Tag: Stillness

Asana, Breathing techniques, Meditation, Stillness, Stress management, Vedic Science

Therapeutic uses of Surya Namaskara

Chetnaajoshi


Surya namaskar means “sun salutation” and is a type of yoga exercises that comprises of a sequence of 12 linked asanas. It is also known as the “ultimate Asana” as it is beneficial of all body parts. The sun blesses us with light and warmth and supports all life forms on the earth. It helps the plants grow and is important in regulating the water cycle and a lot of phenomena on the earth. This yoga practice is to adore or to bow in front of the sun. It is practiced during sunrise as it is the most fresh time of the day. Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school is the best place to perform and practice Surya Namaskara due to its calming and pure environment.
Surya namaskar consists of the following twelve steps:


1.Pranamasana: The prayer pose:-


(I) Stand straight on a mat with your feet together.
(II) Inhale and bring your arms up.
(III) Exhale and join your hands in namaskar mudra in front of your chest.
(IV) Keep your spine straight and look straight at the front.

2. Hastauttanasana : Raised arm pose:-


(I) Inhale and bring your hands above your head
(II) Your biceps should be close to your ears.
(III) Stretch your body backwards from tip to toe


3. Hasta padasana : Hand to foot pose;


(I) Breathe out and bring your hands down to your toes.
(II) Bend your body and touch the ground with your fingers.

4. Ashwa Panchalanasana : The equestrian pose( right leg):-
(I) Take your right leg back and touch the knee to the ground.
(II) Bend left knee and put both your hands at its two sides in the ground.
(III) Raise your head a little backwards.

5. Danadasana : Plank pose :-

(I) Take your left leg back too.
(II) Your body should be straight.
(III) Straighten your arms and touch your palms to the ground.

6. Astanga namaskar : Eight angle pose:-


(I) Touch the ground at 8 points, viz. 2 feet, 2 knees, two palms, chest and chin
(II) Your palms and shoulders should be in the same line

7. Bhujangasana : The cobra pose :-


(I) Make your legs lie on the floor and put your arms straight and palms in the line with the shoulders.
(II) Raise your upper body as much as you can and look towards the sky.

8. Paravatasa : The mountain pose :-


(I) Lift your body from Bhujangasana and bend in the form of inverted V
(II) Push the ground with your palms and feet while keeping your spine and remaining body straight.

9.Ashwa Panchalanasana: The equestrian pose( left leg):-


(I) Take your right leg back and touch the knee to the ground.
(II) Bend left knee and put your both hand on the ground.
(III) Raise your head a little backwards.

pose:-


(I) Bring your hands towards your toes and touch the ground with the palms.

11. Hastauttanasana Raised arm pose:-
(I) Stretch your both hands above your head keeping both the hands parallel.
(II) Keep your hands close to your ears and stretch your body backwards.


12.Pranamansana: The prayer pose:-


(I) Bring your hands back together in Namaskar mudra


Repeat the same for 10 minutes.At Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school, Surya Namaskara is included in all yoga and meditation courses, it is taught in a step-by-step manner. The various therapeutic benefits of Surya Namaskara are also taught at Shree Mahesh Heritage.

Therapeutic Benefits of Surya Namaskara:-


Increases energy levels in the body: Since it is performed in the morning and involves complete stretching of the overall body and movement of everybody part, Surya namaskar gives a boost of energy level. We feel less tired even after doing a lot of work and are able to multitask. It gives a fresh feeling all throughout the day, and we can thus do more work in less time and that too very easily.


Improves cardiovascular system: Surya Namaskara increases the breathing capacity and capacity of lungs to store oxygen. This helps in transferring more oxygen to the heart and thus making the blood oxygen rich, and this makes the heart function properly.


Stimulates hormones: Various hormones play a very important role in our body, especially for growth and development. Performing Surya Namaskara on a daily basis stimulates various glands in our body that secrete hormones important for the growth of the body and for performing important tasks.


