Gentlemen, guys actually do Yoga.

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Let’s face it, at its first mention; Yoga might not come off as the most masculine exercise.
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But that’s just it-at its first mention. When you delve deeper into it, you will realize nothing could be further from the truth.

More males are discovering this and consequently more American men are now flocking to the yoga mats where once, it seemed, only women dared to tread. However the irony is in India where it originated, it wasn’t until recently that women were even allowed to practice yoga-that with restrictions still applied at times.

Men now make up 25 percent of America's 17 million enthusiasts and this figure is increasing steadily. Perhaps it may be because several successful men in various walks of life attest to Yoga’s efficiency and openly advocate its practice.

Take Hip-Hop entrepreneur, Russell Simmons for example, when I read he practiced Yoga (just like Sting, Quincy Jones and Woody Harrelson), it further increased my belief that in no time perhaps NOT practicing Yoga will be seen as strange.

Okay, maybe I overstated that, however, for Simmons (someone viewed as a pioneer in such a masculine and testosterone driven lifestyle known as Hip-Hop) to openly show off his Yoga Skills in a recent issue of the popular Yoga Journal Magazine, don’t be surprised if more ‘cats’ start following suit.

This may happen a lot faster as I once read in an article online that the successful coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson,
often uses Yoga Philosophies in the training of both teams.

It had to have been effective if it led to the Bulls being 3-time Champions and the Lakers winning their first championship in 12 years back in 2000, both under his guidance.
Now most men who practice yoga tend to favor the more athletic, fast-moving styles such as Vinyasa and Ashtanga. Personally, I bow to the simple yet powerful Sun Salutations common to the Sivananda style of Yoga.
I showed this routine and some other balancing poses to a couple of friends once and these tough workout animals were shocked at how strenuous yoga can be.
They discovered that holding the asanas (or poses) such as the peacock pose, builds strength-not the brute strength of a power lifter but the tensile strength of a martial-arts master.
Several pro-athletes such as the Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George,
Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, Oakland A's pitcher ace Barry Zito, NBA superstar Kevin Garnett and PGA standouts Ty Tyron and David Duval have all at some point attested to this fact.

Either way it goes, Yoga is being rediscovered on an almost daily basis by men as indeed being ‘the’ way to go as far as exercise; sometimes exclusively, oft-times in combination with more common forms of fitness regimens.

So fellas, if you are you stilled not convinced this isn’t just a ‘girl’s exercise, do this, go to your favorite search engine, type up one of the following: The Peacock, 4-limbed or wheel pose.

Try either one for a full minute and you will be shocked-like my hard as nails friend once said-to discover that “Yoga ain’t no joke!”

Gentlemen, ‘real’ dudes indeed do practice Yoga.

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Foundations of Yoga, Part 3: Satya (Truthfulness, Honesty)

Satya: truthfulness, honesty

(A continuation of an explanation of the aspects of Patanjali's Yama and Niyama)

"Satya is said to be speech and thought in conformity with what has been seen or inferred or heard on authority. The speech spoken to convey one's own experience to others should be not deceitful, nor inaccurate, nor uninformative. It is that uttered for helping all beings. But that uttered to the harm of beings, even if it is what is called truth, when the ultimate aim is merely to injure beings, would not be truth [satya]. It would be a wrong." So says Vyasa.

Shankara says that truthfulness means saying what we have truly come to know is the truth-mostly through our own experience or through contact with sources whose reliability we have experienced for ourselves. Who but the most intuitive could be sure that they do not speak any inaccurate thing? Yet such is demanded of the yogi, and for that he must strive.

"Untruthfulness in any form puts us out of harmony with the fundamental law of Truth and creates a kind of mental and emotional strain which prevents us from harmonizing and tranquillizing our mind. Truthfulness has to be practiced by the sadhaka because it is absolutely necessary for the unfoldment of intuition. There is nothing which clouds the intuition and practically stops its functioning as much as untruthfulness in all its forms," says Taimni regarding the most personal and practical aspect of satya.

Bending the truth, either in leaving out part of the truth or in "stacking the deck" to create a false impression, cannot be engaged in by the yogi. The Bible speaks of turning truth into a lie. (Romans 1:25) This is done by either not telling all the truth or by presenting it in such a way that the hearer will come to a wrong conclusion-or adopt a wrong conclusion-about what we are presenting. Regarding numbers it is said that "figures do not lie-but liars figure." The same is true here. Equally heinous is the intentional mixing of lies and truth. Some liars tell a lot of truth-but not all the truth. This is particularly true in the manipulative endeavors of advertising, politics, and religion.

There are many non-verbal forms of lying as well, and some people's entire life is a lie. Therefore we must make sure that our actions reflect the truth. How many people claim to believe in God and spiritual principles, but do not live accordingly? How many people continually swear and express loyalty and yet are betrayers? ["This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15:8) "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)] Therefore Saint John wrote: "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."(I John 3:18) We must not only speak the truth, we must <em>live</em> it.

Honesty in all our speaking and dealings with others is an essential part of truthfulness. This includes paying our debts, including taxes. It is inexpressibly crucial that the yogi make his livelihood only by honest and truthful means. Selling useless or silly things, convincing people that they need them (or even selling them without convincing them), is a serious breach of truthfulness.

Trying to compromise the truth, even a little, making the excuse that "everybody does it" is not legitimate. For "everybody" is bound to the wheel of birth and death because they do it-and that is not what we wish for ourselves. We can lie to ourselves, to others, and even to God; but we cannot lie to the cosmos. The law of cause and effect, or karma, will react upon us to our own pain.

It is interesting that Vyasa considers that truthful speech is informative. By that he means that truthful speech is worthwhile, relevant, and practical. To babble mindlessly and grind out verbal trivia is also a form of untruth, even if true in the sense of not being objectively false. Nor is foolish speech to anyone's gain. Sometimes also people lie by "snowing" us with a barrage of words intended to deflect us from our inquiries. And nearly all of us who went to college remember the old game of padding out whatever we wrote, giving lots of form but little content in hope of fooling our teachers into thinking that we knew the subject and were saying something worthwhile. This is one of today's most lucrative businesses, especially in the advertising world.

Speaking truth to the hurt of others is not really truth, since satya is an extension of ahimsa. For example, a person may be ugly, but to say: "You are ugly" is not a virtue. "What is based on injuring others, even though free from the three defects of speech (i.e., not deceitful, nor inaccurate, nor uninformative), does not amount to truth" (Shankara). Our intention must never be to hurt in any way, but we must be aware that there are some people who hate the truth in any form and will accuse us of hurting them by our honesty. Such persons especially like to label any truth (or person) they dislike as "harsh," "rigid," "divisive," "negative" "hateful," and so on and on and on. We would have to become dishonest or liars to placate them. So "hurting" or offending them is a consequence of truthfulness that we will have to live with. The bottom line is that truth "is that uttered for helping all beings." For non-injury is not a passive quality, but the positive character of restoration and healing.

Silence can also be a form of untruth, particularly in dealing with the aforementioned truth-haters. For truth is only harmful when "the ultimate aim is merely to injure beings." But if some people put themselves in the way of truth, then they must take responsibility for their reactions to it.

Will Cuppy defined diplomacy as "the fine art of lying." Sadly, it often is. So we must be sure that we do not deceive under the guise of diplomacy or tactfulness.

Self-deception, a favorite with nearly all of us to some degree, must be ruthlessly eliminated if we would be genuinely truthful.

"Therefore let one take care that his speech is for the welfare of all." (Shankara)

Next: Brahmacharya (continence) and Aparigraha (non-posessiveness)

Tags: meditation, yoga, yama, niyama, ahimsa, harmlessnes, non-violencesatya, brahmacharya, asteya, aparigraha, tapas, swadhyaya, ishwarapranidana, shaucha, santosha, dharma, 10 commandments, spirituality, dhyana, samadhi

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Foundations of Yoga, Part 2: Ahimsa (Harmlessness)

Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness
In his commentary on the Yoga Sutras, Vyasa [Vyasa was one of the greatest sages of India, author of the Mahabharata (which includes the Bhagavad Gita), the Brahma Sutras, and the codifier of the Vedas.] begins his exposition of ahimsa: &quot;Ahimsa means in no way and at no time to do injury to any living being.&quot; Shankara expands on this, saying that ahimsa is &quot;in no capacity and in no fashion to give injury to any being.&quot; This would include injury by word or thought as well as the obvious injury perpetrated by deed, for Shankara further says: &quot;Ahimsa is to be practiced in every capacity-body, speech, and mind.&quot; We find this principle being set forth by Jesus in his claim that anger directed toward someone is a form of murder (Matthew 5:21,22), and by the Beloved Disciple's statement that hatred is also murder.(I John 3:15)

Even a simple understanding of the law of karma, the law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7), enables us to realize the terrible consequences of murder for the murderer. As Vyasa explains: &quot;The killer deprives the victim of spirit, hurts him with a blow of a weapon, and then tears him away from life. Because he has deprived another of spirit, the supports of his own life, animate or inanimate, become weakened. Because he has caused pain, he experiences pain himself.... Because he has torn another from life, he goes to live in a life in which every moment he wishes to die, because the retribution as pain has to work itself right out, while he is panting for death.&quot;

Ahimsa is interpreted in many ways-which is to be expected since Sanskrit is a language that abounds in many possible meanings for a single word. But fundamentally ahimsa is not causing any harm whatsoever to any being whatsoever, including subhuman species. (Ahimsa is not usually considered in relation to plant and mineral life, but certainly wanton destruction of such life would be an infringement of ahimsa, partly because it would eventually have a detrimental effect on animal life as well.) To accomplish this ideal it is self-evident that violence, injury, or killing are unthinkable for the yogi. And as Vyasa immediately points out, all the other abstinences and observances-yama and niyama-are really rooted in ahimsa, for they involve preventing harm both to ourselves and to others through either negative action or the neglect of positive action.

"The other niyamas and yamas are rooted in this, and they are practiced only to bring this to its culmination, only for perfecting this [i.e., ahimsa]. They are taught only as means to bring this out in its purity. For so it is said: 'Whatever many vows the man of Brahman [God] would undertake, only in so far as he thereby refrains from doing harm impelled by delusion, does he bring out ahimsa in its purity.'" And Shankara explains that Vyasa is referring to delusion that is "rooted in violence and causing violence."

