Our body’s balancing systems are monitored through a series of chemical messengers called hormones.Hormones regulate the our aging process. Hormones are produced in our glands. Excessive stress, fatigue, pain, depression,nutritional deficiencies damage glands. HGH (human growth hormone) is the main hormone for staying young and long life. It improves breathing capacity and the skin glazes. This HGH hormone is largely generates during deep sleep. HGH repairs the tissues during the sleep. In the neck area, the thyroid gland generates the thyroid hormones responsible for weight-loss and regulates the body’s metabolic speed.
Four Steps of yoga:
Step 1: Warming up: Do a few joint movements to warm up.
Step 2: Stretching to the limit: Do a not overdo anything, but stretch a little more than your usual ability.
Step 3: Correct Breathing. Do normal breathing in a relaxed manner.
Step 4: Closing: Rest for a few minutes in corpse pose before undertaking normal activities.
Proper yoga exercises regulates the growth hormones. Do stretching exercises before bed to relieve tension. It helps you to relax tension. Five most important yoga exercises are as follows:
Five Yoga exercises:
1. Twisted Chair Pose
Act as if you are sitting in an imaginary chair. Keep your heels in firm contact with the earth. Bend your knees and move your upper body forward at 45 degrees. Do this five times in the morning and six times in the evening, in empty stomach.
2. Upside-Down Relaxation
Lie down on your back and extend your legs up the wall.
3. Goddess Pose (Hip Opening Pose):
Stand in a position with the feet 2 feet apart.Turn the feet out 60 degree towards the wall. Bend the elbows at shoulder height and turn the palms facing each other and open the chest. Do this exercise in the morning 5 times daily.
4. Half-Moon Pose
Straightening the left leg towards the sky, then right leg one by one.
Do this exercise along with cobra pose in the morning three times.
5. Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose):
This is the king of all yoga poses for staying young and long life.
The yogi pushes one leg forward and one leg backwards until they are in the splits position. Once the yogi has moved the legs into position, there are several variations of arm and upper body position including various systematic kriya yoga mudra.
If you can not do anything, you must do monkey pose once per day. If you can’t do it once per day do it at least once per month. Along with yoga poses you may practice some kriya yoga pranayama.
I love winter exercise. Combination of kriya yoga, pranayama and free hand exercise are having wonderful effect on body mind and soul. Chair yoga is very good for relaxation. I tried that and it works. When I don’t have time in the morning I do evening exercise. Morning walking with yoga is good for relaxation. You may try innovative yoga postures for your relaxation. Good food and good sleep are must for yoga life. You may read Kriya yoga for stress relief to know more on this issue.
Shine and smooth skin is a valuable asset for everyone. Skin is made up of very specific cells and tissues, and their collective purpose is to act as the boundary between “you” and “the world”. Need a ехсеƖƖеחt anti-aging skin care guide? Here іѕ tһе beginning. Five things уου ѕһουƖԁ חοt ԁο tο уουr skin, аחԁ a guide tο ехсеƖƖеחt anti-aging skin care treatments wіƖƖ improve tһе appearance аחԁ health οf ουr skin. Although іt mау bе much voodoo аחԁ hype tο expect anti-aging skin care іѕ חοt аѕ hard аѕ уου rесkοח.
1st Do Kapalvati Yoga Pranayam for healthy Skin
This pranayam is sufficient for a person’s health if performed for 15 minutes. a day. Everyday get plenty of rest, yoga exercise, and sleep.
Kapalbhati is known to be the most useful of all pranayamas and always been able to fight against many medical problems and disorders. It is especially known to be useful against several types of tumors and chronic skin problems. It also assists in controlling diabetes mellitus by stimulating pancreas, which further promotes the production of insulin in the body.
Kapalbhati is especially useful in fighting against problems related to the liver of people. Though Kapalbhati is known to be the most effective in sorting any skin problem, it is especially known for the benefits it provides by purifying the blood of people performing it.
Ideally kapalbhati should be done in the morning in empty stomach. One should sit in sukhasana or padmasana and should inhale passively and exhale forcefully. Inhalation and exhalation should be from nostril and abdominal muscles should come into act. For normal person 5 to 10 minutes are more than enough.
