Yoga & Life Lessons from Yoga Practice

What is yoga?

Yoga is said to have originated in India during the Golden Age, nearly 26,000 years ago. The actual Sanskrit word, when broken down, means "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite". The word has also been translated to mean "joining", "uniting" and "union". The union is made between the mind and the body. Yoga is a spiritual science of self-realisation.

Yoga has become popular as a form of physical exercise based upon asanas (physical poses) to promote improved control of mind and body and to enhance well-being.

Yoga methods encompass the entire field of our existence, from the physical, emotional and mental to the spiritual. Its methods include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breath control, as well as meditation. The regular practice of asanas, and breathing exercises (pranayama), makes the body strong, supple and healthy.

Thus, Yoga is a systematic process to accelerate the evolution of the individual by culturing the mind and bringing out an all-round personality development culminating in experience of higher states of consciousness. Since the individual experience of Yoga is quite personal and may differ for each practitioner, there are a wide variety of approaches to its practice. All approaches to Yoga, however, are intended to promote some aspect(s) of wellbeing.

Yoga is defined as having eight branches or limbs: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.

Yoga Benefits

Yoga can do a lot for the human body, although it won't cure every ailment. Yoga can be worked into virtually any lifestyle or schedule. Yoga has been proven to increase health and body awareness allowing yoga participants to better control their bodies. From flexibility increases to better body alignment, Yoga can help with a variety of ailments.

Physical Benefits of Yoga

·         Increased Flexibility

·         Increased Strength

·         Improved Balance

·         Increased Stamina

·         Improved Body Alignment (reduces joint pain)

Mental Benefits of Yoga

·         Stress Reduction

·         Body Awareness

·         Better Sleep

·         Improve self-confidence

·         Relaxation

Life Lessons We Can Learn from Yoga Practice

The teachings of Yoga are based on many different philosophies and religions, but, Yoga is NOT a religion, rather it is a discipline, one that leads to ultimate freedom. Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind, or the restraint of the modifications of the “mind-stuff “. In clearer terms, when you can control the rising of the mind, you will experience Yoga or Union.

The journey is more important than the destination.

Do you have the right attitude to stay the course? You would have heard the saying ‘your attitude determines your altitude’ and it is so true. When inevitable challenges are thrown at you, they will test your attitude & your resolve. With a fierce attitude to remain focussed, this will keep you on the journey. “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

The concept of this is simple — enjoy the process. You enjoy the sensation of the sequence of poses and the associated presence of mind, the unity of mind and body. You have found the path of yoga has enough to offer whether you reach the end. Yoga is a lifelong adventure. It is more about the journey than the destination.

Follow the rules, you'll do great.

Yoga is more about what you do off the mat than on the mat. If you haven’t realized that yet, you’re not yet a yogi. Yoga is not about how flexible your body is. It’s about obtaining a flexible mind. Make your practice priority. You know you’re a better human with a regular practice. Almost invariably, the best people are the ones who had the most difficulty learning. You must learn the rules of the game. And then you must play better than anyone else in your life.

Starve the ego, feed the soul.

How can our lives be so much different at times and what can we do to tap into our infinite potential and experience peace and stillness in most of our lives?

you should be seeking out knowledge to get better at anything and everything that you do. And you should be seeking out that which feeds the very essence of your soul to keep the burning fire of your passion aglow.

Our ego is that voice within us that demands everything and pulls us along a path that is difficult and filled with obstacles. The ego robs us of the peace that we deserve. Our soul is the deep, profound, and infinitely tranquil place within us that knows nothing but empathy, love, compassion and truth. The soul is who we truly are. Every human being truly desires to live the best they possibly can. However, the ego interrupts this process with endless mind

games. It’s time to take back what is ours and quiet the ego.

Choose purpose over perfection.

It’s so important to understand that you don’t have to be perfect. If you always strive to learn and become better than you were yesterday, you can accomplish so much more. Purpose diminishes distraction & Purpose pushes you through pain. That is the beauty of yoga – it doesn’t care about perfection – only intention and effort. Yoga is for everyone. Life is for everyone.

Rule your mind or it will rule you.

The next time you feel like you can’t control your thoughts and you feel as if you are losing confidence in your abilities to be an awesome yoga teacher, remember that you oversee your life.
You are the writer of your own story. Don’t doubt yourself or your teaching abilities! Stay strong and know that you are unique and worthy.

I am flexible and open to change.