Ahimsa includes strict abstinence from any form of injury in act, speech, or thought. Violence, too, verbal and physical, must be eschewed. And this includes any kind of angry or malicious damage or misuse of physical objects.

Ahimsa is a state of mind from which non-injury will naturally proceed. &quot;Ahimsa really denotes an attitude and mode of behavior towards all living creatures based on the recognition of the underlying unity of life,&quot; the modern commentator Taimni declares. Shankara remarks that when ahimsa and the others are observed &quot;the cause of one's doing harm becomes inoperative.&quot; The ego itself becomes &quot;harmless&quot; by being put into a state of non-function. And meditation dissolves it utterly. However, until that interior state is established, we must work backwards from outward to inner, and abstain from all acts of injury.

In actuality, we cannot live a moment in this world without injuring innumerable beings. Our simple act of breathing kills many tiny organisms, and so does every step we take. To maintain its health the body perpetually wars against harmful germs, bacteria, and viruses. So in the ultimate sense the state of ahimsa can only be perfectly observed mentally. Still, we are obligated to do as little injury as possible in our external life. In his autobiography Paramhansa Yogananda relates that his guru, Swami Yukteswar Giri, said that ahimsa is absence of the desire to injure.

Although it has many ramifications, the aspiring yogi must realize that the observance of ahimsa must include strict abstinence from the eating of animal flesh in any form or degree.

Though the subject is oddly missing from every commentary on the Yoga Sutras I have read, the practice of non-injury in relation to the yogi himself is vital. That is, the yogi must do nothing in thought, word, or deed that harms his body, mind, or spirit. This necessitates a great many abstensions, particularly abstaining from meat (which includes fish and eggs), alcohol, nicotine, and any mind- or mood-altering substances, including caffeine. On the other side, it necessitates the taking up of whatever benefits the body, mind, and spirit, for their omission is also a form of self-injury, as is the non-observance of any of the yama or niyamas. It is no simple thing to be a yogi.

Next: Satya (truthfulness, honesty)

Tags: meditation, yoga, yama, niyama, ahimsa, harmlessnes, non-violencesatya, brahmacharya, asteya, aparigraha, tapas, swadhyaya, ishwarapranidana, shaucha, santosha, dharma, 10 commandments, spirituality, dhyana, samadhi

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Foundations of Yoga, Part 1: Yama and Niyama

Prerequisites for yoga
"Knowledge (Jnana) does not come about from practice of yoga methods alone. Perfection in knowledge is in fact only for those who begin by practice of virtue (dharma). <em>Yet, without yoga as a means, knowledge does not come about.</em> The practice of yogic methods is not the means by itself, yet it is only out of that practice of yoga that the perfection in knowledge comes about. And so it is said by the teachers: 'Yoga is for the purpose of knowledge of truth'" Thus wrote Shankara.

All things rest upon something else-that is, all things are supported by another. This is because a foundation is needed for anything to exist. Being Himself the Ultimate Support of all things, God alone is free from this necessity. Yoga, then, also requires support. As Trevor Leggett says in his introduction to Shankara's commentary on the Yoga Sutras: "This is yoga presented for the man of the world, who must first clear, and then steady, his mind against the fury of illusory passions, and free his life from entanglements." Patanjali very carefully and fully outlines the elements of the support needed by the aspirant, giving invaluable information on how to guarantee success in yoga.

The first Yoga Sutra says: "Now the exposition of yoga," implying that there must be something leading up to yoga in the form of necessary developments of consciousness and personality. These prerequisites may be thought of as the Pillars of Yoga, and are known as Yama and Niyama.

Yama and Niyama

Yama and Niyama are often called "the Ten Commandments of Yoga." Each one of these Five Don'ts (Yama) and Five Do's (Niyama) is a supporting, liberating Pillar of Yoga. Yama means self-restraint in the sense of self-mastery, or abstention, and consists of five elements. Niyama means observances, of which there are also five. Here is the complete list of these ten Pillars as given in Yoga Sutras 2:30,32:

1) Ahimsa: non-violence, non-injury, harmlessness

2) Satya: truthfulness, honesty

3) Asteya: non-stealing, honesty, non-misappropriativeness

4) Brahmacharya: sexual continence in thought, word and deed as well as control of all the senses

5) Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed, non-selfishness, non-acquisitiveness

6) Shaucha: purity, cleanliness

7) Santosha: contentment, peacefulness

8) Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline

9) Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study

10) Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one's life to God

All of these deal with the innate powers of the human being-or rather with the abstinence and observance that will develop and release those powers to be used toward our spiritual perfection, to our self-realization and liberation.

These ten restraints (yama) and observances (niyama) are not optional for the aspiring yogi-or for the most advanced yogi, either. Shankara states quite forcefully that "following yama and niyama is the basic qualification to practice yoga." Mere desire and aspiration for the goal of yoga is not enough, so he continues: "The qualification is not simply that one wants to practice yoga, for the sacred text says: 'But he who has not first turned away from his wickedness, who is not tranquil and subdued, or whose mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self by knowledge.' (Katha Upanishad 1.2.24) And in the Atharva text: 'It is in those who have tapas [strong discipline] and brahmacharya [chastity] that truth is established.' (Prashna Upanishad 1:15)And in the Gita: 'Firm in their vow of brahmacharya.' (Bhagavad Gita 6:14) So yama and niyama are methods of yoga" in themselves and are not mere adjuncts or aids that can be optional.

But at the same time, the practice of yoga helps the aspiring yogi to follow the necessary ways of yama and niyama, so he should not be discouraged from taking up yoga right now, thinking that he should wait till he is "ready" or has "cleaned up his act" to practice yoga. No. He should determinedly embark on yama, niyama, and yoga simultaneously. Success will be his.

Tags: meditation, yoga, spirituality, meditate, yama, niyama, ahimsa, harmlessnes, non-violencesatya, brahmacharya, asteya, aparigraha, tapas, swadhyaya, ishwarapranidana, shaucha, santosha, dharma, 10 commandments, dhyana

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Finding Balance And Health With Yoga

Have you heard about the Gunas? No, they are not Disney characters! According to yoga there are three basic qualities or energies that make up everything. They are, rajas, tamas and sattva.

Rajas is the energy of action, change and movement. Rajas is the fuel of passion and fire. Rajasic energy is also associated with the day light hours. We obviously need rajasic energy to create energy to move successfully throughout our world and lives. When we have too much rajasic energy we might appear to the outside world as extremely busy, go go go, do do do! Does this sound like you? Maintaining a high degree of rajasic energy leads to burn out! When rajas is out of balance the mind and body are overstimulated, the mind becomes restless and you experience a lot of uncontrollable thoughts.

Foods that are rajasic include: spicy food, fried foods, coffee / caffeinated beverages/ stimulants/ fish, eggs, chocolate, foods that are very bitter, sour, dry and salty. Eating in a hurry is also considered rajasic

Tamas can be thought of as the opposite of rajas. Tamasic energy is associated with a state of inactivity and inertia, heaviness and darkness. When tamas is out of balance your ability to reason becomes clouded and you might experience the darker emotions such as anger or greed. Just as there is more rajasic energy present in daylight hours, tamasic energy is present during nighttime. People who are very tamasic might be depressed or appear lazy. Generally speaking disease states are tamasic.

Examples of tamasic food include: meat, alcohol, tobacco, onions, fermented foods – vinegar or strong cheese, stale food or over ripe food, overly processed food or chemically treated. Overeating is considered tamasic.

Sattva is energy that is in a state of harmony and balance. Positive mental and emotional states of joy and intelligence are associated with sattva. A person who was experiencing a lot of sattvic energy would appear very happy. Sattvic energy also is consistent with healing states and in Ayurveda (yoga’s sister science) sattvic energy is actively cultivated. Sattvic energy is most present during the times between light and dark- in other words dusk and dawn. A person on the yogic path is focused on developing sattva and for this reason yoga asana and meditation are classically performed at these times.

Foods that are sattvic include: whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, pure fruit juice, legumes, milk, butter, nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, honey and herb teas.

It is important to realize that we all have all three gunas within us. And while this is true we tend to have a predominant guna. Based on the descriptions above can you figure out what yours is? It is good to be aware of this because once you are aware of your predominant guna then you can predict how might react to certain life circumstances as well know your strengths and weaknesses. You’ll know when you will tend to be thrown out of balance and what you will need to do to bring yourself back into balance.

You also might have times in our lives when one guna is more active then another. Perhaps you have very active time and very productive (rajasic). Or a period when you have been depressed (tamasic). Or a time when we are very balanced and in tune with your spirituality (satvic).

Another way the gunas show up in our lives and directly effect us is through the food we eat. Consider for a minute the average American diet with overly processed and chemically treated foods which are very tamasic. Modern science now confirms that these food items are directly linked to major illnesses including cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. As mentioned above too much tamasic energy leads to disease states. We also know that foods in their whole form such as grains, fresh fruits and vegetables (sattvic foods) are life sustaining and bring health and energy.

Do you practice yoga postures (asana)? How do the gunas show up here? Is your asana practice fiery and passionate? Was your practice was slow and lazy? Or was it balanced?

It is probably becoming clear to you by now that to be healthy, happy, and live a balance life it is important to cultivate sattva in your life. This can be done by:

Reducing rajas and tamas
Becoming aware of when you are out of balance- which guna seems most present?
Increase activities and environments that produce positive thoughts
Eating a healthy, sattvic oriented diet
Certain herbs (subject for another article)
The practice of yoga: pranayama (breathing practices), asana (postures), meditation


Tags: health, balance, yoga, happiness, peace of mind

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Facts About Chakra Awakening

Chakra awakening is highly a debatable topic, with two distinctly different schools of thought. The answer could be, “Yes” or “No”, depending upon which school of thought you are trained in.

Firstly, let's cover the side that would say, “Yes” to helping you share the experience of Chakra awakening. There is no shortage of detailed information, made available by enlightened Yoga enthusiasts like Anodea Judith.

