From Distress To De-Stress

Stress is a disease of 21st century. Everyone seems to be in stress- from child to a retiree. The only time you are free from stress is when you are inactive. So you look for long weekends and holidays to escape from stress. The moment activity begins mental agitation returns. Vedanta speaks of your birthright  as a human being to combine dynamic activity with perfect serenity of mind. Then perfect action emerges.  You are successful and happy.

What disturbs the mind? You believe a bad boss, nagging spouse or the weather causes you grief. The truth is that nothing in the world can disturb  you except yourself. Stress is defined as mental turbulence caused by unfulfilled desires. As long as a desire remains unactualised you will be in stress. Yet desire is being recklessly fueled and people are in stress.

Unbridled desire  makes you unhappy. When desire is fulfilled you want more and the greed leads to defussion. Fulfilled still further, you are envious of those who have more then you and arrogant towards those who have less. If desire is obstructed the thought flow going from you to the object of desire gets deflected towards the obstruction. This is called anger. All this creates a lot of misery and tension.

Unrestrained desire prevents enjoyment. A person obsessed with money can never enjoy his money. He has the best that money can buy but he is so stressed that he doesn't enjoy any of it. Desire puts you on a collision course with others which prevents you from having meaningful relationships. And desires forces you to compromise your values. When you cross the line set by your own conscience you become a slave of your own weaknesses.

Rampant desires unsettles the mind. The mind rambles to the past and future, unable to concentrate on the present. This leads to failure. When the intellect holds the mind on the present action without allowing it to meander to past worries or future anxieties you are concentrating.The moment a desire is fulfilled your attention shifts to something else you do not have. Thus you no longer enjoy what you have. Lastly, the mind gets attached to what you have. The Law is - attach you lose, detach you gain. Possess and enjoy the world but never get bound to it. Wherever there is attachment the interaction becomes painful and in the end you lose the object. Hence desire is your greatest enemy. Yet this very enemy you pamper, nourish and encourage.

Vedanta says desire obstructs your gaining the object of desire. A person obsessed with marriage finds it difficult to find a partner. A man lusting after money does not gain it. When you rise above desire and work for something beyond, the object of desire comes to you. Then you can enjoy it thoroughly with a calm mind.

So what is the way out? The first step is to manage desire with intellect. If the intellect approves, go ahead and fulfill the desire without fear or guilt. But if the intellect vetoes it, keep away. This gives relief. The next step is desire reduction by upgrading desires. Pick up a higher desire. The lower one drops. Finally, when the lure of the Infinite grips you, all desires vanish.
You are in Bliss.        

Setubandha Asana

Position of Readiness

Lie on your back with your arms at your sides, palms facing downward. Bend your knees, bringing the soles of your feet close to your buttocks. Look straight up. Breathe normally.

Steps

Bring up the squeeze and press your pubic bone upward. Allow the pressing to lift your hips and the waist upwards while keeping the shoulders and the feet on the floor. When the hip has been raised upwards, support it with the palms on both sides.
Raising the waist upwards as high as it can be raised without strain with the support of hands. Interlace your fingers and press your hands toward your feet, walking your shoulder blades closer together. Allow your chest to open. Keep breathing normally. Retain this position for 6 to 8 seconds.
Now start lowering the hip towards the floor while still supporting the body weight on the palms, but do not let the body drop on the floor. Bring it down slowly. When the hip, the waist and the back are on the floor put your palms on the floor on both sides of the body. Stretch out the legs on the floor and rest for two to three normal breaths
After resting for a few seconds repeat the asana by following the same process as you did during the first round.
 

Daily Practice
Initiate with four rounds daily during the first week gradually increase to maximum 6 rounds.

