Do you ever wonder why we wake up some days and seem to breeze through the entire day without sensing any stress, frustration or anxiety, when on another day stress and anxiety seem to be inescapable? Is it something we ate or drank? Is it possible we’re the victims of random events that launch us into states of unhappiness and stress without our consent? Do we even have a choice in the matter?
Seekers from all walks of life, including the ancient yogis, have been asking this question for time immemorial. Why do some events seem to disturb us while others do not? Why is it that the same event on one day seems to pass without a second thought, while on another day it seems to represent the very source of our suffering? Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, what can I do about this, if anything at all?
From where does stress actually arise?
It is common for most of us to perceive stress and anxiety as coming from a source outside ourselves. At one time or another we’ve all been stuck in traffic, barely creeping along on the highway, and all we can think about is how the traffic is driving us a little crazy. This is a prime example of an outside source we can use to blame for our internal state.
We all tend to have a set criteria for what we assume will make us happy. For one person it may be losing weight, for another it may be finding the ideal partner, for yet another it’s gaining the approval of our peers, or having lots of money, the list is endless. But there is always a hidden or underlying theme to our criteria for happiness that is quite often the root of the very suffering we are trying our best to avoid. Inherent in the desire to be rich is the fear of being poor and implicit in the desire to have a partner is the dread of being alone. In our desire to be thin, it’s implied that if we’re overweight, it’s not okay to be happy.
When we become attached to the idea that life needs to be arranged in a certain way in order for us to be truly happy, we have already sown the seeds of our potential unhappiness. You get the idea…
We are all programmed by our past experiences, our culture, our families, our teachers etc., all of which determine the unconscious (or subconscious) “rules” by which we decide whether we can allow ourselves to be happy and stress-free (or not). If these “rules” are fulfilled, then, and only then de we feel we are within the parameters of being allowed to feel happy, and so it appears that we are. But if these “rules for happiness,” which each one of us has set for ourselves, are not met, we prevent the possibility of allowing ourselves to be happy.
So, in reality it is each of us, not life itself that determines our level of happiness. It’s how our life circumstances “measure up to our criteria” that actually determines our level of happiness. Essentially, each of us decides whether we can be happy or not by the conditions we set for that happiness. It’s not life’s circumstances, or any particular person or event that determines our level of happiness; each of us must decide this for ourselves.
This doesn’t mean that we are forbidden to have preferences. The problem is when we are trapped by becoming so attached to our preferences that we can’t let go of them and allow life to present itself as it will. It’s important to realize that life has no allegiance to our established criteria or to any of us as individuals. It shows up just like it is meant to do, like the rain, and then the sun breaks through the clouds. The events that constitute life have moved by their own ways and means long before we were born and will continue long after we’re gone.
Ironically, the things that happen are not personal, but we take them personally. After all, we are the ones who decided that reality should be different than it is.
The Way of Yoga
The way that yoga suggests comes down to being free from the need for anything to show up differently than it does in order to for us to be happy. Whenever anything we do has a prior condition of “in order to,” we are attempting to “manage” reality. Yoga philosophy dictates that we sincerely devote our lives to letting go of any conditions we have about how life needs to unfold. We practice relaxing, releasing into the moment no matter what is taking place. When confronted with situations where we would normally react, we begin to catch ourselves and say, “Can I relax with this?” “And how about this?” We don’t have to be perfect, we can treat it like a game we play with ourselves and watch what happens; by and by we’ll notice that just by putting our attention on this intention we’ll be able to relax with more and more things happening in our life.
The physical practice of yoga asana is useful here in two ways. First, the practice is intended to put demands on our body and mind in a scientific way so that we can more easily observe our habitual tendency to try to manage life or reality
Sooner or later everyone asks the question “what is the ego?”, and the general definition is usually something like this: “the ‘I’ or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.”
But yoga goes a little further and sees it as reflected consciousness; a part of the soul’s pure consciousness that reflects in the mind and functions as the subjective knower, establishing the dichotomy of the observer and the observed, the experience and the experiencer. Therefore the ego is a fictitious character established by the mind, and the mind is simply a subtle form of energy (it has no consciousness of its own). The mind however, acts “as if” it’s a conscious entity, because of soul’s consciousness reflecting on it, or working within it.
Only a very small part of the sun’s light, when reflected from the moon’s surface, makes the moon appear as if it generates a light of its own. We may say “by the light of the moon”, but that light in reality is actually the sun’s light reflecting from the moon’s surface. Similarly, only a small part of soul’s pure consciousness, when working in the mind, identifies itself with the mind and its limitations, and thus feels itself limited. So then, the ego is not only reflected consciousness but also limited consciousness. Limited consciousness naturally equates to limited intelligence, limited understanding and limited ability of perception. Our eyes are not all-seeing and have a limited vision. From the eye’s limited perspective the earth seems flat; but the truth is, the earth is round. Since we see only a small portion of the earth’s circular surface (the horizon) it appears to us as flat, but when seen from a jetliner at 36,000 feet our perspective is expanded and we begin to appreciate the “roundness” of the earth’s horizon. This correlates to the ego’s limited ability to perceive things in the bigger perspective, so instead of seeing the whole (or undivided “oneness”) it sees everything in parts and falsely identifies each part as being separate and independent of the other parts.
