Power Yoga for overall improvemebt

Power Yoga
Fitness Mantra of the New Era
By Yogaguru Mohan
(Founder Holistic Healthcare Foundation)

Introduction
Suddenly people have discovered the magic of Yoga and are swearing by the benefits of Yoga. But Yoga has been a very vital part of achieving good health since ancient times. Such is the goodness of Yoga that it helps coping with indigestion, constipation, headache, migraine, insomnia, heart diseases, bronchitis, stress and mental imbalance etc. Yoga even helps build a strong immune system. The good news is that you do not have to spend hours to enjoy the benefits of Yoga. Just try maintaining consistency rather than an intense session once in a blue moon.
Yoga can make immense difference to your lifestyle if you are dealing with stress management, concentration problems or any other health issue. Power Yoga is fast becoming a popular form of exercise to fight obesity and lose weight. Power Yoga can help you burn calories and discover the real power of Yoga, if you want a shapely body or shed those extra pounds.
What is power yoga?
Power Yoga is one of the impressively stimulating Yoga styles. Power Yoga is the ultimate sweat generating, muscle-building vigorous workout. Power Yoga is also known as Dynamic Yoga. As the name suggests, Power Yoga is fast paced and a strenuous exercise. The core of Power Yoga is Ashtanga Yoga.

The term "power yoga" came into common usage in the mid 1990s, when several yoga teachers were looking for a way to make Ashtanga yoga more accessible to western students. The advent of power yoga heralded yoga's current popularity, as people began to see yoga as a way to work out. Power yoga brought yoga into the gyms of America and the world over.

Power Yoga Principle
Typically, you would do one asana followed by strength training. Coordination between breath and movement is the main secret. This improve oxygen intake at the same time circulate oxygenated blood all over the body refreshing and vitalizing every single cells of the whole body together.

Is Power Yoga for You?
Power Yoga can be practiced by anyone who enjoys exercising. However, pregnant women must consult their doctors to take up any form of exercise. Apart from pregnant women, on a general basis, seek help from your doctor or a Power Yoga instructor to know whether it will suit your body or not. There are programs at Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels. How fast you move from one level to the next depends on your fitness and flexibility levels.

What is special in Power Yoga?
The stress on fitness makes Power Yoga different from other forms of Yoga.
As against other forms of Yoga, in power yoga there is very little or almost no stopping between yoga poses.
A lot of sports enthusiasts take up Power Yoga because of its ability to balance opposing muscle groups. This lets ease a number of pains and injuries, if not all.
A lot of people come to Power Yoga with impression of a 'good workout routines'. Most of the time, such folks end up realizing that not only has a strong work session been accomplished but what is happening is that life changes start tiptoeing in. This is the magic of Power Yoga.
What can you expect from Power Yoga?
Yoga in any form provides health benefit. Health conscious individuals of any age can enjoy the benefits of Power Yoga. Here are some great benefits that Power Yoga can provide.
It increases lean muscle tissue,
Reduce your body's fat percentage and increased BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
Improve your strength and stamina for everyday activities.
Power yoga, like the traditional yoga, helps reduce stress and relax your body.
It also helps improve concentration, which is particularly good for students.
Removes body toxins through sweat
Heals disorders like acid stomach
Helps getting rid of obesity
Increases the calorie burning capacity of body
Helps coping with asthma, cancer, bronchitis, insomnia and sinus
Helps to deal with hypertension and menstrual disorders
Increase your flexibility of body.
Reduce accidental injuries.
Improves blood circulation and immune system
Improves concentration and self-control
At last but not the least, Power Yoga is not only about achieving excellence with different poses, it is also a method to achieve an excellence of mind. It is a beautiful way to gain a perfectly fit and healthy body. If you have been wondering about how yoga can help you stay in shape, don’t hesitate to try power Yoga.