Improves digestion: A huge proportion of our population suffers from stomach-related diseases, most of which are caused by indigestion. Sad stomach makes the whole day sad. Surya Namaskara includes stretching and contracting of the abdomen and gives a good massage to abdominal organs, thus improving the digestive system. At Shree Mahesh Heritage, good digestion is taken into consideration seriously, due to which the food over here is made up of herbs and medicinal plants that are beneficial for the digestive system.
Relieves stress and anxiety: Stress is a common problem today, and it’s hard to deal with it sometimes. Surya Namaskara activates different parts of the brain and reduces the stress hormones like cortisol. It not only makes the brain calm, but gives us the ability to think more carefully and handle problems in a better way. Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school being surrounded by hills on three sides is the best place where you can relieve your stress by just breathing deep, while performing Surya Namaskara at this place adds icing on the cake.


Removes extra fat: Extra fat is the reason for too many diseases. Surya Namaskara has proved really beneficial in reducing body fat and weight. It involves various asanas including belly exercise and belly movement, thus making flexible and cutting out extra fat.


Increases height: Surya Namaskara involves different asanas and breathing techniques, and since it is performed in the morning during sunrise, it also involves absorption of sunlight. It gives energy to the nervous system and thus enables the releases of growth hormone in the body, which ultimately leads to the growth of the overall body, including height.


Treats insomnia: Sleeplessness is a common condition nowadays, especially in the working population. Due to uneven schedule of work and overworking, we come prey to insomnia. Sound sleep is important for maintaining good health. Performing Surya Namaskara calms and relaxes the mind, giving you sound sleep. Sound sleep makes the nervous system stronger and the brain starts functioning in a better way and concentration power also increases.


Improves skin glow: Surya Namaskara improves blood circulation in the body. Good blood circulation leads to healthy skin and proper sleep also makes the skin better.


Surya Namaskara has proven beneficial in the treatment of many more problems and diseases, teachers at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school recommend Surya Namaskara to all. While teaching Surya Namaskara, Shree Mahesh Heritage staff takes care of all precautions to be taken.

Asana, Breathing techniques, Meditation, Stillness, Stress management, Vedic Science

What is Raja Yoga?

Chetnaajoshi


Meditation is something that makes us find ourselves in the midst of all the worldly chaos. When we meditate, we are able to focus on our well-being that we have otherwise been ignoring. Meditation finds us a solution to many problems and helps in making our life easier. We are able to understand things more clearly and take decisions in a better way if we meditate. Raja Yoga is a type of meditation technique a little different from the other ones as it is complete wholesome in itself and requires even minimal efforts compared to other meditation techniques. Located at Devbhumi Uttarakhand, Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school provides the best environment to practice meditation away from all the hustle and bustle of cities.


Defining Raja Yoga:


Raja in Sanskrit means king, which refers to a Royal, and thus raja yoga is considered the principal form of yoga. It is yoga and meditation practice which aims to attain peace and contentment of body, mind and soul. Raja Yoga basically aims to self-realization and spiritual liberation. The distracted human mind is considered the greatest obstacles in the path of self-realization. The mind which is involved in misery, lying, ego and selfishness obstructs human beings from attaining the ultimate liberation and causes suffering to individuals and to people around them. The teachers at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school guide you to perform Raja Yoga step by step and make you feel its true benefits in the best way possible.
As we can understand from the word itself, “Raja” is the one who is independent and fearless. Similarly, the one who practices Raja yoga is confident and away from all the worries. Raja yoga makes us more disciplined and smart. Raja yoga is a wholesome and inclusive form of all kinds of yoga and meditation, and it can be practiced by anyone from any background. Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school is open for everyone regardless of religion, gender, race or any background to come and practice meditation and take one step forward towards liberation from the worldly chaos.
Raja yoga is an astanga yoga or “eightfold path” because it consists of eight steps in the path to self-realization and finding the meaning of life in the most subtle form.
The eight parts in which Raja yoga is organized are:
1.Yama
2.Niyama
3.Asana
4.Pranayam
5.Pratyahara
6.Daharana
7.Dhyana
8.Samadhi


1.Yama: Meaning “self-control” consists of the following five principles:


•Ahimsa: Non-violence; Ahimsa means not to hurt any living being, be it human or animals or even an insect, by your words or deed. It persuades people not to harm anyone. It also means not to kill anyone and avoid meat because it involves killing of innocent animals. This is why yogis are pure vegetarians. When animals are being slaughtered, they feel pain and sense the nearby death and, due to which, their body releases stress hormones which remain in their blood and flesh and then are transferred to the humans who eat them unsuspectingly and cause fear, stress in human beings too. The food at Shree Mahesh Heritage is purely vegetarian and simple, thus healthy for both mind and body.


