YOGA AND HYPERTENSION

Hypertension as common as "common cold" 

Have you ever observed your respiration rate or your heart rate, when you get tensed, irritated, upset or happy? Notice it and be aware of it to find how it behaves in relation to your thought process; as your emotions are linked to your thoughts and which in turn affects your breathing pattern and leads to stress.

Everyone has stress in everyday life but the way you react to it matters a lot. The way we react states our emotional response to each situation. Since our heart’s function is directly related to emotional metabolism.

Some amount of tension is necessary for all of us to deal with it or fight with the stress; but once it is over you should know to let go and relax and live in the present. Since many of us carry these in back of our mind and our sleep is also disturbed, leads to continuous activation of stress hormones.

For e.g.:-an anxious over tense mind, is always gripped by worries and problems or who is constantly bursting in to a habitual states of anger, biting nails or facial muscles always tensed esp. the eye brows, causes an uncontrolled activation of the sympathetic nervous system and floods the circulation with the stress hormones.

       If we are ignorant about these symptoms associated to it, we might land up in trouble after few months and further leads to hypertension.

       When you are tensed for long hours or days, heart is strained and beat is accelerated and beats beyond its capacities. They are responsible for sending the small arteries in to tight spasm or permanent contraction, heart has to pump against the back pressure of the blood in the arterial tree and high blood pressure results. It also leads to other problems such as kidney and heart failure. 

Our emotional state directly influences the behavior of the heart and heart disease is often an emotional disorder than a physical disease.

     

BP can be  kept in control through proper diet and other  yogic relaxation exercises.

      Asanas: - Those asanas in which your head and heart remains in the same plane are preferable. For eg: Shashankasana and few lying down asanas too.

1.  Shashank asana :-

Sit in Vajrasana and raise your arms up and gently bend forward and place your forehead on the floor and your arms stretched forward.

     Make sure your head doesn't hang down and your buttocks seated on the heel.you can separate your knees so that you can allow your stomach to fall in between your legs and relax.

     Rabbit pose helps in relaxing the adrenal gland thus reduces the stress hormone.I have seen many of my students felling much better after the practice of shashankasana twice a day for 5 to 10 mins.This posture helps you to withdraw your mind from outside world.

     If you are not able to sit in Vajrasana for long then use the cushion as prop under your forehead as well as under your feet, and try to keep your head and the heart at the same level.

2.  Parvata Asana:- Stand with your legs close to each other and gently raise both your arms upward and interlock your arms and stretch it upward and raise your body on toes.Hold the posture for 10 to 20 counts with normal breathing.Repeat it 3 times and can be practised 3 times a day.

      Relaxes the shoulders as well as the spine and stretches the back and waist muscles. It helps to reduce the physical stress which you develop during the day.Can be practised during the day as it helps reduce the tension in knees as well as in neck and shoulders esp if one is an upper body athlete. for eg:-sitting in front of Pc for long hours.

3. Go-mukh asana-

This asana if done standing  or sitting on  the chair then you have to raise one arm up and behind your head and the other arm from below and behind your back and try to lock your arms.Hold it for 30 secs with your chin parallel to the floor.Repeat the same with the other arm.Repeat it 3 times and can be practised 3 times a day.

This asana in the standing posture or sitting on the chair or on the floor helps  one to relax their shoulders,chest muscles and allows one to take deep breath easily and improves the posture.

4. Deep breathing:-Since the mind influences body more than body influencing the mind. Accord to the research if you make a quick change in the rate at which you breathe, you send a message to the brain “I am not threatened”.

You can practice deep breathing anywhere without anyone's knowledge esp during work hours when the stress level are high. But try to maintain the ratio of 1:2 of inhalation and exhalation. You can this way reduce the stress hormones in the blood as brain understands your breath language.

Tranquilizing Pranayamas like Shitali , Shitkari, Bhramari are advisable as it cools the body and tranquillizes  the mind.

5. Bhramari: - Relieves stress and cerebral tension, alleviates, anger, anxiety and insomnia and reduces Bp. It also eliminates throat ailments. But it can't be practised by those having ear infections.