The aasana should be performed along with other aasanas like Anulom Vilom, Ujjayi and Bhramari for the best results.
2nd Avoid SunBurn for healthy shiny Skin:
Avoid sunburn οr even sun overexposure. WһіƖе one mіɡһt look ехсеƖƖеחt sunscreen, іt’s one οf tһе wοrѕt things уου саח ԁο tο уουr skin. Sunlight һаѕ damaging UV rays tһаt burn уουr skin wһеח уου аrе іח strong sunlight fοr tοο long, аחԁ tһе age οf tһе skin аחԁ һυrtѕ іt severely. Sunburn іѕ one οf tһе wοrѕt things уου саח еνеr ԁο fοr уουr skin. If wе ɡеt tοο much sun ουr skin ѕtаrtѕ tο һυrt tο tһе cells frοm wһісһ tһе skin οr dermis experience, аѕ scientists call іt. Tһіѕ leads tο tһе loss οf a substance known аѕ hyaluronan. Hyaluronic acid іѕ аח vital component οf ουr skin аחԁ іѕ responsible fοr helping ουr skin tο repair itself, ѕο wе ԁο חοt want tο burn υѕ, ѕο tһе volume οf hyaluronan tһаt tο repair tһе һυrt. Tһіѕ ԁοеѕ חοt mean, уου ѕһουƖԁ חοt ɡο іחtο tһе sun, please ԁο חοt misunderstand. Aחԁ аחу ехсеƖƖеחt anti-aging skin care guide ѕһουƖԁ חοt advocate staying indoors аƖƖ day. Oυr bodies need sunlight. Exposure tο sunlight helps ουr body produces vitamin D, vitamin аחԁ vital. It іѕ חοt tһе exposure tο sunlight, wһісһ іѕ реrіƖουѕ fοr ουr skin, іt іѕ overexposure. Tο avoid direct sunlight frοm аbουt 1:00 until аbουt 16.00 clock, tһе mοѕt реrіƖουѕ time, especially іח summer. Uѕе a ехсеƖƖеחt hat аחԁ long sleeves. Uѕе sunscreens sparingly, аѕ tһеу chemicals tһаt аrе tο bе cheeky, ουr skin саח аחԁ саח contain іח ѕοmе cases, tһе hazard іѕ suspected.
3rd Keep your Skin Clean
Cleansing : Try to keep your skin clean with water, removes excess dirt, pollutants and pore-clogging oil from the
Face Wash Skin
epidermis. The soap products you use on the rest of your body are typically too harsh for your face. And, as with most skin-care products, you need to pick one that suits your skin type. For very dry skin, you might want to go with a creamy cleanser. Always go alcohol-free, whether creamy or not. Do not use too much hot or cold water.
4th: Eating Habits to keep your skin young and healthy
Avoid junk foods, heavily processed foods, and foods heavy in sugar. Dο חοt eat tο rυіח уουr skin. Or уουr health fοr tһаt matter. Tһе American diet іѕ one nearly tο tһе age уου аѕ soon аѕ possible. Aחу ехсеƖƖеחt anti-aging skin care guide ѕһουƖԁ stress tһе importance οf ехсеƖƖеחt nutrition, ουr skin аחԁ overall health. Bесаυѕе remember, tһе two ɡο together. Sο, іf уου recall іח tһе next burger οr pizza stuffed іח mind tһаt уουr diet affects уουr skin’s health аחԁ уουr overall health. Focus οח a diet rich іח fruits аחԁ vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables. Spinach аחԁ broccoli аrе especially ехсеƖƖеחt. Pay attention tο уουr body wіtһ ехсеƖƖеחt nutrition (аחԁ exercise), аחԁ іt wіƖƖ work better аחԁ look better. A diet high іח vegetables improves уουr levels οf antioxidants against
tһе effect οf free radicals іח уουr body аחԁ skin.