Yoga Etiquette By Yogaguru Mohan

Yoga Etiquette

Are there Yoga etiquettes? Yes there are. We practice yoga etiquette to show our respect for ourselves, our peers and our teachers. You may take yoga etiquettes as yoga rules. They are based on common sense and courtesy more importantly, it is about programming your mind right. So, be ready to lead a disciplined yoga routine to experience a sort of blessing with loaded benefits in your physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual body.

1.      Arrive On Time: Arrive at least 10 minutes before the class.

2.      Remove Your Shoes: It is customary to leave your shoes outside the yoga room. 

3.      Switch off Your Cell Phone: Make a habit of doing this as soon as you get to the yoga studio. Keep your mobile always off, unless there is an emergency talk to Yogaguru first.

4.      Respect the Teacher: You sign on to respect the teacher for the next hour, when you enter a yoga class. You may discover halfway through the class that you don't care for this teacher, style, or hour of the day. But you still should continue with the class, follow the teacher's instructions to discover something new.

5.       Come to class sober and be a good role model: Practice your stillness and discipline between the poses.  Notice if you are in front of a beginner.  They will follow you.

6.       Keep Variations Appropriate: Allow the teacher to time the asanas.  Please do not anticipate the next posture and take yourself into it.  In a group we try to create that group energy.  Starting postures together respects ALL levels in the class.

7.       Leaving the Room & Going to the Bathroom during Resting Poses:  Stay until the end of class.  It is important for your health and the energy of the group. It is fine to leave the class for a few minutes to go to the washroom. The best time to go is when there is a period of rest, either in Child's Pose or Downward Dog pose.

8.       Grunting and moaning: Power Yoga is a very physical practice. We all are burning through our karma and we are trying our best.  The use of grunts and moans to accomplish posture or as a self motivator is inappropriate. Frankly, it is a distraction and disturbing to those close to you.  Silence. Silence. Silence Again.

9.       Gum- Yoga is about focus.  Gum is about distraction. Please, don't have gum while you are practicing. It can also interfere with your breathing.

10.                        Yoga Mat & Towel: Buy your own sticky mat and towel for your practice if you can afford. It’ll help you keep your practice more hygienic at the same time your regular practice on own mat helps you to keep your energy vibration better.

11.   Water and drinking: You can bring small water bottle with you. Drink when the class breaks for a drink, drink when you need to and drink when you are thirsty.  Please focus on the posture when we are working- of course if a posture makes you dizzy, SIT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. Have water and rejoin.  The point is, try not to let the water be a distraction.

12.   Don't Skip Savasana: Your final relaxation in Savasana is an important part of your practice. Don't plan to leave the class early.

Shavasana do's and don'ts: Do lay still, eyes close. Do slow down and quite your breath. Do rest.  Don’t drink water while in Savasana. Don’t fix your hair. Don't scratch your leg. Don't wiggle your fingers. Don't fidget.  Do try to cultivate stillness of the body. This is the first step toward stillness of the mind. Honor the silence of the room, especially during Savasana.  Please no talking, moaning or loud noises in the studio.

Yoga for Migraine

Introduction

There seems to be a general misconception that a really bad headache is automatically a migraine. Actuality, the vast majority are musculoskeletal headaches. A classic migraine is a horse of a very different color. It is often located on one side of the head only, sometimes preceded by a type of early warning system consisting of a visual aura, often described as flashing lights or tunnel vision.

Migraines are a particularly severe form of persistent headache. Pain is experienced on one side in particular which builds up to unbearable intensity. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and the need to sleep. Some sufferers have regular attacks of migraine, some experience vision and other sensory disturbances.
Children as young as three can have migraines, more women than men have migraines and migraines can run in families. Unfortunately, it is a fairly common form of illness, though the frequency and severity varies with the individual. Research is ongoing to understand the causes and cures for migraine.

Causes
Migraine or hemicranias is a vascular headache caused by the inflammation and irritation of the nerve endings resulting from the expansion of the blood vessels of the surface of the brain. Migraines can be triggered by many factors, some of which are sensitivity to particular food and drink, over fatigue, over excitement, pressure at work, emotional stress.

