If you go to the zoo or tune your TV to the Discovery channel, an observance of nature will show us that animals love relaxation and sleep. They often relax and get as much sleep as they want.
Rest and sleep are essential to recharge our nervous energy as our physical, emotional and mental balance depends on the quantity and quality of these vital necessities.
With the stress of our daily jobs, traffic while commuting to and from these jobs, schools, studies, parenting etc having a relaxation technique to fall back on will be indispensable for any and everyone.
Thanks to Yoga, such a technique is well within reach. It is known friends as the Corpse or Relaxation Pose.
It mostly involves lying motionless while applying a combination of deep square breathing and mental suggestions.
This following pose/exercise will show you how.
Technique:
-Lay motionless on your back with the arms and legs slightly extended.
-Start off by breathing deeply in counts of 5 that being in a ratio of 5:5:5
(inhalation-retention-exhalation)
-After a few minutes of this, begin to make what is defined as auto suggestions
to the limbs starting from the toes by mentally affirming that ?My toes are hereby relaxed, My feet are hereby relaxed? etc?working upwards to the head and internally through the internal organs.
-After several minutes of this, resume the deep square breathing for about 2-3 minutes.
-Next, begin to mentally chant this Yogic quote: ?I am that pure consciousness or self? (You may substitute this with a verse from the books of your religious faith for example: ?Those who wait upon God shall renew their strength? or any energizing quote for that matter like a simple ?I am being relaxed and energized at this moment??
-Continue mentally affirming this phrase for several minutes, then roll over to your right side and remain motionless while all the while maintaining the 5:5:5 breathing schedule for an additional minute.
-Finally, arise from the position.
Personally, I employ the use of a timed metronome or the steady tick of a nearby wall clock to keep time and sequence. Moreover, I often practice spurts of this technique during my yoga session and a full 15 minutes afterwards. At the office, I sometimes just sit back in the chair and apply the deep breathing and autosuggestions mostly with my eyes closed.
However, one truth remains, whenever one needs to relax, this simple Yogic technique does offer a safe and effective means of attaining this.
I always tell people: ?Hey if it is said God took a break on the 7th day after making the world, who are we as humans not to take time out to rest??
That said, empower yourself with the knowledge of this technique offered by Yoga whenever you need time to just relax.
Foras Aje is an independent health researcher and founder of Bodyhealthsoul.com For more Yoga tips and information on Yoga for beginners stop by his website today.
Showing posts with label Nervous Energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nervous Energy. Show all posts
March 1, 2009
February 26, 2009
Relaxation Technique: Yoga has a Long Lost Art for Relaxing You
We all know that one of the necessary things needed to keep an automobile in good condition is cooling the engine when it gets hot.
Well the same principle applies to the human body. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, their efficiency in performing their duties diminishes. Modern social life, food, work and even play make it difficult for the modern man to use a proper relaxation technique for rejuvenation.
An observance of nature will show us that animals love relaxation and sleep. They get as much sleep as they want. Rest and sleep are essential to recharge our nervous energy
as our physical, emotional and mental balance depends on the quantity and quality of these vital necessities. They are the only things that recharge these batteries and allow for the proper elimination of metabolic wastes.
But just how can one learn a proper relaxation technique?
Only the corpse pose offered to us in Yoga can aid modern man to recapture the art of relaxation. In order to achieve this, three methods are used by the yogis. The three methods are known as physical, mental and spiritual relaxation.
Physical Relaxation Technique: We all know that every action is the result of thought originated in the mind consciously or subconsciously. When we want to perform an act, the thought is generated in the mind, is transmitted to the brain and simultaneously, the brain telegraphs the message through the nerves, and the muscles contract. Therefore as we can send messages to make the muscles contract, we can send messages to make them relax.
This relaxation technique is known as autosuggestion. Commence autosuggestions from the toes upwards while the suggestion passes through the muscles and reaches up to the eyes and ears at the top. This is performed by saying mentally to yourself: ?My toes are hereby relaxed; my ankles are hereby relaxed??