Benefits
Sethu Bandhasana or the bridge pose increases flexibility and elasticity of your body. It mainly strengthens the lower back and abdominal muscles and opens the chest. 
It is strongly recommended to people suffering from pain either in any part of the spine or in the hip joints. It has curative and corrective effects on the disorders of the shoulder joints, neck, arms and the palms. So it creates flexibility in the spine, removes wind and gastric troubles, and corrects respiratory disorders.
Calms the brain and helps alleviate stress and mild depression 
Stimulates abdominal organs, lungs, and thyroid 
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause , Rejuvenates tired legs, Relieves menstrual discomfort when done supported .
It reduces anxiety, fatigue, backache, headache, and insomnia 
From a medical point of view, it acts efficiently on the parasympathetic nervous system from the sacral area. The parasympathetic system ensures the control of the genital and urinary organs.

Note

Persons suffering from Neck injury, lumbar spondylitis should consult yoga expert.

The Cat-Cow pose

	STEP 1: Start on your hands and knees. Position your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath the hips. Have your fingers fully spread with the middle fingers pointing straight ahead. Make your back horizontal and flat. Gaze at the floor. This is your "neutral" position. When your pelvis is in neutral, your spine will be at full extension, with both the front and back sides equally long.
	STEP 2: As you wait for the inner cue, do not sag into your shoulders. Instead, create a line of energy through each arm by pressing downward into your hands and lifting your shoulders. Go back and forth like this several times to make sure you understand the movement.
	STEP 3: When you are ready to begin, breathe in deeply. As you exhale, turn your hips into "Cat Tilt". Do this by gently pulling the abdominal muscles backward toward the spine, tucking the tailbone (coccyx) down and under, and gently contracting the buttocks. Press firmly downward with your hands in order to stay lifted out of the shoulders, and lift the middle of your back toward the ceiling, rounding your spine upward. Curl your head inward. Gaze at the floor between your knees.
	STEP 4: As you inhale, turn your hips into Cow Tilt. Do this by releasing the grip of the buttocks, reversing the tilt of your pelvis, and curving your spine into a smoothly arched backbend.

This posture can remove fatigue, improve breathing, improve circulation of blood to the brain, and rejuvenate the entire body. You can also improve by bending the elbows and lowering the forearms to the floor.

This posture is not advised to people with recent injuries on their back, hips, arms or shoulders. People with high blood pressure must consult their doctors first. 

Warning: We encourage everybody to try and practice each Yoga Pose by yourselves at home or in the office. However, if you are feeling uncomfortable or are not able to complete a posture, do not push yourself. Yoga Exercise is not a competition, so just relax and try again. Nonetheless, it might be helpful to actually sign up for some class where a professional teacher will guide you through each yoga pose and make sure you are doing the exercise correctly. 