Anodea Judith has made a Chakra balancing kit available, which gives a tour of the seven main Chakra system, detailed exercises, meditations, a workbook, and the path to Chakra awakening. She also has more books available, confers with other enlightened Yoga enthusiasts, and teaches workshops on this very subject.

There are many other books and CD's on this subject by a variety of knowledgeable authors and enlightened Yoga practitioners. All of this information is easy for the public to "get their hands on." So, here is a school of thought that believes this information should be shared and has gone out of its way to mass produce this information.

On the other hand, some Yoga teachers do not want the negative and positive qualities, within each Chakra, to be casually explored by students, without a competent Yoga teacher present. This is with the student's safety in mind.

Furthermore, the amount of previous Yoga experience a student has is a factor in being able to control emotions, such as fear, lust, anger, and depression that can come boiling to the surface as a result of a Chakra awakening.

When, or if, a student is ready for Chakra awakening, should be determined by the teacher; this is not for every student. Some students put pressure on themselves, which may lead to anxiety, causing negative qualities of the Chakras to surface, during an awakening.

In summary: One of the results of steady Yoga training is that we can get a better handle on our emotions than most. We also realize that we are not enlightened or perfect all the time. If you want to experience Chakra awakening with an enlightened Yoga enthusiast, you should seek out a competent Yoga teacher, who is willing to help you.

You could also get similar guidance from a Reiki teacher or Reiki master. Reiki teachers are very familiar with the Chakra system and very helpful. If it is not possible to work with a Reiki master, and you have been regularly practicing Yoga for at least two years, the Chakra balancing kit, I mentioned above, gives you step-by-step guidance toward awakening the Chakras.

Lastly, this is not a race, and please don't put pressure on yourself toward self-perfection.


Tags: HEALTH, HEALTHY, FITNESS, FIT, CHAKRA, AWAKE, AWAKENING, AWAKEN, YOGA, FACTS

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Eight Amazing Benefits of Teaching Yoga

Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the fitness professionals industry had an amazing 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey.

Job Satisfaction

In the same survey, 98% of those interviewed felt that "My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment." Lack of personal satisfaction is the most frequent reason why people leave a job. These statistics make it obvious that this is an extremely harmonious atmosphere to work in.

For many of us who worked in the corporate world and shifted into the health and fitness industry, the energy felt in a health club, ashram, or wellness center is similar to being on vacation.

There's always something to do, but the job itself is very gratifying.
Rewards of Helping Family, Friends, Students, and Co-workers
Your self esteem improves as you find solutions for the pain management of others, ailments, fitness, stress management, positive thinking, etc.

The list goes on, as you continue your own journey of self improvement, but the feeling of gratification you get from helping someone find the right path, is beyond words.

You will always remember: That student who reaches their ideal body weight, the physically impaired student who finds that they, too, can live a better quality life, and the student who leaves your class without the headache or backache they came in with.

Your Own Health

As a practitioner of Yoga, you have become more aware of your daily ups and downs. You monitor your breath, posture, moods, diet, and exercise on a daily basis.

As a Yoga teacher, you are setting an example to your students and teaching them to live a quality life. This path will enable you to live longer and live better.

There is no Shortage of Work

When the working world is in the "9 to 5" mode, you have many opportunities with Corporate Accounts, The Fitness Industry, Senior Centers, Medical
Centers, Referrals, etc. This is when you to teach them, with any free time you have.

Once I became totally self-employed, there were more daytime off-site Yoga teaching opportunities than I had time for in a geographic area that has many active Yoga teachers and studios. One of my best students, who became a Yoga teacher through our on-site program, inherited an area that I could no longer service due to time restraints.

The object is to contact them. This is where your post cards come in handy, if you don't have a personal referral.

Continuing Education

Yes, learning new things keeps your mind stimulated and healthy. You will never tire of subjects to study, explore, and investigate. There are so many facets of Yoga, that one life span, is just not enough time to learn it all.

It's not a race, but it is a journey. You will find friends, colleagues, and students who are on the same path. This makes giving, receiving, and sharing a wonderful thing along the way.

Time

You will have time to stop, think, breathe, relax, or meditate. You can always fill your plate beyond its limits, but you no longer have to.

You can determine whether or not you will be stuck in traffic during rush hour. You decide what hours you will work and what days you have off. You will come to the realization that your time is your own.

Independence

Everyone wants control of their own life, but very few achieve it. Being in business for yourself, can help you control your own destiny and that of your family.

Sure there are limits to what one person can accomplish, but it is better to try than to have never tried.

Success

No matter what you want, if you write down your short-term and long-term goals, you will make great progress toward them.

You should keep these goals in a place where you can see them daily and visualize yourself accomplishing your goals. You should be specific about time frames and ethical methods used to meet them. You can even use them in meditation.

Review your long-term goals at least once every season and every year.
Review your short-term goals daily. You will see yourself make rapid success
in this way.

Lastly, goals do not have to be material at all. For example: You may want to start teaching Yoga in a year, and the following year, get a part-time Yoga teaching position. This type of goal setting is realistic and beneficial to mankind.

That is the key – If you choose a goal that will benefit others, you will surely achieve it.


Tags: Yoga, fitness, teacher, benefits, benefit, yoga tecaher, teaching, health, weight loss

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Eight Amazing Benefits of Teaching Yoga.

Every challenging occupation yields some sort of satisfaction, but the fitness professionals industry had an amazing 85% job satisfaction rate according to an Idea Health & Fitness survey.

Job Satisfaction

In the same survey, 98% of those interviewed felt that "My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment." Lack of personal satisfaction is the most frequent reason why people leave a job. These statistics make it obvious that this is an extremely harmonious atmosphere to work in.

For many of us who worked in the corporate world and shifted into the health and fitness industry, the energy felt in a health club, ashram, or wellness center is similar to being on vacation.

There's always something to do, but the job itself is very gratifying.

Rewards of Helping Family, Friends, Students, and Co-workers

Your self esteem improves as you find solutions for the pain management of others, ailments, fitness, stress management, positive thinking, etc.

The list goes on, as you continue your own journey of self improvement, but the feeling of gratification you get from helping someone find the right path, is beyond words.

You will always remember: That student who reaches their ideal body weight, the physically impaired student who finds that they, too, can live a better quality life, and the student who leaves your class without the headache or backache they came in with.

Your Own Health

As a practitioner of Yoga, you have become more aware of your daily ups and downs. You monitor your breath, posture, moods, diet, and exercise on a daily basis.

As a Yoga teacher, you are setting an example to your students and teaching them to live a quality life. This path will enable you to live longer and live better.

There is no Shortage of Work

When the working world is in the "9 to 5" mode, you have many opportunities with Corporate Accounts, The Fitness Industry, Senior Centers, Medical Centers, Referrals, etc. This is when you to teach them, with any free time you have.

Once I became totally self-employed, there were more daytime off-site Yoga teaching opportunities than I had time for in a geographic area that has many active Yoga teachers and studios. One of my best students, who became a
Yoga teacher through our on-site program, inherited an area that I could no longer service due to time restraints.

The object is to contact them. This is where your post cards come in handy, if you don't have a personal referral.

Continuing Education

Yes, learning new things keeps your mind stimulated and healthy. You will never tire of subjects to study, explore, and investigate. There are so many facets of Yoga, that one life span, is just not enough time to learn it all.

It's not a race, but it is a journey. You will find friends, colleagues, and students who are on the same path. This makes giving, receiving, and sharing a wonderful thing along the way.

Time

You will have time to stop, think, breathe, relax, or meditate. You can always fill your plate beyond its limits, but you no longer have to.

You can determine whether or not you will be stuck in traffic during rush hour. You decide what hours you will work and what days you have off. You will come to the realization that your time is your own.

Independence

Everyone wants control of their own life, but very few achieve it. Being in business for yourself, can help you control your own destiny and that of your family.

Sure there are limits to what one person can accomplish, but it is better to try than to have never tried.

Success

No matter what you want, if you write down your short-term and long-term goals, you will make great progress toward them.

You should keep these goals in a place where you can see them daily and visualize yourself accomplishing your goals. You should be specific about time frames and ethical methods used to meet them. You can even use them in meditation.

Review your long-term goals at least once every season and every year.
Review your short-term goals daily. You will see yourself make rapid success in this way.

Lastly, goals do not have to be material at all. For example: You may want to start teaching Yoga in a year, and the following year, get a part-time Yoga teaching position. This type of goal setting is realistic and beneficial to mankind.

That is the key – If you choose a goal that will benefit others, you will surely achieve it.


Tags: health, healthy, eight, amaze, amazing, fitness, fit, yoga, teach, teaching

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Does Yoga Normalize Body Weight?

Many people are first drawn to Yoga as a way to keep their bodies fit and supple. Others come seeking relief or help for a specific ailment like tension or Backache. Whatever your reason is, Yoga can be a tool in giving you both what you came for, and more.

Though the practice of Yoga is closely associated to ancient texts, beliefs, and values, it also yields benefits useful for people's practical daily lives. Here are some reasons why more and more people are practicing Yoga:

1. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind. Even in the midst of stressful environments, Yoga helps control breathing and clears the mind of cluttered thoughts, leaving only deep physical and mental refreshment.

2. Yoga can help normalize body weight. For people who are either overweight or underweight, Yoga Exercises can help achieve the desired weight. The principles of balance and moderation in physical activity and diet under Yoga can also lead to a healthier lifestyle.

3. Yoga improves your resistance to disease. The postures and movements in Yoga massage the internal organs, enhancing blood circulation and functionality, thus, lessening the risk of illness.

4. Yoga increases your energy level and productivity. For as quick as 20 minutes, Yoga can replenish the mind and body with precious energy needed to respond to daily tasks and challenges.

5. Yoga leads to genuine inner contentment and self-actualization. Meditation -one of the aspects of Yoga- focuses the mind, taking it away from the distractions of the highly-materialistic world and leading it to genuine happiness.

