Tension and emotional stress, how we deal with it?

You are tense, nervous, worried, and unable even to relax in bed, but you are not alone. When you get all tied up in knots, you can feel like you’re losing your mind. And you take relaxation pills, pep pills, tranquillizers, anything to give you a ‘lift’ And then wonder at the resulting unpleasant side effects.

Could Yoga be the answer?

Clearly, without question, it can do that.
Yoga doesn’t like drugs and you know, your body does not either so if the so-called orthodox methods have failed to establish an easing of tension in your overworked body and over-worried mind then why not try Yoga’s way? Yoga is proven to be effective when medicine no longer works.
Proper breathing is intrinsically linked with relaxation, with the emotions, with the health of the body itself. Your thoughts mirror your breathing style, and as such, your mind will be affected if your breathing is off balance.

Through your daily experiences, you can confirm this to be true. When you are watching television, absorbed in a book, or listening to an interesting talk on your radio. Your breathing processes become slow. When your mind is afflicted by anger, or sorrow, the breath becomes irregular and choppy. If you are scared you breathe and seize your breath, and if you are uninterested you yawn.

The exercises formulated by the Yogis of ancient times in connection with the respiratory tract are all based on a close observation of the body’s natural impulses. Most people neglect this bodily function so much that they barely inhale enough oxygen to maintain living.
Mind and breath, then, being interdependent, you must learn how to breathe properly if you want to calm your mind and rid yourself of your worries and frustrations in everyday life. Your breathing is slow and steady when you are relaxed so if you learn to control your breathing, you can help your mind reach that state of restfullness. If you are breathing in a calm and controlled manner,you can’t be worried and upset,and if your breath is coming out in hurried jerks you can’t remain calm.

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Living The Good Life Article Series, Tell Me What You Think?

Hi everyone,

Thats me Gaylene

Nice to be here and great to get some lovely e-mails, thankyou thankyou, thankyou.

Now to business, I really need some feedback here on this latest series of articles that I have been posting on yoga exercises and health issues.

I have studied this area quite a lot and have put plenty of the basic formulas into practice and have had some really outstanding personal results. That is why I decided to post them here for you to have a look at.

Now I do realise not all these theories and ideas will work for everyone or that some of you may feel a bit hmmmm at a few of the ideas, BUT that’s normal.

What is great about some of these articles is that they are simple easy and make sense in common language, even though the actual terminology may seem very foreign.

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We all get Constipation and indigestion at some stage, don’t we? – Part one of five

We all get Constipation and indigestion at some stage,

abdominal lift

THOSE who are masters of the science of Yoga refer to constipation as ‘the mother of all diseases’, and so many of the most important Yoga asanas aim at improving elimination and the digestive processes and, consequently, the health of the entire organism.

Among these exercises the ABDOMINAL LIFT is considered one of the most essential; not only for its physical values, but also for the way it influences our spiritual development by ridding the body, and therefore the mind, of impurities. Not only does the constant practice of it bring relief from chronic constipation and indigestion but it also strengthens flabby abdominal muscles and so improves the figure.

Before attempting the ABDOMINAL LIFT it is advisable for beginners to spend the first two or three days limbering up the muscles with the following contracting and relaxing movements known as UDDIYANJ,

1.    Stand with the feet about twelve inches apart, in hale slowly and deeply and exhale with a good deal of force.
2.    Without inhaling again, pull in the abdominal muscles with a strong upward movement until a hollow forms under the ribs.
Hold for two seconds.
3.    Relax the muscles, pull in again and relax again. Repeat these two or three times in quick successive movements, still without inhaling, and then relax.

Do not overdo these movements at first, and remember that the accent is on the pulling in movement rather than on the letting go.
Yoga exercises must be done while the stomach, bladder, and if possible the bowels are empty. First thing in the morning or last thing at night is convenient for most people but the time of day does not matter too much so long as the stomach is empty.
Allow at least four hours after a heavy meal, two hours after a light meal, and half an hour after a cup of tea or glass of fruit juice. Do not eat directly after exercising but wait at least half an hour. Be sure that nothing you wear fits tightly, or restricts your movement in any way.

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The last in this series of Constipation and indigestion, you should be cured.– Part five of five

The last in this series of Constipation and indigestion, you should be cured.

Variation of Head to Knee Posture 1.

