of the blood are necessary. Rakta moksha is also indicated for enlarged liver, spleen and gout. Pitta is produced from the disintegrated red blood cells in the liver. Thus, pitta and blood have a very close relationship. An increase in pitta can pass into the blood, causing toxicity, and therefore many pitta-genic disorders. Drawing a small amount of blood from a vein relieves the tension created by pitta-genic toxins in the blood. Leeches have been used as an alternative to bloodletting. Bleeding also stimulates the spleen to produce anti-toxic substances that help boost the immune system.

Toxins are neutralized, resulting in a radical cure for many blood-borne diseases. Certain substances such as sugar, salt, yogurt, acid-tasting foods and alcohol are toxic to the blood. In the case of certain blood disorders, these substances must be avoided to keep the blood pure.

For rakta moksha treatment other than bloodletting, there are blood purification practices involving herbs, gemstone therapy, or colored water therapy. For any rakta moksha treatment or related alternative treatment, it is beneficial to refrain from consuming yogurt, salt, sugar, alcohol, marijuana, sour and fermented foods.

What lifestyle and diet during therapy

At each stage of panchakarma therapy, certain lifestyle and diet guidelines should be followed. It is important to rest and remain calm to receive the full benefits and effects of the therapy.

One therefore avoids all strenuous exercise, sexual activity, late nights, loud music, television and other stimulating experiences.

This is also a great time to observe one’s thoughts and experiences during this time.

Meals are designed to support the cleansing process. As the toxins return to the gastrointestinal tract, the power of digestion is further slowed down. Kitchari is one of the adequate food techniques, very easy to digest, which nourishes all the tissues of the body, and excellent for the regeneration of cells. It helps in the detoxification and cleansing process.

Kitchari is a seasoned mixture of rice and mung dal, and is the basis of the Ayurvedic way of life. Basmati rice and mung dal both have the qualities of being mild and refreshing with a sweet aftertaste. Together they create a balanced diet; an excellent combination of protein and is tridoshic.

Conclusion

Panchakarma is a very technical Ayurvedic treatment and requires the proper guidance of a highly trained and knowledgeable Ayurvedic practitioner.

It cannot be undertaken alone with information from an article or a book.

Panchakarma is an individual process personalized to one’s constitution, physical and mental disturbances, disease and therefore requires close observation and supervision.

To rejuvenate and cure, join me ine the Ayurvedic panchakarma retreat. all the details here

Om Dhanvantari Namah

References

Ayurveda and Panchakarma: Measuring the Effects of a Holistic Health Intervention

Effect of panchakarma and Ayurvedic treatment in postpartum rheumatoid arthritis (amavata): A case study

An integrated therapy approach for the management of obesity-associated disorders: A case report

Effect of Vasantic Vaman and other Panchakarma procedures on disorders of various systems

Efficacy of panchakarma in sandhivata w.s.r. to knee arthritis

Efficacy of virechana karma in the management of obesity and hypothyroidism: A case study

Best calcium supplement: natural and without dairy

Searching for the best calcium supplement?…They are an effective (and inexpensive) source of calcium to make your bones stronger and further improve health.

Calcium is essential for the following processes:

Formation of bones and teeth
Contraction of muscles
Normal function of many enzymes
Blood clotting
Normal heart rhythm

So, the next time you decide to crack a few eggs to make a delicious omelet or bake a cake, make sure you don’t scrap those eggshells! Save them for later use!

Role of calcium in the body

About 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones, but calcium is also found inside cells (especially in muscle cells) and in the blood.

The body precisely controls the amount of calcium in the cells and blood. It moves from the bones into the blood when necessary to maintain a constant level of calcium in the blood.

In case of insufficient calcium intake, this can lead to osteoporosis (vitamin D and calcium deficiency).

To maintain a normal level of calcium in the blood without weakening the bones, we need to consume at least 1,000 to 1,500 mg of calcium per day.

The level of calcium in the blood is regulated mainly by two hormones:

Parathormone
Calcitonin

Parathyroid hormone is produced by the four parathyroid glands, located behind the thyroid gland in the neck.