Sarvangasana

Posture: Sarvanga-asana  The Shoulder-stand Pose Translation: The Sanskrit word sarvaanga means limb or body.sarvanga therefore translates as either "all-limb" or "whole-body posture". It is so named because of the benefit it provides to the entire body. It is commonly referred to as the "shoulder-stand" because one is essentially standing on one's shoulders. Pronunciation: sar-vong-ah-sa-na Difficulty: (5) "As inumerable cups full of water, many reflections of the sun are seen, but the sun is the same; similarly individuals, like cups, are inumerable, but spirit, like the sun, is one." The Shiva-samhita I.35 II.42-43. The Shoulder-stand Pose (Sarvanga-asana ) Instruction: 1 Lie flat on the back in the shava-asana. 2 Inhale through the nostrils. Place the palms face-down on the floor. Keeping the hips on the floor, bend the knees and bring them up toward the stomach while exhaling. 3 Inhale slowly through the nostrils, press down on the hands and lift the torso from the waist up off the floor, arching the spine backwards and straightening the arms. Keep the hips on the floor. 4 Inhale, then while exhaling, raise the legs straight up perpendicular to the floor. You may support your hips with your hands or leave the arms flat on the floor, whichever is most comfortable. 5 The legs should be together with the knees straight and toes pointed straight up. Keep the head straight without turning it to either side. The chin should be pressed against the chest. 6 Breath gently through the nostrils while the posture is held. 7 Reverse the steps to return to the shava-asana. Comments: The sarvanga-asana is considered by many to be the most beneficial of all yoga postures. Because of its many benefits, if you find that your time is limited in the course of Yoga practice at home, it is recommended to place special emphasis on the sarvanga-asana.When performed in the morning thesarvanga-asana relieves fatigue caused by sleeping too much or too little and when practiced in the evening it helps to promote deep, restful sleep. It strengthens the back and helps to relieve lower back pain. The increased blood flow to the head and upper body helps to heal many disorders such as headaches, nasal congestion and sore throats. The entire endocrine, digestive, nervous, and venous systems of the body are stimulated in ways that no form of diet or conventional exercise can perform. Because the body is inverted a rich supply of oxygenated blood is sent to the organs and glands in the upper part of the body, such as the brain, thyroid and pituitary, and heart thereby stimulating them. Pressure is relieved from the lower body extremities relieving pain and/or swelling of the feet and legs. The sarvanga-asana also provides great benefit to the abdominal organs helping to relieve gas and constipation and stimulate digestion. Regular practice of this posture invigorates the mind and helps to calm the nervous system. Durations/Repetitions: Hold the sarvanga-asana anywhere from one to five minutes depending on comfort. Repeat the posture two or three times. Variations: There are two common variations to this posture. One is called theshalamba-sarvanga-asana. Sa means with and alamba means prop or support and refers to the use of the arms to support the legs and torso as they are inverted. The other variation is called the niralamba-sarvanga-sana. Nir means without and thus this variation is done without the support of the arms. Who should not perform this Asana? I f a person has ear problem like pus in the ears or a person suffers from epilepsy or if he suffers from cervical spondylosis, that person should not perform Sarvangasana. Those who have high myopia should also not perform this asana. It is advisable that children under age of 12 years should not perform this asana because thereby their natural growth may be held up.

All About Chakras.

 

What Are Chakras?

Chakras are our energy centers. They are the openings for life energy to flow into and out of our aura. Their function is to vitalize the physical body and to bring about the development of our self-consciousness. They are associated with our physical, mental and emotional interactions. There are seven major chakras. The aura is often referred to as the eighth chakra. The first chakra (root) actually hangs outside of your body. It is located between your thighs, about halfway between your knees and your physical body. The seventh chakra (crown) is located on the top of your head. The remaining chakras, (sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, and third eye), are aligned in sequence along your spine, neck, and skull. Individually, your chakras look similar to funnels with petal-like openings. Chakras are invisible to the human eye, but they can be perceived intuitively by trained energy workers.

Introducing the Seven Major Chakras

In the next seven features we will be focusing on each individual chakra. We will talk about the colors associated with each chakra, learn the physical location of them, explore what purposes they serve, discover which physical dysfunction's are associated with each chakra, learn what types of information is stored in each of the chakras, etc. This should prove to be an educational and enjoyable journey.

Root Chakra.

The Base or Root Chakra is associated with the color red. This chakra is the grounding force that allows us to connect to the earth energies and empower our beings. Focusing one's attention on the color of a cherry popsicle or a juicy red apple can help bring our energetic body "down to earth" and in alignment with our physical body when we find ourselves energetically fleeting or in other words....."Spacing off."

Chakra One - Associations

·                        Color - red

·                        Sanskrit Name - muladhara

·                        Physical Location - base of the spine

·                        Purposes - kinesthetic feelings, movement

·                        Spiritual Lesson - material world lessons

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- lower back pain, sciatica, varicose veins, rectal tumors, depression, immune related disorders

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - survival, self esteem, social order, security, family

·                        Information Stored Inside Root Chakra - familial beliefs, superstitions, loyalty, instincts, physical pleasure or pain, touch

·                        Area of Body Governed - spinal column, kidneys, legs, feet, rectum, immune system

Sacral Chakra.