      If you practice Bhramari then make sure that you hum like bee loudly 11 times in 5 mins, or less numbers in more mins, so as to give you  complete benefit as it helps you to enter in to thoughtless state of your mind. This will in turn reduce the stress instantly.

      People suffering from migraine must practice this everyday 21 times to overcome their problem. Practice Bhramari in the ratio 1:4 of inhalation and exhalation.

6. Yoga Nidra meditation:-Yoga Nidra helps the practitioner to balance their emotions, anger and passions which will in turn balance their tensions. Yoga Nidra, helps in lowering the BP as thoughtless mind gets relaxed fast.  It has tranquilizing affect on the mind

I have observed my students getting positive results after their continuous practice of Yognidra during afternoons also as a power nap for 10 mins, helped them to lower the level of their high pressure which otherwise was difficult.

Like any other pump heart can lead to wear and tear if it’s abused and strained.

There is 20% reduction of oxygen consumption as against 8% reduction after 6 hrs of sleep.

Mental and emotional balance, dietary control, adequate exercise and sleep is required to balance your stress level in day to day life.

HARI OM

SOUND IS SACRED

It's very common to see people blaming each other, where one easily find fault in others in-spite of many positive quality in that person.
Children when being asked to say three positive  things about their friends, they are not able to say instantly, where as complaints about each other is in tip of their mouth.
They don't realise that what ever negative they say about others are affecting them first then the other person.


Sound expressed through words or the letters in your day to day communication can do wonders to you, to others around you, your emotions, thinking, your relationship with others.


Let me give an example by a story-
A teacher  was teaching his students some good things.To such a place came a visitor who had some position and power.The teacher didn't go and welcome him as he was engrossed in teaching.
The man who had some position and authority felt hurt and asked the teacher "Why you didn't care for me?".
You have not come and receive me and what are you doing? Teacher told as he was teaching some good things to children and didn't notice him.The person asked "Are the hearts of children going to change and become more sacred?".The teacher took some courage  and told "Yes there is possibility of their mind changing by my teaching."
The person was not ready to believe and argued.The teacher was clever and asked one of his student to get hold of the neck of this visitor and throw him out of the door.
On hearing this, the visitor became very angry and came to beat the teacher. Teacher told him "I just told him to throw you out and which was mere words and how it changed your mind?"So it is very wrong to say that with mere words you can't change the mind.
You can promote friendship, earn grace or with harsh words you can break friendship too or it can affect yourself too.

I strongly believe that whatever one communicate through words to others,have strong influence on not only others, but on them also.  Through sound, speech, chanting, singing—communication—we can directly and scientifically affect our own level of consciousness,as well as our physical health and well-being and that of others.
Each and every letter taken out have certain kind of vibrations which is felt when aware of it.

Every religion has certain way of chanting their own religious scriptures.
For eg-OM chanting when done repeatedly for many no of times leads to positive vibrations in body-mind complex and improves memory according to the research done.
Word Om is again have positive impact because of certain combination of alphabets and not just as is it is Om and it  belong to Hindu religion.It's a combination of three letters "A U M".

In yoga, when you chant mantras or Om, it has the certain combination of words and letter,which are so powerful that it has greater positive impact on you but not that it only belongs to Hindu religion. Certain mantras they say can be chanted during depression or when you are anxious and so on, it's the word or the letter which is making magic in you rather than particular deity or so.
The same way other religions  may also have their own specific words or combination of  letters which have positive impact in body-mind complex.

Imagine the human body as a musical instrument like sitar, which have playing strings that are struck or bowed, and also have 40-odd strings which are never played. When the playing strings are struck, they set up vibratory frequencies that begin to sound the finely tuned but un-struck strings. 
These strings pick up the frequency and vibratory rates of the struck notes and begin to sound ,without being physically touched.
In Yogic terms, we have the central pranic energy channel called Sushumna Nadi ,corresponds to the spinal column. To either side of it are the ida and Pingala Nadis.Think of these as the playing strings. These energy channels then connect with 72,000 nadis (energy channels) loosely corresponds to the nervous system, that extend throughout the body.  Whatever we vibrate in the shushmana begins to set up a  vibration in the ida and pingala and throughout the nadis that transfer that vibration to all the cells of the body. 