One contemporary theory of how migraines occur states that the arteries that feed the brain narrow temporarily due to a variety of factors, stress and muscular tension being two common ones. For a migraine sufferer, there is then a sudden shift in the blood vessels and they abruptly dilate, increasing the blood flow to the head. This sudden shift results in the intense pain of the migraine episode.

According to Ayurveda, migraine headaches are due to a disorder in Tridosha, disorders in vata, pitta, or kapha, migraines frequently occur when systemic pitta moves into the cardiovascular system, circulates, and affects the blood vessels around the brain.


Symptom
There may be spots of light before the eyes which are seen even when the eyes are closed. Headache may be followed by vomiting nausea, and sensitivity to noise and light. There are several variations on this classic pattern. Migraine often starts in childhood. Spots of light are caused by constriction of blood vessels followed by dilatation and distention. The carotid artery and its branches in the brain and meanings when dilated give rise to severe headache accompanied by nausea.


Treatment
Practice of yoga can help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches. A yoga practice can be of any intensity that you desire, as long as there is a conscious effort to keep it steady and even, and as long as you spend time gradually increasing the activity and then gradually cooling down through the course of a given practice.

Stress triggers headaches. Stress may be unavoidable but how it is managed may defuse the trigger – yoga stretches, breathing exercise, meditation and relaxation all helps to manage stress. Pranayama help sufferers manage relieve and reduce pain. Poor posture produces chronic muscular tension, particularly in the upper back, shoulders and neck. Chronic neck tension often causes headaches. Regular practice of yoga relieves neck tension. An experienced yoga teacher will show you how to adjust and realign your posture to avoid neck tension.

Rest in a quiet and darkened room and place a cool cloth on your head will also help you a lot.


Diet

Diet plays very crucial role in yoga. According to yoga food influences the physical and mental conditions of the individual. So it is said that, ‘as you eat, so you become’. If you not take proper diet you harm yourself physically and mentally. What we digest and assimilate is more important than what we eat. Eating too many times, too much at one time, too much of spices and fats, eating in a hurry are some of the common mistakes which make the diet faulty. Faulty diet aggravates disorders, and may itself be the cause of some disorders. Irregularities of diet and excessive exertion must be avoided. The diet should have low content of fats and oils. Avoid hot, spicy foods, fermented foods, and sour or citrus fruits. Exposure to heat or cold should be avoided.

In yoga all foods have been divided into three categories.

Sattvic food

 It is the purest diet and highly recommended for everyone. This type of food is cooked with the least amount of spices and without much seasoning. It includes cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, nuts, seeds and honey. It nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state. It also keeps calm and purifies the mind, enabling it to function at its maximum potential.

Rajasic food

It is very hot nature, spicy, bitter, sour, pungent, dry and excessively salty. Such food items are not recommended for mind-body equilibrium. They function as body stimulant and excite the passions, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. They include fish, egg, coffee, tea, meat etc. This type of food creates extra weight and fat, generate feeling of heaviness for a longer period of time after dinner, and arouse passion

Tamasic food

It is stale, tasteless, more or less spoiled food, and containing foul odor, artificial additives. Tamasic food items include alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic and fermented foods such as vinegar. Tamasic food is at all not useful to nourish either body or mind. They make the body dull, drowsy and lazy, decrease immune power, filling the mind with dark emotions such as anger and greed. It makes one quarrelsome and intolerant.

One should 'eat to live, not live to eat'.


Yogasana:

Yogasana helps you to increase your awareness and train mind to face the challenges with positive approach. While doing even difficult posture you are supposed to be aware the pressure and pain and continue the practice knowing that is ultimately going to strength the area of concern. This ultimately change the mental programming for the better so that a person become better equipped to face the pressure of life in physical, mental as well as emotional level. There are number of postures suitable for the people with migraine for healing experience. Some of them are the followings:

Viparit Karani(Legs up the wall pose
Balasana (Child Pose)
Ardha kati chakrasana,
Ardha chakra,
Shashank asana
Naukasana (Boat Pose),
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose),
Ardha Matsyasana (Spinal Twist Pose),
Vrikshasana (Tree Pose),
Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)
Sirsasana (Head Stand): It maybe practiced for one minute and Sarvangasana for five minutes daily.
Kriyas like Jal neti,
Shatkarma,


Pranayama
Treatment with Pranayama can be started only after an attack is over. Deep breathing exercises and Kapalabhatti Pranayama should be practiced for 10 minute each followed by Bhramari Pranayama 5 times and Om Chanting for 5 times every day.

