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.

Yoga Wellbeing offers classes throughout South London throughout Clapham and Brixton. Our classes incorporate Hatha Yoga that share the benefits of breath control, guided relaxation and yoga postures.

People come to yoga for various reasons

to improve their physical health, to relax, to relieve stress, to calm their mind, to feel more peaceful - and others come along just to find out what it is all about. Yoga is concerned with all the above and much more, so whatever your reasons are for coming along they should be fulfilled.

Yoga means ‘to unite’ and is a way of restoring a healthier balance to body and mind

By concentrating on the postures one calms down, therefore by stretching the body is relieved of tension and one is ready to relax. The good thing about yoga is that you are never too old or too young to feel the benefits. Vigorous exercise may make a fit and healthy person feel good about their body but it is not suitable for everyone and does not always provide the relaxation which people need. With yoga it doesn’t matter how stiff or out of condition you are, as long as you are dedicated and patient. The postures should be done with care and without straining, so by taking your body to its natural limit you will, in time, see an improvement. The postures and sequences of postures have different effects - stimulating, calming, energising, building stamina, concentration, promoting sleep, etc.

Most yoga classes begin by very gently working through the postures which are called asanas, starting with those which are simple and progressing on to those which are more advanced. The sessions will include warming up, practising the asanas, breath awareness and deep breathing, and relaxation. Although there is a need to work seriously to feel the benefits that yoga has to offer, there is usually some fun too.

Unwinding with some rejuvenating supported postures for an hour and a half sounds perfect. But moments after you close your eyes and immerse yourself in the first pose. The pose feels as though it’s going on forever, and although your body isn’t moving, your mind won’t stop racing. You feel restless, agitated, and out of control. This is supposed to be “restorative” yoga. What happened?

Restorative yoga is a passive practice

Poses like Reclining Bound Angle Pose or Legs-up-the-Wall Pose are held for several minutes at a time, propped with blankets, blocks, and bolsters to minimize the amount of work that the muscles are doing in the pose. A restorative practice can rest your body, stretch your muscles, lower your heart rate and blood pressure, and calm your nervous system, moving you into a peaceful state of deep relaxation. But while the practice of restorative yoga comes easily to some people, it can present real challenges for others.

The practice of being still and restful provokes anxiety for many people. And during times of extreme stress, such as illness, a difficult transition, or grief, releasing control of the body can overwhelm the nervous system. Passive postures can evoke feelings of discomfort for myriad reasons. On a physical level, Pransky says, the body is in a vulnerable state: You are releasing control of all your muscles, lying with your eyes closed and your chest and abdomen—the location of your vital organs—exposed. In many restorative poses, the body is also splayed out, and often the bones are not resting in their sockets, which can leave you feeling physically unstable or insecure.

On an emotional level, restorative poses can be challenging because, when the body is in a passive posture, the mind has fewer physical tasks and sensations to focus on than it does in more active poses, making your attention more likely to turn inward. Any emotions you might have been suppressing throughout the day—fear, frustration, sadness, anxiety—are likely to come to the forefront of your mind once your body begins to relax.

Finally, if you go very deep into the meditation of the pose, says Pransky, you can lose a sense of your physical shape. If you are in a content and secure frame of mind, this can deepen your experience and provide a sense of bliss.

Is restorative yoga for you?

But just because restorative yoga can trigger anxious or uncomfortable feelings doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. In fact, times of high anxiety or stress are the times you can most benefit from the healing aspects of a restorative practice. The solution is to support passive postures with props in such a way that the body and mind feel grounded, safe, and integrated. That way, you can still experience the benefits of restorative yoga, and can eventually learn to use the practice as a tool for being with all those feelings.

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a goodness within each of us. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. To put it simply Namaste means “I bow to you.”

How to perform Namaste

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word “Namaste” is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

Why do we perform Namaste?

For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom.

Ideally, Namaste should be done at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect.

Western scientists are proving that meditation helps combat stress and benefits immunity, as well as the soul. MRI scans show that meditation can physically change the brain’s neuron system and stimulate the areas associated with compassion and empathy, showing that certain human qualities can be cultivated through mental training.

A meditation teacher could be essential to our overall wellbeing

Meditation is a way to train our brains. We spend years learning to read and write or professional skills beacuse we feel they will benefit us in the long run. Working with the mind follows the same logic.

It can improve your quality of life

We spend alot of time trying to improve the external conditions of our lives, but in the end it’s the mind that creates our experience of the world and translates it into wellbeing or suffering. If we transform our way of perceiving things(via meditation) we can transform the quality of our lives.

Twenty minutes a day can change your life

Meditating first thing in the morning has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, anger, and risk depression. It can also improve your ability to focus, lower blood pressure and strengthen the immune system.

You can get it on the NHS

If you’ve had depression, the eight week course can reduce the likelihood of you developing the condition again by 30 per cent.

The mind is like a unruly monkey

It ties itself into knots the more it jumps around. People think that to control the mind is to put it in shackles, but it’s the ultimate freedom.

Ramdev, whose real name is Ramkishan Yadav, was born in 1953 into a farming family in the northern state of Haryana and studied yoga with a local guru after leaving school.

He began his career offering free yoga classes around Haryana and established the Divya Yog Mandir Trust to promote pranayama the art of breath control. Today he is onne of India’s most successful yogi, attracting an estimated 40 million viewers to his daily television shows on the Aastha channel.

