26 Sep Meditation & Yoga for the Peace of your Body and Soul
One place to find true peace and tranquility could be the face of a yogi during meditation and yoga! It’s doesn’t show sadness or happiness or for that matter, any emotions we otherwise know so well. It shows “shunya” Sanskrit for “nothingness”. The feeling of bliss in the presence of absence is an unimaginable high known only to those who practice Meditation and Yoga regularly.
And if you think yoga is about stretching yourself into absolutely impossible angles and meditation only for the Yogis, well it is time to think again.
Hi, this is Dr Madhura Bhide of Recova Life and this blog of mine tells you more about the hows and whys of meditation and yoga for peace of your body and soul!
Let’s start with deep breathing!
Your body needs it all the time to survive. And our lungs are there for just that- helping mix oxygen for air we inhale with our blood (rakta in Sanskrit). And our hearts then pump the rich, life-giving blood/rakta all over the body! And this is the case with every organism on the Earth of every shape and size, very much including us humans. In the absence of oxygen, all other activities essential to life just cease to function. This very much includes the working of the brains! For a healthy balance between the mind, body and soul, breath and breath deep, and breath some more!
Next, do some basic basic yogic poses like:
● PADMASAN:
A cross-legged (full or partial) position on the floor, one needs to sit straight with arms on either sides, palms facing up. This pose (Asana in Sanskrit) is best for stretching and conditioning the legs and back muscles and besides, most yogis use it for meditation too. It is also said to stimulate the endocrine glands, cure asthma and curb weight gain.
● PAVANMUKTASAN:
A rather suggestive name! And besides others, it does help relieve constipation and related bloating due to accumulation of gases in the abdomen. It is said to reduce obesity by constricting and toning the stomach muscles & helps alleviate heart conditions. A word of caution for women: Do not attempt this during your periods or anytime after conception.
● MAKARASAN:
This is the exact reverse of the “Shavasana” wherein the body lies flat out like a corpse with the main difference being that it lies face down. Like the shavasana, it too relieves fatigue while providing relaxation to the body overall. Given a degree of stretch, it acts on the abdomen as also the spine and the back.
● SARVANGASAN:
An ‘all parts pose’, Sarvangasan helps reverse blood flows towards the head and neck. Glands such as the Thyroid are greatly affected and so too others like the digestive-excretory systems and the respiratory organs. Given its rigors, it strengthens the spine and preserves its elasticity thus making the body feel youthful even with age. With blood-flow reversals, problems normally associated with the feet get cured faster.
A word of caution: Patients of migraine, chronic head and neck pain and spondylitis etc., should avoids this asana which might otherwise aggravate the situation
And finally, controlled breathing and meditation:
Breathing in the normal order is either sub-conscious or conscious. Sub-conscious breathing takes place on its own to take care of the normal bodily needs. Note that when you exercise, your breathing goes up on its own and comes back to normal on its own too. This kind of breathing cannot be controlled. Conscious breathing on the other hand can and should be controlled. This takes place when we are under stress or experience anger. To take care of the situation, our body inhales more oxygen and hence the heavier breathing. This, if controlled, can lead to the mind becoming calm, tension-free and greatly relaxed. It may not be easy initially but with time and efforts, things do fall in place.
One way to controlling breath and relaxing is Meditation. People have exotic ways of describing the process of meditation and all its outcome i.e., its side effects and advantages. At Recova Life, we put it rather simply. We say, you take up a word like “Sohum” (Sanskrit for “I am” or “That is what I am” for much lesser!) which incidentally Yogis say is the natural sound of a breath! It does sounds cool and if used as an aid to breathing, can do wonders to one’s “breath-taking” abilities and all that is related to it – including making one feel extremely relaxed, positive and supremely energetic!
So, the next time you sit down to meditate, “so” for the breath inhaled and “hum” for the breath exhaled. Do that with singular regularity and what you get is total, total concentration while keeping the surrounding chatter within and without, completely at bay – as though it never exists! Yes, people doing this kind of breathing are known to not feel anything during meditation while feeling extremely calm and relaxed at the end of the session.
Recova Life is who we are. And recova life is what we aim for. The above if practiced religiously, shall go a long way in helping you “recova life”. If you still need help for any matters relating to living, medication and the likes, Recova Life is there to help you. Do visit our website www.recovalife.com
Disclaimer :
This article is meant solely to provide information about remedies under Ayurveda and is not meant to be used for diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.
Where the reader or any other person has chronic and/or dire health issues, it is advisable to consult a trained and certified medical practitioner for a complete and comprehensive diagnosis which can address the underlying issues effectively.
Recova Life and its constituents are also certified medical practitioners who can be consulted. Our numbers are +91 83800-16119 and Email ID atul@recovalife.com
With respect to the consumption of any herbs, fruits, vegetables and the likes mentioned here, it would be advisable where you consult a certified medical practitioner for his/her opinion before-hand.
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