Tag Archives: meditation

You Too Can Apply The Ultimate Beauty Treatment

Rae Indigo – Welcome

The Ultimate Beauty Treatment that boosts your sparkle from within. Rae Indigo will support you to align diet and a powerful yoga sequence, so you cultivate your radiant inner light, anytime, anywhere. The results…

Fit bodies with excellent muscle tone
Clear eyes
Glowing skin
Thick and beautiful hair
Calm, clear anxiety-free mind
Melts cellulite

Whether you prefer one-on-one private instruction or an immersion into the yoga lifestyle by joining this Teacher Training, Rae will show you how simple it can be to cut back on cosmetics and eliminate cosmetic procedures, such as…

Facelifts
Botox
Liposuction
Diet pills/fad diets
Chemical peels

This holistic and transformative approach purifies and revitalizes you on all levels, amplifying your unique inner attractiveness, bringing grace to your body, mind and soul.

Through their certified 15 day Yoga Teacher Training and private instruction you will become the person that you’ve always dreamed you can be.

– One-on-one first class introductory rate is $150
– 5 class pack $750*
– Regular Drop in rate $225 per *private class (*Note: you can bring a friend, but these teachings are limited to no more than 3 people)
– 15 day YOGA Immersion – Teacher Training – $2950

Contact Rae: raeindigo@gmail.com

: Rae Indigo – Easy Pose

Ultimate Beauty Treatment – Testimonials:

* It’s difficult to put into words how the last few months have changed my life. After trying them all (Pilate’s, Core Fusion, spinning, etc) I walked into a hot yoga class at Brickell Hot Yoga and was amazed at how good I felt after just one session. So, I decided to take my first 200 hour Teacher Training at Brickell Yoga. I dedicated 17 days to study this multi-dimensional discipline, practicing yoga 4-6 hours each day, eating a vegan (plant-based) diet and engaging in daily meditation. It was a complete mind-body transformation. My breathing slowed down, and my once Asthmatic Lungs became clear and strong. My whole body slimmed down and I became more toned and flexible. The final change was my nervous energy subsided and my mind became peaceful and relaxed. I’ve never felt better in my life.

Completion of the 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training took my practice and teaching skills to the next level! Each day was exciting and challenging in the best way. It was the perfect balance of thought provoking, intellectual lectures and yoga asana practice. There are some people who are truly gifted speakers and Rae Indigo is one of them! Her delivery of information in her lectures is captivating, stern, humorous, and filled with analogies.

I have taken countless yoga classes, and Rae Indigo is the most advanced yoga teacher on so many levels. She has knowledge of yoga that is unparalleled. Being born into a family of yogi’s, she grew up with the teachings as second nature. She has an advanced capacity to lead a class and teach the many principles of the Energetic Systems of Yoga inspiring you to go beyond your comfort zone.

I am truly blessed to have learned from Rae thanks to her I have knowledge which I never would have had, humility of my inner strength, and a dedication which continues to surprise me. I have faced fears that I never thought I could overcome. I feel younger, healthier, and full of life; and it’s noticeable too, so many friends have commented on how healthy and happy I look and feel…Marcie Wingate

Marvie Wingate

* Rae Indigo is truly inspirational and motivating in respect to initiating positive lifestyle changes. Her certified Yoga Teacher Training and private instruction have me feeling stronger and more balanced with the completion of each session. Rae has a gift for helping you learn, challenging your body and strengthening your resolve, all the while making you feel peaceful and at ease. I feel very comfortable and completely blessed while under her instruction. Her enthusiasm is contagious and her classes are balanced with a great knowledge of yoga, diet, nutrition and healthy living. Rae has an excellent teaching style and her instruction is always tailored to meet each individual student’s needs.

Their guidance throughout my transition to a plant-based diet has been invaluable, and combined with their recommended yoga sequences, my body and basic appearance has noticeably improved. Friends and family (even a few strangers) ask me all the time what I’m doing to look so healthy, beautiful and alive.

So thanks, Rae for all you are, and all you do for us. Whenever I leave one of your classes I feel as though I have “hit a reset button”, restoring my balance and sense of peace and tranquility, plus my body and mind feels fresh, radiant and rejuvenated…Natalia Paletskaia

Natalia Paletskaia

* I got pregnant pretty quickly after completing the Teacher Training in Malta and this was the best thing that could have happened to me and my still unborn child. The intense physical training developed unknown strength and flexibility in my body. I was in the best shape of my life and that turned out to be an amazing starting point for the creation of life within.

The Rae Indigo healing sequences were absolutely priceless in assisting me throughout the months of immense physical changes and helped to limit the pains that come with carrying an unborn child. Practicing Yoga daily almost eliminated the common “side effects” of pregnancy (nausea, sleeplessness etc) and turned out to be extremely beneficial during the birth. It stays impossible to imagine giving birth without the learned and practiced focus on breath and deepened meditation, which helped me to move beyond and transcend the mind. Last but not least, I am entirely grateful for the awareness Rae shed on food and diet – nothing has ever transformed my life more towards a compassionate and healthy understanding of nutrition.

