Yoga

Yoga is a science of balanced, mental and physical living. Self-love and self-criticism are polar opposites, but most people are quick to punish themselves when they make mistakes. It seems that many of us are looking too deeply into our own flaws.

While it is true that none of us is perfect, it will not be helpful to one's self-esteem to constantly be reminded of this fact. Looking at one's self can invite merciless self-criticism. We may be able to tell a friend to stop criticizing us, but the mind can chatter while you sleep or at any time of the day. How can Yoga meditation help us train our minds to stop finding faults within us?

The Yogic Solution to Self- Criticism

Swami Kripalu, a 20th century spiritual teacher and well known Yoga Guru, once said, "The highest form of spiritual practice is self-observation without self-criticism." Few disciplines encourage practitioners to examine themselves, inwardly and outwardly, like the ancient art of meditation. The eternal question of "Who am I?" leads to self-observation, but the process of truly accepting oneself is far more difficult.

Wise decisions require critical thinking skills, and awareness calls for objectivity and clarity. Unrealistic expectations and perfectionism, however, block creativity, destroy self-esteem, and result in anger and frustration. Trying to live up to other people's standards, judging success by external rewards, and demanding flawless performance set the scene for destructive self-talk.

Yogic Prevention

While the goal of Yogic meditation is the creation of harmony between the internal and external mind, sometimes, a few practical solutions are able to stop the critical inner voice before it gets out of control. First, though, it is vital to recognize the process in its early stages. Warning signs may be a lump in the throat, tense muscles, clenched teeth, or other physical and emotional signals. Meditation is the tool that makes it possible to witness and alter these unhealthy patterns of thinking.

Six Ways to Stop Self-Criticism in Its Early Stages

1. Listen to the automatic tapes playing in your head. If your mind is full of negative thoughts, stop and ask yourself if they are true. Awareness is the first step in making changes.

2. When you catch yourself listening to critical thoughts, replace the false statements with positive ones.

3. Do Yoga poses (asana) to release pent-up energy and clear your mind.

5. Practice controlled breathing techniques (pranayama).

6. Write about your feelings. Studies have shown that students, who have performance anxiety, do better on tests when they write about their anxiety beforehand.

Conclusion

A regular Yoga meditation practice increases sensitivity to emotional and physical sensations, making it easier to stop the cycle of self-criticism, before the body responds with symptoms like the release of adrenaline or an increase in blood pressure. The key to success is becoming familiar with the negative thoughts and realizing that they are just that - thoughts.

© Copyright 2011 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/.

Yoga off the mat is an oft-used term. The idea is to extend one's practice outside the studio by incorporating Yogic elements into everyday life. Have you ever been at Whole Foods and noticed your line-neighbor in an asana? Now, that is what we would call extreme off-the-mat practice, which is absolutely encouraged if you can stand a stare or two. However, for most of us, the principle is about incorporating Yoga skills into everyday life.

While the premise seems simple, some students may shy away from yoga off the mat practice; which happens when we apply yogic principles to life. However, many people, for one reason or another, only engage in Yoga as a physical exercise and want little to do with its roots or meditative machinations. Even if you instruct more secular minded students - or those with deep faith in a particular religion - there are ways to promote "Yoga off the mat." After all, no matter what your religious affiliation - or lack thereof - the skills taught in Yoga class can be applied to everyday interactions from the boardroom to the classroom.

Knowing Your Limits

Pushing one's limits happens all the time. A first time student enters class expecting to breeze through, only to discover that Yoga isn't as easy as the models make it look. Even experienced yoga practitioners still feel the burn when it comes to certain asanas.

Yet, in class, we learn how to train our minds to accept what our bodies are saying. Perhaps most importantly, we teach our students to identify their limits. As yoga instructors, we're constantly reminding, "just because someone else is doing the most challenging variation, doesn't mean you have to!" The message in that "mantra" is a lesson everyone, at some point in their life, should work on - as it leads to greater self-discipline, which results in heightened awareness and understanding of others.

Healthy Breathing

In Sanskrit, the word for breathing (pranayama) translates to "extending life force," which is the goal of 99.9% of people living on the planet today. Elemental to the practice of yoga, pranayama is also the essence of every human being. When one learns to notice their breath and observe its calming effect - healthy things happen. Stay on your students' cases about breathing; remind them that breath is the core human function. If you make it a class focus, the proper breathing habits will become intrinsically manifest in all your students - both inside and outside the studio.

Remember, not all of your students want to explore the spiritual side of yoga - and that's all right! However, it doesn't mean you can't guide them to off the mat practice. Good luck and Namaste!