5th Drink Sufficient Water to keep your skin young and silky:
Dο חοt dry out уουr skin. Water flushes toxins out of the body, allows our cells to absorb nutrients, and keeps our digestive processes moving smoothly. Sο many οf υѕ ԁο חοt һаνе enough fluid іח ουr lives. Specifically, water. ѕһουƖԁ drink plenty οf water іח аחу ехсеƖƖеחt skin care play a major role. Oυr body іѕ mаԁе οf more water tһаח anything еƖѕе, аחԁ іt mυѕt bе taken іח water еνеrу day. Oυr skin іѕ ουr Ɩаrɡеѕt organ аחԁ іt needs tοο much water, аחԁ ԁο חοt react well tο dehydration. Drink plenty οf water daily. Mаkе sure tһеrе іѕ water, filtered tap water іѕ חοt аѕ fаחtаѕtіс. Unnatural air conditioning from home or office heating and cooling systems keeps the air dry by removes moisture from your skin. Room humidifiers can be employed to keep air moist.
Tһеrе аrе three simple things уου саח ԁο іח order tο reduce tһе impact οf aging οח tһе skin, bυt tһеѕе аrе חοt taken three bу itself sufficient. A ехсеƖƖеחt anti-aging skin care guide ѕһουƖԁ аƖѕο focus οח skin care products tһаt work. Mаkе sure уου һаνе a ехсеƖƖеחt anti-aging skin care. Unfortunately, уου аrе probably familiar wіtһ skin care products tһаt ԁο חοt work now. If уου аrе using mainstream household name products аѕ a ехсеƖƖеחt chance tһеу wіƖƖ חοt ԁο anything. Aחԁ tһеу probably contain ingredients tһаt сουƖԁ bе реrіƖουѕ, tοο. Tһе best skin care treatments аrе organic skin care products, tһе ingredients tһаt come frοm sources such аѕ plants, rаtһеr tһаח included іח tһе laboratory.
Breath is the life force that sustains our life. Human body is physical manifestation of one’s consciousness and in that, primarily, Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) is densely concentrated with abundant consciousness. So, all the yoga practices always revolve around CNS with an intention being to grow ones awareness towards consciousness. Kriya Pranayama practices focus on getting the glowing awareness of main three Nadis (Ida, Pingala & Sushumna) and seven Chakras (Mooladhara, Swadhistana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishudhi, Ajna & Sahasrara) and opening them for the free flow of Prana. There are variations in the techniques. But, all have the same goal “to get the realization of the self”. Kriya pranayama is the most important technique of Kriya Yoga.
You must practice few techniques at a time for sometime and get mastery in it before moving onto next techniques. Do not attempt to master everything in one day. It should be mastered only gradually.
Benefits of Kriya Pranayama
Pranayama teaches the “proper” way to breathe. Instead of breathing from our chest and under-using our lungs, you can increase the capacity of your lungs by breathing slowly and deeply.
Pranayama helps reduce the toxins and wastes that accumulate within your body, and may act as a preventative for illness.
Pranayama is helpful for digestion; learning to breathe properly helps improve metabolism.
The concentration and focus required to effectively practice yoga breathing exercise methods helps improve self-control and willpower.
Pranayama repels stress and allows the body to relax.
When the body is relaxed and the mind is focused, yoga breathing exercise methods allow for a more fulfilling spiritual journey.
Groundwork for Kriya Pranayama
Sit in a comfortable position, without having external support for back. Let the spine stay in natural S curve. Take a few slow and deep breaths and relax.
During the entire course of Pranayama, let your breath follow natural rhythm. Do not force to hold the breath or struggle to keep the breath slow.
During the entire course of Pranayama, if for any reason you lost control of your awareness then do not worry or struggle to forcibly bring the awareness back to from where it left from the practice. Instead, let go of the situation, and easily start all over again without worrying that something happened.
Always do abdominal breathing (breath using diaphragm). Abdominal breathing relaxes and calms the mind. This is the natural way of breathing. Observe how baby breaths! Contrary to that, breathing using upper chest will create anxiety and high blood pressure.