This Teacher Training helped me throughout the pregnancy and birth in such profound ways that I cannot help but advice every woman to consider absolving it before getting pregnant – regardless if she wants to become and teacher or not. It will strengthen mind, body and soul before and throughout pregnancy – of both mother and child, while at the same time create the mental and physical flexibility to deal with birth and the exhausting but also exciting time after that…Dara Meubrink

Dara Meubrink

Check out Dara’s video…

More videos for you to enjoy…

“It Pays for Itself” – How your Teacher Training pays for itself!

Many of our Teacher Training alumni have recovered their tuition charges with private Yoga lessons.

Our experience is that, based on only two private lessons a week (@ 100 USD per lesson) you’ll be able to recover the full tuition in 15 weeks, less than four months. Some alumni used their credit line and then settled their debt by teaching Yoga (we are exploring additional options to provide even more convenient payment plans in the near future). Of course if you teach more and/or add group classes, it adds up quickly. Booking two private lessons a week is simple; there’s a huge demand for people 40 and older to learn Yoga in a private setting, as they often have health problems (or suffer from embarrassment) that bar them from going to group classes, and yet they really want (and need) yoga to improve their health and overall sense of well-being. They love the convenience of you coming to them; they save the commute time and expense and can actually enjoy a 60 minute private session with all the additional benefits they wouldn’t receive in a group class.

We will also teach you how to market yourself and build your own private clientele base as part of your training in our Business 101 Module. This might help you explain the value to your parents or anyone who may be concerned about your financial investments. This Teacher Training provides you with a skill set that is in high demand and allows you to set your own hours, work and travel arrangements, and be part of a rapidly growing worldwide community. Teaching Yoga totally rocks – you transform people’s lives while enriching your own.

The Meaning of Hand Mudras

Leave a reply

The Sanskrit word “Mudra” is generally translated as a seal, mark, or gesture. According to custom, Mudras are typically used during meditation and/or pranayama as a way to direct or channel energy flow throughout the body. According to yoga philosophy, different areas of the hand stimulate specific areas of the brain. By applying light pressure to these areas of the hand, you will “activate” the corresponding region of the brain, similar to reflexology.

Mudras also symbolize various feelings, emotions, and are representative of various states of being. Hand positions play an important role in many societies and religions. The Catholic church uses many hand movements during mass; all of which symbolize various important Christian ideas. Even in modern Western culture we have many hand movements and symbols that are associated with a certain meaning: clapping, palm out meaning stop, holding the hands up signify surrender, even the crude gesture of “flipping the bird”.

Since the entire universe is made up of 5 elements; fire, air, space, earth and water and the human body is also composed of these same 5 elements, the fingers of the hand have been used traditionally to represent these 5 elements individually

The thumb represents fire, the 1st finger represents air, the middle finger represents space, the ring finger represents earth and the little finger represents water. When these 5 elements are balanced and in harmony with one another in our bodies we are healthy. Imbalance and disharmony of these 5 elements leads to disease. The balanced elements prompt all the body’s systems to function optimally.

Historically, Mudras are an ancient part of both the Buddhist and the Hindu traditions, and even though they were developed thousands of years ago their meaning is still understood and relevant today. In traditional Tantric ritual 108 Mudras are used. Mudrās can involve arm, hand and body positions but this article will address only “Hast Mudras” (yoga parlance for hand postures).

The four most common Mudras involve the thumb touching each of the other four fingers and a brief description follows…

Gyan Mudra

Gyan Mudra: Probably the most recognized hand Mudra used by Hindus and Buddhists.

Description: The index finger and thumb are lightly touching at the tips. The other three fingers are held out gently (relaxed, not ridged). In many portrayals of the Buddha, you will notice the hands assume this Mudra.

Meaning: This powerful Mudra is also known as the “seal of knowledge.” The thumb represents fire and divine nature and the index finger represents air and individual human consciousness. When the two fingers are placed together in Gyan Mudra, it is meant to symbolize and encourage wisdom and expanded consciousness.

Benefits: When used during meditation or pranayama, Gyan Mudra is extremely calming and can help inspire creativity, and increase concentration. It stimulates the brain, empowering the mind, nervous system and pituitary gland. It also stimulates the endocrine system.

Shuni Mudra

Shuni Mudra: “Shuni” means “Saturn.” In astrology, Saturn is the planet that makes you disciplined.

Description: The middle finger and thumb are lightly touching at the tips. The remaining three fingers are held out gently (relaxed, not ridged).

Meaning: This hand Mudra is also known as the “seal of patience.” The middle finger represents Aakash and courage to hold duty and responsibility. The thumb represents fire and divine nature. When the two fingers are placed together in Shuni Mudra, it is meant to symbolize and encourage patience, discernment, focus and discipline.

Benefits: When used during meditation or pranayama, Shuni Mudra helps to encourage patience and the courage to fulfill one’s responsibilities. It also helps to develop noble thoughts and turn negative emotions into positive ones. This Mudra also gives you the sensation of stability and strength. To breathe while holding this Mudra cultivate perseverance.

Surya Mudra

Surya Ravi Mudra (aka, Prithvi Mudra): “Surya” means “Sun,” and it increases the element of fire in the body.

Description: The ring finger and thumb are lightly touching at the tips. The remaining three fingers are held out gently (relaxed, not ridged).