We can consciously choose mantra which means right combination of letters or words, scripture, proper and positive communication, and musical sounds that elevate, heal, and balance us by being aware of positive vibrations in our body-mind complex. 


If we are unconscious in our speech and what we are vibrating, we can set up waves of negativity, self-doubt, and disharmony. These things lead to a deteriorating state of health and wellbeing. 

HARI OM TAT SAT

WHY SILENCE SO IMPORTANT

Before I begin my Yoga class people chat on the way, as they remove shoes and place their mat, there’s talk of the weather, ailments, and stresses of work.  Sometimes the chattering continues until the teacher actually begins giving instructions. 

What happens when we stop talking and close our eyes?  The external dialogue is halted.  Next is the attempt to turn off the internal, continuous chatterbox of thoughts.  Centering is a great method of turning the awareness to the present moment and allowing those thoughts to dissipate.
when one practices yoga silently one is more aware of his stretches in the body and breath and allow other tensions to pass out like clouds, without holding on to them. The goal then, of centring, is to cut off both inner and outer chitchat. 
By focusing on the physical stresses, we relax further with each exhalation.  In order to reach that final result of relaxation, the element of silence in yoga practice is essential.


Now, think back to that yoga class.  On the way in, everyone was chatting.  How did the energy change by the end of the session after Yognidra?  Silence allowed everyone present to focus on the connection of mind and body.  Physically and mentally, we leave class feeling relaxed, refreshed, calm, and awake. 

How often one feels that one should be silent enough to take a proper decision or want to go just away from the normal tensed life for few days esp away from the city life for de stressing.

But we can't always escape from these very busy lives and reside somewhere where there is less of sound.
But we can actually learn to get away from it, at our will so that one can experience bliss at any stage and anywhere and any time.
We can find some difference in very early mornings esp Brahma muhurta time, when one can some way experience silence which is again an external one. When we talk about external silence here it gives one peace, as silence takes you in to your inner world and helps yourself to understand better.

We all feel good to sit with a comfortable friend over a cup of coffee and vent to get things out. Maybe it’s been an extremely stressful month;, conversation can be a great relief, when our hearts ache or our heads are in turmoil, it’s natural and therapeutic to seek the solace of friends and family. 

 However, there are moments when it all piles up.  We lose our minds, our smiles and there is nobody there to listen.  Emotions are banging at the door, needing to be let go.   This is when silence can be the most useful.The world inside your mind spins out of control, just close the eyes and be aware.  Take a deep breath; notice how you begin to relax.  With silent gratitude, remember all that you have been blessed with.

During my first visit to Ashram,silence was only required during meals and night time quiet hours.  Now, the month-long teacher training class includes three days of silence, while the advanced class includes six days of silence. 

This taught me how to control my thoughts and how to avoid talking even through gestures.
It's usually difficult the first two days of silence; where we remembered and felt like opening the mouth, which we had used since birth. Last sixth day of silence become so easier and started  liking it as we are drawn so much towards self understanding and harmony with self  and others. 


The self understanding  or realization of self is the highest goal which all sages and gurus of all religions have mentioned. Have you ever thought and how this is possible? This can happen only when you can remain silent external as well as internal silence for few mins or hrs,while practicing yog or any activity which takes you in one thought stage.

Lots of question crop up in your mind when you are in silent like why I reacted to that person in that way or why I am behaving in that manner or am I right? May be I am wrong or Next time I will improve and so on. Your relationship with others improve and others notice your improved behaviour,so one can live peacefully in harmony with the society.
When we’re not busy talking, we pay more attention to the non-verbal communication of body language, we are aware of our energy levels. We store lots of energy and so can be used constructively.

Even when you go for walking you can enter in to complete silent state by being aware of your breath and your steps. Try it really works, which means your other thoughts are cut off for that moment. Don't even take your mobile with you or put it in silent mode.

Apart from these, don’t spend on unnecessary talking and serve more others and be a selfless person and give unconditional love for others.


HARI OM  TAT SAT

Ideal time for the yoga practice

General question is that what time should one practice Yog every day? 


If I say Brahma Muhurta time how many would accept the fact.
What's Brahma Muhurta time?