Yoga is a method of learning that aims to attain the unity of mind, body, and spirit through these three main Yoga structures: Exercise, Breathing, and Meditation. The exercises of Yoga are designed to put pressure on the Glandular Systems of the body, thereby increasing its efficiency and total health. The body is looked upon as the primary instrument that enables us to work and evolve in the world, a Yoga student; therefore, treats it with great care and respect. The Breathing Techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body. Yoga students gently increase their breath control to improve the health and the function of both body and mind. These two systems prepare the body and mind for Meditation, making it easier for students to achieve a quiet mind and be free from everyday stress. Regular daily practice of all three parts of this structure of Yoga produce a clear, bright mind and a strong, capable body.
Tags: yoga, yogis, yoga exercise, yoga training, yoga center, yoga health, health, exercise, gym, yoga india, yoga, s

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Discover Yoga's Healing Power

There are several medical conditions that can be improved by practicing yoga. It can be used to lessen the negative effects of infertility, lung disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, cancer, high blood pressure, and joint pain. The beneficial effects of yoga practices are well recognized not only by the yoga community but also by medical doctors.

One of the main elements that lead to an illness is stress. Being responsible for a huge number of sicknesses, this item, which we develop in our minds, can be reduced through a good usage of yoga techniques. Here are just some of the problems that are related to an over active stress response: depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some types of diabetes mellitus, cardio-vascular disease, several autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, reproductive problems, and an aggravated suppression of the immune system.

The response of the sympathetic nervous system can trigger stress in our metabolism. The reaction to various outside stimuli is also known as the “fight or flight” response – the mind and body, faced with an endangering or disturbing element, prepare for one of the two options. Physically, this is manifested through an instantaneous heart rate increase, together with a high ascent of blood pressure. Breathing gets shallow and the muscles tense in anticipation to the following action. Internally, this response reduces the blood flow to internal organs and processes that are not essential in that particular moment (such as digestion and elimination) are shut down. This state of increased awareness and readiness is beneficial on a short term, preparing our body to react to the outside interventions and stimuli. Both in a “fight” and in a “flight” situation, the body is physically and mentally prepared to act. The problem arises when long-term exposure to similar stress takes place. This “fight or flight” response is only meant to help on short periods of time – the longer it is activated the less resources will the body have to function normally.

There is a natural countermeasure for the “fight or flight” response. It is called the parasympathetic nervous system or the “relaxation response.” It is automatically activated when the elements that caused the stress are gone but it is also possible to increase its effects by breathing deeply and relaxing your muscles. By increasing the length of this process we allow our body to recover faster, enabling it to eliminate the harmful effects of stress in a prompt and efficient manner.

Yoga highlights the idea that by using breathing and relaxation techniques you can reduce the harmful effects of stress factors on your body. A lessened “fight or flight” response can also be achieved by looking at adverse factors as challenges rather than threats. This approach allows your mind to focus on finding a solution, rather than creating an abrupt response. Another concept employed by this technique is that of acting versus reacting, of taking initiative versus responding to outside factors.

The positive effects of yoga during a healing process are undeniable. However, these techniques should only be used as a form of support and the healing shouldn’t rely solely on them. The best results are achieved by combining yoga with traditional and modern medicine and by addressing a problem both from a mental and physical point of view.

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Tags: yoga, exercise, meditation, health, fitness, stress, disease, illness, prevention

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Discover How Yoga Will Help You Reach Your Goals – Part 2

At this point, let’s break down the major components of a typical Hatha Yoga session, and see how each one will enable you to reach your goals. There are nine main styles of Yoga in India, but most of the popular styles, outside of India, are variations of Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga classes tend, among other things, to emphasize physical mastery.

Asanas are the physical postures, but depending upon the class, the postures may be held for different durations, such as: A half breath (an exhale or inhale), a few breaths, or a few minutes. Some classes are very active, with flowing movement, heated studios up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and others are tranquil at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, all year long.

So there is a style of Yoga for every person, and you should be aware of what you are getting into before you start. You should also be aware that the doors are not locked, and if 105 degrees is too much heat, it is your call.

This past summer, in Arizona, a number of people died, due to excessive heat. If your body temperature reaches 105 degrees, you could possibly have heat stroke. What is your natural climate like? Please know your temperature tolerance and know that people are different.

The Yoga postures release tension throughout your body, regardless of which style you choose. The added surge of endorphins, as a result of this exercise, is another benefit.

Pranayama, sometimes called the Yogic science of breathing, is cultivation of air - our most vital resource. Therefore, you can increase the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream without classic calisthenics, but when you combine it with the postures; you have a very powerful combination for stress relief.

Meditation is known for its stress management, focused concentration, and conscious relaxation benefits. In fact, there are so many meditation benefits, that after more than 2,000 studies, scientists still research for more.

How will all this help you achieve your goals? Simple: Once you are armed with the ability to relieve yourself from the burdens of stress, negative obstacles, and needless worrying, you then have the ability to prioritize and learn from your mistakes.

If you make a mistake, so does everyone else. Nobody is keeping track of your mistakes, except you. Everyone wants to be recognized, so grab every opportunity you can. Make sure you don’t forget to write your goals down and review them often. You will see them come to pass.


Tags: health, healthy, fitness, fit, yoga, goal, goals, discover, discovering, discovered, help, reach

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Discover How Yoga Will Help You Reach Your Goals – Part 1

Time is valuable and there are a number of successful methods for goal realization. Yoga will cross train your mind and body for maximum potential.
Imagine being able to optimize your attitude in one hour, per day, or less.
Every day, people attend Yoga classes for physical or mental health, and walk away with the tools, to be masters of their own destiny.

How is this possible? Regular attendance to Yoga classes, will result in a positive attitude adjustment for the student. Many of us walk around with a “perceived handicap.” We blame everything for our set backs and lack of opportunities. Society, your boss, and your family, are all easy targets to blame, for lack of opportunities.

It is true that age, financial status, gender, and ethnic background, are factors in success. However, these factors can all be overcome by working toward your goal on a daily basis, and taking life one-step-at- a-time.
Remember, that if you think you situation is a disability, it will be.

How can Yoga do anything for you? For one thing, you will appreciate life to it’s fullest. You will stop wasting time, by letting daily opportunities go by.
Many of us have opportunities, but we think it won’t work, we don’t have what it takes for success, or we lack the drive to carry a plan through.

Yoga and meditation teach you to supervise your mind. Your mind has been allowed to work against you. Much like a “back seat driver,” the mind is good at “second guessing,” fearing, doubting, and discouraging new ideas. The mind would prefer to stay in one place, and let the world go by. Leaving you in a deeper state of frustration, by worrying about making a mistake.

You have to cultivate a positive relationship with your mind, through practicing Yoga postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation. You can find all this, and much more, in your local Yoga class. All you have to do is make it a regular routine. Yoga classes are everywhere, from corporate health clubs to senior centers. Whether you practice before, or after, work is not important, and you will start to feel the mental benefits, right away.

Many Yoga students walk away from their first class feeling guilty, that it took so long to start. They anguish over the fact they procrastinated so long.
However, the important part is to start and continue your Yoga practice.
There is also a common feeling of euphoria during and after Yoga classes.
The group support, classroom atmosphere, and the endorphins, will make your day a much better one.


Tags: HEALTH, HEALTHY, FITNESS, FIT, YOGA, GOAL, GOALS, DISCOVER, DISCOVERING, DISCOVERED, HLP, PART

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Dhyana Yoga (meditation) for soul awakening.

A human life is a priceless gift of God. The Lord does not have a greater gift than this to give his beloved creatures. Its specialties and potentials are so extraordinary that its results can only amaze us. This gift has been given to us to fulfill divine goals. But it is our ill-fate that we have forgotten our divine nature, God’s gift and the goal/ importance of a human life. Neither do we know our divine potential, nor the Lord’s goal, wisdom or meditation. We are straying far away in this dark, gloomy world. This forgetfulness is strange. People generally forget objects and also what they have read, heard etc. A person whom we had known in the past is now a stranger for us, since we have forgotten him. But it is rare to find a person who forgets himself. We think ourselves to be a body with name and form. We desire what our mind desires, we look upon the body’s needs as our own need. The body and mind are the 2 wheels of the chariot of our life. But we have totally forgotten that we are the soul and not the body. No doubt we hear time and again that the body is different from the soul. But it is very rare that someone actually experiences this fact. And even if we experience it, it is in a very hazy manner. If we understand true reality and the difference between the life-force and peripherals that manifests in our consciousness, we will give prime importance to soul well-being. We would give only that much importance to material objects as is required. Today we are walking with feet devoid of shoes and decorate our cars with frills of gold. We are dying of hunger and give clarified butter to vehicles. “We” means the soul and vehicle means body or mind. The Lord is serving his servants. It is indeed strange that he has forgotten his responsibility.

ATTAINING THE SOUL’S GOAL

The goal of life is to attain self-fulfillment. This self-fulfilled state can only be at the level of divinity. In order to attain God, the mind should get concentrated on him. Before constructing important buildings, their maps, plans and models are designed. An engineer, architect etc. will build buildings based on these models. An image of God with his qualities, activities and nature is carried out for the purpose of meditation. As a result one experiences nearness, oneness and a sense of merging of God. This is the true nature of meditation.

The goal of true meditation is to regain our lost memory regarding our real nature. If someone happens to regain it, it is definitely akin to a man coming out of a very scary dream. It is only then that one experiences a condition akin to a child being lost in a massive crowd or like that of a man who has lost the memory of his identity. Those undergoing such anguish, experience a great loss and they hurt their near and dear ones. Since we have lost our memory (that we are the mighty soul and not the body), our condition is as demeaning as a baby lion being brought up in a family of goats. As a result we are giving pain to our true nature, which is divinity.

The goal of Yoga of meditation is to overcome loss of memory i.e. to awaken to the fact that we are the soul and not the body. In that one remembers God and one experiences one’s soul nature. The memory of the union of a living being (Jiva) and God (Brahman) is re-activated and one experiences, that this very Divine Power contact was broken by us, is in reality our Divine Mother and Benefactor. Not only this but like the proverbial wish-fulfilling cow (Kamadhenu), it is so powerful that by drinking its nectarine milk, we attain divinity. By sitting in the shade of a wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpavriksha) one can attain anything. After contacting, coming close to that Divine Centre, one does not lack anything and thus we can overcome all types of poverty. Thus Yoga of Meditation helps us attain this goal.