Meaning: This hand Mudra is also known as the “seal of life” or “seal of the sun.” The ring finger represents earth, energy, strength and endurance. The thumb represents fire and divine nature. When the two fingers are placed together in Surya Ravi Mudra, it is meant to symbolize and encourage energy, balance, health, and vitality.

Benefits: When used during meditation or pranayama, Surya Ravi Mudra can give you energy, positivity, intuition, and help encourage positive change in your life. It helps to build and invigorate the bodily tissues. It is also known for speeding up the metabolism, resonating with the third chakra to stimulate digestion. To breathe while holding this Mudra energizes the whole body.

Buddhi Mudra

Buddhi Mudra (aka, Varun Mudra): “Buddhi” means “higher mind” or “intellect” (it follows the same etymology as the word “Buddha”).

Description: The little (pinky) finger and thumb are lightly touching at the tips. The remaining three fingers are held out gently (relaxed, not ridged).

Meaning: This hand Mudra is also known as the “seal of mental clarity.” The little finger represents water and communication. The thumb represents fire and divine nature. When the two fingers are placed together in Buddhi Mudra, it is meant to symbolize and encourage openness and fluid communication.

Benefits: When used during meditation or pranayama, Buddhi Mudra can encourage clear and effective communication. It helps balance the water element in the body, activating the salivary glands and moistening dry eyes and skin. This Mudra also helps with gaining higher understanding and discerning intuitive messages to gain knowledge.

Sequence of these four Mudras for balancing energy….

Alternately touch the tips of each finger with the tip of your thumb. Keep each connected for a few seconds or longer and do for a few minutes total. Do this with both hands simultaneously.

This is a simplified version of a Kundalini yoga exercise and a way of balancing your energy that you can do practically anywhere and at anytime; while sitting, standing, walking, and/or lying down.

The overall effect is that you get more calm, more relaxed and concentration is enhanced.

In a nutshell, each of these four individual or separate Mudras has the following effects:

1. Thumb touches tip of index finger: Opens the Root chakra, and moves more energy to the legs and lower body. Calms the mind for better concentration.
2. Thumb touches tip of middle finger: Fosters patience.
3. Thumb touches tip of ring finger: Energy, stability and self-confidence.
4. Thumb touches tip of pinky finger: Intuition and feeling.

Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras says that while in asana one should focus on Ishvara (Lord or God). Mudra takes that statement one step further and allows you to open your hands to the varying aspects of the divine.

Additionally: Mudras are used therapeutically and you can click on the following link to find Mudras that can be helpful for specific physical ailments and emotional symptoms… Therapeutic Mudra Index

The Importance of Balance in Yoga

Leave a reply

Many beginning student/practitioners of yoga find it hard to maintain balance while practicing. Yoga asana is especially good for challenging our balance because we must hold poses still while supporting our own body weight. This forces us to use all the body’s available balancing mechanisms to stay upright and steady.

The technical name for our sense of balance is called “Equilibrioception” and it involves five components or processes, making it more complicated than most people imagine. We all seem to take it for granted. Consider the following summary of the numerous body functions and mechanisms that must work in harmony for us to keep our balance:

1. Your Inner Ear – The inner ear is part of your body’s and is also known as the vestibular system. Movement of fluid in the inner ear tells the brain where the head is located in relation to the rest of the body. It also communicates the speed of movement related to the head – e.g.; when our head is moving up and down or left to right.
2. Your Eyesight – The body uses vision as an anchor for determining where you are in relation to the rest of the world. Through our eyes’ visual recognition we are able to sense where we are in relation to other objects, plus whether or not we are moving, and if so, how fast.
3. Your Central Nervous System (CNS) – The Central Nervous System consists of the spinal cord and the brain. It connects all areas of the body to the brain via a system of nerves. The central nervous system is responsible for almost everything we do; from something as simple as breathing to something complex, like solving a math problem. This system can be thought of as the “command center” of the body because all movement and systems are regulated via the CNS. The CNS is then connected to the rest of the body including muscles, organs and glands. In order for balance to be maintained, a healthy and functioning CNS is imperative.
4. Your Breath & Breathing – In order for the body to stay balanced it must “centered” and have attained to certain level of relaxation. Deep breathing and relaxed diaphragm muscles will help the body relax, become more centered and that helps maintain balance.
5. Your Muscles – In order to establish and maintain balance your muscles must be strong enough to support our body weight. It is also important that the body does not favor or use one set of muscles over another set. For example, if the lower back muscles are stronger than the abdominal muscles, one may have a tendency to lean back more than necessary while standing. This can negatively affect both posture and balance.