When blood calcium levels decrease, the parathyroids produce more parathormone.

When blood calcium levels increase, the parathyroids produce less hormone.

Parathyroid hormone:

Stimulates the release of calcium into the bloodstream from the bones
Decreases the elimination of calcium in the urine by the kidneys
Stimulates the absorption of calcium by the digestive tract
Stimulates the activation of vitamin D by the kidneys, which in turn increases the capacity of the digestive tract to absorb calcium

Calcitonin is produced by certain thyroid cells. It lowers the level of calcium in the blood by slowing down, but only slightly, the breakdown of bone.

Milk and calcium: the debate

Calcium from milk is generally the reference food, with an absorption efficiency of 20 to 40%, depending on the calcium status of the individual. The absorption efficiency of most plant sources is as good as or better than that of dairy products, except when they have high concentrations of oxalic acid or phytic acid.

But many calcium-rich plants are also rich in oxalates, such as spinach, rhubarb, chard, beets, soybeans, legumes, almonds and many others.

Too much oxalate in the body can interfere with the healing of injured tissues and joints.

One of the principles of Ayurveda is to apply balance… a little of everything without excess.

If you digest dairy products, consume milk containing only the β-casein A2 type (goat’s or sheep’s milk) as the β-casein A1 in conventional cow’s milk products is inflammatory.

It is understandable that the main reason for this is the intensive breeding practices and the inadequate feeding of the animals in order to produce a large volume of milk without quality and harmful to the proper functioning of the body.

If you do not have access to quality dairy products, sardines with bones, anchovies, turnip or mustard greens, rutabaga, kale Lancinato are rich in calcium and low in oxalates.

But in case of intolerance to dairy products in particular, these intakes may be insufficient.

What happen in case of calcium deficiency:

A calcium deficiency increases the level of parathyroid hormones which regulate the blood calcium level, drawing from the bones if necessary. Increased parathyroid hormones are linked to depression, fatigue, thirst and frequent urination, muscle weakness, constipation, digestive pain, impaired concentration, increased sensitivity to histamine, etc.

Histamine is secreted by certain cells in the body, mostly white blood cells. It is released when the body is in contact with a foreign element such as an allergen. It also regulates the secretion of gastric acid, controls the level of attention and the function of wakefulness. So histamine does have its uses, but if it gets too much, the body will tell us.

The magic of the egg:

Since calcium supplementation is not always well supported, the use of eggshells can be a very good alternative. Some researches suggests that the calcium in eggshell powder is better absorbed than pure calcium carbonate, making it an effective calcium supplement.

Eggshell powder has antirachitic effects, increases bone density and stimulates cartilage growth. It is suitable for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

It contains about 40% calcium, with each gram providing about 380 mg of calcium. This means that between 2 and 2.5 grams of eggshell can be enough to satisfy your needs, i.e. half an eggshell.

Eggshell powder is a natural source of :

calcium
strontium and fluoride

Which can have a positive effect on bone metabolism. Strontium is used in some medicines against osteoporosis. The eggshell membrane is mainly made up of proteins in the form of collagen, which could help against joint pain.

The eggshell membrane :

contains glucosamine,
chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid.

It could be a new effective and safe therapeutic option for the treatment of pain and inflexibility associated with joint and connective tissue disorders.

Eggshell membrane may also have benefits for skin health and slow aging by improving calcium metabolism.

It could reduce triglyceride levels by altering the composition of the gut microbiota, be effective in managing obesity.

This means that the shell membrane should also be consumed to get the best benefits.

As always, it is best to choose eggs from hens raised in good conditions, away from pesticides, other pollution and fed naturally.

How do you do it?

Use your eggs as you normally would and rinse your shells, removing any white that may remain but you can leave the membrane that contains nutrients. Then store them in the carton until you have enough.

Boil your eggshells for 10 minutes in filtered water. Skim off any foam that forms.