CONCENTRATION

It is not something great to attain Divine Powers. It should be protected from any type of wastage and should never be misused. The benefits of attaining Divine Powers are encountered when they are gathered in a safe place and that they are utilized only for sacred tasks.

As a result of heat, a lot of water of the oceans gets converted to steam. So much steams rises into the atmosphere from cooking gas, fire etc. All this goes in waste. But in an engine, a little bit of water is converted to steam. This steam is not allowed to stray in the atmosphere and is in fact collected in a tank. Later its energy flow passes out of a small hole and reaches the piston. As a result of this small process, the engine of a train starts functioning. Not only does it move but it runs at a great speed. Its movement is so powerful that it tugs alongwith it many other compartments at a high speed.

If tons of gun powder are spread out on the ground and lit with a match-stick, it will show a little light for a flash of a moment and then get burnt to ashes. This is a total wastage and is of no use to us. But if it is enclosed in a small area of a gun and by pressing the trigger a little, sparks of fire touch the gunpowder, this infinitesimal gunpowder gives amazing results. The bullet runs at a mammoth speed to its target. Wherever it lands, it topples that object. One can thus clearly note the difference between just lighting up tons of gunpowder with a matchstick and on the other hand, lighting up a minute amount of gun powder in a gun.

The rays of sun light are scattered all over the earth. Daily the sun rises and then sets in the evening. This sunlight can give only a little heat and light to us. But if a few sunrays are concentrated on paper using a special lens, the paper starts burning. If it is thrown in a huge jungle, a forest fire ensues which destroys that entire area to ashes.

During Draupadi’s Swayamvar (choosing you own groom), the condition for getting married to her was that the prospective bridegroom should pierce the eye of a bird placed at a distance with an arrow. Dronacharya was helping his students to master this art. Before his students aimed an arrow, Dronacharya would ask them as to what they were seeing. On an average the students would say that are seeing a bird on the tree. As a result Dronacharya would declare that such students would never succeed. When it was Arjun’s turn, he answered that I can only see the bird’s eye and nothing else. Thus Dronacharya declared that Arjun would definitely succeed. Truly at the Swayamvara ceremony of Draupadi, Arjun pierced the eye of the bird with one single arrow and thus got married to Draupadi.

It is said that a flying creature called a buzzing bee catches hold of a caterpillar and continues to buzz in front of it. As a result of continuously hearing the buzz of the bee and visualizing the bee’s form, the mental state of the caterpillar becomes that of a bee. The caterpillar starts thinking itself to be a buzzing bee. As a result the body of the caterpillar takes the shape of a buzzing bee instead of a grown up butterfly. Zoologists may doubt this but it is a definite fact that whenever man concentrates/ focuses his mind on a particular name and form, his mind too takes up the name, form and characteristics of that object. As a result of focusing her mind on beauty and youth, a prostitute regains her beauty to a great extent at an advanced age too. On the other hand, many young men and women look aged because their minds are all the time thinking of hardships and dire circumstances. All this is a result of focusing one’s mind on a particular good/ bad thought. This could be intentional or unintentional.

Spiritual concentration means to stop the mind from straying away from its center and that after focusing one’s Divine Powers at one central focal point, one should utilize the same for sacred endeavors only. This is called control of mind or focusing of the psyche in spiritual texts. A lot of discussion takes place regarding Yoga of Meditation. It should be surmised as an art of concentrating one’s mind. When we hear about it, its success seems mediocre but in reality, it is a great achievement. When one masters this art, man by focusing his scattered conscious energy in one place, utilizes it for some sacred purpose and thus attains amazing success.

Water is filled in dams. But when it is ejected from a small opening, a stream of it flows at break neck speed because of water pressure generated by the dam. This flow has extraordinary energy. Its influence aids the movement of wheels of many machines and as a result these machines start moving. The construction of huge electric powerhouses takes place near gigantic dams. It is very expensive to generate electricity using engines and machines but hydroelectricity is cheaply operated near dams. Near smaller waterfalls, you have water mills. The resultant energy is not due to the stream of water but it is due to its concentration. By focusing a widespread area in a smaller area, you generate power.

The aim of Yoga of Meditation is to concentrate mental thought scattering in one small area of thought. The more an individual succeeds in concentrating his mind, the more his psyche will radiate with power. Like an arrow of word, it is easy for him to attain his goal. If spirituality is his aim, he will advance spiritually and his psyche will radiate with Ridhi-Sidhi or what are called Divine Powers. If the aim is material progress, we will attain this goal too. In whichever appropriate direction this energy is used, it will reap good dividends.

Concentration/ focusing means overcoming the wasteful scattering of the thought waves of our mind. By obstructing the water flow of a small stream, a dam is created and thus a small pond, lake is created. Then artificial streams are created from this lake which give water to far off arid regions. If this stream were not converted into a dam, it would have lashed at the shores and caused wasteful flooding in surrounding regions. This would lead to material destruction in that region. One should not look upon the thought flow in our mind as less important when compared to a hydroelectricity generator. The power of an electricity powerhouse is limited and can transmit electricity to a very limited region in its vicinity. But this cannot be said about the mind. Its potential of today can be augmented infinite fold in the future. Its area of influence which is today limited to the family and friends will in future encompass the entire world.

Generally people of great authority like scientists, philosophers, artists, scholars, sculptors, authors, managers, leaders etc are like ordinary laymen. Their body is very ordinary and their minds lack a magical wand. Whatever difference one perceives in them alongwith the miracle of their greatness, is a result of their inner special qualities which in turn are related to the focusing capacity of their mind and their steadfastness in reaching the desired goal. Everybody possesses infinite amount of intellectual energy. To the extent that weak brained individuals too have a lot of radiance. The difference only is this that some have activated this radiance and the rest have not done so. Even a very wise person is like a dead corpse when he is in deep sleep. But on waking up, he manifests his intellectual brilliance. This holds true for the brain too. Due to certain circumstances, the intellectual powers of some people remains latent and thus look weak intellectually. But if their intellect is activated with effort, not only will they be as brilliant as other wise people but sometimes they will march ahead of them too.

Everyone knows that many threads unite together to form a strong rope and many broomsticks join together to form a broom. Many drops of water constitute a jugful of water. This example is given to accept the fact that by obstructing the wayward scattering of the intellect, one can focus/ concentrate one’s thought waves at a focal point. One can easily understand that wayward scattering of thoughts in various directions diminishes our mental prowess and that if these thoughts are concentrated at one single point, it will give us miraculous mental strength.

By advancing mental concentration, great scientists, Yogis, philosophers etc. enter the deep ocean called the mind and thus collect priceless jewels. Those who just float on the surface of the sea, attain nothing but those who dive deep into it, attain priceless materials. Superficial thinking is like a wayward blade of grass moving aimlessly here and there. On the other hand focusing one’s thought waves at a single point in the psyche via meditation gives miraculous results.


Tags: human, life, meditation, Yoa, mind, desires, self, soul, divinity, concentration, powers, sun, mental, state, thought, spiritual, focus, conscious, energy, electricity, psyche, Ridhi, Sidhi, waves, influence, potential, brain

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Dhyana

Almost everyone has experienced the fact that when one starts concentrating his mind on any immediate object or an idea, the mind starts wandering. It is very difficult to keep the mind busy with a single thought. The ancient sages too encountered the same problems. Arjuna, in Gita had mentioned that controlling the mind is an impossible thing on earth. Hence, he was advised by Krishna that though mind control is difficult, it can be made silent and steady by regular practice of vairagya and abhyasa. However, he has warned that yoga is very difficult for people whose minds are not steady and controlled. Pantanjali, in Yoga Sutra has emphasized these two qualities to achieve mind control. Hence ,these are the very qualities that make the essence of yoga.

Mind is like a disturbed pond with many impurities. First you need to stop the inflow of fresh impurities and then remove the existing impurities to clean the mind. Abhyasa is one of the practices for purifying the mind. Dhyana is one of the sub practices of abhyasa. This is a stage that a person reaches after practicing concentration for some time. At the start of dhyana, the mind is steadier and only a single thought about an object arises in the mind. Now it is safe to say that the state of dhyana is reached. Here, the mind becomes very stable like the flame of a lamp in a calm atmosphere and its contact with the object of experience becomes intense and complete.

There are two varieties of dhyana called sagunadhyana and nirgunadhyana. In the first dhyana, the stillness of mind is associated with an object of experience which can be experienced through the sense organs. The second one is completely mental. It implies complete absorption of mind into itself. Here, the mind is not associated with any external object. It becomes completely still in this state. This mind is supposed to remain still, silent and sensitive such that it can understand any past, present and future event that might have happened anywhere in the universe.


Tags: yoga, dhyana

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Confessions of a Yoga Teacher

The following are questions that Yoga teachers still need to answer, despite overwhelming evidence that Yoga is “the mother of all health maintenance systems.” Mainstream thought is finally catching up, with the progress Yoga is making, but it has taken 5,000 years for us to get this far.

Seriously, How Can Yoga Make You Lose Weight?

Finally, some of the “Yoga and Weight Loss” studies have come in, and even, a little bit of Yoga is much better, than none, for weight control, but there are a number of reasons why. Yoga is a lifestyle change that includes a safe diet; exercise, adjusting posture, breathing, and a whole lot more. Most of the
Yoga practitioners, I know, consume more water, eat more moderately, and take more care of their bodies, in comparison to the many who don’t want to leave the couch.

Aren’t you supposed to jump up and down for at least a half-hour per day to exercise enough to lose weight?

Maybe the masses have been “brain washed” into thinking that you have to feel the pain, suffer, starve, and have a near death experience, to lose weight. Depending upon your size, the average person, in a moderate Hatha yoga class, is burning in the neighborhood of 200 calories per hour. There are Vinyasa Yoga classes, that will burn more calories, with much more flowing and active movement. Just remember, that your safety is top priority, and you will be fine.

There are also Yoga classes where you can feel the pain, heat, and suffer.
This is great for those who feel the need to “pay for their sins.” Maybe this is considered “penance,” for years of consuming excessive pizza, burgers, and buffets. If you feel you must suffer, you may even find a Yoga teacher who missed his or her calling as an interrogator.