4 Helpful Tips for Improving Balance While Practicing Yoga…

1. Remain in Conscious Control of Your Breathing – As I mentioned above, one of the easiest, quickest ways to lose your balance is by tensing up your body and taking short, shallow breaths. While holding a pose be sure to keep the breathing long, light and steady plus keep the body relaxed, especially the diaphragm region.
2. Focus Your Eyes On a Point – Before attempting to assume a balancing asana, find a stationary spot in the room to fix your eyes to. For example, a poster on a wall, a knob on a door or a cup on the floor. Whatever it is, fix your eyes there and steady yourself first before entering fully into the pose. As you slowly raise your body into the pose, keep staring at that same point. This orients your body giving it a visual anchor, which greatly improves balance while practicing.
3. Concentrate on the Area Demanding the Most Strength – Whenever anyone comes into a pose requiring balance, there will likely be one specific area of the body’s musculature that is most taxed in order to maintain an upright stance. Using the tree pose for example, the area most taxed will be the ankle and leg of the standing foot. While remaining in this pose, focus your attention to the ankle and leg. Feel each tiny muscle, nerve and reflex working constantly to keep you upright and balanced. Feel all the minute adjustments that must be made every millisecond you remain in thi pose. Keep your mind focused on this area but relax (see #4)…
4. Don’t Try To Hard – This may sound counter-productive, especially if you are focusing your attention to the area most taxed. Nonetheless, the fastest way to topple or fall is by trying too hard to stay upright. The key here is to relax and to trust your body. Your practice will show you what you need to do to stay balanced in the pose. Trust in the process.

3 Easy Yoga Poses to Help With Improving Balance…

Tree Pose

1. Tree Pose (Vrksasana) – If you are not able to bring your leg all the way up, try resting the bottom of the foot against the inside of the standing leg. You can either place the foot by the shin, or up higher where the leg meets the body. Do not place the foot on the side of the knee.

Side Plank
2. Modified Side Plank (Vasisthasana) – If this pose needs to be modified, you can bring the bottom knee down to rest the leg on the floor. Bend the knee of the bottom leg and bring the foot behind the body at a 90 degree angle.
3. Eagle Pose (Garudasana) – To modify, do not wrap the lifted foot around the standing leg. If the shoulder stretch is too deep, you may cross the wrists over each other and place the hands in such a way that the back of the hands touch each other.

A strong sense of balance promotes stillness in yoga poses, as well as stillness in your mind. As your balance improves you’ll also notice the strengthening of your your muscles and improved flexibility and overall muscular control, as well as a greater body awareness. Once the mat’s rolled up and you leave your studio you’ll notice increased balance and improved posture, making simple tasks (like walking in heels). Practice these balancing poses and you’ll feel more balanced physically as well as mentally.

The Anti-Aging Benefits of Yoga

Leave a reply

Anyone who has been practicing yoga for a time will agree; there’s a strong connection between your body and your mind. So, whenever your mind is under stress, your body reflects it in numerous ways; poor posture, low back pain and tense muscles, are just a few examples. It should then be no surprise, that people who are under a undue amounts of stress seem to age faster than those who have learned to manage it properly. Stress, along with gravity, of course, is what makes us age.

There are some basic attributes that characterize someone who’s vibrant and healthy; someone who appears to:

■ Supple, radiant skin.
■ Strong, lustrous, shiny healthy hair.
■ Well defined muscles.
■ Good posture and bone structure.
■ Boundless energy.
■ A light but firm and confident gait.
■ A balanced attitude toward self, life and others
■ A calm and peaceful demeanor

Believe it or not, you too can feel this way, and it has nothing to do with how old you are. Although not exactly magic or Ponce de Leon’s famed fountain of youth, yoga is a great age-defying stress reducer. If you practice yoga on a regular basis, you just may start to notice some awesome and welcome benefits. To begin your own personal anti-aging campaign, try practicing the following a few times per week:

*Keep Your Spine Flexible

Think of your spine like the foundational frame of a house that holds everything together. If that frame becomes dysfunctional, all sorts of problems will begin to manifest themselves. A healthy spine assures your body maintains its structure, supports your head, your arms and legs, and provides a shock absorption system for all of your activities. In addition, it houses your central nervous system (spinal cord), the superhighway that connects your brain to the rest of your body. Considering all of the work it does, it’s no wonder your spine often gets tired on a daily basis. Even those who seem to have the best posture may find themselves slouching a bit at the end of a particularly stressful day. Become familiar with basic spinal anatomy, structure and function and that will help empower you to take control of your health. Give your spine some loving attention with asanas (yoga poses) that elongate, strengthen and stretch your spine and counteract any bad postural habits too. Alternating cat and cow pose is a great start. A spine that’s flexible will promote good balance and strength which will affect your overall health in a positive way, putting that youthful bounce back in your step.

*Relax and Release Your Muscle Tension

Common bodily aches and pains are often the result of tight or stressed muscles. Ranging from headaches to back problems and incorrect alignment, tight muscles can slowly leave you slouched or hunched over and limit your ability to perform activities that you love or need to do. Given enough time, range of motion will diminish and many of the daily activities you once performed with ease can become quite challenging. The three poses of Yoga for complete relaxation are Dradhasana (firm pose), Shavasana (corpse pose) and Adhvasana (relaxation pose).

Self-massage is another method you can use to improve circulation and warm up your muscles, this may encouraging them to release toxins that that may be at the root of your aches and pains. A general rule of thumb is to use light circular motion over joints and areas of pain and sweep with long strokes over areas such as the front of the thigh and arms always massaging towards the heart. Self-massage is especially useful to help you relax during the day, either at work or at home; even if you can only afford to spend a couple of minutes massaging your neck and shoulders. Your morning shower is a great time for self-massage because your skin and senses come alive in the steam of the warm water and self-massage relaxes your muscles, getting you ready to tackle the stresses of the day ahead.