There is no doubt that, as a yogi, you will experience a significant amount of change in your life. Not just in your personal life, but also in your professional life.
There will be times when you will have to change the way you teach and even where you teach. Remember, to be flexible and open to any change that comes your way. This will allow you to grow and expand your light in every direction!

I am learning, growing, evolving, and expanding.

It’s so important as in yoga always want to become a better person as well as a better teacher. You should feel the need to learn, grow, and expand your own mind and practice.

By doing this, you can easily inspire others who, in return, will inspire the world around them. This domino effect is all because of your work as a Yogi.

Go at your own pace.

To apply this concept of going at your own pace off the mat – if you want to take a “gap year” after college to travel and see the world, then do it! If you want to spend your 20’s immersed in work, climbing up the corporate ladder to “coast” into your 30’s, do that. If you want to get married and start a family as soon as possible, go for it.

Let this serve as an important reminder – you are in control; you can change your path or speed at your own will. You do not need to be in any rush. You are in competition with no one. You are doing what feels right for you. You’ll get there when you get there, and until then, you’ll continue to focus on being present in each moment and making the most out of your current experience.

Learn how to breathe.

The most important thing to do in yoga is to breathe, especially when holding the postures. Learn the basic Dirgha pranayama breath to use during yoga. Most importantly, breathe in and out through the nose into the belly. 

We cover the subjects of pranayama and how “mastering our breath is harder than taming a lion.” We learn about Purusha (the idea, the soul, the consciousness) and Prakriti (the material, the physical, the creation) and how going from purusha to prakriti means manifestation and going the opposite way is liberation.

Balance And Focus Are Necessary To Move Forward Successfully

The things you are most successful at are the things that you devote your full attention to. It is also good to remember that you must do all things in moderation, balance is necessary to develop your life skills.

Mindfulness.

Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t). When I step onto my mat, my strengths and weaknesses are exposed, not for everyone to view, but for me to privately evaluate.

And that is exactly what yoga has taught me, and eventually, you, too.

It’s time to become the best version of yourself.

Powerful Ways to Calm Your Anxious Mind

There are so many thoughts swimming around in our heads all day long. In fact, we receive a staggering 50,000-70,0000 a day, which equates to between 35-48 thoughts per minute per person.

Is it any wonder then that sometimes our heads feel like they are going to explode? On top of this we receive information from our phones, social media, radios, and the buzz from people around us.

“Rumination is when you go over the same—usually negative—thought again and again,”

You can break the cycle of rumination by noticing your thoughts, then shifting your attention to something physical instead.

Anxious thoughts can overwhelm you, making it difficult to make decisions and act to deal with whatever issue bothers you. Anxiety can also lead to overthinking, which makes you more anxious, which leads to more overthinking, and so on. How can you get out of this vicious cycle? Repressing anxious thoughts won’t work; they will just pop up again, sometimes with more intensity. Sometimes we’re so busy focusing on ourselves that we forget to enjoy the moments as they come. We become trapped in the confines of the day-to-day and the span of our own goals, and we forget to enjoy the beauty of life and the little things.

Calming the mind has two basic elements: mental stillness and attention to the present moment. A settled mind is relaxed but simultaneously alert. As long as you’re consciously bringing your awareness repeatedly back into the current moment, you’re getting brain benefits.

By strengthening your non-judgemental awareness of your own mental patterns, you weaken any control your thoughts have over you.

A Calm Mind Is Helpful in Many Situations

·        Do you get easily nervous and irritated?

·        Do you have fears and doubts that cause you to suffer?

·        Do you have difficulties falling asleep at night?

·        Do certain thoughts keep obsessing your mind, giving you no rest?

·        Do you get agitated in every situation?

·        Do you have difficulties focusing your mind?

If you experience any of the above situations, then you certainly need to learn how to calm your mind

Overthinking, restless thoughts, impatience, fears and worries cause lack of inner peace, lack of concentration and the inability to think clearly. This leads to making errors, confusion, the inability to make decisions and to failure.

If you want to achieve more in life, you must know how to calm your mind, so that you stay focused and think clearly.

Learn how to stop getting stressed and tense and allowing negative thoughts and worries to harass you. Discover how to remain calm and poised in everyday life and in stressful situations.

Ways to Calm Your Mind

Your mind is simply getting ahead of itself and placing excess importance on things that don’t really matter. Once you realize this, every other step in this list becomes easier.