Drain the shells on paper towels to dry them. Then spread them out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes to sterilize them. The idea is not to brown them.

You can then grind the shells into powder using a coffee grinder, mortar or pestle and store it in a glass jar, away from air, heat and moisture.

One teaspoon contains about 800 to 1,000 mg of calcium. It is best to spread the dose over several meals to improve absorption. You can mix the powder directly into your meals.

Voila the turn is played.

References

Eggshell calcium in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Calcium supplementation for prevention of primary hypertension

Eggshell membrane: A possible new natural therapeutic for joint and connective tissue disorders. Results from two open-label human clinical studies

Beneficial effects of natural eggshell membrane versus placebo in exercise-induced joint pain, stiffness, and cartilage turnover in healthy, postmenopausal women

Effects of Eggshell Membrane on Keratinocyte Differentiation and Skin Aging In Vitro and In Vivo

Eggshell membrane powder lowers plasma triglyceride and liver total cholesterol by modulating gut microbiota and accelerating lipid metabolism in high‐fat diet‐fed mice

Chicken eggshell as suitable calcium source at home

Eggshell calcium in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Ayurvedic winter care

Winter is usually cold, then a specific winter ayurvedic care is always useful. Therefore, Vata Dosha had begun to increase erlier depending on climate conditions and your lifestyle. Winter and Vata doshas possess the same qualities: cold, dry, roughness…

So, if you already have a number of qualities Vata in your constitution, you risk getting out of your zone of balance and triggering pathologies linked to this excess. It is also important to get to know yourself. And to observe what is happening around you to preserve your balance and be in good health.

Now, what are the characteristics of winter? And how to preserve its balance at this time of year…

Observe

To spend a healthy winter according to the principles of Ayurveda, it is first necessary to observe. What is happening around us in this season? What is happening around us has an impact on us (and vice versa).

What happens in winter?

Nature puts itself to rest to regenerate and prepare for renewal with the onset of spring.

After the last rains, at the end of autumn, the cold dries out the soil and begins to harden. Feeling the cold coming, the sap of the trees begins to descend from the branches and the trunk to concentrate at the level of the roots. At the same time, some animals begin to store up and/or prepare to hibernate.

Less supplied with sap, the leaves of the trees dry out little by little. They turn red and finally fall, leaving the branches of the trees bare ready to spend the winter. Leaves cover the ground. Thus protected from the coming frosts, the seeds can patiently wait for milder days.

According to Ayurveda, the coolness and droughts brought by winter cause matter to contract and shrink. Only the essential remains, the structure.

Winter is the time to go back to basics and regenerate before restarting a cycle.

Take this time for rejuvenate

So, Winter is the time to regenerate, to take the time to come back to yourself first. Once we clear our minds, our ideas become clearer. It then becomes possible to go to the essential, that is to say to take stock of the year that has just passed. A report allows us to assess our current situation, and to refine our objectives or even re-evaluate them for the coming year.

We live in a context that distances us more and more from natural cycles and their intrinsic intelligence. Between the beginning of autumn and the first day of winter, the nights become longer and longer. The longest night is on the day of winter, at the time of the solstice. As we have artificial light, luminous screens (and we still make the time change), we become less and less sensitive to natural rhythms, and by extension to our biological rhythms. It asks us to reduce our activities to regenerate us when necessary, to prepare us for a new cycle in harmony with nature, with ourselves.

Ayurveda: a key for health and longevity

Ayurveda is the “science of life” and its purpose is to provide the keys to health and longetivity to carry out our Dharma, that is to say, to realize ourselves.

And by observing nature and its cycles, we can realize that longevity and health depend on simplicity, common sense and our ability to exercise discernment: determining the opportune moments to act, rest, sleep, reflect, speak, be silent, etc.

It would never occur to a seed to start germinating in the dead of winter, because that is precisely when it is least likely to germinate. For the seed to germinate, certain conditions must be met and favorable, and the seed knows when it can begin to germinate because it has this intelligence of life which crosses us and animates us just as much. It is up to us to learn to listen to it by sharpening our sense of observation and developing our awareness of belonging and contributing to something greater than ourselves.