The Sacral Chakra is associated with the color orange or red-orange. I usually visualize the Sunkist orange that has been dyed to attract the produce buyer, or the orange red of an evening sunset when I'm focusing on spinning my second chakra. This chakra often offers us the opportunity to lessen our "control issues" and find a balance in our lives, teaching us to recognize that acceptance and rejection are not the only options in our relationships. The process of making changes in our life stream through our personal choices is a product of second chakra energy. A well-functioning second chakra helps one to maintain a healthy yin-yang existence.

Chakra Two - Associations

·                        Color - orange

·                        Sanskrit Name - swadhisthana

·                        Physical Location - lower abdomen to the navel

·                        Purposes - emotional connection

·                        Spiritual Lesson - creativity, manifestation. honoring relationships, learning to "let go"

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- low back pain, sciatica, ob/gyn problems, pelvic pain, libido, urinary problems

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - blame, guilt, money, sex, power, control, creativity, morality

·                        Information Stored Inside Sacral Chakra - duality, magnetism, controlling patterns, emotional feelings (joy, anger, fear)

·                        Area of Body Governed - sexual organs, stomach, upper intestines, liver, gallbladder, kidney, pancreas, adrenal glands, spleen, middle spine

Solar Plexus Chakra.

The Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with the color yellow. This is the area which defines our "self-esteem". The personality that develops during puberty is housed in this chakra....otherwise known as the "EGO". Anyone experiencing dysfunction of the third chakra is having difficulty obtaining or maintaining his/her own "personal power". This intuitive chakra is where we get our "gut instincts" that signal us to do or not to do something. Strong self-esteem is a required for developing intuitive skills.

Chakra Three - Associations

·                        Color - yellow

·                        Sanskrit Name - manipura

·                        Physical Location - solar plexus

·                        Purposes - mental understanding of emotional life

·                        Spiritual Lesson - acceptance of your place in the life stream. (self-love)

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- stomach ulcers, intestinal tumors, diabetes, pancreatitis, indigestion, anorexia/bulimia, hepatitis, cirrhosis, adrenal imbalances, arthritis, colon diseases

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - self esteem, fear of rejection, oversensitivity to criticism, self-image fears, fears of our secrets being found out, indecisiveness

·                        Information Stored Inside Sacral Chakra - personal power, personality, consciousness of self within the universe (sense of belonging), knowing

·                        Area of Body Governed - upper abdomen, umbilicus to rib cage, liver, gallbladder, middle spine, spleen, kidney, adrenals, small intestines, stomach

Heart Chakra.

The Heart Chakra is associated with the color green or the color pink. This love center of our human energy system is often the focus in bringing about a healing. Thus, the words "Love Heals All" have great truth. Hurtful situations that can affect our emotional being are divorce or separation, grief through death, emotional abuse, abandonment, and adultery. All of these are wounding to the heart chakra. Physical illnesses brought about by heartbreak require that an emotional healing occur along with the physical healing. Learning to love yourself is a powerful first step in securing a healthy fourth chakra. The "wounded child" resides in the heart chakra.

Chakra Four - Associations

·                        Color - green, pink

·                        Sanskrit Name - anahata

·                        Physical Location - center of chest

·                        Purposes - emotional empowerment

·                        Spiritual Lesson - forgiveness, unconditional love, letting go, trust, compassion

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- heart conditions, asthma, lung & breast cancers, thoracic spine, pneumonia, upper back, shoulder problems

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - love, compassion, confidence, inspiration, hope, despair, hate, envy, fear, jealousy, anger, generosity

·                        Information Stored Inside Heart Chakra - connections or "heart strings" to those whom we love

·                        Area of Body Governed - heart, circulatory system, blood, lungs, rib cage, diaphragm, thymus, breasts, esophagus, shoulders, arms, hands

Throat Chakra.