*Breathe in Life’s Energy (Prana)

Breathing correctly oxygenates your body through your bloodstream, nourishing every single cell in your body. Breathing also functions as a purifier to help you cleanse your body of toxins acquired throughout the day. The breath (as prana) is life. Pranayama is both the extension and the control of breath, and indeed the most subtle energy of the body. Although there are many different schools and techniques for learning pranayama, the most basic approach is simple awareness of the breath. You will find that lying or sitting in a comfortable position and just watching your breath for a set period of time will reap powerful benefits. You’ll become more focused and relaxed. You can simply notice your breath dispassionately and without judgment or you can focus your breath on a particular area of your body and with each inhale you send the breath to that spot, extending love and compassion to that area that’s been “aching” for attention. With each exhale, you release, allowing the tension and pain to leave your body with each breath. Pranayama is a gift you give to yourself and it too keeps on giving.

*Meditate, Meditate And Meditate!

The Anti-Aging Benefits of Yoga If you’re looking for inner calm and a peaceful, more positive outlook on life, take a minute (or two – or ten) to bring your body, mind and senses into balance. Once you achieve this balance through meditation, your nervous system will find its sense of equilibrium and calm down, you’ll be less anxious and more open to gaining some powerful insights into your true nature (which is ageless). There are plenty of ways to meditate, so don’t be afraid to try, just find what works best for you and stick with it for a while. The process itself will show you the way. If you’re a beginner, just focus on your breath with no critique or judgment, and notice how it flows in and out of your lungs. If your mind begins to wander away from your breath, gently bring it back, remembering that the breath is the beginning and end of all life.

Conclusion: Yoga is rapidly catching on as one of the most efficient and effective forms of exercise for older people. Even when it’s compared to other Eastern forms of exercise, yoga is still regarded as the best by many who have practiced a variety of disciplines. Since antiquity many yogis have lived well into their nineties with full retention of all their functions and faculties and have even managed to astound the world over with their physical prowess, even at such an advanced age.

The Anti-Aging Benefits of Yoga

Yoga – as a Solution for Sleep Disorders

Leave a reply

According to the National Sleep Foundation 65% of all Americans suffer from a lack of sleep or have trouble getting sufficient sleep on a daily basis. Additionally, more than 40% of adults experience daytime sleepiness that is severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month, and more than 20 percent report problematic sleepiness a few days a week or more.

Sleep is a basic and vital biological function. It is essential for a person to maintain their physical and emotional well being. Scientific studies have shown that with a lack of sleep, a person’s ability to perform even the simplest tasks declines dramatically.

It is common for the sleep-deprived individual to experience impaired performance, irritability, lack of concentration, and daytime drowsiness. They are less alert, attentive, and find it difficult to concentrate effectively. Also, since sleep has been linked to restorative processes in the immune system, sleep deprivation in a normal adult causes a biological response similar to the body fighting off an infection.

When sleep deprivation becomes regular or persistent it can cause significant mood swings, erratic behavior, hallucinations, and in the most extreme (although rare) cases, death. Research in this area is continuing as scientists examine the negative effects of sleep deprivation on the immune system.

The amount of sleep a person generally needs depends on a variety of factors, including age. For example:

*Infants require about 16 hours a day.
*Teenagers need about 9 hours on average.
*Most adults need 7 to 8 hours a night for the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or up to as many as 10 hours of sleep each day.
*Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy typically need several more hours of sleep than usual.

The most common treatment plans for sleep disorders include drugs, with a variety of prescription and non-prescription sleeping aids available. Going to a sleep clinic and/or engaging in behavioral therapy has also been proven to help. But there are other, more natural options and yoga practice includes a number of them, such as…

*Remembering or reconnecting with the natural, outside world. “Smriti” is the practice of mindfulness of inner processes (witnessing) and is especially helpful when done outside during the day. Not just outside surrounded by concrete and steel, but somewhere where “green” predominates; where you’ll find lawn, trees, flowers, bushes, shrubs etc. Mindfully stand in that space and breathe it in. Study after study has shown that immersion in nature soothes us. Additionally, just getting outside, and noticing the earth, helps to remind us that our ego/self is a tiny part of this great big universe. Reconnect with this feeling at bedtime.
*Power yoga, hot yoga, Kundalini yoga, even a strong, dynamic Hatha yoga class will burn the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. The general consensus is that these hormones actually remain in our system long after a stressful experience has passed, or they may even be released every time our minds re-live past stresses. But everyone agrees that exercise (especially yoga) and meditation helps relieve them.
*Noticing your restless mind. Yogic philosophy (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) encourages us to use our mind as a tool, rather than consider it our master. We start by viewing our thoughts, no matter what they are, as just thoughts passing by; similar to clouds in the sky. Sometimes seeing our thoughts in this manner, no matter how urgent our incessantly active mind wants us to believe they are, helps us find distance between our inherent, peace-full, joy-full selves, and our constantly chattering mind. Try using the simple mantra: “I Notice my thoughts” while inhaling, and “I’m Letting them go” during exhalation.
*Melting into your own asana. Try taking a 15-minute Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose) within an hour before going to bed. You can cover yourself with a blanket, put something comfortable over your eyes, and simply let allow yourself to be. Get out of the way of your breath and simply watch it; after a short time your breathing will naturally become deeper, slower and calmer.
*Pranayama can help; Bhramari (Bee Breath) is a very effective Pranayama for use as a sleep aid. Performing this breathing exercise helps to induce a calming effect on the mind almost immediately. But there are other Pranayams that work well, too; Nadi Shodhana helps to balance our prana, bringing it evenly into both nadis (energy channels) spiraling on either side of our Sushumna channel (spine), and bringing our system into a state of equilibrium. Try it for 10 minutes, seated comfortably before retiring for the night.

