Pranyama breathing technique – Brahmari the Bee

Pranayama cultivates a deep connection with the flow of life force (Prana) throughout your body.Brahmari means Bumble Bee and was named after the black Brahmari bee in India. This simple practice is very useful for calming the mind and releasing any tension.

Step by step guide -

1)      Sit cross-legged on the mat. If you can sit in the Padmasana Lotus Pose or Sukhasana Easy Pose that would be ideal. But if you cannot, then you may simply sit on a chair

2)     Move your arms forward and place your palms on your thighs.  Open your palms and touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger. If your mind still wanders then concentrate on your inhalation and exhalation.

3)     Raise your arms and place your palms on the sides of your head. Place your thumbs on your ears and block your ears. Place index fingers on eyelids to block put light and relax the rest of your fingers on the face. . Take a deep breath closing the mouth and make a humming sound in the back of your throat on the exhalation.

4)     Repeat for 5 rounds.

Tips

• There should be no strain involved with the humming yoga breathing exercise. Do not force your lungs to inhale or exhale any deeper or longer than is comfortable.
• Always breathe through your nose. It not only warms the air to your body temperature, but also helps promote deeper, longer breathing.

Scientists are now giving serious attention to an idea that yogis have known for centuries: that yoga has a positive effect on your mood. Although it’s an ancient mind-body practice, the future of yoga may be in treating mood disorders. In this small study, scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine measured yoga’s effect on depression and anxiety versus walking with a brain imaging study. They found that compared to walking, yoga provides a greater improvement in mood, as well as a decrease in anxiety.

The 34 study participants were randomly selected healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 45. They were divided into two groups: those who walked for an hour three times a week, and those who practiced yoga for the same amount of time.

The subjects’ brain scans were taken using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). This cutting-edge technology measured the participants’ levels of a brain chemical gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). GABA levels are markedly decreased in depressed people, but those levels increase in those who take medications such as Prozac that target serotonin levels. In the study, GABA levels were monitored before, during and after the exercise. Those subjects practicing yoga reported greater mood improvement than those walking, and their GABA levels matched those improvements.

By looking at actual changes in the brain, scientists are identifying new approaches to treating depression and anxiety. Walking is still a great form of exercise, and any exercise will be beneficial for those struggling with mood disorders. However, yoga improved mood more than walking did in this case.

Yoga has even been known to cure various serious ailments and diseases including heart disease, muscle and joint debilitation, depression and many, many more ailments. We have found more and more clients are being faced with diabetes. It has been seen to be resolved with a regular yoga practice. Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic polygenic disease where the glucose level in the blood is abnormally high. It is a type of metabolic disorder characterized by the body’s inability regulate and produce insulin. The main function of insulin is converting sugar, starches or other food items into energy. When the body stops producing insulin, the sugar circulation in blood increases unchecked, which leads to serious disorders of the nervous system, the vascular system, the circulatory system, obesity, even loss of limbs. Diabetes is a growing world-wide epidemic that even the most advanced medical doctors are continuously losing the battle against. Yoga and a balanced diet paired together have been seen to show marked steps towards curing diabetes and balancing blood sugar. Regular practice of yoga also reduces the chances of the onset of diabetes and keeps it in control by changing lifestyle patterns.

There are various yoga poses which can be effective in warding off diabetes. Sun salutation or Surya Namaskar is a very powerful and helpful yoga exercise for people suffering from diabetes. This exercise tends to improve the blood circulation throughout the body and hence a better level of insulin administration throughout the body. After becoming more familiar with Sun Salutations, one can practice other yoga asanas. Pranayama or the breathing techniques are also very good for controlling and purifying the blood. In addition, practicing meditation can also be helpful in the treatment of diabetes. Regular meditation has actually been known to have a regulative effect on sugar levels.

Dedicated runners are constantly trying to find better ways to take care of their bodies to prevent injuries. A yoga routine for runners may be exactly what you need to complement your training. Too many runners suffer from bad backs and knees, often forcing them to abandon running altogether. You will soon see that a regular yoga practice will allow you to keep running long and hard for many years to come.