According to Vedic astrology, the day is divided into 30 periods called muhurtas. The brahma-muhurta begins 1 hr 36 minutes before sunrise and lasts for 48 minutes.
Sivananda Yoga says Brahmamuhurta is the morning period between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. This sacred interval is also known as the Amritavela.


If one is serious about a yoga-based lifestyle, one should be awake and performing some spiritual activity during the Brahma-muhurta.
After a good night's sleep, the mind is refreshed, calm and serene.The mind is like a blank sheet of paper,free from thoughts and one can easily meditate.


This started off when I started with my early morning yoga session with my students.Despite the fact that I usually felt like staying in bed, I had to be ready by 4 :45 am which forced me to get up and slowly I started realising that , I almost always rose early as early as 4 :15 am.I noticed from very early that I used to feel very good all day, as a result of being awake that time of the morning. 


The days when I used to get up early and practised my Yog for 2 hrs inclusive of Pranayama, I noticed myself more active during the day time, even afternoon sleep was not needed,which was was quite surprising.
This made me wondered how this early hours rising and practising Yog could do wonders on you.
I noticed that my body awareness and inner awareness increased to great extent.I was entering into moving/active  meditation without any effort.


I would fit so much more in a day if I had been awake before the 'crack of dawn', even if I had taken a nap later in the day to refresh myself.


Now practically speaking for the beginners who started off with the practice, the early morning may or may not suitable as their body is not flexible and usually the very early morning practice the body tends to be rigid and more so if one is a beginner then he may not have learnt many yogic poses, which would help him attain some warmth to his body.


Once one learns Yog thoroughly and would like to make it as his life style then Brahma Muhurta time is ideal, as there are certain asanas like suryanamaskars and some stretches which would bring flexibility to his body ,before one enters to the more advanced asanas.


If one doesn't have enough time in the morning hours then one can practice Pranayama and meditation in early morning as meditation comes by itself, without any effort.


Asanas can be practised in the evening, as evening hours one's body tends to be more supple and one can enjoy practising the asanas much better way, especially for beginners.
This evening hours practice is also ideal for those who have  hectic work schedule at their office and wants to relax ,so one can relax in yoga asanas  and which  further leads to increased circulation towards many joints and better absorption of oxygen.


Guidelines for early morning  practice 

•  If you are not in the habit of getting up early, use an alarm timepiece. Once the habit is established, there will be no difficulty. The subconscious mind will automatically wake you up at the particular time.
• Do not waste much time in morning ablutions. Answer the calls of nature quickly. Clean your teeth quickly. Be quick. Otherwise, the Brahmamuhurta will pass away quickly.

•  If you suffer from constipation have vigorous practice of Salabha, Bhujanga and Dhanur Asanas for 5 minutes as soon as you get up from bed. Otherwise, do Meditation as soon as you get up. You can answer the calls of nature after finishing your morning Meditation with the help of a cup of hot milk.

HARI OM TAT SAT

Obstacles in regular practice of Yog

It has become common trend to say that "I go for Yoga classes".

Many often demand about daily classes so that they can come for the class and practice it.But my question is why you need daily.You can practice daily at home, once you learn it or you can practice other days when you don't attend the classes.In this way you will get used to practising alone and come with many doubts in next class.
So this way you learn more.

Yog has to be practised alone not in groups except in class which cant be avoided.When you practise alone you are more aware of your body,breath and your thoughts and hence later leads to meditation easily.

Yog practise has to be continued through out your life, as a lifestyle.There are many of us who discontinue once the teacher is out of sight which seems to be as if one is practising for the teacher not for themselves.

There are many reasons for not practising it-

• Sickness
• Doubt about one's own practise
• laziness
• Invalid knowledge
• Lack of concentration
• Pain
• Over eating
• Useless talk
• Undisciplined act
• Bad company
• Over exertion
• Excessive sleep or Lack of sleep
• Self destroying emotions like-lust, anger, fear, greed, hatred, jealousy
• Never ending  material desires

To over come these obstacles according to Bhagwad Gita  moderation in all or right balance in all activities destroys all pain and sorrow.

