Did you know that not only does relaxing just feel really good, it can actually help you?
That's right. Relaxation is good for your mind and body. Over the past decades, researchers have complied large amounts of research on relaxation. They found that relaxation can help prevent many diseases and make you feel better in general.
When you relax you gain more energy and achieve better sleep. Regular relaxation is beneficial for the immune system. It has been found that after one month of regular relaxation a person can increase their natural killer cells and antibody levels. The benefits of relaxation almost never end.
Some of the doctors at hospitals teach their patients ways to relax as part of their medical treatment. Even Physicians can now prescribe a relaxation program. Many doctors are just now figuring out that relaxation has so many incredible health benefits, that many of them see the difference in their patients.
If you didn't know the benefits of relaxation, you're not alone. Many people aren't aware stress and tension have such a harmful effect on their health.And to top it off, these very same people usually have a hard time letting themselves just relax.
This is one of the many reasons Yoga Nidra (Deep Relaxation) is so beneficial. Yoga Nidra can greatly improve your ability to relax in a gentle and enjoyable way.
Deeper Relaxation enables you to become more productive in your thinking, efficient and effective. Put the day behind you.
There are four marvelous Yoga Nidra sessions each designed to help you relax in their own way:
1. Deep Relaxation: Give your body and mind the deep level of relaxation it craves! You will become calm in your mind and your emotions and become centered and focused within.
2. Mind Clearing: Helps you to get rid of the clutter in your mind, while allowing you to slip into total nothingness, complete bliss, a void where there are no thoughts.
3. Calm and Focused: As you take time to relax and focus on your breathing, you will realize a center of peace within you. Remain calm during difficult situations and think clearly and productively.
4. Let Go: Take time to connect to your inner world and let go of all outside thoughts. Be able to become more productive in your thinking, efficient and effective. Put the day behind you.
06 August 2010
30 July 2010
Rules for Yoga Asanas
(1) Before practising a'sanas, do vya'paka shaoca or take a full bath. Vya'paka shaoca must also be done before daily meditation; if a'sanas are done with daily meditation then it is not necessary to do vya'paka shaoca separately.
(2) Do not practise a'sanas in an open place, because it may result in sudden exposure and thereby you may catch cold. While practising a'sanas indoors, attention should be paid to keep the windows open so that air can pass through.
(3) No smoke should be allowed to enter the room. The less smoke the better.
(4) Males must wear a Kaopiina (laungot'a'), and there should be no other clothing on the body. Females must wear tight-fitting underwear and a bra.
(5) Practise a'sanas on a blanket or a mat. Do not do a'sanas on the bare ground, because you may catch cold, and some secretions which come from the body while practising a'sanas may be destroyed.
(6) Practise a'sanas only while breath is flowing through the left nostril or both nostrils; do not practise a'sanas when the breath flows only through the right nostril.
(7) Take sa'ttvika food. But a person for whom it is difficult to give up ra'jasika food can for the time being take a small piece of myrobalan (it is better to use the small type of myrobalan), or something of a similar nature, after meals. However, this procedure does not apply in cold countries.
(8) Do not cut the hair of the joints of the body.
(9) The nails of the fingers and toes must be kept cut short.
(10) Do not practise a'sanas on a full belly. It is prohibited to perform a'sanas for two-and-a-half to three hours after a meal.
(11) After practising a'sanas, you should massage your arms, legs and entire body, especially the joints, very well.
(12) After the massage is finished, remain in shava'sana (corpse posture) for at least two minutes.
(13) After shava'sana do not come in direct contact with water for at least ten minutes.
(14) A practitioner of a'sanas should not massage his or her body with oil. If you like you may rub oil lightly over the body.
(15) After practising a'sanas, it is desirable to walk in a solitary place for some time.
(16) Just after a'sanas pra'n'a'ya'ma is prohibited.
(17) If it is necessary to go outdoors after practising a'sanas and if at that time the body temperature has not come down to a normal level, or if there is any difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature, you must cover your body when going out. If possible, inhale a deep breath inside the room and exhale it after coming outside. In that way there will be no chance of catching cold.
(18) It is not prohibited for the practitioner of a'sanas to practise free-hand exercise, running or sports, but just after a'sanas all these are prohibited.
(19) There is no restriction of nostril for the following a'sanas: padma'sana (lotus posture), siddha'sana (siddha posture), ardhasiddha'sana (half siddha posture), bhojana'sana (cross-legged sitting posture), viira'sana (viira posture), diirgha pran'a'ma (long bowing posture), yoga'sana (yoga posture) and bhu'jaunga'sana (snake posture).
(20) For all those a'sanas where there is no restriction of nostrils, there is no restriction on food either.
(21) During menstruation, pregnancy and within one month of delivery, women must not practise a'sanas or any other exercise. The a'sanas for dhya'na can be done under all conditions -- padma'sana, siddha'sana and viira'sana are the proper a'sanas for dhya'na and dha'ran'a'.
(Official source: Carya'carya Part 3, by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)
(2) Do not practise a'sanas in an open place, because it may result in sudden exposure and thereby you may catch cold. While practising a'sanas indoors, attention should be paid to keep the windows open so that air can pass through.
(3) No smoke should be allowed to enter the room. The less smoke the better.
(4) Males must wear a Kaopiina (laungot'a'), and there should be no other clothing on the body. Females must wear tight-fitting underwear and a bra.
(5) Practise a'sanas on a blanket or a mat. Do not do a'sanas on the bare ground, because you may catch cold, and some secretions which come from the body while practising a'sanas may be destroyed.