The ego is the self or ‘I’ in our mind around which all our thoughts, feelings and experiences seem to revolve. The ego-self is the author, writing the script for all our thinking, feeling and desires. It is the subjective enjoyer and the “experiencer” of all our activities and the results of those activities. Whenever we say “I think, I feel, I see, I love, I enjoy, I hate, I fear, etc.” we are referring to our ego-self. This ‘I’ with which we are so familiar is our limited duplicate ‘I’ not our true ‘I’. It is this false (reflected or duplicated) ‘I’ that experiences all our pleasures and pain, all our joys and suffering. Our real ‘I’ – the Self (with a capital “S”) is the Soul in us that lies behind the ego. This limited ego-consciousness needs to be withdrawn from the mind and dissolved in the Self (like a baby salt doll thrown into the sea) or else have its effects annihilated by non-identification and non-attachment with the physical body and the thinking mind.
Yoga and meditation practice both teach us to slowly and steadily drop this identification and all its attachments. As the ego-self is gradually and progressively trained through yoga and meditation to drop its attachments, it becomes free and spontaneously withdraws inwards. Step-by-step, in deep prolonged meditation the ego-consciousness first withdraws from the body and then it withdraws from the mind. As it begins disconnecting itself from the activities of the mind and withdraws inwards it becomes aware of its original source and its oneness with that source. This process continues until the ego has expanded itself to the point of complete annihilation in the Soul (again, like the salt baby in the sea). Once the duplicate or reflected ‘I’ has merged with the real ‘I’ this is called Self-realization, samadhi or illumination, and this merging (union) is the object and true goal of all yoga and meditation practice.
“The I-ness or egoism (asmita), which arises from the ignorance, occurs due to the mistake of taking the intellect (buddhi, which knows, decides, judges, and discriminates) to itself be pure consciousness (purusha).”Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 2:6
And, we’ll end this article with a quote from Krishnananda… “The ego is trying to practice yoga. Oh, what a pity! The ego cannot practice yoga, because the ego is to be destroyed in yoga. So how can it practice yoga? Here we have a strange difficulty, and it has to be overcome with a strange technique; that is yoga itself. Yoga is achieved by yoga itself; there is no other means.”
Our health is determined by factors that are created (in part) from our environment. Imagine a spinning wheel in which we are the center or hub; at the outer rim (or periphery) is our natural environment and all its associated energies, e.g.; the sun, the air, water, soil etc. Within this are the spokes, our more immediate environment which includes the geographical area of the earth we live in and its climate and further in it becomes more specific, whether we live in the city or the country, our chosen profession and social relations etc. It is within these very environments that we think, plan and act every day.
So our thoughts and our actions could very well be considered “products” of our environment, as well as the food we eat. Our food becomes a concentrated form of the environment that we internalize three or more times per day. Our everyday thoughts and actions constitute our “lifestyle” and this lifestyle determines our choice of food. And the reverse is true, the foods we choose to eat, in turn affect our lifestyle (thoughts and actions).
Now consider this; our environment, our lifestyle and the foods we eat all combine to create and maintain our current state of health. When we get these things in balance, when our lifestyle and diet are in harmony with our environment, we will experience optimal health. If however, we allow them to become unbalanced or extreme, we lose our harmonious relationship with our environment and sickness will probably be the result. If we persist in this, we will surely develop serious illness and/or chronic disease.
The principles of natural healing are based on positive change and balance. Change, being the law of life, is inevitable and constant. It’s the motivating force and the order of the universe. Fortunately, as manifestations of the universe, we humans have the built-in ability to cause or initiate change through our choices. Each and every one of us is granted the inherent power to change direction, leaving sickness behind and embarking on the road to health and wellness. But first, for healing to begin, we must realize and accept that change is possible and act upon that realization.
The old adage “we are what we eat!” starts to ring true, our daily food and drink really are the actual source of our physical makeup. Our entire bodies, our blood, our cells, muscles, organs, tissues, bones and glands are sustained and renewed by the transformation of the minerals, proteins, lipids, enzymes, water, and other nutrients that we consume on a daily basis. Therefore, whenever we consider any aspect of our physical health, it is necessary that we carefully review the choices we have made in regard to what we put in our bodies.
People are beginning to wake up to the fact that many of today’s health problems are directly related to the repeated and continuous consumption of meat, eggs, cheese, poultry, and other animal-based foods. Cancers, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and a host of other chronic and deadly diseases are the result of two problems; quantity and quality. Let’s look at quantity; people are eating a lot more animal products now than they did several generations ago, far beyond what is reasonable even for meat eaters. Meats and other animal products have essentially become the mainstay of the modern American diet.
Looking at quality; today’s artificially inseminated, hormone boosted and antibiotic fed livestock bear little resemblance to their natural, grass fed, free range predecessors. The arrival of “Mad Cow” disease and the subsequent European community’s refusal to accept imports of hormone fed American beef emphasizes just how deadly (pun intended) serious these issues have become.
Commercially raised, indoor-caged poultry products, especially chickens and turkeys are becoming increasingly problematic; even more so since extensive advertizing has many people believing chicken and turkey to be “healthy” alternatives to red meat. These birds become so weak and susceptible to infections that they require regular doses of increasingly stronger antibiotics, just to keep them alive. Additionally, they are fed synthetic growth hormones to speed their growth and breast development. One result of these practices, according to one study, is that as up to 95% of the commercially raised chickens on their way to market have at least one type of cancer! Without a doubt, chickens from a modern poultry farm are not a health food as claimed by the industry.
