Intertwining the mind, body, and energy is the primary goal of Kripalu yoga. Those who practice it believe that the body contains energy pulsations in a flow that are called prana, which is sometimes referred to as life force. The idea is that the smallest thought or worry can cause problems with the prana in your physical body. That is why Kripalu is important; it is a way of being aware of the prana and using breathing with thought to prevent blockage or disturbance of the life force in your body. In turn, you will feel an increased level of mental clarity and emotional control.
Boiled down to its essence, Kripalu yoga is about looking at yourself in order to free you. Kripallu yoga followers believe that by simply examining and experiencing physical, emotional, and mental processes, you begin to erase blockages in the prana. In turn, this creates a better flow of life force inside you and invokes a feeling of physical and mental well-being.
Why Kripalu?
Yoga, in all its forms, has been shown to be highly effective in honing the physical human body. This is much of the reason for yoga?s immense popularity. What Kripalu does, though, is use the physical body and yoga?s benefits to it as a vehicle for pursuing the greater good of mental and emotional stability and clarity. Hence, many believe it to be the most complete and beneficial form of yoga. The idea is that as you release your emotional and mental impurity, you increase the amount of prana in your system which in turn also helps with physical healing and performance. Of course, when all yoga practices and meditation are prefaced with techniques, such as the Maharic Seal (Azurite Press), that seal the body’s energy fields from external influences, the experience of self knowledge is both clearer and authentic. Kripalu yoga does not teach this, however.
Many use this popular form of yoga to combine physical fitness with self growth and the empowerment of the self. In Kripalu, you will learn to lead yourself through self-examination rather than through a leader or instructor. In this form of yoga, leadership is there only to help you turn yourself into your own leader. Your sensitivity to self, others, and your own body will increase from the focus you will receive when you look inside. To take it deeper, many believe that you are using your body to as a temple to attract the presence of those powers greater than yourself. Though some may be skeptical, many more feel such presences when led there through their own self-examination.
When you learn Kripalu from an instructor, you will find that it usually does not matter what your level is in yoga. The classes are generally conducted in the same way for new yoga practitioners and veterans alike. The emphasis, remember, is on looking inside yourself and seeing what is there. Though there are postures and a ?right? way to do them, you will likely be encouraged to concentrate on your mental state and on increasing the flow of your prana.
Moreover, Kripalu is truly about life change. You will learn to focus on your spiritual well being outside of the classroom as well as while you’re on the yoga mat, contributing to your overall well being and helping you on your way to being the best person you can be.
Kripalu is a unique form of yoga. With emphasis on looking at the self and ridding it of all that has gone awry, this form of yoga is about more than just fitness of the body. It is about fitness of emotions, spirit, and even a little bit of the soul.
References:
1. discoveryyoga.com/KripaluY.htm
Rebecca Prescott presents many yoga articles at Yoga To Health, including these on yoga breathing dangers, and vinyasa yoga postures.
Showing posts with label Human Body. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Human Body. Show all posts
March 2, 2009
March 1, 2009
Yoga: Truth about Your Health
The human body, which contains imbalances of physical and mental level, develops disease either of body or mind eventually. Many people if they do not feel any pain or discomfort do not realize this and go on with their lives. Yoga has the ability to cure these underlying imbalances and keeps a person healthy and also helps the person from contracting any diseases in future.
Many People do not realize that the human body, mind and soul are interconnected with each other and have be in harmony for the human body to function properly. Any time the imbalance occurs in one of them, it will eventually lead to developing some form of disease. In fact the health of a human body can be categorized into the following Physical Health, Mental Health, Moral Health and Health of perception. If the Person has a firm body and emotionally stable mind they will gain wisdom and eventually lead to freeing the soul.
But a student of yoga never forgets that health starts with the physical body. Health of the physical body is not something you would want to bargain for nor can it achieved in the form of taking medicine or health supplements. It can be earned only through effort and sweat. If a plant or a tree is healthy then the fruits yielded by it are in abundance. Likewise, if a person is healthy then great things can be achieved by him.
Practicing yogasana (various yoga postures) for achieving physical health is just the beginning, when a person is performing a simple yoga posture they will experience various levels of quest. They are, external quest tones the physical self, internal quest helps a person attain clarity of mind and gain wisdom, while innermost quest helps a yogi (student of yoga) to build character and compassion. While a beginner does not realize that they are actually building their mind as well as their bodies when performing these postures. Many people after practicing yoga for few days experience feeling light and having a cheerful mood. As long as a person has his health they do not think about developing their mind. But we need healthy bodies in order to get a healthy mind and yoga helps in achieving those.