If you search hard enough, you will find a Yoga class for every niche. More moderate Yoga classes look easy on the outside of the class, but I have seen many people find them to be a challenge, on the inside of the class. The real benefit of steady Yoga practice is training for longevity. Long-term practice will yield optimum health benefits in mind, body, and spirit.

Couldn’t you just invent a Yoga pill?

This has been the ultimate dream of “couch potatoes,” but every time a weight loss pill comes out, there is a down side. Just look at the health problems that resulted from fen phen and ephedra. This should wake people up, but someone will always put their life at risk, no matter how many warning labels are printed.

In summary, the benefits of Yoga practice have always existed, through steady and safe practice. Seek out a safe teacher and go from there. Never push yourself to the point of strain. Moderation is key, so it is wise to avoid extremes.


Tags: HEALTH, HEALTHY, FITNESS, FIT, YOGA, CONFESSION. CONFESSIONS, TEACHER, TEACHER, TEACHING

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Common Types of Yoga - What Is The Difference

What is the difference between common yoga and the not so common yoga, nothing only one is practiced on a wider scale than the other. It is up to each individual and their preferences to what form of exercise they choose to practise. Some common types of yoga are performed by people for health reasons.

If starting out to practice yoga for the first time then be sure to find out what is best suited to your requiremnts. Important factors that have to be addressed before any exercise is executed are your fitness levels.

Some of the most common types of yoga are Iyenga. This yoga is solely based on alignment and accurate movements.When working out the Iyengar way props are used such as straps and blocks for beginners who are not as flexible as the experts in this field. By using these yoga props it helps the beginner to relax and give comfort therfore encouraging beneficial results.

Commonly known power yoga - The Ashtanga. The reason for this alias is because of the powerful movements that are involved
The moves exercised include push ups and lunges which helps deal with strength and stamina. What type of person practices this form of yoga? People involved with Ashtanga are looking for challenging moves.
You will find athletes - gymnasts and cyclists all from the fitness world have turned to this type of yoga to add more balance to their concentration to help them in thier quest when going for gold.

Bikram Yoga: known as hot yoga is where routines are carried out in a very warm room. This is an excellent way for increasing flexibility, heat can stretch body tissue.
Health matters like cardio vascular disease makes this type of common yoga off limits for a patient. The reasons are because of the vigorous routines practiced in heat thus causing strain on the body.

A content mind denotes a content body and soul. Type of Yoga that meets with these needs of contentment is the Raja Yoga: which implements liberation through meditation. Concentration is the key factor in this exercise

Bhakti commonly acknowledged as devotional yoga is where all participants focus on self surrender.
Some yoga types may sound a little shocking in what is expected of you but never judge the book by the cover. Why not try out an exercise for your self. The Mantra yoga: more known as yoga of potent - targets liberation through mental or verbal repetition of noises and sounds.

Mental/physical anguish suffered by patient`s with stress related disorders are looking to the world of yoga, why? Because it is one of natures natural remedies for pain.


Tags: Common Types of Yoga, natural remediy, yoga exercise, practice yoga, stress and anxiety, Bikram Yoga, common types.power moves

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Christian Yoga?

There is an interesting article in the September 5th issue of Time magazine.
This particular article covers a spectrum of opinions about mixing Christianity with Yoga. Even, if you don’t agree with a single opinion, it’s a good read, as long as you remain objective.

Over the course of time, I have been lucky enough to teach, or practice, with someone from every known religious denomination; so the statement by a
Professor Tiwari at the Hindu University of America, where he states that, ”Yoga is Hinduism,” is surprising, coming from a scholar. Possibly, this statement was taken out of context, but fundamentalism exists, to a degree, in every form of religion.

If some Christians want to practice Yoga to make a closer connection to God, who are any of us to criticize it? Isn’t one of Yoga’s purposes, the union of self with a Supreme Being? So what is the big deal?

Truthfully, many fundamentalists are all about division - keeping the masses divided, at war with each other, and preferably, in a “holy war.” They fear the unity of mankind, letting go of power, and world peace. They don’t want to loosen their grip on their followers, so they squeeze a little more.

So if a Christian group wants to practice “Son Salutations”, or “PraiseMoves,” give them a break. Yoga is practiced in sectarian atmospheres by a variety of different religions. Nobody has a monopoly on Yoga. Yoga is a complete health maintenance system for mind, body, and spirit.

There is a type of Yoga for everyone, and some people want a little more spiritual flavor than others. Since Yoga has been around for at least 5,000 years, there is a very big variety to choose from.

As for skeptics who “point the finger” at each other - “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone…” It might be best if we all practice a little more mindfulness, and loving kindness, before we decide to criticize things we don’t understand.

Yoga is “out of the bag.” It is no longer practiced by a particular group. Therefore, Yoga is a public treasure, and not a genie that we will confine to a bottle. No matter how many people try to patent, or copyright, Yoga, it will be practiced within every corner of the earth.

So, please read the article in Time magazine and enjoy it, but take the time to remain objective. Recognize motives and words for their hidden agenda. Most of all, remain in good relations with your fellow man.


Tags: health, healthy, fitness, fit, yoga, christianity, christian, help, question

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Chase away the Blahs with Yoga

Yoga is a great disposition enhancer and it does it naturally. Any kind of exercise releases hormones that help ease the stress that often leads to the blahs, blues, or outright depression. Activity keeps your mind far from negative thoughts and allows you to gain insight on dilemmas in your life. People who are depressed or “down” often lack the stimulus to exercise. It doesn’t take near as much effort to do a Yoga routine as it does to work out to a video or drive to the gym. A word of warning; if you experience more than just the occasional bout of the blahs and feel down for more than two weeks at a time, you should seek professional help. They may feel that you need treatment or therapy, and proper exercise.

Very often people who are depressed frequently lack the concentration to stop and try to disconnect themselves from their thoughts. Yoga is meditation in movement so it is easier to move your mind away from depressing thoughts. Yoga’s focus on balance can also help you bring back your mental strength.

Yoga has a clear-cut connection between mind, body, and spirit that no other form of exercise or meditation can attain on its own. Negative thoughts can keep us from experiencing our vital inner nature. Doubt, hopelessness, despair, apathy and either sleeping too much or not enough are all signs of depression. Yoga is designed to bring you closer to your inner self; it then is only natural that it can help with some of the symptoms of depression.

Certain postures can influence your mood and allow depression to end. One special Asana can’t cure depression or the blahs. The Asanas assist in increasing your lung capacity allowing more oxygen to reach all the affected parts of your body including your mood. Asana postures can help depleted energy levels, and sluggishness. You should ask your Yoga instructor to help you and suggest postures that would best assist you balance your moods.

The practice of yoga calms the nervous system, and allows you to comprehend the link between your mind and emotions. They can both be used to help each other. As breathing is an important part of Yoga, it can also help you to limit anxiety, calm your thoughts, and help you concentrate on positive energy rather than negative.

Any style of Yoga can help you exile the blahs. It may not be physically demanding but you will feel so much better at the end of your session. Remember, if you have a severe depressive episode; seek advice from with a professional. Consult with your Doctor before starting to practice yoga to be sure there is no conflict with any treatment you may be undergoing. If you want to try a Yoga routine specifically for depression, find a teacher who can create a personal routine for you. Yoga teachers have been extensively trained for this purpose and know which positions that are the most suitable for remedial purposes.

Tags: yoga practice, yoga session, yoga training, yoga meditation, yoga clothing, yoga class, yoga training equipmen

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Building stronger arms through Yoga

I was at work the other day and a co-worker of mine who takes Yoga classes suddenly started pumping a 20 pound dumbbell he had nestled in his cubicle.
Being that he does this rather frequently, I asked why and his response was
“Oh, my yoga classes don’t do anything for my arms.”

I looked at him puzzled and luckily for me, I had a draft of a book with photos of some yoga balancing poses and asked him if he had tried or even knew of them. Surprisingly, he said no and was now eager for me to demonstrate them to him.

This made me wonder, just how many other yoga enthusiasts are of the mindset that Yoga may be inadequate for building arm strength.

If you are such a person, nothing could be further from the truth.

Yoga is fantastic for building strength in the arms and although you may never see your biceps bulge through your T-shirt sleeves, I will say you will see an increase in arm strength and endurance that may not occur in perhaps other forms of exercise.

Moreover, some basic Calisthenics like Push-ups, the Plank and the Dive-bombers do borrow heavily from Yoga.

In my opinion, if one is looking to increase strength in the arms through Yoga, the best exercises to focus on will be the one and only Sun Salutations first.

From experience, when I was having difficulty holding endurance building poses such as the Wheel, Bow, Peacock and Crow Poses-with their variations-for a good enough length of time (say an average of 90 seconds and beyond), I discovered by sheer chance that in increasing the number of rounds of the Sun-Salutations (Exercises) mentioned earlier to at least 24 straight rounds, I could hold any of the poses above for a quite a while.

It will be safe to say that is because the muscles are warmed up by this powerful
combination of systematic poses for the otherwise moderate to strenuous demands put on them.

In addition, when I started adding Hindu-push ups (a straight yoga derivative as it’s basically Downward Facing dog meets Cobra Pose repeated in sequence) for an occasional source of variety in working out, these same Sun Salutations increase my endurance to be able to perform a good amount of this Yoga-esque
exercise.

That considered, in addition to the Sun Salutations (24+ rounds) the other poses one should focus on for increasing strength in the arms would be the following:

1. The Wheel Pose
2. The Inclined Plane Pose
3. The Bow Pose
4. The several variations of the Peacock Pose
5. The several variation of Crow Pose
6. The Side and Regular Plank pose

In addition, to some degree, even the simple shoulder-stand when performed in conjunction with it counter poses-The Bridge and Fish pose, can definitely come in handy for using Yoga for increasing arm strength.

You know what else, each of these poses also come in extremely useful for toning up the abs and offering in some cases a deep tissue massage to your visceral organs. Bet you free-weights can’t do that eh?

So next time you-like my co-worker-think or run into someone who thinks Yoga can’t do much for their arms, be sure to tell whoever is applicable to try the poses above, along with the wonderful Sun Salutations.