Simple things to do in winter:

These are seasonal practices (in Sanskrit Ritucharya, from Ritu : season and Charya: practice, routine) intended to help reduce Vata Dosha which is on the rise at this time of year. The Ritucharya is an integral part of the Ayurveda in the same way as the Dinacharya, or everyday gestures.

Here are some tips specifically dedicated to winter:

Take the time to do nothing, to rest, to take care of yourself to regenerate.

Cocconing: winter is the best season to regenerate

Review the major events of the year and take stock to define, redefine or refine our objectives, identify new perspectives based on new developments. Sorting out what is no longer necessary to lighten up and leave room for novelty, which allows you to continue to evolve.

Practice cocooning.

Staying warm in a warm environment surrounded by people we love. As the outside temperature drops in winter, it requires extra effort from the body to maintain its balance. I’m mainly thinking of profiles Vata and Kapha (Above all Vata) which are more sensitive to cold than Pitta.

Practice meditation and Pranayama.

In the morning after waking up, or at the end of the day after work, meditation and Pranayama (breathing techniques, if you want to know more I have developed an Ayurvedic diet, posture and dinacharya program adapted to each constitution) allow you to reduce stress, promote good concentration, have a good night’s sleep best quality.

And as Vata Dosha is increasing in winter, it is recommended to practice meditation and Pranayama to help balance the mind and body (since Vata Dosha manages the regularity of cycles and the nervous system) which will have an impact on our state of health.

Massage, be massaged, self-massage with hot oil.

Abhyanga (massage of the whole body with hot oil) is particularly indicated in winter, because of the alliance between oil and heat which are of opposite quality to Vata Dosha which is in excess at this time of year. Then, massage brings a multitude of benefits to the body and the mind.

In the morning before the hot shower, it is highly recommended to give yourself hot oil self-massages. The oil/heat combination is your best ally against the cooling and drying caused by an increase in Vata Dosha in this season.

Drink hot water with lemon or not when you wake up.

It is a particularly comforting gesture when you wake up. In addition, hot water combined with lemon juice cleanses the body and helps stimulate the immune system. Be careful, lemon is not suitable for all constitutions and can sometimes not be digested correctly causing an imbalance of the doshas.

And you might as well make your body’s work easier by eating and drinking food and liquids at the same temperature as your body, i.e. around 37°C.

Practice the Jal neti and Nasya.

Jala Neti is a daily gesture that makes sense in winter, a season when ENT problems are legion. Jala means “water” and neti means “cleaning”. It consists of cleaning the nostrils with warm salt water (at body temperature). After cleaning, it is advisable to cover the nostrils with medicinal oil (such as Anu Tailam or Gritam, medicinal butter to which plants have been added) to protect them from external aggressions. This gesture strengthens the nervous system and the entire ENT area.

Eat cooked foods.

In general, avoid foods based on white sugar, white wheat flour dairy products and too much fat, to maintain your digestive fire and promote good digestion and assimilation.Vata who is the settler. Also to promote good digestion and good assimilation, it is preferable to eat cooked food in winter, especially for people who have a number of characteristics Vata and bring drought to the motherhouse of Vata, raw foods aggravate Vata.

Do gentle and stretching exercises.

Our body works a little slower in winter because we tend to exercise less, to move less. The evenings are short, and the nights longer. Therefore, take the time to soften your body by doing gentle exercises. Avoid intensive sports that will tend to grow back Ama (undigested food waste accumulated in the body) in the deep tissues.

How to handle Christmas time?

So many delightful meals or desserts are made on offer over Christmas that it is hard not to over-indulge and accumulate. The problem is that the toxic waste-product of incomplete digestion accumulates in your body.

This period is tempting to eat sweets that can lead you to over-eat and have snacks at irregular times. This is promoting the build-up of Ama. If this process is not controlled, channels of your body can become clogged up and your immune system weakened.