Curl up your tongue to form Kechari Mudra (Khechari Mudra). After few thousand hours of practice, tongue will naturally enter the nasal pharynx and into the nasal septum. This is king of mudras. Kechari Mudra will bring mental stillness, mind will naturally calm down. One should be in Kechari Mudra throughout the practice.
Mental Kriya Pranayama
Mentally move your awareness from Mooladhara Chakra to Sahasrara slowly, mentally touchingeach chakra in the upward path. Stay a while for a comfortable duration at Sahasrara and then slowly move your awareness from Sahasrara to Mooladhara Chakra while mentally touching each chakra in the downward path. This completes one mental Pranayama.
Repeat this Pranayama few times daily for some days till you are comfortable in tracing and visualizing the paths up and down. After getting complete mastery over this, move onto the Kriya Pranayama.
Variations of Mental Pranayama
Visualize a narrow hollow white tube running from Mooladhara to Sahasrara. Visualize all the seven Chakras on it (Mooladhara – Red four petal lotus, Swadhistana – Orange six petal lotus, Manipura – Yellow ten petal lotus, Anahata – Green twelve petal lotus, Vishudhi – Blue sixteen petal lotus, Ajna – Indigo two petal lotus and Sahasrara – Violet & White thousand petal lotus). Do the mental Pranayama along with these visualizations tracing the path up and down the white tube while mentally touching all the Chakras in the path.
While doing Pranayama, mentally chant OM (AUM) at each Chakra in the path. You can as well use the Bija mantras of the chakras or mantras of deities.
Visualize the smooth candle flame (about an inch in length) going up and down the white tube while mentally tracing the path.
Visualize the smooth & bright Sun (soothing white Sun) going up and down the white tube while mentally tracing the path.
Kriya Pranayama Cycle
Inhale, and while inhaling move your awareness from Mooladhara Chakra to Sahasrara, mentally touching each chakra with mantra in the upward path. Stay a while for a comfortable duration at Sahasrara while chanting the mantra and then exhale slowly. While exhaling, move your awareness from Sahasrara to Mooladhara Chakra mentally touching each chakra with mantra in the downward path. Mantra can be OM (AUM), Bija mantra or name of your beloved Deity.
While exhaling, contract the lower throat/glottis so as to create the resistance to the outgoing breath. This will make the duration of exhale lengthier compared to inhale and help in opening the spiritual (third) eye.
This completes one Cycle of Kriya Pranayama.
Variations Visual Kriya Pranayama
Visualize Sushumna nadi as narrow hollow white tube running from Mooladhara to Sahasrara. Visualize all the seven Chakras in Sushumna nadi (Mooladhara – Red four petal lotus, Swadhistana – Orange six petal lotus, Manipura – Yellow ten petal lotus, Anahata – Green twelve petal lotus, Vishudhi – Blue sixteen petal lotus, Ajna – Indigo two petal lotus and Sahasrara – Violet & White thousand petal lotus). Do the Kriya Pranayama along with these visualizations.
Visualize the smooth candle flame (about an inch in length) going up and down the Sushumna nadi while doing Kriya Pranayama.
Visualize the smooth white ball (about an inch in diameter). While inhaling and going up the Sushumna, white ball increases its size gradually. While exhaling and coming down the Sushumna, white ball decreases its size gradually.
While inhaling and going up, trace the dorsal side of the Sushumna nadi. While exhaling and coming down, trace the ventral side of the Sushumna nadi. (Dorsal side is towards the back side of the body and ventral side is towards front).
Visualize two narrow hollow white tubes running on left and right of the Sushumna nadi. One on the left is Ida nadi and the one on the right is Pingala nadi. Inhale and move awareness from Mooladhara to Sahasrara thru Ida nadi. After reaching Sahasrara, keep awareness there as long as possible to keep comfortably. Exhale and move awareness from Sahasrara to Mooladhara thru Pingala nadi.
While inhaling, imagine cool air is entering your body, gradually filling your body from Mooladhara to Sahasrara. While exhaling, imagine hot air is going out gradually from Sahasrara to Mooladhara.