Hatha yoga is a series of exercise and breathing for good health. The main benefits of yoga for runners may start with the asanas, or postures. Yoga in runners improves circulation, concentration, strength and flexibility. Yoga for runners, develop strength and make upper body muscles really strong and flexible lower body and spine. It is very useful in preparing the cardiovascular system and muscles for great performances. Gentle form of yoga is sometimes practiced to revitalize after hard training or competition.

Yoga allows calmness and understanding to our minds and bodies. The focus and understanding would train the mind for competition and to develop self esteem and confidence too. Yoga Wellbeing runner’s yoga programs are healthy activities meant for burning fat, building our strength, strengthening and toning our bones, increase flexibility, improve balance and concentration.

When the body is in a contracted state during physical exertion, the muscles are tight and you have limited range of motion, leaving you in an injury-prone state. Proper breathing techniques allow the body to loosen up, and increase lung capacity. While you are expelling CO2 at a higher rate, your body can concentrate on recovery instead of on waste products resulting from CO2 accumulation. Oxygen inflow is increased, keeping your muscles and joints saturated in nutrient-rich blood, both protecting them from injury while enhancing performance.

A yoga routine for runners will also prevent pain by focusing on symmetry, alignment and balance. Regular running often stress muscles unevenly, causing imbalances in the body. For example, running can develop uneven muscle strength around the knee, creating acute knee pain. Yoga will evenly work the upper, lower, inside and outside muscles, forming a more stable support for the joint. Furthermore, unaligned hips can cause strain in the anterior ligaments in the knees, resulting in even more knee pain. And finally, if you are off-balance when running, your body compensates by working harder and less efficiently. The compensating muscles get tighter and weak muscles weaken. Those tight muscles, that should ideally be soft and supple, become brittle and hard, leaving them susceptible to tears.

Finally, the last thing a yoga routine for runners can do for you is aid the healing process of your existing injuries. Oftentimes a sore lower back is merely the result of tight hip flexors that are causing hypertension in those back muscles. This back pain can easily be alleviated through some simple hip-opening poses. Other yoga postures focus on squeezing and releasing joints, thus encouraging active nutrient-rich blood flow to those areas. The practice will also boost the body’s natural healing process, producing pain-relieving endorphins and infection-fighting anti-bodies.

Through this practice, your body will loosen up and work more efficiently. And you can finally bid farewell to aches and pains; yoga will not only prevent future complications, but will actually heal the injuries you currently have. For more information click here.

This is a great way to destress at the weekend. It opens up the chest and gets the energy flowing. So why not give it a try this weekend?

(oosh-TRAHS-anna)

ustra = camel

Step by Step

1. Kneel on the floor with your knees hip width and thighs perpendicular to
the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, narrow your hip points,
and firm but don’t harden your buttocks. Imagine that you’re drawing
your sitting bones up, into your torso. Keep your outer hips as soft as
possible. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into floor.

2. Rest your hands on the back of your pelvis, bases of the palms on the
tops of the buttocks, fingers pointing down. Use your hands to spread
the back pelvis and lengthen it down through your tail bone. Then
lightly firm the tail forward, toward the pubis. Make sure though that
your front groins don’t “puff” forward. To prevent this, press your
front thighs back, countering the forward action of your tail. Inhale
and lift your heart by pressing the shoulder blades against your back
ribs.

3. Now lean back against the firmness of the tail bone and shoulder blades.
For the time being keep your head up, chin near the sternum, and your
hands on the pelvis. Beginners probably won’t be able to drop straight
back into this pose, touching the hands to the feet simultaneously while
keeping the thighs perpendicular to the floor. If you need to, tilt the
thighs back a little from the perpendicular and minimally twist to one
side to get one hand on the same-side foot. Then press your thighs back
to perpendicular, turn your torso back to neutral, and touch the second
hand to its foot. If you’re not able to touch your feet without
compressing your lower back, turn your toes under and elevate your
heels.

4. See that your lower front ribs aren’t protruding sharply toward the
ceiling, which hardens the belly and compresses the lower back. Release
the front ribs and lift the front of the pelvis up, toward the ribs.
Then lift the lower back ribs away from the pelvis to keep the lower
spine as long as possible. Press your palms firmly against your soles
(or heels), with the bases of the palms on the heels and the fingers
pointing toward the toes. Turn your arms outwardly so the elbow creases
face forward, without squeezing the shoulder blades together. You can
keep your neck in a relatively neutral position, neither flexed nor
extended, or drop your head back. But be careful not to strain your neck
and harden your throat.