Let’s just suppose someone we care about is facing a health crisis (and there might be more than one), and we know they are overly reliance on a diet of animal products. What can we do to help them change their situation into its opposite, one of healing and improving health? Obviously, the first step would be to encourage them to convert from an animal-based to a plant-based diet.
Contrary to animal products, plant-based foods enhance, rather than inhibit, healing and regeneration of tissue. Daily dietary choices are the central issue in our lifestyle as a whole. They can be viewed as a reflection of our priorities and our way of looking at society, nature, and the universe. Dietary change, combined with an understanding of harmony and balance, can serve as the focus, initiating a positive change in our lifestyle. Unhealthy choices can be reviewed and changed into healthy ones, and then they can be brought into proper alignment with natural harmony, befitting us and our environment.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (Raja Yoga) posit the Purusha and Prakritiwhich basically categorize the sutras as a dualistic philosophy, representing both the manifest (Purusha) and the un-manifest (Prakriti). Whereas the philosophy of Advaita (literally non-dualism), is the premier and oldest of the Vedanta schools of Indian philosophy and was expounded by Adi Shankara (aka, Shankaracharya) historically, the most important teacher of the Advaita school of Vedanta.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
According to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s, the nature of the problem (of Union) is that the individual is identified with his body, senses and mind which are seemingly mixed because of five klesas (aka obstacles, colorings or impurities) among which the primary one is Avidya (ignorance). The sense of ego-I established in a body/mind complex, accompanied by longing and attachment to life, are products of the klesha “Avidya.” In order to remove Avidya, one must know reality (as it is), which according to Patanjali is to separate Purusha (the individual) from Prakriti (the entirety of the cosmos, including mind, senses and elements). In other words, to reach liberation, the aspirant needs to realize (by discrimination and practice) that he is a pure and isolated spiritual entity (purusha) completely distinct from the changing (and as yet un-manifest) processes of nature (prakriti) presenting themselves in his physical body, senses and mind. According to Patanjali, Purusha and Prakriti are both real and independent, although he does say that Prakriti exists for the sake of Purusa.
So, if Purusha and Prakriti are both real and independent of each other, how can they be reconciled through the practice of yoga (union)? Normally Purusha and Prakriti are seen as one and the same, united from time immemorial. But, if through yoga the two are separated, the Purusha will recognize its original, divine glory, and on becoming liberated, reunites with the Atman, Brahman (or Self). So, the practice of yoga, especially the “Eight Limbs of Yoga,” found in chapter II of the Yoga Sutras, is a step-by-step scientific method of separating Purusha and Prakriti attaining this liberation. The Eight Limbs are commonly known as Ashtanga Yoga practice, literally defined – (ashta)-limb, (anga) practice.
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita is a Sanskrit word that means ‘not two.’ Advaitists insist on ‘not two’ rather than ‘only one.’ Osho explains: “The danger in saying ‘one’ is that it gives rise to the idea of two.”
Sri Shankaracharya defines the fundamental tenet of Advaita Vedanta as follows:
“Brahman is the Reality, the universe is an illusion,
The living being is Brahman alone, none else.”
His statement, although it presents the core teaching found in all the Upanishads, has evoked much criticism. Most people are naturally unable to accept the world in which they live and the things they directly perceive and experience throughout their lives as illusion.
But a spiritual aspirant may ask, “Is there a higher state to which I can wake up, so that this illusory, waking world will disappear, just like a dream world?”
The answer is a resounding “yes.” But ironically, what that higher state is no one can describe precisely. This is because non-dualism does not allow for the dichotomy of an experience and one who experiences. The experiencer is lost in the process.
The modern day teachings of Advaita Vedanta, especially as revealed by Sri Ramana Maharshi focused on the practice of Self-inquiry, called Atma-vichara in Sanskrit, which is the most important meditation practice in the Vedantic tradition. It is the main practice of the yoga of knowledge (Jnana Yoga), which itself is traditionally regarded as the highest of the yogas because it can take one most directly to liberation.
Sri Ramana seemed to teach and practice transcendence devoid of any Ashtanga Yoga overtones, except pranayama. When asked about pranayama Sri Ramana said: “This vichara brings about the desired result. For one not so advanced as to engage in it, regulation of breath is prescribed for making the mind quiescent. Quiescence lasts only so long as the breath is controlled.” And when asked; What is the need then for pranayama?
He replied: “Pranayama is meant for one who cannot directly control the thoughts. It serves as a brake to a car. But one should not stop with it but must proceed to pratyahara, dharana and dhyan. After the fruition of dhyana, the mind will come under control even in the absence of pranayama. The asanas (postures) help pranayama, which helps dhyana in its turn, and peace of mind results. Here is the purpose of Hatha Yoga.”
Summary
It is significant that there is really nothing much within the Eight Limbs of Yoga practice which is anti-thetical to Advaita Vedanta; in fact, the Yogic path actually seems to fit quite nicely with Advaitic metaphysics. In samadhi, the eighth and highest limb, the mind loses ego-awareness and becomes one with the object of meditation, but this non-dualistic experience is only “temporary” in Yoga (savikalpa Samadhi), since the ultimate goal of Patanjali’s yoga system is the discrimination of pure consciousness from all those objects it identifies with. But this experience accords very well with the Advaitic aim of “realizing the whole universe as the Self.” (nirvikalpa Samadhi).