Unless we are ready to cross the boundaries and compulsions provided by the human body we will not be able to cross the known frontiers, that is to increase our perception and build character, yoga is ideal for this. The qualities to unlocking the potential of human body and mind are purity and sensitivity. Not only do they just help us becoming a better person but also help our surrounding environment. On the other hand we should avoid the rigidity for it means becoming impure and will make us insensitive.
People must realize that we must maintain a harmony within our body, as well as with the world. For example a man has become used to comforts in life which he buys with his wealth such as a temperature controlled house and car which he uses to drive distances he can easily walk. By failing to adapt to the surroundings easily he is putting himself at risk, for instance what happens if he loses his wealth suddenly and all the comfort of life vanishes as he cannot afford them easily anymore? By maintaining a balance with our body and surroundings we will be able to adapt easily to the changes in life, yoga teaches a person to adapt easily to anything in life.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Yoga
Many People do not realize that the human body, mind and soul are interconnected with each other and have be in harmony for the human body to function properly. Any time the imbalance occurs in one of them, it will eventually lead to developing some form of disease. In fact the health of a human body can be categorized into the following Physical Health, Mental Health, Moral Health and Health of perception. If the Person has a firm body and emotionally stable mind they will gain wisdom and eventually lead to freeing the soul.
But a student of yoga never forgets that health starts with the physical body. Health of the physical body is not something you would want to bargain for nor can it achieved in the form of taking medicine or health supplements. It can be earned only through effort and sweat. If a plant or a tree is healthy then the fruits yielded by it are in abundance. Likewise, if a person is healthy then great things can be achieved by him.
Practicing yogasana (various yoga postures) for achieving physical health is just the beginning, when a person is performing a simple yoga posture they will experience various levels of quest. They are, external quest tones the physical self, internal quest helps a person attain clarity of mind and gain wisdom, while innermost quest helps a yogi (student of yoga) to build character and compassion. While a beginner does not realize that they are actually building their mind as well as their bodies when performing these postures. Many people after practicing yoga for few days experience feeling light and having a cheerful mood. As long as a person has his health they do not think about developing their mind. But we need healthy bodies in order to get a healthy mind and yoga helps in achieving those.
Unless we are ready to cross the boundaries and compulsions provided by the human body we will not be able to cross the known frontiers, that is to increase our perception and build character, yoga is ideal for this. The qualities to unlocking the potential of human body and mind are purity and sensitivity. Not only do they just help us becoming a better person but also help our surrounding environment. On the other hand we should avoid the rigidity for it means becoming impure and will make us insensitive.
People must realize that we must maintain a harmony within our body, as well as with the world. For example a man has become used to comforts in life which he buys with his wealth such as a temperature controlled house and car which he uses to drive distances he can easily walk. By failing to adapt to the surroundings easily he is putting himself at risk, for instance what happens if he loses his wealth suddenly and all the comfort of life vanishes as he cannot afford them easily anymore? By maintaining a balance with our body and surroundings we will be able to adapt easily to the changes in life, yoga teaches a person to adapt easily to anything in life.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Yoga
Techniques For Solving Everyday Stress Using Yoga
Do you feel stressed all the time? 24 hours in a day not enough? Don’t have any personal time to do your personal projects? Co-workers driving you crazy? Don’t worry. Yoga and meditation can provide the answer. For the stress can be reduced by managing and controlling it. Our mind controls whether we adapt to live with stress or reducing it and living a stress free life.
The factors that mainly control the kind of person we have become are genes we inherit, surroundings and standard of living we live. While the genes cannot be changed since we cannot decide who our parents can be, nor can the surroundings we grow up in, which can also be tough to overcome, we can certainly change our way of life. Simply controlling what we eat, how we eat, exercising more frequently and learning to deal with everyday issues with a open mind and positive attitude can help us lead a stress free life and Yoga can provide the answer for you. Once a person chooses to practice yoga he is naturally lead to choose a healthier lifestyle.