•Satya: Truthfulness: We should always speak the truth no matter how bitter it could be, we should always walk in the path of truthfulness because lies always cause harm. Truth can be harsh, and we should know how to put the truth forward in a way that it is conveyed in a harmless manner. To be truthful also means to put forward all your feelings without hesitation and not to hide your fears and insecurities. Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school teaches you to walk on the path of truthfulness no matter what.


•Asteya: Non-stealing; Asteya means one should never steal or take away any property that rightfully belongs to some other person. It can be mental or materialistic. Taking away people’s mental peace, joy, happiness and even opportunity is not at all valid. The exploitation of natural resources for our own good is also considered stealing.


•Brahmacharya: Adopting the pure way of life; Brahmacharya is limited to mean “sexual resistance” but in reality it is much more than that. In fact, Brahmacharya means we shouldn’t neglect all our worldly duties but to fulfill them carefully and wisely and always remember that it is the Almighty who is doing this all.


•Aparigraha: Not to pile up possessions; We should never collect or accumulate a number of possessions just in order to be rich and look rich. We should always keep with us only as much as we need to live. One who posses a lot, also posses many worries. It also means the power of letting go, be it a materialistic possession or an emotional one.

2. Niyama: Discipline; It consists of five principles; namely
(i) Shauca: Purity of thoughts and body
(ii) Santosh: Contentment
(iii)Tapa: Self-control and self-discipline
(iv) Svadhyaya: Study of holy books and scriptures
(v) Ishvara Pranidhana: Devotion to the Almighty

3. Asana: It consists of various postures and exercises for a healthy body and mind.

4. Pranayama: Breathing techniques
A raja Yogi who performs Asana and pranayama achieves control over his body and mind which opens up the doors to Nirvana for him.

5. Pratyahara: Pratyahara means withdrawal of all senses. Initially, when pratyahara is practiced, we have to focus on outside sounds and listen to them like that of nature and birds, but gradually we learn to focus on our inner sounds, like heartbeat, breathing sound etc. It is practiced by sitting motionless with our eyes closed


6. Dharana: Dharana means concentration. It is difficult for us to concentrate at one particular point, and we get distracted all the time. Dhyana is achieved by regular practice and

7. Dhyana: Dhyana means “meditation” and meditation cannot be learnt, it is practiced and it comes into our habit when we are most comfortable and habitual of doing it.

8. Samadhi: Samadhi means complete liberation. It refers to oneness with the Devine consciousness. And when we attain Samadhi, we hear heavenly sounds and become like a river that ultimately flows into the see to unite with the devine


The teachers at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school teach step-by-step how to practice “RajaYoga” in the simplest form and guide you towards ultimate liberation. They make you understand the meaning and purpose of living so that you live in the most efficient way possible and do not harm anyone along the way.

Breathing techniques, Meditation, Stillness, Vedic Science

Benefits of Asanas in daily life

Chetnaajoshi


Yoga was born in ancient Indian times but is becoming increasingly popular all over the world due to its wonderful benefits. Yoga includes various postures known as Asanas. Practicing yoga Asanas daily can sort out a number of problems in life. Asana are comfortable postures that can be practiced easily for a long period of time. Saint Pantajali in 200 BC wrote his book in which he classified postures into two parts. The meditation postures are known as Asanas and physical postures known as Yoga vyayam. However, in general, all yoga exercises are considered Asanas. The Asanas taught at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school are rooted deep in the yogic times and have healing effects on the body and soul.
Most of the Asanas are derived from nature and animals such as a tree, mountain, cat, deer, rabbit etc. Asanas have an amazing impact on the body and mind of human beings. Asanas are beneficial in treating many body ailments and treating stress and other mental problems too and serve amazing benefits if practiced regularly. At Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school, you learn Asanas that don’t involve a lot of effort but have amazing therapeutic results.