The above tips are known to significantly improve sleep efficiency, speed up sleep onset, increase total sleep time, and prolong wake time after sleep onset.

Happy sleeping and…

Ayurveda & the Three Doshas

Leave a reply

Ayurveda is a holistic science of health, focusing on maintaining a physically and emotionally balanced state. Ayurveda began about 5,000 to 6,000 years ago when Indian sages were looking for new ways to be healthy. Revering their bodies like temples, the sages believed that preserving an optimal state of health would help them meditate and develop spiritually. Over thousands of years of observations, they gathered all their conclusions and advice and preserved it for future generations. Since the term itself, Ayurveda, is a combination of the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (knowledge or science), which means “the science or knowledge of life,” this collection of knowledge came to be known as “the science or knowledge of life” – Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is based on the principles of three Doshas. It is difficult to translate the precise meaning of Dosha and it is commonly translated as “biological type”, “humor” or physical constitution. This definition presents a simplistic understanding of the concept. However, the original Sanskrit definition of Dosha is more complex, being defined as “doosyati iti doshah.” The literal translation of this is “that which contaminates is called Dosha.” So in this sense, Doshas may be considered pathogenic factors, or disease causing agents in the body. Imbalance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha Doshas cause diseases in the body.

So Doshas are the energies (or types of energy) that make up every individual and each Dosha performs different physiological functions in the body:

The 3 Dosha types:

1. Vata Dosha: The energy that controls all the bodily functions associated with motion, including blood circulation, breathing and your heartbeat, even blinking your eyes…

– In balance: Results in creativity and vitality.
– Out of balance: May produce fear and anxiety.
– A dominant Vata is thought to make you susceptible to certain conditions, heart disease, insomnia, and rheumatoid arthritis.

2. Pitta Dosha: The energy that controls all the body’s metabolic systems, including digestion, absorption, nutrition, and bodily temperature…

– In balance: Leads to contentment and intelligence.
– Out of balance: May cause anger resulting in ulcers.
– A dominant, Pitta can lead to rashes, heartburn, excessive body heat and indigestion

3. Kapha Dosha: The energy that controls growth in the body. It supplies water to all body parts, moisturizes the skin, and maintains the immune system.

– In balance: Expressed as love and forgiveness.
– Out of balance: May lead to insecurity and envy.
– A dominant Kapha may predispose you to diabetes, cancer, obesity and asthma.

Because one or two of these Doshas usually dominate in each person, the various Dosha proportions determine one’s physiological and personality traits, as well as their general likes and dislikes.

The ancient seers also declared each Dosha represented different elements and attributes…

Elements of the Three Doshas
Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Air + Ether	Fire + Water	Earth + Water
Attributes of the Three Doshas
Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Dry Light Cold Rough Subtle Mobile Clear	Oily Sharp (penetrating) Hot Light Mobile Liquid	Heavy Slow Cold Oily Slimy (smooth) Dense Soft Static (stable) Cloudy (sticky)
Dispersing (attribute, not a guna)	Fleshy (attribute, not a guna)	Hard, Gross (guna but not a classical attribute)
Astringent, Bitter (taste)	Sour, Pungent (tastes)	Sweet, Salty (tastes)

We are most susceptible to imbalances related to our predominant Dosha, and you are probably wondering which Dosha (or Doshas) dominate you. There are many books and websites online that will offer questionnaires that can be used to determine predominate Dosha. A comprehensive one can be found by clicking on: Dosha Diagnostic Test

Summary: Ayurveda offers specifically personalized recommendations for every individual which range from general lifestyle changes to the treatment of disease. For this reason, Ayurveda can truly be called a system of individualized health care, something remarkably different from the Western approach of “one-pill for all.” Since the Doshas are used to detect imbalances before the manifestation of disease, Ayurveda is also considered a complete system of preventative medicine.

The Five Principles of Yoga…

Leave a reply

The following are the five main general principles of all traditional yoga. As a holistic system, Ayurveda states that each aspect should be done in an individualized manner and according to the season and your current individual constitution (and/or imbalance) to avoid any aggravation of the “Doshas” (bodily humors that make up one’s constitution) and promote or restore health. Ayurveda and Yoga complement each other for an overall balanced and healthy lifestyle.

These Five Principles of Yoga are the basis of attaining a healthy body and mind through the Practice of Yoga.

The Five Principles:

Principle 1: Proper Relaxation

By releasing the tension in the muscles and putting the whole body at rest, you revitalize your Nervous System and achieve inner peace, making you feel relaxed and refreshed. This relaxed feeling is carried over into all your activities and helps you conserve your energy and let go of all worries and fears. Proper relaxation leaves you refreshed like after a good night’s sleep.