Yoga can help us solve issues, which cause stress on a daily basis. Performing yoga not only strengthens and tones the muscles but also helps the internal organs perform better, thus keeping us from getting diseases. The structural alignment and reinforcing the spine can be achieved by performing standing asahanas (postures). The blood pressure gets lowered and central nervous system gets relaxed by doing forward bends. Performing inverted asahanas purifies the lymphatic system, while the internal organs can be massaged with the body twists. Also the nervous, digestive and immune system gains strength and tone by the breathing exercises and asahanas.
While the effects of yoga on physical human body were mentioned above, yoga also affects the human mental state in a positive manner. Yoga will make you approach everyday problems, which cause stress, with a positive attitude. Once you start performing yoga you can feel your mind opening up and become clear and aware, your concentration and focus improves, gain self esteem, depression vanishes, healthier feeling. All these factors in turn reduce stress. Once the physical and mental states of the human body get in sync then you get projected into a new dimension where your perception of everything improves, your love and compassion for every living thing improves, you feel a connection to the Supreme Being.
Listed below are some practical techniques for dealing with everyday stress with a brief explanation.
1) Using your office chair for performing. Yes, that’s right you can take care of your body while you work by performing this simple yoga posture while sitting in your office chair. Grab the side or back of the chair then perform a twisting motion from one side to the other. Start with arching your back then come back to the initial position in a circular fashion. A good neck stretch can be obtained by moving your head up and down then side-to-side several times, Stretch your arms while standing up. Lifting the shoulders in shrug and releasing them suddenly can release tension in the shoulders.
2) Steps to relax. A crucial part of stress management is learning to relax. After completing any yoga asahanas (postures) or any form of exercise try lying down in a relaxing pose for some time. You will find out for yourself that your body and mind gets in sync. A person can awaken his inner self and wake up feeling refreshed and stress gone. This is hard to do in the office but for those lucky ones who have their own office, lie down on a mat for around 20 minutes and perform this posture. Be sure when you wake up you will find the stress gone.
3) Relaxation using focus Once your body is relaxed, focus your mind on every body part starting with the feet and train your eyes to follow upwards towards your head. This will be difficult at first to concentrate without falling asleep. Do not give up as you keep trying it you can feel the tension and stress go away each time you perform this posture. In conclusion try these simple steps while you are at your work or at your home, you will find out that your enjoying your life more and have become a better human being. You will experience success in your career and life.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Yoga
The factors that mainly control the kind of person we have become are genes we inherit, surroundings and standard of living we live. While the genes cannot be changed since we cannot decide who our parents can be, nor can the surroundings we grow up in, which can also be tough to overcome, we can certainly change our way of life. Simply controlling what we eat, how we eat, exercising more frequently and learning to deal with everyday issues with a open mind and positive attitude can help us lead a stress free life and Yoga can provide the answer for you. Once a person chooses to practice yoga he is naturally lead to choose a healthier lifestyle.
Yoga can help us solve issues, which cause stress on a daily basis. Performing yoga not only strengthens and tones the muscles but also helps the internal organs perform better, thus keeping us from getting diseases. The structural alignment and reinforcing the spine can be achieved by performing standing asahanas (postures). The blood pressure gets lowered and central nervous system gets relaxed by doing forward bends. Performing inverted asahanas purifies the lymphatic system, while the internal organs can be massaged with the body twists. Also the nervous, digestive and immune system gains strength and tone by the breathing exercises and asahanas.
While the effects of yoga on physical human body were mentioned above, yoga also affects the human mental state in a positive manner. Yoga will make you approach everyday problems, which cause stress, with a positive attitude. Once you start performing yoga you can feel your mind opening up and become clear and aware, your concentration and focus improves, gain self esteem, depression vanishes, healthier feeling. All these factors in turn reduce stress. Once the physical and mental states of the human body get in sync then you get projected into a new dimension where your perception of everything improves, your love and compassion for every living thing improves, you feel a connection to the Supreme Being.
Listed below are some practical techniques for dealing with everyday stress with a brief explanation.
1) Using your office chair for performing. Yes, that’s right you can take care of your body while you work by performing this simple yoga posture while sitting in your office chair. Grab the side or back of the chair then perform a twisting motion from one side to the other. Start with arching your back then come back to the initial position in a circular fashion. A good neck stretch can be obtained by moving your head up and down then side-to-side several times, Stretch your arms while standing up. Lifting the shoulders in shrug and releasing them suddenly can release tension in the shoulders.