Most students of yoga have heard of Patanjali, but if they haven’t, then it’s only a matter of time before they do. Patanjali was an Indian sage who distilled the essence of India’s spiritual/philosophical traditions, which included centuries of philosophies and practices, and condensed this knowledge into 196 “Yoga Sutras”. With these concise sutras (aka aphorisms), Patanjali codified India’s sixth philosophical system called Yoga (the other 5 being Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva Mimamsa and Vedanta) and subsequently became known as the father of Classical Yoga or as it’s commonly referred to today, Ashtanga yoga. In addition to Ashtanga Yoga, the Yoga Sutras are also sometimes referred to as Raja Yoga, or the Royal Yoga.
While Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are thought to be as old as 400 BCE, archaeological evidence and other ancient texts suggest that the methods described in the Yoga Sutras may have been practiced as early as 3000 BCE. Oral tradition asserts that the period may be even earlier.
The word ‘sutras’ is derived from the word ‘suture’, which conveys that the sentences are short, compact and stitched together. Every sutra contains a deep meaning and can stand on its own as well as be taken in context with the rest. A good analogy often used to describe the yoga sutras is a pearl necklace, where each pearl (each sutra) is complete in itself but takes its full expression when strung together with the others, like a necklace.
The condensed form of the Yoga Sutras has yet another purpose: they can be easily memorized, and that’s exactly what has happened: they’ve been memorized and chanted in Indian ashrams for well over 2000 years and that continues today.
When studied from the most basic level, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras will give us insights into the human mind, how it works and how it affects the way we perceive our circumstances, our experiences and how we feel about them. Patanjali felt our problem was our perception of the world and how it is limited to our senses and our thoughts about them. So, he suggests that in order for us to experience the enlightenment we seek and establish the freedom and liberation we desire, we need to dedicate some of our time to taking our attention away from the outside world we live in, and turn within. Most of us already know this to a certain degree; we realize that when our lives get too hectic we can get overwhelmed and our spiritual maturity is sacrificed as a result.
On a much deeper level, what Patanjali is suggesting is that when we turn our focus from the external world back to our inner selves, the path itself will slowly draw us toward the goal, increasingly unveiling the “Light of the Soul.”
Even though yoga students come from an assortment of backgrounds it is still important for each of them to know that yoga is universal and regardless of your religious orientation or whether you are a ‘believer’ or not, your practice will reflect precisely what you need at any given time. If you are inclined toward the Divine (God, the Absolute or whatever name you choose), practicing yoga will make you feel more in tune with the sanctity of life. On the other hand, if you don’t relate to such concepts, your yoga practice is likely to give you more strength and stamina to achieve what you want in life, and in all probability, you’ll slowly develop a sense of awe and an “attitude of gratitude” toward all of life.
Returning to the concept of yoga being a path toward discovering the Light of the Soul, Patanjali says that the path of yoga can help us to realize that the creative force that keeps the universe humming behind the scenes is identical to the force that keeps us going. Consciousness is what makes us aware of, and able to, express this. It can be a difficult concept to grasp but its essence is captured beautifully by Yann Martel in his novel, “Life of Pi:” “That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression, is the same thing.The finite within the infinite, the infinite within the finite.”
Yoga even goes a step further, for as we all have heard the word Yoga means literally to yoke or unite, and means that we have the inherent potential to actually unite our soul or Individual Consciousness (life force/creative power) with Universal Consciousness (universe’s life force/creative power).
Now this is a lofty goal indeed, and patience dictates we take first things first and learn how we “turn our attention inward?” The answer to this question is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras’ main contribution towards the goal. His sutras give us a scientific method, a set of practices and techniques to experiment with and that will slowly sharpen our awareness of our body, mind and breath. Gradually, the subtler aspects of our being start to reveal themselves.
An Overview of the Yoga Sutras and their application for students/practitioners of Yoga
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras consist of four chapters (or books) and the most relevant to a beginning yoga practitioner today is the second chapter called Sadhana pada meaning spiritual path or spiritual practice. Central to this chapter is the description of the well known “Eightfold Path,” sometimes called “Eight Limbs of Yoga” (see link below). There are no English words that can translate perfectly these concepts which were originally written in the Sanskrit language and each word of each sutra leaves place for interpretation. The sutras need to be “decoded” so to speak, and then reviewed until they begin to make sense. Different commentaries written on the sutras must be analyzed and compared. And this can be a laborious task since in the 1980’s and 90’s, a period when yoga was rapidly gaining in popularity, many individual commentaries started to emerge and now we can find hundreds of them written by Yogis, Swamis, scholars, pandits and philosophers, all from varying perspectives and some of them more relevant than others to our contemporary life. The internet is loaded with examples of these commentaries; just do a “Google search” for Patanjali or the Yoga Sutras and explore them for yourself and see how they apply to you, your practice and your life.
If we consider Eightfold Path the core of Yoga practice, then these eight steps will indicate a logical (and scientific) pathway that leads to the attainment of physical, ethical, emotional, mental and psycho-spiritual health. Remember, Yoga does not seek to change the student or practitioner; rather, it allows the natural state of total health and integration in each of us to evolve and become a reality.