© Copyright 2011 - Aura Wellness Center - Publications Division

Faye Martins, is a Yoga teacher and a graduate of the Yoga teacher training program at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/

In addition, yoga can benefit you in many different ways: to escape into a few minutes of quiet to center yourself, to take your mind off the nagging details of everyday life, to learn to breathe fully, to consciously control your stress levels, to relieve lower back pain, migraine headaches and injuries. Yoga balances your body, breath, emotions and intellect.

Your muscles are stretched long in an anatomically correct position, and your stabilizing muscles are trained to support this posture all the time, not just when you're working out. If you're unknowingly making any mistakes in strength training, yoga will correct that in a few sessions.

Yoga can also teach you how to control unhealthy habits like overeating. Eating too much is usually caused by low self-esteem - an escape from self-judgment and responsibility. While practicing yoga consistently you will see yourself differently. You'll start to feel a peace about yourself that will increase your confidence and help you avoid compulsive overeating.

When I first started yoga, I had no idea what it would do for me. I had a knee injury from running, and my physical therapist prescribed a few yoga classes. I had always thought yoga was a New Age religious practice, not an activity that I would benefit from physically. But despite yoga's spiritual origins, people of all religions (even people of no religion) can reap yoga's physical benefits.

Another reason I was apprehensive was that I really love active sports, so the thought of going to a floor exercise class sounded out of character for me. But I knew I needed some kind of stretching class for my knee, just to make myself do it. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have done it on my own. So I went.

Surprisingly, the yoga classes gave me more than any regular stretching could have given me. After a few sessions, my body was completely realigned. I never knew the moderate occasional pains in my back weren't just a part of having a back. I also realized that the last bit of flab I still had around my waist was there not because I was lazy and needed to run more - I just needed to sit up and lengthen my spine and supportive back muscles.

Muscles I forgot about years ago were stretched and strengthened, and all my pent-up tension drained out. My body looked longer, leaner, and best of all - tightness was gone from my neck (where I store my stress) and I felt new assurance and calmness.

You can find a beginner's yoga class in any city -- just look in the yellow pages. They can cost from $5 to $15 per class. You can also buy video tapes, if time is an obstacle, at Blockbuster or most other video stores. Be sure and start with a tape for beginners, and then work your way up to the more advanced levels.

The Advaita Pranamat is an effective acupressure tool that promotes self-healing, relaxation and revitalization that restores the energy flow of your body. It is almost a reflexology mat that stimulates the pressure points combining ancient wisdom, bio design and modern technologies.

Reflexology is the practice of applying pressure to the feet and hands using specific thumb, finger and hand techniques without the use of oil, cream or lotion based on a system of zones and reflex areas that reflect an image of the body on the feet and hands with a premise that such work effects a physical change in the body.

By stimulating the body's acupressure points the Pranamat Eco helps in boosting the body's natural energy flow. It has been skilfully designed to "wake up" your body and direct blood flow to the organs that need it the most. The tiny lotus spikes stimulate active nerve Centre and intensify the local blood flow and lymph circulation. Thus, by simply lying down on this modern "bed of nails", you give your body a chance to heal itself and regain energy.

Regular use of Pranamat can help you to relax and stimulate a quicker self-healing process of your body, releasing endorphins to promote a sense of wellbeing at the same time. The Pranamat can help with upper & lower back pain, neck ache, stiffness, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, headache, stress, muscular tension, arthritis, insomnia, and cellulite. It is also ideal for those who are practicing yoga and sports regularly as it induces deep relaxation, healing and harmonizes the body.

By working specific reflex points on the feet, this Advaita eco mat improves circulation and lymph flow, cleanses the body of impurities and revitalize energy, these wills encourage the body to restore naturally its own healthy balance. Additionally, Reflexology can bring soothing stress relief and relaxation to the mind, body and spirit. The treatment can be pleasurable and extremely relaxing to receive, as well as invigorating and energizing. Once you get used to your Pranamat, you will start using it regularly and enjoying the benefits.

Although you can use Pranamat clothed, it offers maximum benefit when used on bare skin for about half an hour 3-4 times a week. The 'spiky lotuses' stimulate the points, the 'awakened feeling it gave and yet how amazingly comfortable the Pranamat is to use.

Pranamat Eco is created with 100% natural materials, such as coconut fibre and pure linen. All the materials of Pranamat Eco are natural, eco-friendly products making it the only acupressure mat on the market that can claim superior design, superior quality and eco-components.

This eco friendly Advaita prana mat will become part of your routine once you begin to enjoy its benefits and get used to this. It these helps heal and invigorate and relax the body at the same time too.

This eco friendly Advaita prana mat will become part of your routine once you begin to enjoy its benefits and get used to this. Prana Mats will help heal and invigorate and relax the body at the same time too.