2) Steps to relax. A crucial part of stress management is learning to relax. After completing any yoga asahanas (postures) or any form of exercise try lying down in a relaxing pose for some time. You will find out for yourself that your body and mind gets in sync. A person can awaken his inner self and wake up feeling refreshed and stress gone. This is hard to do in the office but for those lucky ones who have their own office, lie down on a mat for around 20 minutes and perform this posture. Be sure when you wake up you will find the stress gone.
3) Relaxation using focus Once your body is relaxed, focus your mind on every body part starting with the feet and train your eyes to follow upwards towards your head. This will be difficult at first to concentrate without falling asleep. Do not give up as you keep trying it you can feel the tension and stress go away each time you perform this posture. In conclusion try these simple steps while you are at your work or at your home, you will find out that your enjoying your life more and have become a better human being. You will experience success in your career and life.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Yoga
February 24, 2009
Facts about Successful Yoga Teachers, Part 3
Do successful Yoga teachers produce more successful teachers? The short answer is, ?Yes, they do.? Tirumalai Krishnamacharya produced many good Yoga teachers, but how many of us could match his accomplishments? Among his many Yoga students are four Master Yoga teachers: Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi, and T.K.V. Desikachar.
Therefore, most of the Hatha Yoga sub-styles of today have been affected by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. His legacy has cast a long shadow, and his accomplishments may never be matched. To some, this is success and to others, success is simply helping people with health and well being.
While others, might consider Bikram Choudhury, to be the most successful Yoga teacher of our time. It is said that his style produces, in the neighborhood of, 900 Yoga teachers per year. Not bad, considering he had a serious knee injury as a teen and made quite a come back. He aggressively markets his style of Yoga, has patented his asana sequence, has been in the American ?lime light,? and lives a very wealthy life.
So, this is a very different form of success. In his own right, Bikram Choudhury is one of the most successful Yoga teachers of this time, and he has produced many more successful Yoga teachers. Success means many things to many people, and we each have a different viewpoint of the meaning of success. Success can be easily classified into physical, mental, spiritual, and material categories.
What about Yoga teachers who demonstrate technical prowess? Yes, a Yoga teacher who understands alignment should be successful. Unfortunately, perfect alignment is not abundant. The human body has many imperfections, and this can be a struggle if a Yoga teacher becomes a perfectionist.
This can sometimes affect the ego of a Yoga teacher for the worst. The teaching style should still be compassionate - when assisting or demonstrating Yoga techniques. When an instructor of Yoga becomes arrogant and self-absorbed, he or she will start to lose students, among many other things.
Is success measured by how many Yoga students you have? To put it simply: ?No.? Many successful Yoga teachers have small schools, but their agenda is not materially based. They enjoy helping others and improving the lives of their Yoga students. This is definitely success and gratification.
However, if you want to earn a living - have financial obligations, or just want to be comfortable, your life will be much easier, when you have more Yoga students.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
Therefore, most of the Hatha Yoga sub-styles of today have been affected by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. His legacy has cast a long shadow, and his accomplishments may never be matched. To some, this is success and to others, success is simply helping people with health and well being.
While others, might consider Bikram Choudhury, to be the most successful Yoga teacher of our time. It is said that his style produces, in the neighborhood of, 900 Yoga teachers per year. Not bad, considering he had a serious knee injury as a teen and made quite a come back. He aggressively markets his style of Yoga, has patented his asana sequence, has been in the American ?lime light,? and lives a very wealthy life.
So, this is a very different form of success. In his own right, Bikram Choudhury is one of the most successful Yoga teachers of this time, and he has produced many more successful Yoga teachers. Success means many things to many people, and we each have a different viewpoint of the meaning of success. Success can be easily classified into physical, mental, spiritual, and material categories.
What about Yoga teachers who demonstrate technical prowess? Yes, a Yoga teacher who understands alignment should be successful. Unfortunately, perfect alignment is not abundant. The human body has many imperfections, and this can be a struggle if a Yoga teacher becomes a perfectionist.
This can sometimes affect the ego of a Yoga teacher for the worst. The teaching style should still be compassionate - when assisting or demonstrating Yoga techniques. When an instructor of Yoga becomes arrogant and self-absorbed, he or she will start to lose students, among many other things.