Mental Relaxation Technique: During mental tension one should breathe slowly and rhythmically for a few minutes and concentrate on breathing. Slowly the mind will become calm and one is able to feel a kind of floating sensation.
Spiritual Relaxation Technique: However one tries to relax the mind, one cannot completely remove all tensions and worries from it unless one goes to spiritual relaxation.
This is in itself is a slightly demanding but very rewarding practice.
Yogis know that unless man can withdraw himself from the body idea and separate himself from the ego consciousness, there is no way of obtaining complete relaxation. So from mental relaxation, he withdraws himself and identifies himself with the all pervading, all powerful, all peaceful and joyful self, because all the source of power, knowledge are in the soul and not the body. Man can only free himself from the clutches of evil emotions by asserting his true self by stating mentally: “I am that pure consciousness or self” This identification with the self completes the process of relaxation.
The method to be applied here is to breathe deeply and squarely in a ratio of 5:5:5 seconds while mentally chanting the mantra above. As you will observe it goes hand-in-hand with mental relaxation after the physical auto suggestions are completed.
To get the most of this practice, you should practice this after your poses, before going to sleep or even during a break or recess at work or school, or right at your desk.
I always tell people: ?Hey if it is said God took a break on the 7th day after making the world, who are we as humans not to take time out to relax?? So to recharge your energy and restore you physical, mental and emotional balance and strength, apply the methods above to learn how to relax the proper way.
Foras Aje is an independent health researcher and founder of Bodyhealthsoul.com. For more Yoga tips and information on Yoga for beginners, feel free to stop by his website today.
Well the same principle applies to the human body. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, their efficiency in performing their duties diminishes. Modern social life, food, work and even play make it difficult for the modern man to use a proper relaxation technique for rejuvenation.
An observance of nature will show us that animals love relaxation and sleep. They get as much sleep as they want. Rest and sleep are essential to recharge our nervous energy
as our physical, emotional and mental balance depends on the quantity and quality of these vital necessities. They are the only things that recharge these batteries and allow for the proper elimination of metabolic wastes.
But just how can one learn a proper relaxation technique?
Only the corpse pose offered to us in Yoga can aid modern man to recapture the art of relaxation. In order to achieve this, three methods are used by the yogis. The three methods are known as physical, mental and spiritual relaxation.
Physical Relaxation Technique: We all know that every action is the result of thought originated in the mind consciously or subconsciously. When we want to perform an act, the thought is generated in the mind, is transmitted to the brain and simultaneously, the brain telegraphs the message through the nerves, and the muscles contract. Therefore as we can send messages to make the muscles contract, we can send messages to make them relax.
This relaxation technique is known as autosuggestion. Commence autosuggestions from the toes upwards while the suggestion passes through the muscles and reaches up to the eyes and ears at the top. This is performed by saying mentally to yourself: ?My toes are hereby relaxed; my ankles are hereby relaxed??
Mental Relaxation Technique: During mental tension one should breathe slowly and rhythmically for a few minutes and concentrate on breathing. Slowly the mind will become calm and one is able to feel a kind of floating sensation.
Spiritual Relaxation Technique: However one tries to relax the mind, one cannot completely remove all tensions and worries from it unless one goes to spiritual relaxation.
This is in itself is a slightly demanding but very rewarding practice.
Yogis know that unless man can withdraw himself from the body idea and separate himself from the ego consciousness, there is no way of obtaining complete relaxation. So from mental relaxation, he withdraws himself and identifies himself with the all pervading, all powerful, all peaceful and joyful self, because all the source of power, knowledge are in the soul and not the body. Man can only free himself from the clutches of evil emotions by asserting his true self by stating mentally: “I am that pure consciousness or self” This identification with the self completes the process of relaxation.
The method to be applied here is to breathe deeply and squarely in a ratio of 5:5:5 seconds while mentally chanting the mantra above. As you will observe it goes hand-in-hand with mental relaxation after the physical auto suggestions are completed.
To get the most of this practice, you should practice this after your poses, before going to sleep or even during a break or recess at work or school, or right at your desk.
I always tell people: ?Hey if it is said God took a break on the 7th day after making the world, who are we as humans not to take time out to relax?? So to recharge your energy and restore you physical, mental and emotional balance and strength, apply the methods above to learn how to relax the proper way.