The Throat Chakra is associated with the color sky blue. This chakra is our will center. The healthfulness of the fifth chakra is in relation to how honestly one expresses himself/herself. Lying violates the body and spirit. We speak our choices with our voices (throats). All choices we make in our lives have consequences on an energetic level. Even choosing not to make a choice such as in repressing our anger (not speaking out) may manifest into laryngitis. We have all experienced that "lump in our throats" when we are at a crossroad of not knowing how to speak the right words in any given situation, perhaps even stuffing our own emotions. A challenge of the throat chakra is to express ourselves in the most truthful manner. Also to receive and assimilate information. Seek only the truth.

Chakra Five - Associations

·                        Color - blue

·                        Sanskrit Name - vishuddha

·                        Physical Location - throat, neck region

·                        Purposes - learning to take responsibility for one's own needs

·                        Spiritual Lesson - confession, surrender personal will over to divine will, faith, truthfulness over deceit

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- sore throat, mouth ulcers, scoliosis, swollen glands, thyroid dysfunctions, laryngitis, voice problems, gum or tooth problems, TMJ

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - personal expression, creativity, addiction, criticism, faith, decision making (choices), will, lack of authority

·                        Information Stored Inside Throat Chakra - self-knowledge, truth, attitudes, hearing, taste, smell

·                        Area of Body Governed - throat, thyroid, trachea, neck vertebrae, mouth, teeth, gums, esophagus, parathyroid, hypothalamus

Brow / Third Eye Chakra.

The Brow Chakra is associated with the color indigo. It is also often referred to as the third eye or the mind center. It is our avenue to wisdom - learning from our experiences and putting them in perspective. Our ability to separate reality from fantasy or delusions is in connection with the healthfulness of this chakra. Achieving the art of detachment beyond "small mindedness" is accomplished through developing impersonal intuitive reasoning. It is through an open brow chakra that visual images are received.

Chakra Six - Associations

·                        Color - indigo

·                        Sanskrit Name - ajna

·                        Physical Location - center of the forehead

·                        Purposes - action of ideas, insight, mind development

·                        Spiritual Lesson - understanding, reality check point, detachment, open mind

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- brain tumors, strokes, blindness, deafness, seizures, learning disabilities, spinal dysfunctions, panic, depression

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - fear of truth, discipline, judgment, evaluation, emotional intelligence, concept of reality, confusion

·                        Information Stored Inside Sacral Chakra - seeing clear picture (symbolic or literal), wisdom, intuition, mental facilities, intellect

·                        Area of Body Governed - brain, neurological system, eyes, ears, nose, pituitary, pineal glands

Crown Chakra.

The Crown Chakra is associated with the color violet or white. We use the seventh chakra as a tool to communicate with our spiritual nature. It is through these vortices that the life force is dispersed from the universe into the lower 6 chakras. It has been referred to as our "GOD SOURCE" - but this terminology might be confusing to anyone who equates God with religious dogma; because of this I choose to call it a spiritual connection or communicator. This chakra is often pictured as a lotus flower opening to allow spiritual awakening in an individual. The crown chakra could also be considered the well intuitive knowing is drawn from.

Chakra Seven - Associations

·                        Color - violet, white

·                        Sanskrit Name - sahasrara

·                        Physical Location - top of head

·                        Purposes - intuitive knowing, connection to one's spirituality, integration of the whole

·                        Spiritual Lesson - spirituality, living in the NOW

·                        Physical Dysfunctions- mystical depression, diseases of the muscular system, skeletal system and the skin, chronic exhaustion not associated with physical ailments, sensitivity to light, sound, environment

·                        Mental and Emotional Issues - discovery of the divine, lack of purpose, loss of meaning or identity, trust, selflessness, humanitarianism, ability to see the bigger picture in the life stream, devotion, inspiration, values, ethics

·                        Information Stored Inside Crown Chakra - duality, magnetism, controlling patterns, emotional feelings (joy, anger, fear)

·                        Area of Body Governed - top center of the head, midline above the ears

Simple Chakra Exercises (Chakracises)

1.                Crown Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your crown chakra through prayer or meditation.