There’s numerous ways to define yoga, but each of the definitions are ultimately all about connection. In Sanskrit, the word ‘yoga’ is literally translated as “to join” or “to unite” and is used to signify any form of connection. So yoga means “union,” and the purpose of yoga practice is to connect. We can connect in many ways. We can connect with others or with a higher power. We can also connect our minds with our hearts; with our thoughts reflecting our feelings and vice versa. In fact, we need to connect our minds with our hearts first, because before we can connect to another, whether a thing, person, sentient being or higher power, we need to connect our brains to our emotions.
In its highest philosophical sense, yoga means conscious connection of the individual self with the highest Self, where you feel “at one” with the rhythms and cycles of the cosmos, God or the Universal Divine.
Yoga is first and foremost a science, a system of consciously practiced techniques and processes that enable you to be fully present and to realize your highest Self (aka Atman) which is inherently connected to all that is. Hence there is no dogma or belief system attached to yoga. Yoga simply instructs you to do a certain practice, to feel the effects and then to discover your true Self through that practice. For example, if you practice pranayama and breathe slowly and in a relaxed manner you will notice your heart rate slows, your mind becomes calm and focused, and deep insights are the result.
Whenever you totally experience this connection you are in the state of yoga; a balanced, blissful and life affirming state of being united and no longer a separate ego-based entity.
Love can also be “Connection”
Ironically, romantic and personal love both have their agendas, but “connecting” has no agendas. In order for love to truly be “connection” it must be universal and unconditional, it cannot exclude or choose a specific object (or person) to love. Have you ever noticed that when you love something, you feel connected to it? You start to observe the things you have in common rather than the differences that would tend to separate you. This is a beginning, a starting point where practice can help that love to expand, to become more and more inclusive.
Here you may observe your ability to love goes through different stages where the feeling of connectivity happens on multiple levels. At first you may notice that you wish for your love to be reciprocated, and as that wish is gradually replaced by feelings of selfless love, a new sense of freedom (or expansion) is experienced. This is where yoga practice and the development of selfless love meet.
As you begin to consciously practice love in a broader, less selfish and more expansive way, you’ll feel unity, or connectivity is beginning to dissolve the drama of your separateness and your ego-centered activities are abandoned in favor of a more compassionate approach. So continue to practice yoga and selfless love until you feel that your heart is so big and the love so infinite that you can hold the whole universe in your heart.
Closing thoughts:
The Bhagavad Gita recognizes the synchronous nature of creation and the underlying Divine/cosmic unity. The Hindu term, Brahman, refers to the fundamental connection of all things in the universe. The appearance of this Universal Oneness in the soul is called Atman.
The ancient Hindu mystics said everything in the universe was inextricably interconnected, and they used Indra’s Net to illustrate the concept. Stephen Mitchell, in his book The Enlightened Mind, wrote: “The Net of Indra is a profound and subtle metaphor for the structure of reality. Imagine a vast net; at each crossing point there is a jewel; each jewel is perfectly clear and reflects all the other jewels in the net, the way two mirrors placed opposite each other will reflect an image ad infinitum. The jewel in this metaphor stands for an individual being, or an individual consciousness, or a cell or an atom. Every jewel is intimately connected with all other jewels in the universe, and a change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel.”
When most people think of yoga asana (poses) flexibility, relaxation and perhaps meditation come to mind. Using yoga practice for a system of healing the body seldom enters the mind of those living in the Western hemisphere. In spite of today’s prevailing reliance on prescription medicines here in the US, yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to remain healthy and free from disease. Concerns like high blood pressure (HBP), a condition the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) calls “The Silent Killer”, have been dealt with in the East using this using this ancient system of healing.
One in three Americans has high blood pressure, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. High blood pressure (aka hypertension) is frequently a precursor to heart disease and stroke, the number one killer of Americans. Specific yoga poses are known to be beneficial exercises for high blood pressure.
According to the US National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health: “Yoga therapy is a multifunctional exercise modality with numerous benefits. Not only does yoga reduce high BP but it has also been demonstrated to effectively reduce blood glucose level, cholesterol level, and body weight, major problems affecting the American society.”
Lowering the BP numbers
In the United States, someone dies approximately every 33 seconds from heart disease, according to UMMC. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends exercise, stress management and weight management to prevent high blood pressure, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease. Yoga helps with all three of these recommendations.
Yoga practice has been shown to lower blood pressure, especially the diastolic score, according to the American Yoga Association (AYA). Blood pressure is measured as two numbers, a systolic score written over a diastolic score. The systolic number is the measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating (pumping blood). Diastolic refers to the blood pressure reading between beats. The AYA states that the diastolic number is the most important. Additionally, according to the Mayo Clinic, people with high diastolic blood pressure frequently develop high systolic blood pressure too.
Yoga works to reduce high blood pressure through promoting relaxation of the mind and body. Practicing yoga helps eliminate the negative impacts of stress, including tension, shallow breathing and an elevated heart rate. And according to Prevention magazine, it also improves physical strength and flexibility, plus it’s found to assist with weight loss.