Shitali Pranayama (Without Kumbhaka): This breathing exercise will lower the body temperature, and make the saliva cool. It also helps to quench thirst, and improves digestion, absorption, and assimilation. It is not suggested to do in winter.

Meditation:

It is suggested to do short meditation for 15 to 20 min after practicing Pranayama. This gives great relief to the over active nerves and help to cool down the pressure on brain ultimately relieving migraine attack.



Researches:

Cut down the frequency of migraine attacks by over 70% with Yoga.

Yoga can cut down the frequency and lessen the intensity of migraine attacks by over 70%. A three-month study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Rajasthan have found that a combination of certain yoga postures, breathing exercises and chants helped reduce migraine attacks substantially.

At the end of the study period, the team led by Dr P J John found that yoga significantly reduced levels of cortisol (stress hormones) in the 72 subjects enrolled for the study besides improving their heart rate variability (measure of variations in the heart rate).

Reduction of HRV is associated with hypertension, hemorrhagic shock and septic shock. The team has reported its findings in the latest edition of the international medical journal Headache.

"Scientists have been considering serotonin, a brain chemical, to be a crucial factor for headaches. They think low serotonin levels might cause blood vessels to dilate and cause migraine. And yoga is known to improve levels of serotonin. This made us embark on the study and see whether improving serotonin level could actually reduce migraine attacks".

John's team randomly assigned 72 migraine sufferers to one of two groups. One group received education on managing their pain by avoiding migraine triggers and making diet and lifestyle changes.

The other group received yoga therapy, which included gentle yoga postures like ardhakati chakrasana, ardha chakra, shashank asana and ardha matsadrasana, kriyas like jal neti, shatkriya, kripal-bharati and pranayam as well as meditation.

Participants practiced five days a week for one hour. After three months, the yoga group showed an overall improvement in the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks, whereas the comparison group showed either no change or worsened symptoms.

"The average age of the study group was 20-38 years with migraine severity of 7.6 in a scale of 10. Patients who took part in a yoga therapy program, undertaking breathing exercises, neck and shoulder exercises, sideward and forward bending postures started having headaches less often and endured less pain with each migraine attack. It also significantly improved symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression," John said.

According to the team, numerous studies have explored the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of migraine but there was no documented investigation of the effectiveness of yoga for migraine management.

Thy YogaGuru For me and you: Swami Ramdev, A Super Human who is transforming the whole world

Thy YogaGuru For me and you: Swami Ramdev, A Super Human who is transforming the whole world

Swami Ramdev, A Super Human who is transforming the whole world

Introduction www.theyogaguru.com
Yog is not something new, but somehow its essence has got lost in the midst of time. Although people knew about it but very few were practicing it seriously. Yoga was not considered interesting by general people and the learned people were not making enough effort to make them understand it. In some case it was considered as Gupt Vidya and thus kept a secret.

Almost a decade ago Swami Ramdev reanimated the scope of Yog and Ayurveda. He has scientifically evolved Pranayama as well as Yog, which were previously comprehended by Patanjali and many other well versed gurus. Because of Swami Ramdev, many people have made it a part of their lives with unbelievable benefits. No doubt he is the real messenger of Kalyug after Swami Vivekananda.  People feel proud to belong to the Motherland to which Swami Ramdev belongs. People feel proud to be born in the age when Swami Ramdev has been born.  He has done a great job in creating awareness among people and spreading the fruitful path of Yog Sadhana by transforming the life of millions.