Yog Guru and Sage Patanjali has mentioned us to be friendly, compassionate, and avoidance of  feeling superior than others.These kind of thinking help us to be more accepting ,develop trust and have more faith on teachers and patience.

So Sadhaka or Practitioner to overcome their problem should work wisely and active life in harmony and moderation and mostly they should be single minded, and devoted practise.

Hari Om  Tat Sat

Breath influences our Body Mind complex

How many of us are truly aware of breath in everyday basis?


The answer would be none of us.As most of us think breathing is just happening involuntarily.
But how many are aware that we are controlling our breath, through the way we think?
Our thoughts have great impact on our breathing pattern which in turn controls the other organs.


Our emotions and thinking pattern have greater impact on our body mind complex.
The person who is constantly under stress at work or at home would surely end up having problems like diabetes or high BP or thyroid problems etc.Stress here means mental stress,which affects the way we breath.


Many of us would have been aware of how the left and right  nostril breathing controls and influences our body mind and vice versa.


You can change the nostril dominance and control your thoughts, emotions,thinking pattern and reduce the stress and even better control on acidity and pressure(low and high) etc.


This study of breathing pattern is called Svara Yog.

•  Ida  Nadi represents left nostril that is when one breath  more with left, represents Chitaa(mind).When left is more dominant then there is more of mental energy than pranic energy.

• Pingala Nadi  represents right nostril,controls Prana or the life force. Prana controls all sensory nerves, Prana controls all the  organs of actions in our body.When right nostril is more dominant there is more of pranic energy than mental energy.

• When both the nosril are equal then Sushumna nadi is active.

•  Ida and Pingala and Sushumna flow at specific times in synchronization with the solar and lunar rhythms.

• There are many internal and external factors responsible for the svara changes.

• Sun, Moon, Weather, food, types of work, hormones,stress, play an important role in the flow of the Nadis.

•  Eating banana induces IDA and drinking hot water induces PINGALA ,etc.

• But in general for a healthy person it is considered to be auspicious if IDA(left active)  is at sunrise and PINGALA(right active) at sunset in general.

• Success comes,if Surya  nadi is active at sunrise on Sun,Tue and Sat of dark fortnight and Chandra nadi is active at sunrise on Mon, Wed, and Thu of the bright half of Lunar month.

• These are the natural and normal flow in a healthy man else indicates internal disorder. 

• These order may change according to their  physical and mental conditions for eg- if one is physically active when Chandra nadi is dominant then one can’t perform well as he is having less of Pranic energy .  

• It would be ideal if Left nostril is more active when getting out of bed, calm and silent work, meeting friends, religious practices, marriage, wearing new clothes taking new appointments , studies ,new work etc.

• Eg: one of student  was suffering from heaviness in her head and continuous  sneezing in the early mornings ,  later on found that she was Ida dominant and had deviated septum .Certain pranayamas helped her to over come her problem in period of 1 year.

• Active right nostril is good for eating, good digestion, bathing, physical activity, sleeping  towards left side to avoid dream and restless sleep and all acts which are transitory or temporary in nature is pingala or surya nadi.

• Eg-due to continous  mental stress one of my student had severe acidity  who  was pingala dominant later on with the pranayamas  he could balance the energy levels.

  
  
• • But weather tends to influence the  flow of the Nadis could balance the energy levels.

When both Nadis are free and clear then sushumna nadi opens up which can helps us for meditation  and , concentration, spiritual growth and negativity may occur if it continues for a long time. It is better to do work which require minimum attention and exertion.

Change the Svara to solve your problems

• If either Nadi predominates for a long time it is a sign that one of the branches of the ANS is being overstressed and only one of the brain hemispheres is being fully utilised.

• If IDA flows for a long time then it indicates imbalance in mind and if Pingala flows then,it indicates imbalance in the Pranic body. 

• One can train the mind to control the flow just like controlling the bodily muscles, by a mere thought of the mind.

•  If you are lying on the left side the flow will be through right nostril and vice versa.

•  One can also try breathing from the nostril which you want to open up for a while it also works.

•  During olden times Rishis used YOG DANDA or you can keep your own arm in the  shape of yog danda which was kept under the arm pit to change the Svara .