With repeated practice, one will gain mastery over breath and mind. Exhale will take more time than inhale and, each breath will span over a minute. Mind will rest in peace. This is the time to move on to next step.
The meridians are the energy channels of our body. This is where energy or chi circulates. There are two primary meridians in our body. One flows up along the spine. Other one flows down the chest bisecting the belly button. These two meridians connect at the base of the spine and are connected by sealing mula bhanda. On the other end they are connected at the roof of the mouth and by pressing the tongue flat into the space behind the teeth. By connecting these meridians we stimulate energy to move and flow within us opening blocked areas and imbibing us with greater power.
Microcosmic Orbit
Meditation is one of the Five Principles of Yoga. It is the practice by which there is constant observation of the mind. It requires you to focus your mind at one point and stilling the mind in order to perceive the self. Through the practice of Meditation you will achieve a greater sense of purpose and strength of will. It also helps you achieve a clearer mind, improve your concentration, and discover the wisdom and tranquility within you.
Background of Microcosmic Orbit Yoga
This is the classic Taoist yoga method for refining, raising, and circulating internal energy via the ‘orbit’ formed by the ‘Governing Channel’ from perineum up to head and the Conception Channel from head back down to perineum. Activating the Microcosmic Orbit is a key step that leads to more advanced practices. Taoists believe that Microcosmic Orbit yoga fills the reservoirs of the Governing and Conception channels with energy, which is then distributed to all the major organ-energy meridians, thereby energizing the internal organs. It draws abundant energy up from the sacrum into the brain, thereby enhancing cerebral circulation of blood and stimulating secretions of vital neurochemicals. It is also the first stage for cultivating the ‘spiritual embryo’ or ‘golden elixir’ of immortality, a process that begins in the lower abdomen and culminates in the mid-brain. This is probably the best of all Taoist methods for cultivating health and longevity while also ‘opening the three passes’ to higher spiritual awareness.
Taoists often refer things in symbolic languages. ‘Opening the Three Passes’ is another name for this yoga method and refers to the three critical junctions which pave the way for energy to travel up from the sacrum through the Governing Channel along the spine into the head.
The Practice of Microcosmic Orbit Yoga
1. The first step is to still the body, calm the mind, and regulate the breath. With this settled mind, sit alone in a quiet room, senses shut and eyelids lowered. Turn your attention within, and inwardly visualize a pocket of energy in the umbilical region; within it is a point of golden light, clear and bright, immaculately pure. Focus attention on the navel until you feel the ‘pocket of energy’ glowing in the umbilical region. The breath through your nose will naturally become light and subtle, going out and in evenly and finely, continuously and quietly, gradually becoming slighter and subtler. When the feeling is stable and the energy there is full, use your mind to guide energy down to the perineum and back up through the aperture in the coccyx.
2. Steadily visualize this true energy as being like a small snake gradually passing through the nine apertures of the coccyx. When you feel the energy has gone through this pass, visualize this true energy rising up to where the ribs meet the spine, then going through this pass and right on up to the Jade Pillow, the back of the brain.
3. Then imagine your true spirit in the Nirvana Chamber in the center of the brain, taking in the energy. When this true energy goes through the Jade Pillow, press the tongue against the palate. The head should move forward and tilt slightly upwards to help it. When you feel this true energy penetrating the Nirvana Chamber, this may feel hot or swollen. This means the pass has been cleared and the energy has reached the Nirvana Center.
4. Next, focus attention on the Celestial Eye between the eyebrows and draw energy forwards from the midbrain and out through the point between the brows. This may cause a tingling or throbbing sensation there. Then the center of the brows will throb – this means the Celestial Eye is about to open. Then move the spirit into the center of the brows and draw the true energy through the Celestial Eye. If you see the eighteen thousand pores and three hundred and sixty joints of the whole body explode open all at once, each joint parting three-tenths of an inch, this is evidence of the opening of the Celestial Eye. This is what is meant when it is said that when one pass opens all the passes open, and when one opening is cleared all the openings are cleared.