5. Stay in this pose anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. To exit, bring
your hands onto the front of your pelvis, at the hip points. Inhale and
lift the head and torso up by pushing the hip points down, toward the
floor. If your head is back, lead with your heart to come up, not by
jutting the chin toward the ceiling and leading with your brain. Rest in
Child’s Pose for a few breaths.

Anthony Paul Moo-Young, known as Mooji, is a direct disciple of Sri Harilal Poonja, the renowned advaita master. In 1987, a chance meeting with a Christian mystic was to be a life-changing encounter for Mooji.

In late 1993, Mooji travelled to India. He had a desire to visit Dakshineswar in Calcutta where Sri Ramakrishna, the great Bengali Saint, had lived and taught. The words and life of Ramakrishna were a source of inspiration and encouragement to Mooji in the early years of his spiritual development. While in Rishikesh, a holy place at the foothills of the Himalayas, he was to have another chance encounter; this time with three devotees of the great advaita Master Sri Harilal Poonja, known to his many devotees as Papaji.

Mooji has been sharing satsang in the form of spontaneous encounters, retreats, satsang intensives and one-to-one meetings with the many seekers who visit him, from all parts of the world. Few amongst the modern teachers of the advaita tradition expound the ‘knowledge of Self’, and the method of self-enquiry, with such dazzling clarity, love and authority. There is an energy that radiates from Mooji’s presence, a kind of impersonal intimacy, full of love, joy and a curious mix of playfulness and authority. His style is direct, clear, compassionate and often humorous.

Currently Mooji shares satsang in Brixton, London, where he lives. He also travels regularly to Ireland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brasil, North America and India where he conducts satsang meetings, intensives and retreats.Yoga Wellbeing is really excited to go along to his next meeting and learn more from the Brixton guru.

Many adults practice yoga not only for the ways that it benefits the body, but also for its well proven effectiveness in improving mental clarity and emotional balance, and now growing numbers of children are discovering that this type of exercise can be good for them, as well. Some schools have begun to incorporate “yoga for kids” classes into their curriculum, recognizing the positive effects that yoga can have on students.

Benefits of Yoga for Children

The benefits of yoga are far-reaching, with participants in yoga classes for children experiencing all sorts of physical and emotional changes. Yoga is calming and is a wonderful stress reducer, which can be quite helpful for today’s generation of over-scheduled, high stress kids. Unlike a generation ago, modern kids are often kept busy with a number of organised activities, allowing them very little time to simply unwind and relax, but yoga helps them to do just that. While all kids can benefit from yoga, those with hyperactivity or anxiety conditions may be especially well suited to yoga classes.

In addition to the emotional benefits of yoga, kids who enrol in yoga for children classes reap a number of physical rewards. Increased strength, flexibility, better balance, improved coordination, and heightened body confidence are common for those who practice yoga regularly, and with continued practice, many people notice an enhanced spiritual connection to the exercise.

As kids get older and are better able to take direction, parents may want to consider enrolling them in classes specifically labelled “yoga for children” or “yoga for kids.” Children are not simply small adults, so they need to have instructors who are educated in paediatric physiology and have the personality to offer patient, positive, and careful direction.

Incorporating Yoga into a School Curriculum

When presented with options, many parents would choose to include yoga as part of the physical education programmes at their children’s schools. Some schools haven’t made changes to their curriculum in years (in some cases, it may even have been decades!), but today’s forward-thinking educators are often enthusiastic about offering children a well-rounded educational experience. Interested parents may wish to contact their children’s teachers about incorporating yoga instruction into their kids’ school days.

Yoga is an age old practice, but has enjoyed a resurgence of interest in recent years. Today’s busy lifestyles often require that people of all ages (kids included) actively seek healthy ways to relax and release stress. Yoga is an ideal choice for many, with benefits that are far reaching. Additionally, yoga teaches a respect for the body and spirit, encouraging participants to look at their overall health and lifestyle choices to see that they are making sound decisions regarding their nutrition, environment, and relationships. Such thoughtful introspection is an especially good habit to install in childhood, when many lifelong attitudes are being developed.