Asanas most beneficial to high blood pressure
Certain yoga asanas are therapeutic and lower high blood pressure, according to Yoga Journal.Genereally speaking, asanas that do not invert the body are beneficial for people with high blood pressure. Calming restorative yoga asanas are particularly useful for reducing stress and lowering blood pressure naturally, as are intensive stretching poses like leg stretches and hip openers. If you’re new to yoga, practice asanas that put the spine in a horizontal position, which allows the heart to slow down, as it takes less effort to pump the blood to the brain. Sitting positions and lying asanas like Baddhakonasana (butterfly pose), Virasana (hero pose), and Upavista Konasana (seated wide angle forward bend pose) are very useful (and generally safe) for people with high blood pressure.
The more commonly known poses like Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) and Sukhasana (easy pose) are beneficial, but so are some lesser known exercises like the following…
* – Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend) – Sit with legs straight and pressed together. Exhale through the nose and bend forward at the hips. Keep the back straight and reach for the toes.
* – Ustrasana (camel pose) – Kneel on the floor. Exhale and a
There are two major types of Diabetes:. Type 1 Diabetes, (aka juvenile Diabetes or insulin-dependent Diabetes), is a disorder of the body’s immune system where there is no production of insulin, and Type 2 is where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
The practice of yoga is effective as a preventive measure and also to treat Type 2 Diabetes, where the causes are attributed to life style and stress.
Type 2 Diabetes is rapidly becoming one of the most common, debilitating, diseases in the United States. Type 2 accounts for 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of Diabetes.
Diabetes is now responsible for the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans every year, and it slowly destroys the bodies of those who survive. For 90 percent of the roughly 14 million people who are develop Type II diabetes, the onset will have begun in the prime of their lives. Diabetes is known to cause complications such as blindness, kidney failure, stroke, heart disease, hypertension and circulatory disorders (often leading to amputation of toes, feet and legs) and ultimately may cause premature death.
As the development of this chronic disease becomes more common, more and more Diabetics are turning to complementary and/or alternative therapies, such as yoga practice, to treat the disorder. And for those who have developed Diabetes (especially type 2), yoga is definitely worth trying. Although there isn’t one particular asana (pose) that will work as a magical cure, there are quite a few that will stabilize digestion, assimilation and absorption of foods, and assist in the proper elimination of wastes and toxins from the body.
Caution, before embarking on a mission to begin a regular Yoga practice it’s always best to find a certified yoga instructor and have an initial consultation with them regarding your condition, because there are some asanas that can be counterproductive (even harmful) for people with diabetes – e.g.; poses that involve crossing the legs may constrict blood flow to the lower legs, ankles and feet. For someone with diabetes a personalized protocol is often necessary since each Diabetic is unique and their physical requirements must be treated on an individual basis.
The doctors in the US are among the best in the world when it comes to treating trauma, and curing and preventing various infectious diseases. But, ironically, chronic diseases like Diabetes have them stumped. They try their best, although they are able to keep Diabetics alive with insulin and/or other prescription anti-diabetic medications. Unfortunately, long-term use of these medicines will create complications of their own. Maybe it’s time to consider a natural, non-drug way to not only to reverse diabetes, but also to prevent its future occurrence.
Diabetics all know (or at least they should) that daily exercise helps control blood sugar and improves circulation (poor circulation is a major complication of diabetes). Although the how this actually works is not completely clear, but nonetheless, exercise does reduce the amount of insulin required to maintain normal blood sugar levels. For some of the most fortunate adult onset diabetics, proper diet and exercise may be all that’s required to regulate and maintain normal blood sugar, but for the vast majority, either oral medication or insulin injection is necessary to keep them alive. Then there are those who are able to control blood sugar with diet and exercise but as they age, they also begin to require prescription meds.
The practice of therapeutic yoga asana is effective not only as a preventive measure but can also be used to treat Type 2 Diabetes, where it has been shown that the primary causes are attributed to life style, eating habits and stress. There are certain asanas that have a remedial effect upon various organs and glands throughout the body. Those particular poses that benefit the pancreas and its functional components are of the utmost interest to diabetics (and pre-diabetics). By learning the correct application of these asanas one can reverse diabetes.
Most suitable are the backward bending postures such as…
These postures stimulate the pancreas, as they exercise the erector spinae (deep muscle in the back), latissimus dorsi (broadest muscle in the back), obliques (side abdominals), deep intertransversarii (pairs of small muscles on each side f the spine and the posterior abdominal wall. Also, most of these postures cause the internal viscera (organs) to stretch, which brings stimulation to the pancreas and other glands and organs that otherwise receive no tend to lay dormant.
Other postures to consider are…
*Dandayamana-Bibbaktapada Pashimotthanasana (Standing Separate Leg stretching Pose).
*Ardha Kurmasana (Half Tortoise Pose).
*Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose).
*Janushirasana with Pashimotthanasana (Head-to-Knee with Stretching Pose).
These will provide stimulation and rejuvenation to the cells of the pancreas and other endocrine glands via compression. Compression of these glands, followed by release and relaxation, causes an increased volume of highly oxygenated blood to reach them, down to a cellular level, bringing nourishment that rejuvenates any and all atrophied cells.