Meditation and prayer are two of the biggest ways to calm a restless mind, but they aren’t the only things you can do.

There are many other choices to help you feel better and live a stress-free life.

You might also consider: calm your mind instantly

·         Helping others.

·         Exercising.

·         Listening to music.

·         Deep Breathing.

·         Drink a glass of water.

Everyone has different things they enjoy in life, and you should find yours.

Make sure that you practice them when you start to feel stressed or your thoughts try to run away from you.

Easy Ways To Calm Your Mind And Improve Your Brain

Spend time doing something you love doing.
Find the time each day, to do something you love doing, such as a hobby, reading, listening to your favourite music, etc.

Spend quiet time alone
Find the time to be alone, to relax your body and mind, even only for a few minutes if you cannot afford more. Give yourself some time for reflection, meditation or any activity that relaxes, such as yoga, Tai Chi, or walking on the beach or in the forest.

Use positive words or language
Your words affect your subconscious mind, your behaviour and how think and feel.

Develop the habit of using positive words and positive language when talking to people, and in your inner conversations.

Using positive words and language would help your get rid of feelings of discontent, unhappiness and negative attitude, which lead to lack of inner peace.

Positive words and language would increase your self-confidence, self-esteem, and decisiveness, and drive away thoughts and attitude that lead to lack of inner peace.

Try to be more aware of the words you say, and work at replacing negative words and language with positive words and language.

Change the DVD in your mind
What kind of pictures and images occupy your mind?

Do you visualize pictures of problems, difficulties, failure or disaster? These pictures deprive you of inner peace.

You can change the negative pictures with just a little effort. It is like ejecting the DVD that runs in your mind and putting there a new one.

Every time negative pictures and mental images appear in your mind, replace them with pictures and images of success, happiness and joy. Be patient, as this might take some time and effort.

Avoid mental pictures and images that are upsetting, and which cause apprehensiveness, worry fear and negative feelings.

Be gentle with yourself. 

When we sit quietly, it can force a lot of feelings, unprocessed issues and thoughts to the surface. See if you can offer the same kindness you would extend to someone you care about deeply.

Resting

Resting the mind is exactly what you think it is. Resting means to cease all mental work or activity to relax. It’s a skill and not that easy to do – at first. To rest your mind all you do is sit down, relax, and do nothing. Tan suggests that you “imagine your mind resting on your breath the same way a butterfly rests gently on a flower” and using the mantra, “There is nowhere to go and nothing to do for this one moment, except to rest.” He conveys that resting is an instinct you already know how to do. The idea here is to make it a conscious skill.

Breathe deeply

Breathe deeply a few times when in stress. 

Deep breath exercise can be done almost by anyone, anywhere and anytime. Deep breath technique can be repeated with several times repetition during the day or whenever you feel tired, stress or depressed.

Exercise your body
Exercising your body improves your health and mental attitude, making you more positive, focused and relaxed.

Meditation
One of the best ways to calm your mind is meditation. Even a few minutes a day would help, if you meditate regularly. Any sort of meditation would do. You can try the watching thoughts meditation.

Enjoy nature
Being out in nature has a great relaxing effect. Trees, lakes, streams, the sea, sunrise and sunset are naturally relaxing and calming. Watching them can make you feel calm, happy and serene.

We All Have Time To Be Mindful

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be time-consuming or all-encompassing. You can easily use any of these techniques throughout your day to calm your mind and keep yourself fixed in the present moment and free from your worries.

Just don’t forget to stop occasionally and breathe it all in.

No one lives in a perfect state of constant happiness. In fact, some of the happiest people still get sad from time to time. They just know how to bounce back from it quickly so they don’t stay in that state for a long time.

AUGMENT EUPHORIA IN LIFE NATURALLY

“It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me
And I'm feeling good”.

“We are sometimes dragged into a pit of unhappiness by someone else’s opinion that we do not look happy.”

Euphoria means extreme happiness, sometimes more than is reasonable in a particular situation.

The ancient Greek word Euphoria means the good ability to endure, to be healthy and it also means fertility. Nowadays, euphoria relates to the emotions of joy, contentment, fulfilment and of wellbeing.

The Primal principle of IE – intermittent euphoria – to re-prioritize the peaks of life – the thrill, wonder, and amazement possible in this existence of ours. Thriving, after all, isn’t about accomplishing an inventory of “healthy” behaviours each day. It’s about living out the full measure of your humanity – in all its depth, vigour, and vitality.