Now Ramdev, one of India’s most popular Hindu yogi’s is on a mission to wipe out corruption by forming his own party to contest the next elections in 2014.  Part of his yogic manifesto is to establish a new World Health Organisation through research work on the knowledge base of yogic sages. To establish pranayam (breath control) as a free medicine for the treatment of all diseases. To make the world a peaceful and tranquil place by using yogic techniques. In addition to this he would like to bring yoga to schools to improve concentration and relaxation.

What do you think of Ramdev and his yogic manifesto?

You’re having a challenging day and your shoulders are up around ears. Something that can help is self massage. When you don’t have time or money for a massage , you can pick up a few props and follow these handy tips. Take a peek below.

Healing Headaches

If pounding headaches visit you all too often, it’s time to learn how to tap into your craniosacral still point—a momentary cessation of the pulse of your cerebrospinal fluid that dissipates tension and pain. “It’s great for headaches,” says Ann Honigman, a chiropractor and craniosacral therapist in Berkeley, California. “It really helps you quiet the nervous system.” The pros do this for clients with their hands, but you can do it for yourself by lying on an easy-to-make still point inducer.

What you need

Two tennis balls and a sock (stuff the balls in the sock and tie a knot at one end to hold them in place side by side)

How to do it

Lie on your back on a comfortable surface with a pillow under your knees. Place the tennis balls under your head, at the base of your skull (in line with the bottom of your ears, as viewed from the side). Rest your head on the inducer, close your eyes, and lie quietly for 10 to 20 minutes. When you’re done, lift your head with one hand and slide the prop away with the other.

Ease your back pain

Massage your own back? It’s much simpler than you’d think. A couple of easy-to-find props can help you open your chest, release tension in your spine, and even work those tight back muscles exactly where they ache.

How to do it

A massage roller or one of those swimming pool foam “noodles” (can be found on Amazon) rolled in a towel or folded sheet. For a deeper massage, you’ll also need two tennis balls or racquetballs tied in a sock.

Lie on the roller with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, so the roller extends along your spine from your sitting bones to the top of your head. You can either relax on the roller without moving (which opens your chest laterally) or roll gently from side to side to massage the muscles along your spine. Try it for at least 20 seconds or until your chest begins to relax and open.

Nintendo’s new Wii Fit has been said to be causing a selection of strain injuries, from minor lower back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Nintendo’s Wii Fit is an exercise system. Players stand on a small pad and are guided through repetitive exercises. These exercises run the range  from track and field to hula hoop, and can be just as vigorous as the exercises they’re mimicking.

I have spoken to a range of people that use the Wii Fit and outline that they often feel out of breath after a play. Just like real exercises, these can lead to various kinds of physical discomforts such as sore joints and strained ligaments. Many users have said that they experienced lower back pain after yoga and hula hooping.

Nintendo’s Wii System has been the subject of controversy since its inception, initially stemming from its innovative Wiimote controllers. The Wiimotes, when not strapped to the wrist properly, have a nasty tendency to fly out of player’s hands and damage friends, family or televisions.

When faced with mounting damages following the initial Wiimote fiascoes, Nintendo introduced a warning screen before each game and warns users to make sure their wrist  straps are fastened.

I have also heard users mention that the initial Body Test used by Wii Fit uses the Body Mass Index (BMI) which is all very good and all but it doesn’t cope well with people who actually have a high muscle density. I have heard stories of people who have high muscle density being catagorised as being overweight. It seems like it can all get a little bit confusing.

It has been said that these Wii Fit injuries are on the increase and I am hearing more about them in my everyday. What do you think of the Wii Fit? Let us know any of your positive/negative experiences?

We’ve all been there at the weekend, too tired to do anything. Feeling tired and wired happens more often than many of us would like, and it can be hard to know what kind of practice is best to do when you feel this way.

The beauty of a yoga practice is that it’s specifically designed to bring the body and mind into balance. The first step is to rest the body. Even if your job is not physical work your body is tired at the end of the day because the mind uses a lot of glucose, which leaves you feeling depleted.

A short restorative session of different postures that combines forward folds to calm the nervous system and simple twists to revitalize the body and move stagnant blood, rebalancing your energy. Once your body starts to relax, Boccio says, you can bring your mind into balance with it by doing a simple breath-awareness practice. Start by exhaling completely, with long and steady breaths, as if the receding waves are drawing with them the accumulated detritus of the day; then take deep inhalations that feel like waves coming in with great force. Finally, be aware of how much you reactivate the mind with television or computer before going to bed.

To unwind just before going to sleep, try a foot massage: Coat the sole of your foot with raw sesame oil (you can add a few drops of a calming essential 
oil like lavender), and massage for a few minutes. This brings the energy down in the body.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Begin by feeling the support of the earth 
beneath you. Mentally scan your body and 
notice your level of fatigue or overstimulation. As you move through the following sequence, hold each pose as long as feels right to you.

Apanasana (Knees-to-Chest Pose)

Bring one knee into your chest, keeping the other leg straight on 
the ground. Switch knees, and then bring both knees into your chest. This pose helps release the kidney area, where fatigue is often felt.

Jathara Parivartanasana (Revolved Abdomen Pose)

Extend your arms. Bring your knees over to your right side and hold; switch sides. 
Twists like these lift your 
energy and bring new 
blood to your 
internal organs 
and kidney area.

Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-Wall Pose)

This calming inversion takes pressure off the lower part of your body.

Janu Sirasana (Head-of-the-Knee Pose)

Come into the pose and hold; 
then switch sides. This forward bend helps calm the nervous system.

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.