1.           Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out. Place the right foot on the left thigh, as near to the body as possible.
2.    Stretch forward your left hand and grasp the toes of your left foot.
3.    Place your head on your left knee.
4.    Keeping your head on your knee, reach your right arm round the back of your body and try to grasp the toes of your right foot which is on the left thigh. Remain thus for as long as you find comfortable, and without straining, and then straighten up, lie flat on the floor and relax, taking a few deep recovery breaths.

If you find you can do this variation you might like to omit the simpler Head to Knee posture in favour of this one, as the benefits of the asana are greatly enhanced by the added stretch to die muscles of the back and shoulders.
Yet another variation of the HEAD TO KNEE POSTURE re-quires a little more flexibility, and should not be attempted until you can perform the above variation with ease.

Variation of Head to Knee Posture
1.    Sit down on the floor as before and place your right foot against your left thigh, as near to the body as possible.
2.    Lift your left leg straight up and catch the foot firmly in both hands. Your leg should be perpendicular to the floor.

Incline your head slightly until your face touches the knee of your raised leg. Hold this position for as long as you can and then repeat with the other leg. You may perform this variation up to six times, three for each leg. It will take time and patient practice to perfect, but it is well worth the extra effort as it will give an invigorating pull to the sciatic nerve as well as imparting the other benefits of the posture.
And now for something more spectacular. This is a colourful Yoga asana requiring flexibility and concentration. Called the Akarna Dhanurasana or in English the BOW AND ARROW POSTURE it will strengthen flabby abdominal muscles, thereby promoting better elimination, and will also limber up the joints of the hips, legs and shoulders.

Method
1.    Sit down on the floor with your legs stretched out. Bend your right knee until your right foot is over your left thigh.
2.    Grasp the right foot with the left hand to hold it in position while you
3.    Raise your left elbow while drawing your right foot up to touch your left ear.

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The fear of Constipation and indigestion needn’t be scary! – Part four of five

The fear of Constipation and indigestion needn’t be scary!

But we are concerned, in this chapter, with constipation and YOGAMUDRA, by increasing the peristaltic movement of the bowel, promotes internal purification. It also tones and strengthens the abdominal muscles, the colon, and the pelvic region, and so it is a very valuable and health-giving posture indeed. There is an easy version for beginners but I will describe the classical one first.

1.    Sit down in the Lotus Pose, With your hands behind your back clasp the right wrist with the left hand or vice versa.
2.    Bend forward until your head touches the floor between your knees and remain so for as long as you find comfortable.

When you are ready to straighten up do so very slowly and remain seated for a few moments with your back straight. You will experience a curiously light and peaceful sensation, as though you had just awakened from a peaceful dream.
But I can hear many of my readers protesting that the exercise I have just described is impossible. You can neither get into the Lotus Pose nor hope to reach the floor with your head. Very well, try this easier variation.

Sit down cross-legged on the floor, tailor fashion. This is the Easy Pose. Double your fists and place them firmly on either side of your navel. Now bend forward as before until your head touches the ground as near to your knees as you can. Your fists will impart a healthy massage to your abdominal organs just as, in the classical Yogamudra the upturned heels do likewise.
Yogamudra should be regarded not only as a powerful exercise to promote better elimination but also as an exercise in the calming of the mind. While your head is on the floor (and you will achieve this with patient practice) you should keep your eyes closed and try to empty your mind of all worries and fears. Practise repose and soon it will become a habit.

The following exercise should also be practised for the relief or prevention of constipation and/or indigestion. It should present little or no difficulty to the beginner, though perfecting it might take a little patience.

Called the Janu Shirshasana or in English the HEAD TO KNEE POSE, it tones up sluggish bowels, strengthens the legs, and adds to your energy and vitality.
1.         Sit down on the floor, both legs stretched out. Bend the left knee and place the left foot as high up as possible against the right thigh.
2.        Inhale deeply, slightly raise your body from the waist upwards to pull in your stomach, and complete your inhalation.
3.    While exhaling bend slowly forward and get hold of your extended right foot with both hands. The forehead should touch the right knee.
4.    Remain in this position for as long as you comfortably can {which will be only a second or two at first) and then straighten up, at the same time straightening out your left leg. Repeat with the same leg and then change legs and repeat, twice bending your head towards the other knee.

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