• Sickness depends on the NADI which is flowing excessively.

• DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVER ACTIVE PINGALA NADI-high Bp, acidity, ulcer, pyloria, hyperthyroidism  and other stress related disorders.

• DISORDERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVER ACTIVE IDA NADI -indigestion, gas, diarrhoea, cholera, flatulence, respiratory, hypothyroidism, rheumatism, diabetes etc.

• Before the onset of a disease the flow of SWARA becomes disturbed and this noted beforehand then the imbalance can be rectified and sickness averted.

• For eg:- before the onset of severe viral infection  or throat pain, cold they usually are left dominant , if they change in to right  nostril breathing it may help them.

• Svara YOG specifies the use of NADI SHODHNA pranayama for gaining awareness and control over the svara and better control over your thoughts ,emotions and solving body mind complexities . 

• Science and Svara

• Scientific investigations shows that many AUTONOMIC AND VOLUNTARY functions are related to the breath and  these nerve components , which are situated at the base of the nose. 

• Nerves in nasal mucosa are connected with the Visceral, Excretory, Reproductive organs .Improper breathing or irregularity of breath in nostrils can create disturbance in these organs  and vice versa.

• Science also concludes that  the kind of breathing affects  many organs  as is stimulated by the nerves in nostrils.

• Obstruction of nasal passage can slow down the heart rate and blood circulation, prevents proper tissue oxidation. Since autonomic nerve fibers in nasal cavities are 20 times  greater than in other parts of CNS and nose is the peripheral organ ANS AND what we breathe and how we do it affects our emotions and vice-versa.

• Hari Om Tat Sat

Which Yoga?

There are different styles of Yog you can hear esp. Power Yog, Laya Yog, Artistic Yog  etc; which has been developed according to people's demand.

Though these types follow the original yog like Ashtanga Yog, Hatha Yog, which originated many years ago.

Yog was practiced those days as a preventive measures but as times changed Yog has been introduced as therapeutic also.

Today's lifestyle is so that, very few people are totally fit physically and mentally.

There is more demand for Therapeutic Yog, which again is from traditional ones.

Since there are more types and styles of Yog, you have to understand what your problem is, in first position.
As there are many medicines available in the chemist shop but you take only the prescribed one.So do here too, for general well being.

If you are physically unwell you must take up Asana and Pranayama  of  Hatha Yog. It improves the quality of the body.


If you are suffering from depression, hypertension or insomnia you must practice more of meditation, Raj Yog. It teaches you how to control the mind, mental force and bring it to one central point.


If you are mentally exhausted then you must take up Pranayama. It leads to better absorption of oxygen by the body.


If you are suffering from doubt,suspicion or insecurity then  practice Mantra Yog. It  leads to Tattwa shuddhi.The powerful vibrations, which you get by chanting certain combination of letters have powerful impact in mind and emotions.


If you have no faith in anything,neither God or this law or any law and do not want to live  then take up ,Jnana Yog. It improves the quality of the intellect.You know what you are doing and the emotions and tensions born out of your karma or wrong thinking will be stopped.


If you have unchecked emotions like greed, anger then practice Bhakti Yog. 
It improves your relationship with your emotions.When you transfer you faith on some power or divine energy then you can start enjoying your life more.You start thinking more positive rather than being angry or greedy about others.


If you do not want to do any of the above and want to occupy your mind ,improve your personality and get rid of negative traits in your personality then practice, Karma Yog. It improves your relationship with your own life and you are a better person and where ever you are placed as small troubles don't bother you much.You can face all situations in a better way, with a more steady mind.You become more compassionate and  forgiving than others.

To avoid lopsided development or imbalance in overall personality these paths can be practised together also.
The different branches of Yog should be integrated into your life, according to the predominant qualities of your's.

Hari om tat sat

YOGA, A LIFESTYLE - Swami Nirjananda Saraswati

Yoga becomes a Life style ,when we follow the Yoga Of Sivananda, as told by Swami Niranjananda Saraswati.

Yoga no longer becomes an hr practice everyday, it is more an attitude and awareness with which we live 24 hours a day.