By using therapeutic yoga asana as a treatment the normal functioning of the pancreas and other glands of the endocrinal system are restored. When these glands begin to function properly, the individual is on their way to being cured of the diabetic disorders and their health is gradually restored to an optimal level. Perhaps a natural cure for Diabetes isn’t too much to hope for! After all, Diabetes is an age-old disease that has been treated successfully in the Eastern part of the world by methods we here in the West are just beginning to try, let alone understand. It may seem amazing to Diabetic sufferers, but therapeutic yoga asana has been shown to control diabetes for Type 1 Diabetics when insulin levels have been reduced significantly, to control diabetes for Type 2 Diabetics even after any external medication has been eliminated, and to prevent and heal the damage from the complications caused by diabetes, utilizing the body’s own healing power.
Although Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) can be debilitating, people who suffer from it report, first and foremost, that they experience profound fatigue that no amount of sleep or rest can relieve. It causes an assortment of non-specific symptoms including weakness, impaired memory, and fatigue (for no apparent reason), often accompanied by loss of concentration, varied muscle pains, headaches, sore throat, insomnia and apathy. The list of symptoms is also sometimes diagnosed as fibromyalgia because it’s often difficult to distinguish between fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Researchers and specialists are still trying to determine the differences. Some experts believe they are two completely separate illnesses sharing many similar symptoms and others feel they are different aspects of the same disorder. To complicate matters even further, a significant number of people with fibromyalgia also have CFS and vise versa.
Possibly the simplest explanation of the difference between fibromyalgia and CFS is that with the former, pain is the most predominant symptom, while with CFS, extreme fatigue is the most predominant.
Doctors often think people with this mysterious disorder are lazy, or have some form of hypochondria, but that doesn’t help relieve the symptoms of extreme tiredness and low energy. Most doctors do agree however that CFS sufferers need to move away from a sedentary lifestyle and they generally prescribe different types of exercise. The problem here is that those with CFS have little motive to engage most traditional exercise regimes, and some are downright resistant to giving them a try, due to the discomfort they experience. Subsequently their lowered physical status often results in mental sluggishness, further complicating things.
The science of yoga may be able to offer a cure, or at least substantial relief for those with CFS, filling the gap where conventional medicine falls short. Yoga tends to address the root of the problem, instead of exhausting the body further, as traditional exercise techniques might. Yoga restores the energy in the body that is necessary for it to heal itself. Yoga does this primarily through gentle, restorative asana, pranayama, and meditation for effective relaxation, all of which, when combined, provide a much needed balance of stimuli and rest.
Doctors, scientists and many other researchers don’t really know why yoga helps people with CFS, but some yoga students and instructors believe they do and they cite the following reasons…
Yoga helps without causing pain. Research shows that yoga can help people with CFS recover their strength. Yoga’s gentle, restorative asanas increase blood circulation and oxygenation which are key to healing, and this is done without hurting the body and/or aggravating the condition. Whereas more rigorous forms of exercise trigger a worsening of CFS symptoms by raising blood pressure and creating excessive lactic acid.
Yoga balances the mind and body. Most often, people with CFS have lost touch with their mental and physical connections to natural human rhythms. They either tend to move too fast, or do too much and their bodies have run down and they find themselves mentally depleted. Yoga shows them a slower, more natural pace. It becomes a discipline of peace with themselves and a non-obsessive daily practice. Rather than a discipline of “more and more,” it can be a discipline of “less and less.” leading composed self-acceptance.
Yoga will energize. All those with CFS struggle with the feeling of exhaustion, and yoga helps restore vital energy to their fatigued body, signaling the parasympathetic nervous system to start calming things down.
When dealing with CFS the thought of any movement at all might seem excruciating, but gentle, restorative asana can help direct energy into parts of the body that are lacking life force. Begin by using bolsters and pillows, yoga blocks and any supports you deem helpful to guide you through the asanas. This will make you practice feel more like nurturing than the abrupt movement associated with “exercise” that will drain the body. Balasana (Happy Baby Pose), Shavasana (Corpse Pose), and Viparit Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose) are wonderful asanas to start with if you don’t feel like moving at all. Over time, and as you start to feel improvement, you can slowly add more challenging asanas, but always practice them in small doses to prevent overly fatiguing an already tired body and mind.
Note: Forward bend poses soothe the nervous system by allowing energy to flow into the spinal column while increasing blood flow and oxygenation to the heart, head and muscles. Remember, a gentle approach (supported when necessary) is the most effective when practicing the following asanas.
Two simple, gentle forward bend asanas known to help relieve CFS symptoms.
1. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) promotes blood flow to the head, neck, and heart.
2. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) soothes the nervous system, gradually increases blood flow to the brain, and releases the tension of the respiratory muscles of the neck, trunk and shoulders.
Additionally, lying over cross-bolsters in varying positions helps to stimulate the nervous system in a subdued way and increases blood circulation to the adrenals, thyroid, and kidneys, which are a storehouse of energy.
With the science of yoga, dedicated practice, and self-love, CFS can turn from an unpleasant daily experience to slowly vanishing thing of the past.
“Now that is the wisdom of a man, in every instance of his labor, to hitch his wagon to a star, and see his chore done by the gods themselves.” is a famous Ralph Waldo Emerson quote urging everyone to aim high and have lofty aspirations. But suppose we actually raise the level of our aspirations even higher and aim for the very highest achievement possible in life, and “Hitch our wagon to infinity!”