Childhood

Swami Ramdev was born as Ramakrishna, in a very humble family of a farmer, in Narnaul village at Alipur, in Mahendragarh district of Indian State of Haryana. He attended school in Shahjadpur.

He suffered a paralytic attack when he was merely 9 years old. However, he did not lose hope and kept doing his work, with faith in God, and got cured through yogic practice and natural treatments. He was also a very bright student in school.

Renunciation
After schooling, he joined a yogic monastery (gurukul) in Khanpur village to study Sanskrit and Yoga. Eventually, he renounced worldly life and entered into Sanyasa (monastic living) in 1995 – adopting the name ‘Swami Ramdev.’

He went to Jind district and joined the Kalva gurukul. There, he started teaching Yoga to the villagers across Haryana. It is believed that he traveled the Himalayas for several years before he settled in Haridwar. He discovered several medicinal plants in the Himalayas which he now uses in treating his patients.

Divya Yoga Mandir Trust

Swami Ramdev made relentless efforts to popularize Yoga. As a promotional vehicle for Yoga, Baba Ramdev established the Divya Yoga Mandir Trust in 1995. In this project, he was accompanied by Acharya Balkrishna, a physician with a degree in Ayurveda.  Divya Yog Mandir Trust is a pioneer institution for treatment and research in Yoga and Ayurveda in Haridwar. The trust provides many free services to its visitors.

Initiation into Ascetic Order

In 1995, Baba Ramdev joined the order of swamis, after being initiated into the ascetic order, by Swami Shankerdevji Maharaj. While training to be a Swami, Baba Ramdev spent many years undertaking an intense and thorough study of ancient Indian scriptures. At the same time, he also practiced intense self-discipline and meditation.

His Teachings

He teaches that God resides in every human being and that the body is God's temple. He is a firm believer in the concept of Vasudaiv Kutambakam (the whole World is one family) and decries practices that discriminate on the basis of caste, creed or gender. His fundamental belief is that expressions of love, affection and compassion towards all living things are the true worship of the Creator.

Swami Ramdev has taught several aspects of traditional Indian scriptures such as Ashtadhyayee, Mahabhashya and Upanishads along with six systems of Indian Philosophy in various Gurukuls (traditional Indian systems of education). He has helped establish Gurukuls in Kishangarh, Ghashera, and Mahendragarh in India. He has also founded the PYP Trust which has built several institutions. In addition to helping people learn about Yoga and spirituality, these institutions also provide a comprehensive facility that promotes the practice of Ayurveda - the traditional system of holistic medicine developed in India.

Pranayama

He teaches Pranayama, which is a series of techniques for breath control, that was developed as a part of the ancient Indian system of Yoga. Heretofore, these techniques were often thought of as being esoteric and complex and portrayed as being unsuitable for lay people. Consequently, their use was often limited to advanced practitioners of Yoga and undertaken only under the strict supervision of an experienced teacher. Swami Ramdev has worked diligently to break these barriers and help make the practice of Pranayama achievable by the ordinary lay person.

He has devised a set of six simple Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) followed by Pranab Dhwani. These techniques have been readily embraced by the general public:

1. Bhastrika Pranayama
2. Kapalbhati Pranayama
3. Bahaya Pranayama
4. Anulom Vilom Pranayama
5. Bhramri Pranayam
6. Udgeeth Pranayam
7. Pranab Dwani

Obstacles He Faced while Measuring this Height:

In his words, he has seen his death very closely and survived by the grace of God, perhaps to serve the ailing humanity.  Different controversies, mostly guided by vested interest keep surrounding him. Whether its the controversy about his claim of curing AIDS & Cancer or the controversy of using animal bones in medicine; whether its the controversy of gay rights or the controversy of bringing back black money from Swiss Bank to the nation; whether its the controversy of abandoning foreign product with zero technology or transformation of politics; he has stood firm, justifying his ideas with his clear vision and mission. He is like a solid rock - firm and grounded. Because of his righteousness nothing could stop him. He has renewed his resolution time and again, moving ahead without any distraction, to bring positive changes in the lives of people from all over the world, especially the people of India, as fellow citizens. 