The final outcome of Yoga is not isolating ourselves from the world but involving ourselves more deeply in the affairs of the world, knowing our place in it,our duties,and how can we make a difference in other people's lives.
This is what Swami Sivananda called the Divine Life.

One become more Sattwic in nature, more mature in wisdom and develop greater understanding, greater identification with the environment and world.

We cannot escape to the mountains to experience higher conciousness,we have to escape to the world to realize higher conciousness.It's a question of training ourselves.

Train ourselves for that state which means manage our responses, reactions, attitudes, convictions, creativity and performance.

As computer functions according to its programe and software,we have to replace the software inside and upgrade the programming of our mind.
This is possible by 18 "ITIES" Of Swami Sivananda Saraswati.

1. Serenity-It is the first change in the software,when we are at serene we are at peace with ourselves.

There are two areas of experience,one is "appearence" and the other is "reality" but both are Satya.But there is difference, one Satya is real and other is the apparent real.

Yogasutras state that we are attracted to pleasure as it gives happiness and we reject pain as it gives suffering.Serenity is finding the true reality and not being caught in the apparent reality and its reactions.

When we work for ourselves there is expectations, desire, need; we are affected by success and failure.when we work for higher cause then success and failure doesn't affect us at all.

When this happens we are free from the emotional and mental responses and reactions associated with selfish attitudes.

2. Regularity-It indicates positive and stable mind.when we are unstable we are irregular in practice and lose faith.

3.Absence of vanity-Can you be natural you? If you can then you have overcome your vanities. But the moment you try to project yourself either as a confident or under-confident person you subject yourself to vanities.Humility is the antidote to vanity. Don't try to create an impression.

4.Sincerity-It's an important sadhana and an attitude.It is purity and innocence of heart.Ask yourself ,"Am I sincere with myself ?"

5.Simplicity-It is learning to become umcomplicated, by getting rid of unnecessary and complicated pretences in life.

6.Veracity-Adherence to  Truth is veracity.Truth in normal life is diplomacy,not political or crooked but that arises out of knowing how words can influence another person's mind.So Veracity is diplomatic communication of truth.

7.Equanimity-It is being even tempered,even in extreme situation like in happiness and sufferings.

8.Fixity-It is being stable, constant and one-pointed. Focussed state of mind is Fixity.

9.Non-Irritability-It means not to be irritated or annoyed but to have patience and tolerance not just with others but with ourselves too.

10. Adaptability-It means adjustment in every situation. For eg: when we are sitiing in a boat rocked by a big waves,we have to move our body to the movement of boat.

11.Humility- The key to humility is consideration.When we are able to develop the faculty of consideration, then a natural attitude of respect develops within us, leads us to humility.

12.Tenacity- It means having a clear mind and holding on to our beliefs.

13. Integrity- It is to bring together the fractured personality.

14.Nobility- It means high, good, refined character.

15.Magnanimity- It means ability to forgive and generosity.

16.Charity-It means helping others to overcome their needs.

17.Generosity-Sharing and making others happy.

18.Purity-It is an expression of true self. It is expressed through appropriate thought, action and behaviour.

These are the 18 'ities' of Swami Sivananda which represent new programming for our mental software, along with asana and pranayama.

Work with one 'ity' per month, make it a sankalpa/resolution.

For eg : Every morning say to yourself ,"This month I am working on serenity".
Remember the concept of serenity as you go through the day's routine.

At the end of the day make a  note in your spiritual diary,like "How long was I serene today?" and "When did I lose my serenity?".

Even if you are able to take one step in the first month, that's fine. It's not practice which you do only once but rotate it continously.

The 'ities' are attempt fill our life with positive  and beautiful qualities,and cultivate positive habits.

Do not become neurotic about how to change  negative habit; just make the effort to cultivate positive habits.

 "HARI OM TAT SAT"

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

As the name suggests it is meant to purify the nadis.

Alternative breathing or Nadi Shodhana Pranayama  is the most commonly practiced  Pranayama. It is an important purification practice because it clears the obstructions in the flow of Prana in the Nadis.

According to Hatha Yog Pradipika the person is ready to practice breath retention only after the Nadis and Chakras are purified.Nadi Shodhana always precedes before any Meditation practices.