Principle 2: Proper Exercise

This principle revolves around the idea that our physical body is meant to move and exercise. Proper Exercise is achieved through the Yoga Postures or Asana which systematically works on all parts of the body – stretches and tones the Muscles and Ligaments, enhances the flexibility of the spine and the joints, and improves Blood Circulation. The asanas are designed to regulate the physical and physiological functions of the body. Practicing these Yoga Poses makes your body relaxed, gives you more strength and energy, and rejuvenates the various systems of the body. The Yoga Posture goes together with Proper Breathing. Each movement and stretch should be guided by your breath, making your movement and your breath coordinated; feeling like one and the same. The execution of the Asana is beneficial to the body, and at the same time contributes to spiritual and mental growth.

Principle 3: Proper Breathing

This means breathing fully and rhythmically, making use of all the parts of your lungs to increase your oxygen intake. Proper Breathing should be deep, slow and rhythmical. To achieve this, you need to be able to regulate the length and duration of your inhalation, exhalation, and the retention of air in your lungs or the pauses between breath. Yoga Breathing Exercises or Pranayama teaches you on how you can recharge your body and control your mental state by regulating the flow of Prana – the life force. This helps you achieve a calmer and more focused mind, and increases your energy level.

Principle 4: Proper Diet

What you eat extremely affects your mind. Improper diet results to mental inefficiency and blocks spiritual awareness. Proper Diet is one that nourishes both mind and body. It should be well balanced and based on natural foods. Proper Diet in Yoga also means eating in moderation and eating only when you are hungry. We sometimes tend to eat when we are upset, using food to fill the gap or the emptiness that we feel. Bad eating habits will cause our senses to be dull that we won’t even notice how much we eat or how it tastes and may result to diet related ailments like Obesity and Diabetes. Food should sustain our body. It should keep the body light and supple, the mind calm, and it should also help in keeping a strong immune system.

Principle 5: Positive Thinking and Meditation

The way we think highly affects our way of life. Practice keeping a positive outlook in life, this will facilitate in having a peaceful mind. Positive thinking and Meditation helps you remove negative thoughts and place your mind under perfect control.

* The first 4 yoga principles mentioned above will strongly support your meditation practice (the 5^th principle) by providing you with the necessary tools to attain (and maintain) a healthy body and mind, calmness and peace, as well as discipline and inner strength.

The Five Koshas (Part 5 – Anandamaya Kosha: bliss sheath)

Leave a reply

Anandamaya Kosha is the fifth and final of the five Koshas (sheaths) and is comprised of a Sanskrit term “Ananda” (bliss – pure joy), Maya, which means “composed of” and Kosha meaning sheath. So, Anandamaya Kosha is the sheath that is composed of bliss.

Anandamaya Kosha is the innermost of the Koshas, the first of the Koshas surrounding the Atman, the eternal center of consciousness. It is also the most subtle body and without its existence life is impossible. It interacts with the other Koshas like the sun affecting our planet. This blissfull body beyond words is generally perceived in flashes of short duration as an undescribable experience where duality ends and “I AM” expresses its unity with the Divine.

This bliss however, is not the emotional bliss that’s experienced at the level of the sheath of mind (Manomaya Kosha). Ananda is a whole different order of reality from that of the mind, for it’s the peace, joy, and love that is underneath (or beyond) the mind, independent of any reason or external stimulus that may cause a happy mental reaction. It is simply “being”; resting in the eternal bliss called ananda.

Yet, even this bliss, however wonderful it seems, must still be recognized as a covering (a sheath); like a lampshade which covers the pure light of consciousness. In the silence of deep meditation, this too needs to be let go of, in order to move beyond the dualistic mind.

When we can transcend the other four sheaths described previously (see links below), we can begin to experience this sense of pure joy which does not need any sensory input or dependance on any of our past experiences or impressions. Anandamaya Kosha is the closest to our true “Self” which is ever pure and ever-unchanging. We can abide in this bliss only as a result of “samadhi”, the last of the eight limbs of Patanjali’s yoga philosophy. Of course, to get there one has to practice the other seven limbs on a regular basis.

To review the other four Koshas, click on the following…

*Through discrimination and inquiry, may you all abandon your identification with all five of these illusory sheaths which has been established by Avidya (ignorance)!

NAMASTE

The Five Koshas (Part 4 – Vijnanamaya Kosha: wisdom sheath)

Leave a reply

Vijnanamaya Kosha is the fourth of the five Koshas (sheaths) and is a Sanskrit terms “jna” (to know), “vi” (apart), together they imply discernment. Maya means composed of, Kosha means sheath. So, Vijnanamaya Kosha is the sheath that is composed of the discerning intellect.

The Vijnanamaya Kosha is also known as the sheath of intuitive knowledge/wisdom. Our intellect gives us the discriminative capability that helps to differentiate between good and evil, between right and wrong etc. The intellect can be looked upon as having two components:

One that is controlled by our ego and driven by our past memories and impressions (samskaras).
And the other which is controlled by our pure intuition.

The “ego-driven” intellect most often leads to actions which result in pain and suffering, while actions prompted by pure intuition and discriminative knowledge will give us satisfaction, peace and happiness.