Foras Aje is an independent health researcher and founder of Bodyhealthsoul.com. For more Yoga tips and information on Yoga for beginners, feel free to stop by his website today.
February 23, 2009
Yoga Teachers, Prepare for the New Year’s Rush - Part 2
Let?s continue with more ideas for workshops and some specialty classes that may fit in as part of your regular class schedule. You don?t have to use all of these ideas, but you may find one, or two, that fit with your clientele and your Yoga studio.
Prenatal Yoga: Again, this is much better suited for the female Yoga instructor, but this teacher should be trained specifically in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga. There are too many complications for the average Yoga teacher; this is for a Yoga specialist.
Modifications and contraindications change for pregnant Yoga students each trimester. Jane Mackarness has written such a course, and we carry it at our web site. This field requires much more research than the standard 200-hour training, but can lead to networking with medical professionals and hospitals.
Kids Yoga: Specialized training might be needed, but patience is a key element for Yoga instructors who want to embark on this path. I teach children myself, and a Kids Yoga class has to be fun and include games. Vinyasa will be very popular with children, since they get restless with nervous energy.
Children can learn a lot, but Yoga teachers, who spend time with them, realize they are not little adults. Sometimes, the Yoga teacher?s lesson plan will not be finished due to questions, answers, and kids just having fun being kids.
Hot Yoga: Most Hot Yoga classes originated from Bikram?s style. Be careful not to use his sequences; he has patented them. Also, the Yoga teacher who wants to pursue this path should be familiar with how she or he will perform under conditions of serious heat. Hot Yoga is good, but it is not for everyone. Hot Yoga classes are usually held at a temperature of 105 Degrees Fahrenheit.
108 Sun Salutations: Many Yoga studios and ashrams have these workshops at the beginning of a season. This is good bonding time for the more physical Yoga students within your facility. You could always go out to your favorite restaurant afterwards.
Yoga with Weights: Sherri Baptiste just released a book on this subject. Bodybuilders have practiced combining weight resistance principles, with Yoga, for years, but Sherri may be on to something here. Yoga purists aside - the contracting of muscles during weight resistance training, and the stretching of muscles when practicing Hatha Yoga, can be a harmonious relationship.
? Copyright 2005 ? 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
Prenatal Yoga: Again, this is much better suited for the female Yoga instructor, but this teacher should be trained specifically in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga. There are too many complications for the average Yoga teacher; this is for a Yoga specialist.
Modifications and contraindications change for pregnant Yoga students each trimester. Jane Mackarness has written such a course, and we carry it at our web site. This field requires much more research than the standard 200-hour training, but can lead to networking with medical professionals and hospitals.
Kids Yoga: Specialized training might be needed, but patience is a key element for Yoga instructors who want to embark on this path. I teach children myself, and a Kids Yoga class has to be fun and include games. Vinyasa will be very popular with children, since they get restless with nervous energy.
Children can learn a lot, but Yoga teachers, who spend time with them, realize they are not little adults. Sometimes, the Yoga teacher?s lesson plan will not be finished due to questions, answers, and kids just having fun being kids.
Hot Yoga: Most Hot Yoga classes originated from Bikram?s style. Be careful not to use his sequences; he has patented them. Also, the Yoga teacher who wants to pursue this path should be familiar with how she or he will perform under conditions of serious heat. Hot Yoga is good, but it is not for everyone. Hot Yoga classes are usually held at a temperature of 105 Degrees Fahrenheit.
108 Sun Salutations: Many Yoga studios and ashrams have these workshops at the beginning of a season. This is good bonding time for the more physical Yoga students within your facility. You could always go out to your favorite restaurant afterwards.
Yoga with Weights: Sherri Baptiste just released a book on this subject. Bodybuilders have practiced combining weight resistance principles, with Yoga, for years, but Sherri may be on to something here. Yoga purists aside - the contracting of muscles during weight resistance training, and the stretching of muscles when practicing Hatha Yoga, can be a harmonious relationship.
? Copyright 2005 ? 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
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