How to perform Asanas:

Asanas are performed by synchronization of body movement with the breath. When we perform Asanas while inhaling, it involves expanding of the abdominal area and when performed while exhaling, the abdominal area shrinks.
Asanas are performed slowly to enable concentration. The time for which we perform Asanas or their number is of no concern but the quality. These should be performed such that the body is relaxed all the time, and there is no strain. The teachers at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school guide you step by step to perform Asanas in the most effective manner beginning from primary Asana to complex ones.
When body movements are coordinated with breathing, this practice calms the mind, improves the functioning of the nervous system and increases the capacity of the lungs. Asanas should be performed for a longer period of time only after significant practice of primary postures. The teachers at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school teach you Asanas in the easiest way, starting from the most basic to the complex ones step by step, so that your body adapts along the way. The 200-hour yoga training at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school involves various Asanas beneficial for your overall health.


Improves mental health:

Various asana that include deep and mindful breathing and most of the Adams in general are helpful in improving brain capacity. As Asana stimulates various parts of the brain, this makes us think more calmly and feel joyous. There are so many mental disorders like headache, migraine, bipolarity, anger issues that people nowadays suffer from. Asanas can help with reducing these ailments if practiced on a daily basis. There is a flow of positive energy in the brain after performing Asanas.


Improves body posture:

The office lifestyle nowadays, that forces us to sit on a chair in front of a computer screen for long hours, deteriorates our body posture a lot. Improper body posture leads to joint pains, back pain and muscle pain. It also affects our digestive system and increases fat. Asanas involves postures that involve balancing techniques and a straight spine. Different Asanas that involve stretching improve flexibility of the body. Thus, Asanas help in making our body posture better.
Makes you healthy and fit: Asanas involve movements of different body parts and their stretching. These lead to cutting extra fat from your body, making you flexible, leading to a good physique. Many Asanas also help in building strength and endurance. If practiced on a daily basis, Asanas make you healthy and fit and improves your immune system. Asana does not take a lot of hard work like other exercises, you can do it while you are relaxed. A healthy mind dwells in a healthy body, and Asanas make your body and mind healthy without much effort.


Woos away stress and anxiety:

Different postures, especially the ones that involve breathing techniques, are helpful in calming and clearing the stress and anxiety from the brain. You are able to focus and understand things properly. Asanas lower stress hormones like cortisol and promote relaxation.
Improves the nervous system: Asanas are primarily the body postures that decrease the heart rate and blood pressure, so that when our body is calm, our brains are able to transmit a message more easily. Asanas involving meditation activates our brains and increases their capacity to maintain overall coordination between mind, body and soul.


Helps in developing immunity:

We are often exposed to bad environment, bad food and water and polluted air, due to which we are prone to so many diseases. Bad food habits and taking soft drinks can also be fatal as it accumulates fat inside our body and, consequently, leads to diseases like diabetes, obesity, blood pressure and heart disease. Moreover, common cold and fever are now more frequent than ever. Now Covid has also come. So it is necessary to become immune enough in order to live a healthy life. Asanas that activate various body parts, reduce fat and calms us down to normalize blood pressure can prove life-saving.


Summary:

Yoga Asanas can be performed comfortably by anyone, and they nourish and tone the body and mind and stimulates the much ignored glands in the body. Practicing Asanas daily has many health benefits. Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school is the best place to practice Asanas away from the bustle of the city. Here you get the calmest environment that rejuvenates you while performing Asanas, and you’re guided by the best yoga teachers.