When a person knowingly or unknowingly misuses the body mind apparatus for a long period of time the three Doshas or Humours-Vata, Kapha or Pitta becomes imbalanced , blocking the flow of Prana in the Nadis.

Blockages in Nadis may be due to:

• Lack of adequate physical movements. 
• Incorrect posture.
• Harmful diet or wrong diet or untimely eating habits.
• Excessive accumulations of metabolic wastes such as gout.
• Inharmonious lifestyle like inadequate sleep or failure to adapt to  rhythms of nature.
• Direct intake of toxins like addictive substances.

How to practice-

• Basic way to practice alternate nostril breathing is always start inhaling through left nostril and  exhale through right nostril, and inhale through the same nostril from which you exhaled and exhale through the other, and so on.
• So one completes one round this way.
• 1st week-One should try practicing inhalation and exhalation in the ratio of 1:1 for eg:-if one inhales for 3 secs then exhale also for 3 secs or so on.
• Don't hold your breath at all.
• Allow your lower lungs to expand first, then your middle lungs and then your upper lungs and make sure one's abdomen goes in as one exhales.
• Practice this for 5 minutes at one stretch.
• If one gets tired in between can rest and start again.
• If one feel tired using their hand due to some problem then can give support for their elbow.

• 2nd week-One can try the required ratio of 1:2 of inhalation and exhalation
• Maintain the same ratio at that moment of practice for 5 minutes.
• Then slowly one can increase the practice from 5 minutes to 10 minutes.
• If one gets tired then rest and can start again.
• One can practice the same ratio for at least 5 to 6 months for 30 minutes without getting tired.
• One can start with retention of breath later as one gets comfortable with the 1:2 ratio of breath in and out for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Before one starts the breath retention one must learn the Bandhas or Prana locks.
• If one starts retention then it can be in the ratio initially 1:1:1 of inhale : hold : exhale for 1month at least.
• Then slowly can practice 1:1:2 ratio  of inhale: hold : exhale.
• The ideal one is 1:4:2 ratio of inhale : hold: exhale.
• But to reach this ideal ratio one must practice the Alternate Nostril breathing for years.

Signs of Purification of Nadis-

• Symptoms of physical disorder or disease disappear and there is feeling of lightness in the body and mind.
• Excessive fat and mucus disappear indicates balance in kapha dosha.
• Stability in body and mind indicates balance in Vata.
• Digestive system functions well when pitta is balanced.
• Body becomes thin and glows,digestive power increases.
• When all Doshas are balanced then one feels fresh through out the day and emotionally more balanced.

HARI OM

Three Gunas

As I was going through an article yesterday about Gunas, I decided to share this with you all. This is so true that the kind of food we eat affects our nature to some extent.

Human beings nature or quality is made of three important Gunas called

Sattva

Rajas

Tamas

These Gunas are contradictory but work in unison, and present in different proportions in all human being, depending on many reasons.

Sattva guna-

If present more in you then you will be blessed with zeal, enthusiasm, happiness and contentment. You will feel light refreshed physically and mentally at all times. One becomes more successful in his life due to this dominant quality. It is associated with white color and is dominant in nature during day break.

Food associated with this Sattva Gunas are rice, wheat, vegetables, fruits, milk, pulses, ghee, curd, whole grain, freshly cooked food.

Rajas Guna-

you will be more excited, hyper, fickle in mind, attracted to your senses so objects of desires attracts  more.

Mind wanders more and leads to suffering. It is also action oriented and keeps you engaged in work. It keeps you active during the day.

Foods associated with Rajas Guna are more spicy, oily and rich food.

Tama Guna-

It is weighty, brings difficulties in life. It is the opposite of Sattva Guna.

It symbolizes inactivity, reduces the brilliance of a person's mind, and spurs him in to careless acts. It also results in laziness, lack of passion in life.

Black is the color of Tama Guna and is more active during night.

Foods associated with it are old stale food, food items which creates intoxication where one loses control on themselves.

According to Sankhya Philosophy, an imbalance of these three elements is what brought the cosmos into being. These three elements have always been embedded in nature and all matter in this world had atleast one of these three Gunas. When Guna dominates others is subdued.