Moreover, with Ama in your body, you will feel fatigue, lethargy, lack of energy and lack of appetite. Stiffness of joints, respiratory issues, allergen reactions, occasional constipation or weight gain can also be experienced.

So, what can you do to avoid Ama?

Keep your digestive fire (Agni) burning!

Overindulgence in all those rich Christmas treats will overload your digestive Agni. With an efficient agni you will break down food properly and nourish your cells efficiently without creating toxins. Then it will purify your body from metabolic wastes. If not you get weakened and so does the rest of your body.

And when Agni is strong your body is able to digest food efficiently without creating toxins. The point is to “avert the danger yet to come,” and avoid creating the seeds of future illness.

How to keep your Agni strong?

Eat your main meal at midday

Most of the time Christmas celebration takes place for dinner. According to the natural laws of your digestive cycle, Agni is at its highest, and you are more able to digest rich, high-nutrient food, at midday. So try and schedule your Christmas lunch between 12 noon and 2pm.

A big meal in the evening will impair your digestive system and can also disrupt your sleep.

Avoid this by eating a light easily-digested supper at least three hours before going to bed.

You can live Ayurveda easily in your daily life and according to your doshas. Learning ayurveda will help you to know yourself so much better, deal with your common ailments and become your own healer.

This program has a common basis modules with yoga teacher who wants to learn. So it is accessible to everyone.

Moreover, you learn to understand, to listen, to feed your body according to its needs. (Learnings, diets, rituals, pranayamas, yogas, pharmacopeia… adapted to your constitution…).

I also invite you to leave your comments and share your experiences…

Hoping that these few tips will help you spend a healthy winter…I am at your disposal for any additional questions. This list is not exhaustive and there are many other gestures and rituals adapted to our doshas. This is already an excellent start.

I wish you wonderful celebrations and take care.

Julie

Powerful mind control techniques

Prana (your breath) and your mind are intricately linked. If you control your prana you will control your mind and you can handle everything.

The only condition, and this is true for everything in order to get results, is your involvement in the practice.
The more you listen to your ego, the less impact it will have on your mental and physical health.

And the more you know your ego, the more you can act on it to manifest the benefits of these practices on your body and mind. And only then will the transformation take place.

Pranayama and yogic technics to control your mind

When prana (breath) moves, chitta (the mental force) moves.

When prana is without movement, chitta is without movement.

By this (regularity of prana), the practitioner achieves stability through the exercises mainly by the retention of the breath.

Prana and mind: the keys to work

You can **control the different layers of your mind** with yogic practices

Fluctuation of one, prana or mind, means fluctuation of the other. When either the mind or prana becomes balanced the other is steadied.

Hatha yoga says: control the prana and the mind is automatically controlled. While Raja yoga, which helps to achieve inner peace, meditation or dhyan, and stress relief, says: control the mind and the prana becomes controlled. These are two different paths of yoga but both are equally effective.

The mind is equated with a wild monkey, jumping here and there. Because of this inborn tendency it is very difficult to hold it still. Without consciousness of it and methods to relief these often erratic waves.

Mind control with the yoga path

Stress draining you down. Become Yoga to handle.

Hatha yoga focuses on the well-being of the physical body and includes all the asanas. Asanas improve flexibility and posture, immunity, improves physical strength and body -mind counsciousness.

Hatha says let the mind be, concentrate on the autonomic body functions and vital energy, and the mind will become quiet by itself. When the nervous impulses are steady and rhythmic, the brain functions are regulated and the brain waves become rhythmic.

Without discipline and self involvment you can’t have any grip on it.

Disturbed Breath lead to internal disfunctions

The breathing process is directly connected to the brain and central nervous system. It is one of the most vital processes in the body system.

Breathing is not only an autonomic functional system, it is the only function of the autonomic nervous system over which we have control. It is also the only doorway to access to our patterns and traumas to modify and heal them. An incredible tool to IMMEDIATELY deactivate the monkey mind and access the emotions that fuel mental chatter, limiting beliefs and self-sabotage.

