February 8, 2022

Chakra Meditation: 7 Chakras Of The Body

Author By - Carol Penn Categories chakra meditation fitness health meditation mental health
Chakra Meditation

The term ‘chakra’ refers to ‘wheel’ in Sanskrit and is a part of an energy system inside our bodies. There are a total of seven points in this system and each point is known as a chakra. Chakra meditation has its origin in ancient Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas. The chakras have been said to be shaped like lotuses and are connected with distinct chakra sounds. Namely, the seven important chakras are as follows. 

  • Muladhara (Root chakra)

This chakra is situated at the base of our spine and it helps to maintain inner peace and stability.

  • Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra)

With an energetic function of regulating our desires and emotions, this one is located in our pelvis. 

  • Manipura (Solar plexus chakra)

Situated in our belly button, it provides us with the confidence we require to process things and let go of those that do not serve us a purpose.

  • Anahata (Heart chakra)

This one focusus on unconditional love and is located at the middle of our chest.

  •  Vishuddha (Throat chakra)

This chakra at the base of your throat is going to help you express yourself in the most authentic way.

  • Ajna (Third eye chakra)

Knowing ourselves is extremely important. You should strive to know yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually as well. This is exactly what this chakra located in the middle of your forehead helps in doing. 

  • Sahasrara (Crown chakra)

This point is at the top of our head and guides us in becoming a better version of ourselves by developing a connection with all and functioning in an enlightened manner. 

The objective of chakra meditation is to enhance your emotional awareness and to maintain mental balance. Your chakras need to open up and be in line with one another. If all your chakras are not aligned and in sync with one another, there might be some negative physical and emotional symptoms such as excessive sadness, fear, discomfort, headaches, digestive issues, etc. There are three distinct ways to go about chakra meditation. You can begin meditation on energy, meditation on chakra colors or meditation on a specific chakra.  

What Is Root Chakra Meditation?

Root chakra meditation is an example of meditation on an individual chakra for improving the emotional or physical areas that are associated with that particular point. When you opt for root chakra meditation, your focus would be to acquire chakra elements such as stability, security, and basic needs in general. You could also be targeting emotional requirements such as responsibility, and interconnection as well as basic needs such food, shelter, water, and safety. Whichever point you decide to focus on, your ultimate goal would be to ensure that your chakras are open, thereby allowing the free flow of energy throughout your body. This would lead to a strong and stable connection between your body and mind. 

December 23, 2021

Restorative Yoga Poses

Author By - Arti Sharma Categories fitness health restorative yoga savasana yoga
Restorative Yoga

Some terms that are usually associated with restorative yoga are gentle, slow, relaxing, and calm. This is because restorative yoga is a type of yoga that promotes physical, and mental relaxation. As the name suggests, it helps in restoration and rejuvenation, that is, positive healing. The poses that are practiced are done extremely slowly and steadily since the key is to complete the session in an organic, unforced manner. It focuses on holding postures for a long time unlike other forms like power yoga, Bikram yoga, etc. You are expected to hold a pose for 5 minutes or more. This is why very few postures are included in a single session of restorative yoga. Deep breathing plays a very important role in this form. One major motive of this form is to awaken the parasympathetic nervous system. Let’s talk about some of the main poses of this form. 

  • Legs-On-The-Wall Pose 

This is one of the defining poses of restorative yoga. To achieve this pose, place your yoga mat close to the wall. Next, lie down straight on the mat, with cushions or blankets underneath your head and back to provide extra support. Next, straighten your legs upwards and rest them on the wall. The distance between your buttocks and the wall should be as less as is possible for you to sustain. Hold this position for about 10 minutes and focus on deep breathing. This would help relax your body and release the tension in your muscles. This pose is great for providing a mild stretch to the back of your neck and hamstrings. It reduces back-related issues and treats tired legs and feet. 

  • Corpse Pose

The pose is commonly known as savasana and is done after several yoga and other fitness routines. It’s known to relieve muscle tension and stress. Achieving it is quite simple. Lie down straight on your yoga mat with a pillow or blankets under your head and the back of your knees. This would give you extra comfort and support. Your hands should be placed on the sides, with the palms facing upwards. There should be a slight gap between your hands and the body. Attempt to hold this position for about 10 minutes and concentrate on your breathing. Take slow, but deep breaths and let your body muscles relax. If you do this regularly, it would have an immense positive impact on your mental, as well as physical health. Once you begin restorative yoga, the results will not disappoint you. 

December 22, 2021

Bikram Choudhury And Hot Yoga

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories bikram yoga fitness health yoga
Yoga Session

There are currently over 1650 Bikram yoga studios around the world. Bikram yoga is a type of yoga that was introduced in the 1970s by Bikram Choudhury in California. In this practice devised by him, one is required to perform the same 26 hatha yoga poses for 90 minutes. Furthermore, this must be done in a hot room with a temperature of 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit), hence the name “Hot Yoga.” While any style of yoga performed in a hot room can be called “hot yoga,” Bikram yoga rooms are the hottest.