Euphoria, of course, isn’t something you can summon at will. It doesn’t lend itself to a handy checklist. In fact, it most often catches us unaware. Nonetheless, we can cultivate a mindset and lifestyle conducive to euphoria – one that seeks adventure, values awe, and relishes discovery.

Euphoria comes when we venture ourselves in some way. We give it space when we let go of our self-chatter, inner list making, and task orientation. We open ourselves to it when we release the tendency, as, to be “too self-conscious to be fully conscious.” In prioritizing IE, we can pursue experiences with the power to elicit deep feeling (e.g. fear, awe, connection) and simply cultivate a mindset open to wonder. Here you’ll find some modestly proposed ideas to galvanize a good Primal life with some intermittent opportunity.

It’s not difficult to go from HAPPY to BLISSFUL, and if you think about it, all that you will have to do is start observing yourself, your thoughts, your emotions and behaviours, and by doing so you will train yourself to become present in everything you do, and to no longer identify yourself with who you are, with what you have and how you look. You are none of these things, you are more than that. This is your false self, and the real self is that which is observing all your thoughts, your actions, your behaviours and so on.

Natural way to experience euphoria

ways our bodies can naturally achieve mind-blowing, consciousness-expanding levels of elation and euphoria.

1. Exercise.

2.Group Workouts.

3.Extreme Sports.

4.    Spicy Food.

5.Love.

6.    Value your relationship. Nurture it, feed it. Spoil your partner, act like it is the early days. ...

7. Nature.

8.    Sex.

9.    Dreams.

10.       Music.

NO pills or other non-natural factory-produced ‘things’ can push you to feel euphorically happy.

Happiness is a state-of-mind, and as such happiness (euphoric feelings) live inside your Mind.

Trying to take pills to feel happy (euphoric) is just fake; that’s called a “placebo”, which stands for counterfeit. Get that Creative Euphoria.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

Many of you, I'm sure, are confused about the underlying philosophy of prayer. Consequently, often your prayers are not answered. Here, I attempt to provide some insights into the success of prayers.

“Prayer is power and strength, a power and strength that influences God, and is most salutary, widespread, and marvellous in its gracious benefits to man. Prayer influences God. The ability of God to do for man is the measure of the possibility of prayer.”

When we Pray, chant, meditate, and do Ardas, we are creating a vibration. That frequency vibrates to the supreme frequency and makes a connection. When that happens, prayers are heard. Guru tells us that prayers are heard Where does the power come from? Conviction. We have the power. When you surrender yourself, and humble yourself to make that request, you are acknowledging that you need help. You acknowledge that there is something beyond you that can cover, protect, and clear the way.

The power of prayer is the power that comes to us when we realize that God can be our point of reference during all the confusions of our daily lives, the steadfastness of God rather than the incomplete, fragile inconstancies of ourselves. It's the power that comes when we're able to be centred, anchored in a belief and rooted in a Truth, which is stronger and deeper than the day-to-day truths we struggle with.

Why We Pray

To begin with, we must understand as to why do we pray? There are basically 12 reasons for prayer:

1.      We pray to depend on God for help in distress.

2.     We pray for asking God for enlightenment.

3.     We pray for communion with God through single-minded devotion.

4.     We pray for asking for peace from God when the mind is restless.

5.      We pray for surrendering ourselves to God completely.

6.     We pray to God for giving us the ability to comfort others.

7.      We pray for thanking God for his blessings.

8.     We pray for expecting God to decide what is best for us when we are in a dilemma.

9.     We pray for making friendship with God.

10. We pray for melting the mind and ego in silence in God.

11.   We pray for requesting God to give strength, peace and pure intellect.

12.  We pray for asking God to purify the heart and make us abide in Him forever.

Two Parts of a Prayer

What the above 12 reasons convey to us is that a prayer has two parts: one is soliciting a favour from the Almighty and the other is surrendering ourselves to His will. While the first part is practiced by most of us daily, the second part is the real and goal because it implies dedication. Dedication means feeling the light of God within your heart. If your heart is devoid of divine light, you will not be happy, cheerful and successful in your lives.

LIVE LONG & PROSPER- VULCAN MUDRA

I had a new mudra to tell you. Hold up your right hand and then spread the index and middle finger away from the ring finger and pinky, forming the Vulcan Salute.