This will be a classic case of ‘trying is believing”, so give this suggestion a shot and you will be almost guaranteed increase in the strength of your arms using Yoga that is-in no time.


Tags: Yoga for arms

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Bliss Sheath: Samadhi (trance), heaven and the door of salvation

The last but extremely important sheath (5 covering layers of a living being) is the Bliss Sheath. When this sheath is uncovered, not only does the living being come very close to God but that it becomes God Himself. The soul is said to be a spark of God. Its ultimate form is Satya, Shiva, Sunder and God too is called Sat (existence), Chit (wisdom), Anand (bliss). Both these states ooze with supreme bliss. The ultimate goal is to make our lives happy, contented and blissful.

When the Bliss Sheath is purified, a person awakens his soul wisdom and thus becomes God, from a good human being. Such a person’s glory is akin to that of God. This spiritual standpoint truly is nectar of immortality. On attaining it the divine glories of immortality, divine beauty, divine aura etc. gives us the nectarine taste of immortality each moment.

Ordinarily a living being experiences bondage. Its organs of knowledge give a very limited taste and via the sense organs of action, it can amass very limited material wealth. Yet in the deep recesses of the inner personality of a human being lie such infinite potentials albeit in seed form that they correspond to the powers of the entire cosmos. The gross world is its body and the subtle world is its vital force. The vital force is more powerful than the gross body. In comparison to visible material objects, the invisible energy of heat, sound, light, ether etc. is more potent. But when this invisible nature is compared to the subtle world, the latter is infinitely more powerful. When one can enter that area or establish a strong bond with it, one’s limitations / bondage is cut as under and thus manifests limitless power. We have the example of Extra Sensory Potentials. Sometimes we get rare experiences of their miracles. But if we can enter this area more deeply, if we can unearth and gain knowledge of the utility power of these divine glories, their extraordinary nature can be compared only to realized saints (Sidhas). Only then can divinity manifest in human beings and that we can perceive God in mankind. This state has to ooze with supreme bliss.

The abovementioned sentences say that both the external and the inner subtle world abound in infinite divine sensations. There is no limit to its blissful feeling. This is a fact. Of course! It is something entirely different that you did not benefit due to illusory notions. A musk deer fails to realize that the fragrance of musk is manifesting from its own body and hence in order to smell it, the deer runs about here and there. Ultimately it gets tired and keeps despairing, its “plight”. Thus one cannot blame God for one’s erroneous thinking. In fact God has filled us all with untold bliss, yet if we refrain from finding it within ourselves and run about furiously in the external illusory material world, who is to blame? The fault lies entirely with the one who aims for infinite bliss, while foolishly running after transient sense objects.

The Lord sent his eldest son i.e. princely man in this divine garden called the world, to attain supreme bliss. Over here there are means and probabilities of bliss. Yet if we face hardships, know for sure that it is the result of our distorted and tainted thinking. Over here bliss is our nature and sorrow has been superimposed on it in an illusory manner. God Almighty sent man in this world to experience bliss and not pain. If only man intensely endeavours to make this world more advanced, wealthy and cultured, he can remain blissful by conjoining to divine bliss served by the Lord. For this attainment no gigantic step has to be taken. If only we shed our vile intellect and lowly activities can we attain infinite bliss. Bliss is our rightful inheritance. As true descendents of God, we already have it albeit in a covered manner. It is most required that we know the nature of these attainments and utilize them for sacred purposes. Those who fail in this endeavor will undergo strife and pain only.

The Lord is bliss manifest. Every pore of a living being is an outlet of bliss. Mother Nature possesses the quality of beauty and giving us comforts. Everywhere there is bliss and bliss only. Thus our life is called bliss incarnate. Man owns this sheath in a natural, joyous and limitless manner. We all live in the world of bliss.

Yet our ill-fate is like the lines written by Kabir (great poet-saint of India).

“A fish swimming in water is thirsty. Hence I laugh aloud.”

Suppose a man locks up his house and leaves it. When he returns he realizes he has lost the key and hence sits out in the cold, experiencing a lot of discomfort. In the same way we have lost the key of the storehouse of bliss present in our own body. Thus we cannot even lead normal lives due to hunger, thirst etc. The Bliss Sheath is very much within ourselves, yet we undergo pain and sorrow. How amazing? What an irony! Aren’t we mocking our own selves?

Hence spiritual practices pertaining to the Bliss Sheath are meant for demolishing our ill-fate from the very roots. On its basis the lock of bliss storehouse can be opened so that we get immersed in infinite divine joy. This is possible only when the individual soul (man) merges with the cosmic soul (God). After reaching the peak of spiritual practices pertaining to the 5 Sheaths one searches this very key and thus makes arrangements for opening the lock. The one who achieved this, never again said that I live a life of abject despair. Never does such a person experience sorrow or pain.

One can only destroy all pain / sorrow by discovering the Bliss Sheath. Only when a living being enters this sheath can it satiate all its thirst for supreme divine bliss. Not only is this the true goal of a human life but that all creatures, knowingly or unknowingly are yearning for it. One can also say that a living being accepted the bondage of a body with the hope of attaining eternal bliss. It is said –

“All living beings exist with the hope of attaining eternal bliss.”

- Brihadaranyak (4/3/32)



“All creatures manifest from the ocean of divine bliss and live in the ocean of bliss. Ultimately it merges into pure bliss.”

- Taitariyopanishad (3/6/1)

“I can never describe that supreme divine bliss experienced by a Yogi.”

- Yog Rasayanam (114)



“When living beings are liberated from the bondage of sorrow they enjoy the ocean of bliss experienced by a Bodhi-Sattva (enlightened saint) in his bosom and this is sufficient. What can one gain from salvation that is devoid of divine bliss?”

-Bodhicharyavatar (7/108)

“The Lord is nectar, manifest. When man attains this nectar he experiences untold bliss. Ere he was not truly the fundamental bliss principle that pervades every atom of the cosmos (like space), who would get the experience of bliss merely by living a life full of activities related to the vital force (Pran-Apan)? In reality this very principle is the fount of bliss eternal.”

- Taitariyopanishad (2/7/1)

The Lord is called nectar too. This nectar is spiritual and not material. It can be experienced as divine enthusiasm, contentment, satiation, peace etc. Its attainment is irrevocably united with inner greatness. The more one’s soul becomes pure and magnanimous, the more this bliss blooms forth. It depends on one’s exalted standpoint and high-level activities. But this eternal bliss can never be experienced if one’s thinking is lowly and activities are vile. Each individual aspiring for eternal bliss has to first enter the deep recesses of the Bliss Sheath, so as to drink that divine bliss from its mouth source.

Our material world does have taints and man also exhibits indolence (Tamas). In order to reform and change it, there is a requirement of creative action. Non-cooperation, opposition and punishment may be required under certain circumstances yet one must be extremely cautious that the underlying intention should be reformation and never should be utilized with petty attitudes of likes and dislikes. Thus while combating the distorted aspect of the world one can also simultaneously balance one’s internal greatness. No doubt there exists a great deal of greatness in the world, because there is greater light in this world when compared to darkness. In comparison to vileness, greatness exists in greater measure. Only if we search it, imbibe it and nourish it, can pure thoughts manifest in our intellect. When our individual vision of beauty augments we shall visualize beauty pervading in every pore of the universe. One can visualize Lord Shiva (divine beauty) by contacting great qualities in material objects and all creatures of the world. It is the Almighty Lord who is the substratum of this entire cosmos. Those who understand this, attain divine truth (Satya). Those with a pious psyche visualize “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” every moment and experience heaven everywhere.

Saint Emerson said, “If you send me to hell, I will convert it to heaven.” This is a fact not worth ignoring. With the help of a sacred view point, a lot of reformation can be induced in regions close by. Further we become capable enough to induce desired results from external circumstances. Heaven is nothing but divine vision and sacred thinking. Heaven is not some particular area, planet etc. in this material cosmos but is in fact, a divine standpoint at the mental level. Heaven and hell is nothing but good or bad results of our high or lowly viewpoint. Every human being like Saint Emerson has the capacity to create heaven in his life by purifying his very thinking.

Further the Bliss Sheath can give us salvation (Moksha). Salvation means overcoming bondage of this material world. Bondage means bad psychic imprints, mental taints, sins etc. There is no other power that can bind a living being to this world. The biggest obstacle that a creature faces while walking on the path of progress is its own inner weaknesses and mental taints. A spider weaves its own net and gets entangled in it. Even silk worms create their own net (bondage). Even so man is the creator of the bondage that he experiences and has thus chained himself to this world. Like a lion cub in a herd of goats, he has taken upon himself the veil of spiritual ignorance. One faces so much sorrow when one is experiencing bondage. This can be experienced even by birds and beasts.

The human species is a prince of God. His inner capacity is limitless. By aptly utilizing available means, he can reach such an exalted state in this very life which is akin to divinity and Almighty God. Over here the main obstacle is our mental state and not external worldly circumstances. If we truly understand and imbibe all those means which glorify our lives, we can reach that state which is close to God/ divinity. This truly is salvation (Moksha).

Strange beliefs have cropped up like weeds, regarding salvation or Moksha. Some opine that it is the liberation from the repetitive cycle of birth and death. Some believe that a creature at the time of death leaves this world and enters another “world”. Some say liberation means not performing any actions and leading a very placid life. A few strange set of people imagine that God has some specific abode and that when one is liberated one becomes a door keeper of that abode. Our scriptures talk of 4 types of Moksha or salvation viz. 1) Salokhya – entering God’s abode 2) Sameepya – living in close proximity to God 3) Sarupya – attaining the Lord’s form 4) Sayujya – merging into God. Salokya means building a flat in God’s abode. Sameepya means to become a doorkeeper, staff etc. of God’s abode. Sarupya means to become a “Xerox copy” of God’s form. Many dictators keep another man similar in name and physical looks, for security purposes. When a dangerous situation arises, the dictator’s “Xerox copy” is sent to combat that peril. Sayujya means partnership. Meaning one is an equal partner as far as God’s wealth is concerned. In short these are childish dreams full of mockery. No doubt they have a symbolic meaning, but to accept them as bare facts is a serious error.