So now you undertsand why breathing properly is important to fight and heal from stress, anxiety and traumas.

How is it possible not to pay attention to our breathing? It is simple because breathing is automatic.

Breathing process also has some connection with the hypothalamus. It works directly on your autonomic system to seamlessly manage such functions as your heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature. It also works by releasing hormones that direct other hormones or other glands to manage other bodily functions like sleep, mood, emotional responses, muscle and bone growth and sexual drive.

The hypothalamus is responsible for transforming perception into cognitive experience. Erratic breathing sends erratic impulses to this center and thus creates disturbed responses.

There are also certain areas of the nasal mucous membrane which are connected to the visceral organs. When impulses coming from the nose are arrhythmic, the visceral organs, particularly those connected to the coccygeal plexus, respond in the same manner, arrhythmically. The coccygeal plexus is a nerve plexus near the coccyx bone.

So you understand that by being disturbed, these organs again send irregular impulses to the brain and cause more disharmony and imbalance. This cycle is continuous.

Awareness: the first step to change your mind

By becoming aware of the nature of the breath and by restraining it, the whole system becomes controlled.

When you retain the breath you are stopping nervous impulses in different parts of the body and harmonizing the brain wave patterns. In pranayama, it is the duration of breath retention which has to be increased. The longer the breath is held, the greater the gap between nervous impulses and their responses in the brain. When retention is held for a prolonged period, mental agitation is curtailed.

it exists more than 200 Pranayama to heal or regulate specific conditions. It is usually considered to be the practice of controlled inhalation and exhalation combined with retention.

However, technically speaking, it is only retention and inhalation/exhalation are methods of inducing retention.

Retention is most important because it is a longer period prana’s assimilation, and allows more time for the exchange of gases in the cells i.e. oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Patanjali (author of two great Hindu classics: the first, the Yoga-sutras, a categorization of yogic thought organized in four volumes with the titles “Psychic Power”, “Yoga Practice”, “Samadhi” (state of deep contemplation of the Absolute) and “Kaivalya” (separation); and the second, the Mahabhashya (“Great Commentary”) further says that retention of breath after expiration removes the obstacles to yoga.

Yoga is the union of the two poles of energy within us and during retention the poles come closest together. Breath retention must be developed in order to stop the fluctuations of the brain and mind so that a more expansive type of experience can develop.

Yoga is transformative

When you go further into yoga, there comes a time when you have some control of the mind so you can dive deeper within yourself.

When you practice mantra or meditation, the fluctuating mental waves create a barrier between you and the object you are trying to focus your awareness on.

So how to control the mind?

For many, many centuries, people have known that through pranic restraint you can control the influxes of the mind and through mental restraint you can control the influxes of prana, but various spiritual systems have been debating which is the best method to harness the two energies and induce unity.

Christ and Buddha said the same thing : “Lead a good life and your mind will be controlled.” Of course what they said is true, but people today are exposed to so many disturbing external factors that this approach does not work.

There are many good, charitable, pure-minded and compassionate people, but if you ask them to sit quietly, still the mind and meditate, they can’t do it.

Yama and niyama can help but difficult for modern day and support man. These disciplines has to be integrate in addition but not enough to be a very powerful method for developing mind control.

The body is designed for physiological healing

However, sciences and researches have demonstrated (see studies below) that through pranayama, mudras, bandhas and postures regulate the prana and the mind can be brought under control.

Many spiritual traditions, including Sufism, Buddhism and Hinduism, has already, long time ago, discovered that by focusing on the breath, you still the mind, develop one-pointedness and gain entry into the deeper realms of the mind and consciousness.

It exists a large pranayama’s and yogic practices to heal different pathologies or to follow a spiritual path to open skills.

Breathing gives us the ability to control our mental emotional state, it is a door to the subconscious mind to modify and heal patterns.

Aware of your conditions now?

And conscious that your health is your priority?

Without it you are mentally, psychologically and professionally reduced.

Do you want to learn? Get a free call with me to grow? Click here