(6) Practise a'sanas only while breath is flowing through the left nostril or both nostrils; do not practise a'sanas when the breath flows only through the right nostril.
(7) Take sa'ttvika food. But a person for whom it is difficult to give up ra'jasika food can for the time being take a small piece of myrobalan (it is better to use the small type of myrobalan), or something of a similar nature, after meals. However, this procedure does not apply in cold countries.
(8) Do not cut the hair of the joints of the body.
(9) The nails of the fingers and toes must be kept cut short.
(10) Do not practise a'sanas on a full belly. It is prohibited to perform a'sanas for two-and-a-half to three hours after a meal.
(11) After practising a'sanas, you should massage your arms, legs and entire body, especially the joints, very well.
(12) After the massage is finished, remain in shava'sana (corpse posture) for at least two minutes.
(13) After shava'sana do not come in direct contact with water for at least ten minutes.
(14) A practitioner of a'sanas should not massage his or her body with oil. If you like you may rub oil lightly over the body.
(15) After practising a'sanas, it is desirable to walk in a solitary place for some time.
(16) Just after a'sanas pra'n'a'ya'ma is prohibited.
(17) If it is necessary to go outdoors after practising a'sanas and if at that time the body temperature has not come down to a normal level, or if there is any difference between the room temperature and the outside temperature, you must cover your body when going out. If possible, inhale a deep breath inside the room and exhale it after coming outside. In that way there will be no chance of catching cold.
(18) It is not prohibited for the practitioner of a'sanas to practise free-hand exercise, running or sports, but just after a'sanas all these are prohibited.
(19) There is no restriction of nostril for the following a'sanas: padma'sana (lotus posture), siddha'sana (siddha posture), ardhasiddha'sana (half siddha posture), bhojana'sana (cross-legged sitting posture), viira'sana (viira posture), diirgha pran'a'ma (long bowing posture), yoga'sana (yoga posture) and bhu'jaunga'sana (snake posture).
(20) For all those a'sanas where there is no restriction of nostrils, there is no restriction on food either.
(21) During menstruation, pregnancy and within one month of delivery, women must not practise a'sanas or any other exercise. The a'sanas for dhya'na can be done under all conditions -- padma'sana, siddha'sana and viira'sana are the proper a'sanas for dhya'na and dha'ran'a'.
(Official source: Carya'carya Part 3, by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)
What is Yoga Asanas ?
'A'sana' means 'a position in which one feels comfortable'--'Stirasukhama'sanam.' A'sanas are a kind of exercise by regular practice of which the body stays healthy and hardy and many diseases are cured. But a'sanas are not prescribed for the general cure of diseases; only those diseases which create trouble in the path of meditation may be cured by the help of specific a'sanas, so that sa'dhana' may more easily be done.
The relation between the physical body and the mind is very close. Mental expression is brought about through the vrttis, and the predominance of the vrttis depends on different glands of the body. There are many glands in the body and from each there is a secretion of a particular hormone. If there is any defect in the secretion of hormones or any defect in a gland, certain vrttis become excited. For this reason, we find that in spite of having a sincere desire to follow the moral code, many persons cannot do so; they understand that they should do meditation, but they cannot concentrate their minds because their minds become extroverted due to the external excitement of this or that propensity. If a person wants to control the excitement of these propensities, he or she must rectify the defects of the glands. A'sanas help the sa'dhaka to a large extent in this task, so a'sanas are an important part of sa'dhana'.
A list of a'sanas is given below. The same a'sanas are not necessary for everyone. There are more than 50,000 a'sanas; among them a few are named here which are most necessary for the path of meditation. The a'ca'rya will teach particular a'sanas to a person according to his or her need.
There are many a'sanas whose forms are similar to those of different animals, and therefore they are called by the names of those animals. And there are many characteristics found in animals and birds which are not commonly found in human beings: the physical structures of those animals and birds are such as to further certain glandular secretions, and as a result certain special qualities are developed.
The tortoise can easily retract its extremities. If human beings can also sit in that way for some time, they can withdraw their minds from the external world. The name of that posture is ku'rmaka'sana (tortoise posture).
(Official source: Carya'carya Part 3, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)
The relation between the physical body and the mind is very close. Mental expression is brought about through the vrttis, and the predominance of the vrttis depends on different glands of the body. There are many glands in the body and from each there is a secretion of a particular hormone. If there is any defect in the secretion of hormones or any defect in a gland, certain vrttis become excited. For this reason, we find that in spite of having a sincere desire to follow the moral code, many persons cannot do so; they understand that they should do meditation, but they cannot concentrate their minds because their minds become extroverted due to the external excitement of this or that propensity. If a person wants to control the excitement of these propensities, he or she must rectify the defects of the glands. A'sanas help the sa'dhaka to a large extent in this task, so a'sanas are an important part of sa'dhana'.
A list of a'sanas is given below. The same a'sanas are not necessary for everyone. There are more than 50,000 a'sanas; among them a few are named here which are most necessary for the path of meditation. The a'ca'rya will teach particular a'sanas to a person according to his or her need.
There are many a'sanas whose forms are similar to those of different animals, and therefore they are called by the names of those animals. And there are many characteristics found in animals and birds which are not commonly found in human beings: the physical structures of those animals and birds are such as to further certain glandular secretions, and as a result certain special qualities are developed.
The tortoise can easily retract its extremities. If human beings can also sit in that way for some time, they can withdraw their minds from the external world. The name of that posture is ku'rmaka'sana (tortoise posture).
(Official source: Carya'carya Part 3, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)
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