Is success measured by how many Yoga students you have? To put it simply: ?No.? Many successful Yoga teachers have small schools, but their agenda is not materially based. They enjoy helping others and improving the lives of their Yoga students. This is definitely success and gratification.
However, if you want to earn a living - have financial obligations, or just want to be comfortable, your life will be much easier, when you have more Yoga students.
? Copyright 2006 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
Dhauti - An Excellent Stomach Cleanser
Dhauti is a shuddhikriya which means the act of cleaning. It specifically cleans the stomach. Since is one of the main organ in the human body and the health of the human being is dependent on the condition of the stomach. Hence it becomes very important for you to clean your stomach. Dhauti is the useful activity for this cleansing.
Dhauti is of three types:
? Vamana-dhauti: This is the easiest of all the three types. In this process you have to drink about six glasses of water and then vomit it out by putting the index and the middle fingers in the mouth till uvula. You throw up the water, which brings along with it the impurities in the stomach.
? Danda-dhauti: Repeat the above process but instead of inserting the fingers, you insert a rubber tube of about three feet in length and the width slightly more than the lead pencil. It is gulped down slowly so that one end of the tube reaches the stomach while the other end is held outside the mouth. Bend the trunk forward and this siphoning action will bring out the water from the stomach. When all the water is thrown out, bring out the rubber tube. Before using the tube, clean and disinfect it by inserting it in the boiling water for a few minutes. It is difficult for a lot of people to insert the tube without vomiting because the throat is sensitive to the touch stimuli. For them it is advisable to go for the vamana-dhauti since it is the simpler of the two. The advantage of danda-dhauti is that there is no spasm of the stomach wall and the water is thrown out very smoothly.
? Vastra-dhauti: This is the most difficult but useful dhauti. Here a strip of fine muslin cloth of about three inches in width and twenty feet in length is taken. It is washed and disinfected by dipping it in boiling water for some time and rolled up. Hold one end of it between the two fingers and insert it into the mouth. Gulp it down slowly. Stop gulping when only six inches of the cloth remain outside the mouth. Take care to ensure that you do not let the other end go into the mouth. Churn the abdomen by Nauli with the cloth inside the stomach. Now remove the strip slowly by pulling out the other end of the cloth. This dhauti cleanses the stomach by rubbing itself against the inner lining of the stomach wall and removing all the impurities from the stomach.
Dhauti has a great therapeutic value. You can use it as a part of yogic treatment of disorders like acidity and asthma.
Kevin Pederson is the webmaster of Yogawiz,that provides loads of information on basics of yoga, the need to do yoga and usage of accessories like rugs, yoga chairs and cushions. Dhauti is a therapeutic process of cleansing the stomach.
Dhauti is of three types:
? Vamana-dhauti: This is the easiest of all the three types. In this process you have to drink about six glasses of water and then vomit it out by putting the index and the middle fingers in the mouth till uvula. You throw up the water, which brings along with it the impurities in the stomach.
? Danda-dhauti: Repeat the above process but instead of inserting the fingers, you insert a rubber tube of about three feet in length and the width slightly more than the lead pencil. It is gulped down slowly so that one end of the tube reaches the stomach while the other end is held outside the mouth. Bend the trunk forward and this siphoning action will bring out the water from the stomach. When all the water is thrown out, bring out the rubber tube. Before using the tube, clean and disinfect it by inserting it in the boiling water for a few minutes. It is difficult for a lot of people to insert the tube without vomiting because the throat is sensitive to the touch stimuli. For them it is advisable to go for the vamana-dhauti since it is the simpler of the two. The advantage of danda-dhauti is that there is no spasm of the stomach wall and the water is thrown out very smoothly.
? Vastra-dhauti: This is the most difficult but useful dhauti. Here a strip of fine muslin cloth of about three inches in width and twenty feet in length is taken. It is washed and disinfected by dipping it in boiling water for some time and rolled up. Hold one end of it between the two fingers and insert it into the mouth. Gulp it down slowly. Stop gulping when only six inches of the cloth remain outside the mouth. Take care to ensure that you do not let the other end go into the mouth. Churn the abdomen by Nauli with the cloth inside the stomach. Now remove the strip slowly by pulling out the other end of the cloth. This dhauti cleanses the stomach by rubbing itself against the inner lining of the stomach wall and removing all the impurities from the stomach.
Dhauti has a great therapeutic value. You can use it as a part of yogic treatment of disorders like acidity and asthma.