The true meaning of Moksha or salvation or liberation is to look upon our soul as divine consciousness and not inert material i.e. we are not the gross physical body or name and form but that we are the underlying divine cosmic consciousness. This has to be experienced by each individual. One must experience that joy, happiness, success etc. are not the result of usage of external material objects (they are merely mediums/ instruments) but is a result of purification of the inner soul. One must give up bad qualities of a beastly life so as to first become a good human being and then experience one’s true divine nature. Greatness is God. Close proximity to God or attaining Him means conjoining greatness to our hopes, aspirations and valid desires. A person is truly liberated from bondage when he attains that inner state wherein like a fish swimming against the ocean current, one swims against the current of common lowly trends, downfall etc. Salvation is said to be the supreme goal of human life. This is its true nature.

After death one may get the benefit of heaven or salvation. But one must strive for it while one is yet alive. In fact achieve it today itself. All this is dependent on one’s viewpoint and transformation of one’s mind. One attains liberation while yet alive. What one attains after death is merely a reaction of one’s action while yet alive. Thus one should intensely endeavour in this very life to attain soul purification and hence true salvation / Moksha. This type of salvation is called “Jeevan-Mukti” i.e. liberated while yet alive. It is the gist of salvation. He who cuts asunder the bondage of limitations, vileness of mind etc. attains the eternal bliss of salvation. Following is what scriptural scholars have to say:

“A Jeevan-Mukta (liberated while alive) is one who is devoid of likes / dislikes, sorrow / elation and whose intellect is divine.”

- Mahopanishad (2/57)

“There are 8 types of bondage viz. hatred, suspicion, fear, shame, secretive attitude, pride of lineage, ideals, power. He who is tied up by these, is an animal and if one is liberated from these, one is God.”

- Tantra Kaustubh

“The one who renounces his ego, who is liberated from arrogance, jealousy etc. , who performs actions without harboring likes/ dislikes, is called a Jeevan-Mukta (liberated while yet alive) by wise men.”

- Mahopanishad (2/50)



“A person who with equanimity shuns another person’s wealth despite living in this deadly material world is truly spiritual and because this person experiences eternal soul bliss, he is called a Jeevan-Mukta”.

- Mahopanishad (2/ 62)

“The space between bondage and liberation measures 2 feet only. Bondage says “this is mine” and liberation says “nothing is mine”.

- Mahopanishad (4/72)

In this manner when one’s viewpoint is purified, when one understands the nature, basis and area of bliss, one’s belief becomes steadfast. What does one achieve by doing what? When this becomes definite, one’s spiritual ignorance is overcome and the wisdom of this reality is called spiritual philosophy. This biggest problem of this world pertains to the soul. Thus one can truly solve worldly problems only if this problem is solved. This knowledge is also called Brahmajnana, Tattvajnana, Sadjnana etc. In order to attain eternal bliss, one must endeavour to solve inner (mental) problems and give a proper direction to one’s thinking. This is also called Samadhi (trance). This is the first step towards attainment of eternal bliss (God). No doubt Samadhi is a very elevated Yogic state yet its beginning step is as mentioned above.

When one persists with experience of Samadhi (trance), the scattered mind gets focused and thus one gets benefits of pure thinking and actions. Thus the first leg of spiritual practices pertaining to the Bliss Sheath is based on Samadhi experience. This is a Samadhi in the waking state. Over here there is no need to become unconscious and that cravings and agitations have to be calmed down totally. When the storm of desires is silenced totally, man clearly visualizes his goal. Without this it is impossible to walk in a desired direction. Spiritual seekers of the Bliss Sheath are asked to concentrate and focus their minds. But this is not a mental exercise where one thinks about one particular thought exclusively so as to concentrate the mind. In fact it means walking in a desired and definite direction. Such a mental state is called Samadhi (trance).

“Samadhi is that state wherein the mental agitations are overcome so as to get focused on divine truth.”

- Bhoj



“Samadhi is that inner state wherein after renouncing craving / aversion towards fleeting material objects one steadies the mind and thus attains soul force.”

- Dakshasmriti (7/21)

“Just as when salt mixes with water, it takes up the form of water, in the same way Samadhi (trance) means the mind merging into the cosmic soul (God)”.

- Saubhagyalakshmyupanishad (14)

“When the will power of a living being and God marches ahead in one direction, it dispels the sense of separation from one another. This state is called Samadhi.”

- Yajnavalkya

“When a living being’s material desires come to an end, and the living being and God march in one direction, that state is called Samadhi (trance). Samadhi is that balanced state of the soul wherein one’s agitations are nullified.”

-Saubhagya Upanishad (2/16-18)

The inner divine powers are destroyed if mental agitations augment. But if this mental turbulence is nullified, if the mind gets focused in one desired direction, one’s soul force augments as a result of obstruction of scattering of the mind. Thus many divine powers manifest in our soul. These divine powers have been described as follows –

“Due to continuous practice of Samadhi (meditative trance) the mind merges into the cosmic soul (i.e. God) and thus, one gets enlightenment.”

- Yog Rasayan




“Objects seen in a dream are illusory whereas experiences of Samadhi (meditative trance) are the absolute reality. Further one gets greater benefits apart from those attained during Samadhi.”

- Yog Rasayan

The nature of the spiritual practice pertaining to the Bliss Sheath is the state of union of a living being / creature and God. Generally we know God as His name only. We no doubt chant His name and perform worship rites. Yet we never endeavour to merge our individual soul into the cosmic soul (i.e. God). We can never imagine with our limited material minds, the experience of this super blissful state. Ordinarily God is thought to be that individual who is appeased by a few prayers, eulogies, rites etc. Thus we try to satisfy our desires with God’s blessings. Thus vain worship rites are carried out which is nothing but mockery. Where can one find a true devotee of God who willingly desires disciplining by God? Where is that devotee who will surrender his all (mind) to God? In fact this is true devotion (Bhakti). Under such circumstances nectar will definitely manifest. Heavenly joys can be experienced. There will be zeal and zest for life everywhere along with true contentment and peace.

God is not an individual but is a cosmic divine force. He can never be pleased with gifts, presents etc. just as we please others. In order to fully utilize electricity, its utility limits have to be studies carefully. The Lord can only be pleased by imbibing greatness of character. It is also called faith in the arena of sentiments, spirituality in the field of thinking and righteous qualities in the arena of actions.

The true nature of devotion / meditation is unification. The supreme goal of devotion is unification, oneness and surrender. Duality is replaced with non-duality (oneness). This can be called marriage of a puppet doll with the fingers of a magician. It is the bond between a husband and wife. This is establishment of discipline. By destroying one’s selfish / egocentric desires, one imbibes divine discipline and this is called surrender. This sort of self-surrender has been prescribed by the Lord on the part of a devotee in the Bhagwad Geeta. Wood and other types of fuel become fire itself when thrown in fire. When water is added to milk it becomes milk. The Lord should not be looked upon as a tool (means) of satiating our lowly desires but that we should become one with His great qualities. This state is called Brahma Nirvan, vision of God or attaining God. This is the non-dual spiritual practice of divine sciences (Brahma-Vidya). It is on this basis that a human being (Nara) can become God (Narayana), a Purusha can become Purushottama, a living being can become Brahman (all-pervading soul) and individual soul can merge into the cosmic soul (God).

Love is full of magnetic attraction. One adores the proximity of love and each individual yearns for it intensely. The very nature of divine love which is a result of devotion to God, demands that the wall between the individual soul and cosmic soul (God) be warded off. There should be eternal oneness between the two. Under such circumstances, either God acts as per the desires of an individual or that an individual acts according to the Lord’s wishes. It is very clear that a river cannot merge into a pond because a pond is not wide or deep enough to imbibe a huge river. Even so the Lord can never act according to an individual’s desire. Thus individual souls will have to give up selfish / egocentric desires and act according to divine (God) will. This is true faith and devotion. Thus one can enjoy eternal bliss of devotion.

Divine love can never be limited. The river Ganges emanating from the lofty Himalayan Mountains (in India) can never be obstructed when it is flowing. Instead it satiates everyone’s thirst and by merging itself in the ocean, it gives up its limitations. Devotion means divine love. Love is a result of sensitivity in the form of oneness of soul, compassion, generosity, science and good-will. When these sacred sensations go beyond the arenas of imagination and emotions so as to manifest in our day to day activities, it can be seen in the form of self-creation and world creation. One yearns to surrender and help others to surrender at the Lord’s feet by imbibing faith and divine energy. One continuously reflects on this aspect and then starts acting thus too.

This is that very state which can be called awakening of the Bliss Sheath. This is the supreme state of devotion to the 5-sheathed Gayatri. One continuously experiences divinity. The Lord is subtler than the subtlest and thus one realizes /experiences Him as divine sentiments. It is indeed very childish to try and visualize God as a toy in front of our eyes. When it is a fact that we cannot see air, cold, friendship, anger, joy, sorrow etc. with our eyes, how is it possible to “see” God with our material eyes when He is beyond human thought and intelligence? Those who do not visualize such images, merely give us a glimpse of the intensity of their meditative consciousness. Apart from day-dreaming, it cannot be called anything else. True vision (Darshan) of God is an experience of divinity within our consciousness. For that, one has to go on a long journey with the 2 legs of faith and devotion.

The Bliss Sheath is the fount of faith and devotion. Over here one experiences the blissful union with God. Thus in order to fulfil the goal of meeting God, Indian Rishis laid down the path of a high leveled 5-sheathed Gayatri based spiritual practice. In the emotional area, the result of this divine union is experienced as bliss or zest. Bliss means experiencing intense joy on seeing the divine aspect of this world. Zest means the valour and daring with which we overcome the vile, demonic aspect of this world. A firm resolution of God, wherein He will incarnate in this world so as to establish righteousness after destroying unrighteousness can be seen fulfilled by a spiritual seeker in his own psyche. Such a seeker feels that the Lord has incarnated in his psyche as bliss / zest and faith/ devotion. This is the sensitive aspect of the Bliss Sheath.


Tags: psyche, zest, bliss, sheath, spiritual, divine, lord, sense, organs, knowledge, world, immortality, wisdom, existence, ESP, sensation, human, being, life, hardship, nature, soul, cosmos, bondage, creature, salvation

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