Breathing techniques, Meditation, Stillness, Stress management

Benefits of stillness

Chetnaajoshi

We all rush all the time to complete tasks, to meet deadlines, to plan strategies, to prepare for the next day. There is no place for stillness, we are running all the time to complete ever-pending work. For a long time, the significance of stillness is buried deep, and no one actually thinks about it because we are always told to do as much as we can and rest as little as possible. There are so many expectations we ought to fulfill, expectations of our parents, expectations of the boss at work, our own expectations and dreams. But in all this, where are we? Where is our mental peace? Where is the time for stillness? Why rush all the time and not rest? Why not rejuvenate? Why not purify our deep inner self?


Importance of practicing stillness

Being busy all the time disturbs the overall equilibrium of the body, mind and soul. It may fulfill our materialistic needs such as money, hunger and social status, but it sometimes frustrates us so much that we fall prey to many complications like anger, anxiety, stress, bipolarity and much more. We need to balance our work life with our well-being. Rushing and running all the time doesn’t feel energetic all the time. It’s important to take out some time away from everything else, just for yourself and to sit and practice stillness. Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school teaches the importance of stillness and how to practice stillness even when the life schedule is very busy. At Shree Mahesh Heritage, you find the best environment to woo your stress away, and achieve stillness in the best way possible.


How stillness can benefit us?


• Reducing stress: Stress is very common today. It may have many reasons, like working pressure, uneven work hours, insufficient sleep etc. Stress makes us frustrated and worried. We start self-doubting and confidence level reduces. We ignore good opportunities and fail to face challenges. Taking out a few minutes to sit still without any worry can work as an important stress management tool. It activates our brains parts and stimulates stress-busting hormones. Stillness makes us peaceful and improves our power of decision making, and we can do more work in less time. Stillness practices at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school are helpful in reducing stress and balancing our mental health to a huge extent. These techniques are not very time-consuming but are worth it. You will feel the difference as soon as you start practicing stillness at Shree Mahesh Heritage.


• Managing anger issues: When things don’t work out, and when deadlines are not met, we get frustrated and irritated. These developed anger issues and in anger, we lose our decision-making ability and tend to take actions that are harmful for us and for the people around us. Anger is very common today, not only among the old and aged, but also among youth and children. Anger harms our mental peace so much and becomes toxic to the people around us. Anger strains all types of relationships, with our family, colleagues, friends or even ourselves. In order to live a peaceful life, we need to maintain a healthy relationship with the people around us. We can resolve our anger issues by sitting still and away from worldly chaos for some time. Teachers at Shree Mahesh Heritage meditation school teach anger management through stillness in the most effective way.


• Reviving sleeping cycle: Most of us have a disturbed sleep cycle. Either we suffer from insomnia or from oversleeping. Both of these can be signs of depression. A perfect sleep cycle has become very difficult to achieve nowadays. We fail to sleep appropriately due to many factors like too much work and social pressure, night shift or waking up for long in the night. Whatever the reason maybe, sleep cycle has to be on track in order to perform any take properly.


• Enhancing creativity: When we are stable, we have power to think more and perform more. We have the ability to grab many things easily and to adapt new skills. Especially in students, being stable is an important factor in order to learn new things and be creative. Always, stable and sober children or even adults are quick learners and are more creative. It’s advice to practice stillness to enhance creativity as we get the power to think in a much better way by practicing stillness.


• Letting things go: Being stuck with some old memories that maybe be painful and disturbing is not the solution to any problem. Still, many people, teenagers and even adults, find it difficult to move on with their life, forgetting all what happened in a past, or a fight with someone in the family. We have to let go in order to move forward, but it is quite difficult for many of us because we make ourselves slaves of those bad memories. If we practice stillness, our brains become calm and bend us towards positivity and the tendency of letting go.


How to practice stillness?
There are no such rules or regulations and time to practice stillness. We can practice it anytime we are calm. We can sit in a quiet place and take deep breaths, listen to the voice of our inhaling and exhaling and forget everything for a while. Just forget all the worldly possessions and focus on yourself, be calm and just breathe in and out. Practice for a few minutes at first, and as you start to adapt, increase the time. At Shree Mahesh Heritage, you find a peaceful environment to practice stillness is its best form. Moreover, since everyone is at home due to Covid nowadays, the love classes at Shree Mahesh Heritage can guide you in a proper way from your place of comfort.