Kevin Pederson is the webmaster of Yogawiz,that provides loads of information on basics of yoga, the need to do yoga and usage of accessories like rugs, yoga chairs and cushions. Dhauti is a therapeutic process of cleansing the stomach.
February 23, 2009
Resurrecting Your Sexuality: Two Yoga/Qigong Practices
The Taoist world-view, and its associated yoga/qigong practices, is based largely upon an understanding of the flow of energy, within and outside of the human body, and includes an understanding of sexual energy which is far more sophisticated than anything produced by western culture. Integral to this understanding are what are known as ?The Three Treasures.? These Three Treasures represent three types (or vibratory frequencies) of energy found in the human body: (1) Jing, or generative energy, (2) Qi, or life-force energy, and (3) Shen, or spiritual energy. Fundamental to all qigong/Taoist yoga practice, including sexual/consort practices, is the waking up of Jing/generative energy and its subsequent transformation into Qi/life-force energy and Shen/spiritual energy. And then, conversely, the transformation of Shen into Qi into Jing. In other words, the Taoist practitioner cultivates the capacity to circulate energy freely between its various forms/frequencies: from the most primal/mundane to the most refined/ephemeral ? and back again!
How exactly this happens is the subject of a vast field of enquiry & practice called Internal Alchemy. If you?re interested in reading about internal alchemy via classical Taoist texts, please see Eva Wong?s translations (from the Chinese into English): ?Harmonizing Yin and Yang,? and ?Holding Yin, Embracing Yang.? For a wonderful presentation of a sequence of qigong practices (which include sexual practices), please check out Eric Yudelove?s book ?Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy.? In this and subsequent postings, I?ll be introducing some of these (and related) practices, but they?re best done in the kind of long sequence that Eric Yudelove lays out ? and/or with the guidance of a flesh-and-blood teacher.
Here?s a simple practice that you can try: sit at the very edge of a firm straight-backed chair (a wooden kitchen chair is ideal), with your feet on the floor and your knees directly above your heels. Your sitting bones should be firmly planted on the chair, at the same time as most of the length of your thighs extends out in front of it. Place your hands, palms down, on the front of your thighs, in a way that allows your shoulders to be relaxed, and let your belly be soft. Take a couple of deep breaths, letting go of any tension you find in your face, jaw, or neck/throat. Smile gently. Then, as you exhale, hinge forward at your hips, bringing your head down toward the space between your knees. With the very next inhale, reverse the process so you?re once again sitting up-right. And repeat: exhale~down, inhale~up (like a crane, taking sips of water from a lake) ? Do your best, with each forward rotation, to rest the entire front-side of your torso onto the front of your thighs. Continue for a minute or two, then pause again in the upright position, and notice how you feel.
The second part of the practice is done entirely from the upright position (still sitting right at the edge of the chair, with your feet planted firmly on the ground). It involves coordinating the movement of your breath with the movement of your attention. As you inhale, feel your sitting bones becoming more heavy, releasing more completely into the chair. (You can imagine that your sitting bones are two heavy diamonds, which you?re going to return to their home in the center of the earth.) As you exhale, feel a spaciousness, expansion & gentle effervescence at the center of your heart-space (that place behind the sternum/breastbone and in front of the thoracic spine). And repeat: inhale~sitting-bones heavy, exhale~heart-center spacious ? Continue for a minute or two, then pause, and notice how you feel.
This simple practice, if done regularly, has the power to wake up fields of sensation which are quite interesting, and enjoyable ? And can serve as a ground for the continuing cultivation of Jing, Qi & Shen: the Three Treasures which ~ from the point of view of Taoism ~ are the key ingredients of a healthy sexuality, among many other things ?
Elizabeth Reninger holds Masters degrees in Sociology & Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. For more essays on yoga-related topics, please visit her website at http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger.
How exactly this happens is the subject of a vast field of enquiry & practice called Internal Alchemy. If you?re interested in reading about internal alchemy via classical Taoist texts, please see Eva Wong?s translations (from the Chinese into English): ?Harmonizing Yin and Yang,? and ?Holding Yin, Embracing Yang.? For a wonderful presentation of a sequence of qigong practices (which include sexual practices), please check out Eric Yudelove?s book ?Taoist Yoga and Sexual Energy.? In this and subsequent postings, I?ll be introducing some of these (and related) practices, but they?re best done in the kind of long sequence that Eric Yudelove lays out ? and/or with the guidance of a flesh-and-blood teacher.