You just can’t escape the beauty in Peru between the desert and the lush expanse of the Amazon rainforest, it can’t help but surprise you. Peruvians honor gods both Christian and indigenous. Ancient ruins let you in on prehistoric secrets. There are stunning lakes to stare into, waves to surf, and cities to get lost in.

It’s a place continuously energized by fresh influences. In Peru, you can find yourself dancing to African music, admire impressive Catholic churches and be amazed indigenous textiles.

Meanwhile, prepare to send your vision into overdrive. Peru is home to snow-capped mountains, giant sand dunes, magestic volcanoes and rocky Pacific outcroppings inhabited by grumpy sea lions.

And let’s not forget the food, a bounty of sublime concoctions made freash and fast. You’ll need weeks to savor the vast selection of delicacies: from rare strains of potato to tasty guinea pig.

Peru will not let your taste buds down.

Depression and Anxiety are the most common forms of mental health problems encountered today. One in ten people will have to deal with one or the other in any given year. Yoga is a unique technique for dealing with these disorders. Yoga is a practice that has always had a holistic approach that recognises physical states affect mental states, mental states affect bodily states and all actions can affect the body and mind.

The general message is to work not only on the body but in conjunction with the mind to influence our mental state. Or perhaps to begin with we need a healthly body and mind to fully reach a state of well being and wellness. This is where yoga comes in, the word yoga means union and this union between the body and mind helps create mental harmony. Yoga does not offer a cure for depression, however it is powerful tool. Yoga focusing on asana (Postures), pranayama (breathing) and meditation help to develop a stronger state of mind which in itself will help overcome fears leading to anxiety. Depression is often caused by a combination of recent life events and personal factors including chemical changes in the brain.

Yoga can give back control over both of these factors, aiding in stress control and helping to create a balanced, calm state of mind with which to approach life. Feeling more calm and centred will begin to spread through everything other aspect of your life. Many sufferers find themselves withdrawing from society, lethargic, tired, suffering from appetite problems, sleeplessness, frustrated, miserable and unable to concentrate. Yoga provides a set of tools with which an individual can combat these symptoms. Yoga gives back control over both of these factors, aiding in stress control and helping to create a balanced, calm state of mind with which to approach life. Feeling more calm and centred will begin to spread through everything other aspect of your life.

When you try and meditate does it often feel like there is never enough space in London? We often think of going inside closing our eyes and focusing our attention on some internal process occuring spontaneously, like our breathing. The logical assumption is that the object of our meditation is to find inner peace. The outside world, the hustle and bustle of the city is an obstacle to overcome when meditating. According to some schools of yoga , if we exclude the outside world from our meditation we are only going to gain half of the experience of meditation.

Meditation can help your brain work more efficiently. You might feel anxious to get
back to your busy day or may even feel like dropping off if your tired. But consider this, a regular meditation practice can make your brain work better. Over the past few years, scientists have discovered that meditation helps the brain to process information more efficiently. Just as repeated practice of Sun Salutations builds strength and stamina, so regular meditation enhances the brain’s capacity for perception and awareness. It has been claimed that longtime meditators have a thicker insula, the part of the brain that links the emotional center with the thinking center. Some researchers say that the amygdala, the part of the brain tied to the fight-or-flight impulse, is more active than in people that don’t meditate. But meditators also seem to be better able to calm that response than others. Why not try our simple meditation intro. session. Find yourself a quiet space and give it a go.

Simple Meditation

Sit comfortably in an upright but relaxed position. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your nostrils. As you breathe notice the subtle sensation of cool air passing into, and warm air passing out of, your nose. without manipulating the breath, simply notice the sensation.

Maintain your attention to every breath. Staying relaxed and mentally alert become curious about each passing one as if it were your first.

If your attention wanders, simply notice the distraction and patiently return to the sensation of the breath. Your ability to stay present
deepens by consistently returning to the current moment.

Do this exercise 10 minutes once or twice a day, gradually extending your sessions to 20 or 30 minutes each.