2.                Brow Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your brow chakra with visualization, remote viewing, and lucid dreaming.

3.                Throat Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your throat chakra by gargling with saltwater, singing, or screaming.

4.                Heart Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your heart chakra by doing push ups, swimming (breast stroke), and hugging yourself.

5.                Solar Plexus Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your solar plexus chakra by dancing (do The Twist, hoopla hooping, and belly dancing).

6.                Sacral Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your sacral chakra with pelvic thrusts and circular pelvis movements.

7.                Root Chakra Exercises - Chakracise your root chakra by stomping your feet upon the ground, marching, and doing squats.

8.                Aura Cleansing Exercises - Chakracise your aura by cleansing it by showering, soaking an Epsom salt bath, smudging with sage wand, or deep cleansing breaths.

Foods that Fuel Your Chakras

When you think about your chakra system you probably aren't considering the types of foods that you consume. Because our chakras are energy vortexes and invisible to most of us one might well imagine that chakras would thrive on energy, prayer, or other such spiritual stuff... you know, those things that we can't see with the human eye. However, the chakras cannot sustain our human body without our help. It is important to feed and nourish the flesh in order to help support and fuel our chakras. Whenever one or more of your chakras is misaligned you might do well to look and see if you are not eating or possibly overeating the foods that fuel that particular chakra.

Chakra Foods

Check out the foods under each of the seven primary chakras below to help you determine how your current diet might be deficient or over-indulgent. We can do our part in helping bring balance to our chakras by eating a balanced diet.

Feeding Your Root Chakra

Grounding

·                        Root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, parsnips, radishes, beets, onions, garlic, etc.

·                        Protein-rich foods: eggs, meats, beans, tofu, soy products, peanut butter

·                        Spices: horseradish, hot paprika, chives, cayenne, pepper

Feeding Your Sacral Center

Nourishing the Sexual/Creativity Center

·                        Sweet fruits: melons, mangos, strawberries, passion fruit, oranges, coconut, etc.

·                        Honey

·                        Nuts: almonds, walnuts, etc.

·                        Spices: cinnamon, vanilla, carob, sweet paprika, sesame seeds, caraway seeds

Feeding Your Solar Plexus Chakra

Boosting Self-Esteem and Encouraging Self-Love

·                        Granola and Grains: pastas, breads, cereal, rices, flax seed, sunflower seeds, etc.

·                        Dairy: milk, cheeses, yogurt

·                        Spices: ginger, mints (peppermint, spearmint, etc.), melissa, chamomile, turmeric, cumin, fennel

Feeding Your Heart Chakra

Healing Emotional Hurts

·                        Leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, dandelion greens, etc.

·                        Air vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, squash, etc.

·                        Liquids: green teas

·                        Spices: basil, sage, thyme, cilantro, parsley

_{Heart Chakra Soup Recipe}

Feeding Your Throat Chakra

Speaking One's Truth

·                        Liquids in general: water, fruit juices, herbal teas

·                        Tart or tangy fruits: lemons, limes, grapefruit, kiwi

·                        Other tree growing fruits: apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, etc.

·                        Spices: salt, lemon grass

Feeding Your Brow Chakra

Awakening Third Eye Senses

·                        Dark bluish colored fruits: blueberries, red grapes, black berries, raspberries, etc.

·                        Liquids: red wines and grape juice

·                        Spices: lavender, poppy seed, mugwort

Feeding Your Crown Chakra

Opening and Clearing the Spiritual Communication Center

·                        Air: fasting / detoxing

·                        Incense and Smudging Herbs: sage, copal, myrrh, frankincense, and juniper 
Incense and smudging herbs are not to be eaten but are ritually inhaled through the nostrils or can be smoked through a ceremony pipe for purification purposes.