Bikram Choudhury has chosen eagle posture, tree pose, cobra pose, and other classic hatha yoga poses. One of the most significant aspects of Bikram yoga is that the poses cannot be performed in any random order. When doing Bikram yoga, you must follow a precise sequence. According to Bikram Choudhury, the main man himself, the poses are designed in such a way that new and fresh blood reaches all regions of your body in a methodical manner, including every fiber and organ. If the precise order is not followed, the same benefits will not be attained. Bikram yoga has a number of advantages, according to its practitioners. Because it’s done in a heated environment, you’ll be sweating from the beginning to the end of your session. This guarantees that toxins are removed from your body through sweat. Furthermore, the high temperature promotes blood flow and allows oxygenated blood to reach muscle tissue. This increases overall flexibility while also assisting in weight loss. Bikram yoga is also good for people who suffer from back pain or low blood pressure. It sharpens the mind and enhances physical and mental well-being. In some people, Bikram yoga can help with glucose tolerance, bone mineral density, blood lipid profile, arterial stiffness, mindfulness, and stress perception.

While there is evidence to support the benefits of Bikram yoga, there are also some risks associated with it. Many people believe that being in a hot environment for too long might cause dehydration, dizziness, and nausea. As a result, if you’re a beginner, you should practice under the guidance of an expert. At no point should you overwork yourself. The key to achieving the best results is to follow your trainer’s directions.

December 18, 2021

Techniques Of Zen Meditation

Author By - Debbie Gobin Categories fitness health meditation mental health therapy zen meditation
Meditation

Zen meditation is a branch of mediation that is associated with spirituality. In this form of meditation, one needs to be in sync with the authentic nature of his mind. It involves decoding the true powers of your mind. The purpose of this form of meditation is to clear the mind of evils such as anxiety and depression by providing you with the actual perspective of how the human mind functions. Zen meditation has originated from the Tang Dynasty of China that existed during the 7th century. It is a Buddhist practice but with time, it spread to several parts of Asia such Japan and Korea. “A special teaching transmission outside the teachings; not established upon words and letters; directly pointing to the human heartmind; seeing nature and becoming a Buddha” are the words of Bodhidharma, a Buddhist master while he described Zen meditation. It does not simply involve the reduction of stress and anxiety, but it is connected to the deeper questions of life that often have no solid answers. These questions are explored to find out the nature of the mind. Some techniques of Zen meditation are mentioned below. 

  • Silent Awareness 

A very important aspect of Zen mediation is to just let the mind be. This is called “shikantaza” in Japanese that refers to “just sitting”. In this practice, you would have to allow your mind to simply be a passage wherein thoughts flow in and out, instead of reacting to them. You would have to let the thoughts pass without any sort of judgements, either positive or negative. You would simply have to refrain from any sort of feeling. Your goal would be to be free of all judgements and practicing meditation. This is important if you want to know how clear your mind can truly be and how freely can it function. 

  • Observing The Breath 

You would be expected to sit on a cushion, chair or mat while you are performing this meditation. You would have to hold the Seiza pose, Burmese or half-lotus before channelizing all your energy on one particular aspect of the meditation process, namely, breathing. You would have to focus all your attention on your breathing and the completion of inhalation and exhalation with your belly playing an important role. The more accurate your effort is, the faster would you notice desirable results. The motive of this is to make your mind feel more alert and attentive, thus regulating your emotions better. 

December 15, 2021

What Is Power Yoga?

Author By - Asmita Bhattacharjee Categories fitness health power yoga yoga
Practicing Power Yoga

Yoga is an umbrella term for a wide plethora of fitness regimes, each having its own procedure and goal. Power yoga is one such form. As you can well understand from the name, power yoga is associated with developing power and strength. It was essentially designed for getting rid of calories from your body and promoting muscle power and cardiovascular endurance. It is the opposite of what yoga is conventionally thought to be. Power yoga does not include slow movements and postures. Instead, the movements of power yoga are extremely rapid and the key is being able to make the shift from one movement to another swiftly. The main distinction lies in the fact that the approach is not on individual poses but what matters is the flow with which one can move from one pose to the next. It is a part of Vinyasa yoga that has originated from Ashtanga yoga that is prevalent since the 20th century. However rapid power yoga might be, you need to remember that concentrating on your breathing and being mindful would still be important. Some of its vital benefits are as follows. 

  • Promotes Cardiovascular Health 

Studies have shown that since power yoga is swift, performing the poses effectively can increase your heart rate and keep it stable. This is extremely helpful for sustaining your cardiovascular health. This is because, if your heart rate rises while performing any kind of physical activity, there would be better blood circulation in your body and your muscles and organs would receive the oxygen that they need more effectively. In this way, your body functioning would become more efficient and your overall health would improve. Moreover, it would also help in keeping your heart strong and lungs stable. Controlling blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels, and cholesterol levels of your body are also important benefits of power yoga. 

  • Burning Calories 

This one is yet another essential benefit of power yoga. Since power yoga is associated with rapid moves, it gives you a cardio workout that is vital for burning extra calories and weight loss. Moreover, since it is also responsible for improving the efficiency of muscles and organs, it would continue the process of weight loss even when you are not working out. Also, if you have been unable to workout or involve in any kind of exercise for a while now because of your joint and back-related issues, power yoga would help solve those as well, thereby making you more active. What are you waiting for? Its time you begin power yoga and tread closer towards your dream of achieving a toned body.  

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