Before all the non-duality “pundits” start questioning if “purpose” is really necessary let’s just consider the notion that if there is any purpose at all to life, then it is Self-realization, awakening to the eternal Self (aka Atman – pure consciousness), or to put it another way for those of a religious disposition, it is to find God within. Compared to this everything else seems immature.
So, we should make the most of this opportunity. It really doesn’t matter if you believe in reincarnation or not, this particular life holds a golden opportunity for us to achieve the highest possible purpose of human life.For all those who do believe reincarnation is real, it is apparent how very precious and rare human birth is, and for all those who believe there is only one “go ‘round,” Then it would surely be a injustice to yourself to waste this opportunity. But, either way, since we’re here anyway, why not set our sights for highest high.
Here is a list and description of 5 major obstacles that commonly prevent us from fulfilling our great journey to Self (or God) Realization.
Major Obstacles to Spiritual Awakening (Self-realization):
1. Ignorance:
Spiritually, what is meant by ignorance is that most people are simply not aware that they actually have an infinite, divine aspect which can be recognized and then fully abided in. There are many who will be surprised that there are sages living today who have awakened to their Infinite nature and lived life from that realization. If you are one of these people, what you need to consider is that there is this possibility, and then explore your inner blockages and obstacles in order to discover if there is any truth to this assertion.
If we outright reject this claim that this aspect of our being exists, it doesn’t matter to life or anyone else, it only means we’ll miss the whole purpose and meaning of our birth. By waking up, or attaining the state of Self-realization, we will finally be free from delusion, and able to fully express our true self and live the life we were inherently destined to live.
2. Compromise:
There are times in life when compromise is the fair thing to do, but spiritually how we approach compromise in our lives means taking a closer look at Divine (or universal) laws. They dictate we don’t settle for less. When we compromise ourselves spiritually we are not using our spiritual gifts to the fullest. Sometimes it means we’re squandering those gifts, and not compromising can sometimes be really hard, but nobody ever said that doing the right thing spiritually would always be easy; although, ironically everything seems to fall into its rightful place when Self-realization is the underlying theme of our lives. So, let this great work begin, lighting your way forward to the truth.
3. Confusion:
It’s hard to say which is worse, the ignorant or the confused, but most likely it’s the confused. They are the ones who have good health, they are aware that Self-realization is the true purpose of life, they have the right necessities (food, clothing and shelter), but they find excuses to chase after other things (mostly material) endlessly. This begs the question, what is wrong? At least the ignorant were clueless; they simply did not know any better.
At some point or another we are all bound make this mistake, and oftentimes repeatedly. And perhaps we even ask ourselves, what the hell am I doing? So confusion means we lose sight of the fact that the true purpose of life is Self-realization, awakening, and enlightenment.This needs to be the guiding force of our life.
4. Laziness:
Being lazy is just pathetic. Those who are ignorant don’t know any better, the confused are trying to build castles in the sand, but what in the world are lazy folks doing?
They know what is at stake, have plenty of idle time plus good health, but are just mindlessly wasting their limited opportunities. There are endless forms of mindless, distracting entertainment to keep them drugged and serving the purpose that secular society demands. From this the lazy must break free in order to be free.Make some effort, show a bit of willpower, turn off the TV, stop browsing the web, following the mainstream media nonsense, and then infuse some balance into this life. If the lazy will only begin to gather momentum and break the cycle of inertia, they will be unstoppable.
5. Impatience:
Achieving the highest goals in life is not going to be easily accomplished overnight. We currently exist in an instant gratification society, are being subliminally trained to become quite an impatient lot. This can be easily seen not only in the use of medical drugs for muscle building, weight loss, pain relief, etc., but also in our love relationships, when intimacy and romance are bypassed in favor of sex.
This impatient attitude has seeped into the spiritual arena as well, and we need to realize there are no shortcuts to Self-realization; we will have to stay on the path for as long as it takes. Without losing sight of the goal, we may still enjoy the journey.
Summary:
Two valuable keys to awakening are meditation and yoga. And again it is stressed that this awakening is the real reason for human birth. Even though enlightenment has absolutely no material value, without it, life itself has no true value. If (or when) we decide we don’t want to have lived such a meaningless life, we need to wake up and claim our inherent birthright of knowing that we and the divine are “One.” This is union, and this union alone is the true and real purpose of yoga.
Yoga practice has been shown to lower blood pressure, especially the diastolic score, according to the American Yoga Association (AYA). Blood pressure is measured as two numbers, a systolic score written over a diastolic score. The systolic number is the measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating (pumping blood). Diastolic refers to the blood pressure reading between beats. The AYA states that the diastolic number is the most important. Additionally, according to the Mayo Clinic, people with high diastolic blood pressure frequently develop high systolic blood pressure too.
There are two major types of Diabetes:. Type 1 Diabetes, (aka juvenile Diabetes or insulin-dependent Diabetes), is a disorder of the body’s immune system where there is no production of insulin, and Type 2 is where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
Doctors often think people with this mysterious disorder are lazy, or have some form of hypochondria, but that doesn’t help relieve the symptoms of extreme tiredness and low energy. Most doctors do agree however that CFS sufferers need to move away from a sedentary lifestyle and they generally prescribe different types of exercise. The problem here is that those with CFS have little motive to engage most traditional exercise regimes, and some are downright resistant to giving them a try, due to the discomfort they experience. Subsequently their lowered physical status often results in mental sluggishness, further complicating things.