This mudra is called Nimoyste (nee-Moy-stay). A Jewish student informed us that Nimoy originally based it on a ritual performed by Jewish Kohanim (priest) representing the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), which stands for El Shaddai, meaning "Almighty (God)", as well as for Shekinah (the dwelling or settling of the Divine Presence of God) and Shalom. Shalom means peace. Om Shanti.

Vulcan are a race of people that feel no emotions. They live a long life and they never get sick. Live long and prosper is a catchy greeting that Spock says all the time.

In yoga the Namaste Mudra (prayer hands) is often offered when we chant the Sanskrit word Namaste, which translates to "the light in me bows to the light in you." The Vulcan mudra was typically accompanied by the phrase "live long and prosper", a more secular sentiment that nonetheless conveys a similar feeling of compassion and well-wishing.

Mudras stimulate your subtle energy and help you to achieve harmony on both an individual and universal level. Many of their benefits are enhanced by doing them in conjunction with other exercises, such as meditation, visualization, pranayama, mantra chanting and asana practice.

I hope that this article will inspire you to start practising mudras and experience how this ancient practice can help you to live a more peaceful and happy life.

GOOD DEEDS: Cheer someone on.

Sometimes people want to do good deeds but don’t know what to do or think that it costs money and so they don’t but fear not there are ways to do good deeds without spending any money, it only costs kindness.

A good deed is simple. Helping your community in a meaningful way by being proactive in the problems of your society is a good deed.

What do "good deeds" mean?

Without socio-political context? Nothing at all. Some contexts declare that killing gays is a “good deed”.

What are some examples?

Not hurting people.

Helping others without hurting yourself or yours.

Doing what you can within your arms reach to be compassionate and protective.

WITHOUT SELFISH INTENT, minimizing what pain you cause while maximizing what pain you can relieve is the best anyone can hope for.

Sophocles once said, “To be doing good deeds is man’s most glorious task.”

BOOK REVIEW: SAGAS OF HINDU MYTHOLOGY

Purana * says: "There are two states of this Brahma—one with, and one without shape; one perishable, one imperishable; which are inherent in all beings. The imperishable is the supreme being; the perishable is all the world.

God is the Great Being who shines effulgent like the Sun, beyond all darkness. Knowing Him alone one crosses beyond death. There is no other way of going over there.

Shrimad Bhagavatam says: He is Brahman (the Absolute), Paramatman (God), Bhagwan (the Incarnation).

The Hindu epics

The Hindu epics were written to create moral and upright ideals for followers to look up to. These epics were written in Sanskrit and in their essence described the power of Hindu gods in poetic verses. The most popular among these poetic epics are the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Ramayana is a magnificent narration of the story of Rama. It chronicles the life of Rama from his birth in the kingdom of Ayodhya to his decisive victory over the evil nemesis Ravana. The epic speaks volumes on the virtue of true brotherhood, love and the essence of sacrifices one must make to defeat the ultimate evil.

Mahabharata is the longest epic ever written and gives an in-depth insight on the rise of Hinduism between 400 BCE and 200 CE. In fact, its entire narration is seven times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. Apart from its glorious narration of tussle between the Kauravas and Pandavas, it also details the scripts of Bhagwat Gita. It is a recital from origin to end of a great battle that pits brothers against brothers. In time, the Bhagwat Gita went on to become the epitome of Hinduism’s sacred scripture.

                                       The profuse history of ancient Hindu mythology fascinates the Hindu followers and non – followers alike.

SAGAS OF HINDU MYTHOLOGY

Hinduism has gone through various stages, which can be linked to the most important texts surviving from each period. The earliest stage is associated with the Vedas, the oldest Indian documents. One of them, the Rig-Veda, is a collection of 1,028 hymns of praise and prayers to the gods with references to myths. The Vedas are based on ancient Aryan traditions that were long communicated only in oral form.

Hindu mythology includes a huge number of stories. Some have proved to be especially enduring and central to an understanding of Hinduism. Among these are the tales told in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

Hindu belief and mythology color every aspect of life and culture in India. They are the basis of countless works of art, from plays about Rama written in the 700s to modern Indian movies based on mythic stories.

Sagas of Hindu Mythology has brought the ancient tales to modern readers and the richness of a mythology that has expanded and taken on new meanings.

FOR MORE VISIT : https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07GTQY5F7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535269363&sr=8-1&keywords=SAGAS+OF+HINDU+MYTHOLOGY