When one practices meditation, their mind becomes purified and their intellect can then begin to depend more and more on this pure intuitive wisdom rather than being so influenced by the ego.

This is the sheath of wisdom that lies underneath the processing, thinking aspect of mind, or the sheath of mental activities (Manomaya Kosha). It knows, decides, judges, and discriminates between this and that, between all that is useful and not useful. A major part of Sadhana (spiritual practice) is gaining ever increasing access to this level of our being. It is the level that prompts our “higher wisdom” to seek Truth, to inquire within, in search of the true Self or eternal center of consciousness.

Vijnanamaya Kosha, as the conscious body, lies deeper than the previously described Koshas and it also remains interactive and dependant on them. This sheath is responsible for inner growth, for ethics and morals. It allows us to reach beyond mundane existence into wisdom and subtle knowledge as it actively seeks to move from the exoteric to the esoteric; from the world observed by the eyes to the inner space behind the eyes.

Independent of any specific religion, the studies of holy texts like the Bible, the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita and other texts from the great sages of antiquity, will lead us to the same realization because all religions are based on this same truth. In this sheath we recognize and return to the “real” life, the life that both preserved and outlasts the body.

By meditating on, and exploring the Vijnanamaya Kosha, and then going inward, to and through the remaining and final Kosha (Anandamaya Kosha), thus arriving at the “Self” (Atman).

Stay tuned, next we’ll explore the innermost and final sheath: The Five Koshas (Part 5 – Anandamaya Kosha: bliss sheath)

The Five Koshas (Part 3 – Manomaya Kosha: mind sheath)

Leave a reply

Manomaya Kosha is the third of the five Koshas (sheaths) and is a Sanskrit term meaning “the sheath of the mind”. Mano or Manas, in Sanskrit, means “mind”, Maya means composed of, Kosha means sheath. So, Manomaya Kosha is the sheath that is composed of the mind (or “mind-stuff”).

This “sheath of mental activities” is the receiver of all sense impressions and from these impressions it forms its own ideas, thereby giving rise to the idea of “I” and “mine”, in turn creating avidya (ignorance, delusion). The organs connected with sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, together with the mind, constitutes this Kosha. It enables the individual to identify various objects and perceptions and distinguish one from another. It is subtler than the second Kosha (Pranamaya – the sheath through which vital air, or Prana, circulates throughout the body) and permeates it, so it could be considered the inner self of the Pranamaya Kosha. Swami Sivananda likens it to “the bladder of a football”, in regard to the Pranamaya Kosha.

Manomaya Kosha (the “inner organ”) is also interactive with and dependant of the former two Koshas (Pranamaya & Annamaya). It governs all the faculties of perception and instinctual consciousness. It is the mind which can construct and destroy our apparent reality. It is our sub-consciousness that is formed by both negative and positive experiences and where our self has developed its behavior. Within this sheath actions happen automatically and it can dominate the other two outer shells. Vivekananda says of this Kosha: “Actions are mighty, thoughts are almighty”. To activate this Kosha the former two bodies (Pranayama & Annamaya) should be put at “rest” through a deep relaxation technique (i.e. Yoga Nidra). With this practice, the deep sheath of our mind can be penetrated and our negative types of programming can be replaced with positive and constructive ones, but to succeed, this process needs perseverance.

Manomaya Kosha receives all sense impressions and from these impressions it forms its own ideas, thereby giving rise to the idea of ’I’ and ’Mine’, in turn creating avidya (ignorance, delusion). The organs connected with sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, together with the mind, constitutes this Kosha. It enables the individual to identify various objects and perceptions and distinguish one from another. Thoughts, emotions, feelings, memories are all a part of this Kosha, and since every thought has a great inherent power; it affects our physiology, moods, physical body, responses, work efficiency, relationships, wisdom and especially our breathing. The epidemic of stress in these modern days is basically a problem at the level of mind, where a sense of apprehensiveness prompting negative emotions is commonly allowed to build up without any opportunity for release, unless certain measures are taken.

When this sheath receives clear instructions from the deeper levels, it functions naturally and very well. However, whenever it is clouded over by its own self-constructed illusions, the deeper wisdom is obscured.

After taking care of the food (physical) body and training the energy (vital) body by regulating the flow of prana, the next important part to be trained (in a positive manner) is this level of mind. Through proper meditation, we may become aware of Manamaya Kosha, exploring it, and then going inward, to and through the remaining two Koshas.

As with the former two Koshas, the Manomaya Kosha is also transitory.

Stay tuned, coming up next will be: The Five Koshas (Part 4 – Vijnanamaya Kosha: wisdom sheath)

Tag Archives: meditation

You Too Can Apply The Ultimate Beauty Treatment

The Meaning of Hand Mudras

The Importance of Balance in Yoga

The Anti-Aging Benefits of Yoga

Yoga – as a Solution for Sleep Disorders

Ayurveda & the Three Doshas

The Five Principles of Yoga…

The Five Koshas (Part 5 – Anandamaya Kosha: bliss sheath)

The Five Koshas (Part 4 – Vijnanamaya Kosha: wisdom sheath)

The Five Koshas (Part 3 – Manomaya Kosha: mind sheath)

Recent Posts

Recent Comments