Here?s a simple practice that you can try: sit at the very edge of a firm straight-backed chair (a wooden kitchen chair is ideal), with your feet on the floor and your knees directly above your heels. Your sitting bones should be firmly planted on the chair, at the same time as most of the length of your thighs extends out in front of it. Place your hands, palms down, on the front of your thighs, in a way that allows your shoulders to be relaxed, and let your belly be soft. Take a couple of deep breaths, letting go of any tension you find in your face, jaw, or neck/throat. Smile gently. Then, as you exhale, hinge forward at your hips, bringing your head down toward the space between your knees. With the very next inhale, reverse the process so you?re once again sitting up-right. And repeat: exhale~down, inhale~up (like a crane, taking sips of water from a lake) ? Do your best, with each forward rotation, to rest the entire front-side of your torso onto the front of your thighs. Continue for a minute or two, then pause again in the upright position, and notice how you feel.
The second part of the practice is done entirely from the upright position (still sitting right at the edge of the chair, with your feet planted firmly on the ground). It involves coordinating the movement of your breath with the movement of your attention. As you inhale, feel your sitting bones becoming more heavy, releasing more completely into the chair. (You can imagine that your sitting bones are two heavy diamonds, which you?re going to return to their home in the center of the earth.) As you exhale, feel a spaciousness, expansion & gentle effervescence at the center of your heart-space (that place behind the sternum/breastbone and in front of the thoracic spine). And repeat: inhale~sitting-bones heavy, exhale~heart-center spacious ? Continue for a minute or two, then pause, and notice how you feel.
This simple practice, if done regularly, has the power to wake up fields of sensation which are quite interesting, and enjoyable ? And can serve as a ground for the continuing cultivation of Jing, Qi & Shen: the Three Treasures which ~ from the point of view of Taoism ~ are the key ingredients of a healthy sexuality, among many other things ?
Elizabeth Reninger holds Masters degrees in Sociology & Chinese Medicine, is a published poet, and has been exploring Yoga ~ in its Taoist, Buddhist & Hindu varieties ~ for more than twenty years. Her teachers include Richard Freeman and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. For more essays on yoga-related topics, please visit her website at http://www.writingup.com/blog/elizabeth_reninger.
Does Yoga Mean Women in White Tights?
Have you ever heard the word yoga and thought about that woman in white tights on the cereal box? The next thought that comes into your mind is ?Wait, I can?t even touch my toes. I would look really silly in a yoga class. Forget it. Chanting is not for me.? Think again. This article will tell you what yoga is. It is not about women in white tights. It is not about auditioning for Cirque du Soleil either. It is not about chanting words you have no idea about.
Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning joining. By doing yoga we are joining together the various facets of a human being. We are made up of body, mind and spirit. By doing yoga we join these three parts together to form an integrated human being. The actual pose or asana part of yoga is only a method by which we can integrate the human being. In essence, yoga means to attain a sense of balance, focus and improved breathing. If we all did a structured breathing exercise which would improve lung capacity and increase circulation, then that would be yoga. In fact, the first step in doing yoga is to understand breathing and its effect on the human body. Physiology tells us that the functioning of the human body is highly dependent on our breathing.
We know that when we are anxious, our breathing is short and fast. When we are relaxed it is long and deep. The latter produces a more efficient human body and cells respond to that efficient infusion of oxygen to perform at their peak level.
For more information please check the website.
http://www.getshanti.com/
Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning joining. By doing yoga we are joining together the various facets of a human being. We are made up of body, mind and spirit. By doing yoga we join these three parts together to form an integrated human being. The actual pose or asana part of yoga is only a method by which we can integrate the human being. In essence, yoga means to attain a sense of balance, focus and improved breathing. If we all did a structured breathing exercise which would improve lung capacity and increase circulation, then that would be yoga. In fact, the first step in doing yoga is to understand breathing and its effect on the human body. Physiology tells us that the functioning of the human body is highly dependent on our breathing.
We know that when we are anxious, our breathing is short and fast. When we are relaxed it is long and deep. The latter produces a more efficient human body and cells respond to that efficient infusion of oxygen to perform at their peak level.
For more information please check the website.
http://www.getshanti.com/
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