Awards and Recognitions

KITT University, a well-respected teaching and research institute for Science and Technology, awarded Swami Ramdev with an Honorary Doctorate degree in recognition of his efforts at popularizing the Vedic science of Yoga. The degree was presented to him in January 2007 during a ceremony presided over by the respected scientist and Nobel laureate Richard Ernst

Conclusion

At this point of time, his teaching has influenced and inspired millions of people and motivated them to work for creating a better world, where health and happiness prevail forever, with no discrimination of any kind. The Indian Police and Armies have adopted his teaching to improve its functions. His teaching has inspired many states to introduce Yoga in school education to shape a better future of the young mind. He has visited almost every part of the world, spreading yogic wisdom to people, irrespective of cast, creed, religion and nation.  He has got success in alleviation of chronic problems like AIDS and Cancer. He is truly working as a messenger of God for the transformation of humanity for the better.

THE SEVEN SPIRITUAL LAWS OF SUCCESS

There are many books available on spirituality and success. But this very small book by Deepak Chopra can be eye opener for many. I’ve personally felt drastic change within and taking this as a guide, have started enjoying every moment of my life. In this book Deepak Chopra has given a spiritual look at success. You can have an extensive look at each law in his book, which goes into broader detail.

Here are the seven laws along with an example application found in the book:

1. The Law of Pure Potentiality

“The source of all creation is pure consciousness… pure potentiality seeking expression from the un-manifest to the manifest. And when we realize that our true Self is one of pure potentiality, we align with the power that manifests everything in the universe. “

Example Application: ‘I will practice non-judgment. I will begin my day with the statement, “Today, I shall judge nothing that occurs,” and throughout the day I will remind myself not to judge.’

2. The Law of Giving & Receiving: “The universe operates through dynamic exchange…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of
the universe circulating in our lives. “

Example Application: ‘Wherever I go, and whoever I encounter, I will bring them a gift. The gift may be a compliment, a flower, or a prayer. Today, I will give something to everyone I come into contact with, and so I will begin the process of circulating joy, wealth and affluence in my life and in the lives of others.’

3. The Law of Cause and Effect: “Every action generates a force of energy that a return to us in like kind, what we sow is what we reap. And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success.”

Example Application: ‘Whenever I make a choice, I will ask myself two questions: “What are the consequences of this choice that I’m making?” and “Will this choice bring fulfillment and happiness to me and also to those who are affected by this choice?”‘

4. The Law of Least Effort: “Nature’s intelligence functions with effortless ease with care-freeness, harmony, and love. And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease. “

Example Application: ‘I will practice acceptance. Today I will accept people, situations, circumstances, and events as they occur. I will know that this moment is as it should be, because the whole universe is as it should be. I will not struggle against the whole universe by struggling against this moment. My acceptance is total and complete. I accept things as they are this moment, not as I wish they were.’

5. The Law of Intention and Desire: “Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment. Intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality
have infinite organizing power. And when we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.“

Example Application: “I will make a list of all my desires. I will carry this list with me wherever I go. I will look at this list before I go into my silence and meditation. I will look at it before I go to sleep at night. I will look at it when I wake up in the morning.”

6. The Law of Detachment: “In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty . . .In the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning. And in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe. “

Example Application: “Today I will commit myself to detachment. I will allow myself and those around me the freedom to be as they are. I will not rigidly impose my idea of how things should be. I will not force solutions on problems, thereby creating new problems. I will participate in everything with detachment involvement.”

7. The Law of Purpose in Life: “Everyone has a purpose in life . . . a unique
gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit,
which is the ultimate goal of all goals.“

Example Application: ‘I will make a list of my unique talents. Then I will list all the things that I love to do while expressing my unique talents. When I express my unique talents and use them in the service of humanity, I lose track of time and create abundance in my life as well in the lives of others.’ ‘I will ask myself daily, “How can I serve?” and “How can I help?” The answers to these questions will allow me to help and serve my fellow human beings with love.’