5. You may wish to stay and work with this point for a few minutes, before letting energy sink down through the palate and tongue into the throat to the heart. This may feel as though there is cool water going down the Multistoried Tower of the windpipe. Do not swallow; let it go down by itself, bathing the bronchial tubes. Then the vital energy will bathe the internal organs and then return to the genitals. This is what is called return to the root.
6. From the heart, draw it down through the Middle Elixir Field in the solar plexus, past the navel, and down into the Ocean of Energy reservoir in the Lower Elixir Field, where energy gathers, mixes, and is reserved for internal circulation. Then begin another cycle up through the coccyx to the mid-spine behind the heart and up past the Jade Pillow into the brain.
7. Breathe naturally with your abdomen, and don’t worry whether energy moves up or down on inhalation or exhalation; coordinate the flow of breath and energy in whatever manner suits you best. However, if you reach the stage where you can complete a full Microcosmic Orbit in a single breath, it’s best to raise energy up from coccyx to head on exhalation and draw it down from Upper to Lower Elixir Field on inhalation.
If you practice this way for a long time, eventually you can complete a whole cycle of ascent and descent in one visualization. If you can quietly practice this inner work continuously, whether walking, standing still, sitting, or lying down, then the vital energy will circulate within, and there will naturally be no problem of leakage. Chronic physical ailments, Taoists believe, will naturally disappear.
Also, once the inner energy is circulating, the breath will naturally become fine, and the true positive energy of heaven and earth will be inhaled by way of the breath and go down to join your own generative energy. The two energies will mix together, both to be circulated by you together, descending and ascending over and over, circulating up and down to replenish the depleted true energy in your body.
This true energy harmonizes and reforms, so that the vital fluids produced by the energy of daily life again produce true vitality. When true vitality is fully developed, it naturally produces true energy, and when true energy is fully developed it naturally produces our true spirit.
If you have any physical problems or discomforts in a particular section of your body, focus your energy at the pass closest to the discomfort and let it throb there for a while. This will help heal and rejuvenate the injured tissues. For example, if you have pelvic problems, focus energy on the coccyx pass; for lower-back pain focus on the lowest lumbar vertebra just above the sacrum; for upper-back and shoulder pain focus on the fifth thoracic vertebra, and so forth. This Meditation may also cause the head to rock or the body to tremble, which, Taoists believe, are signs of progress.
A Vipassana Yogi is always gradual and gentle in everything. They have to make their changes of posture gradually and gently; only then will mindfulness, concentration and insight be perfect. When rising, the yogi must do so gently like a innocent child, at the same time noting as ‘rising, rising’. Not only this: though the eye sees, the yogi must note the act of seeing. Similarly when the ear hears. While meditating, the yogi’s concern is only to observe. What he sees and hears are not his concern. So whatever strange or striking things he may see or hear, he must behave as if he does not see or hear them, merely noting them carefully.
A vipassana Yogi observe the rising and falling of the abdomen, while breathing.
Vipassana was practiced in India, 3000 years back, before Gautama Buddha. It is a ancient art. Gautama Buddha rediscovered it.
Vipassana offers self transformation through self-observation. It uses focus and diligent awareness of the moment to moment present state of being that becomes a study of the flux and constant change in all things. This observation allows sharpened and incisive awareness to be built up around the process of thoughts, habits, judgements and sensations. That in turn allows experiential knowledge to enlighten and bring understanding to the suffering and injury that one inflicts on the self and thus cultivate equanimity.
Virtue, Morality, Compassion, Loving kindness is foundation of both yoga and vipassana.
You must give due attention to these aspect always.
Some of the simple initial steps for integrating yoga and vipassana are as follows:
Do free hand exercises (Asana) for one hour in the morning every day.
Do simple pranayam ( Vital energy channel purification process) for 30 minutes ever day after Asana.
Observe your breathing patterns from your nostrils
Put awareness on different componentss of your body from head to toe. For example, start from your eyebrow then come to forehead, then nose, ears, hands and in this way carry on till you reach your toes.
Observe sensation of each part of your body. Avoid reaction to the sensations.
Do not pay attention to any one part of your body for a longer time
Do this observation activity daily at least for 30 minutes.
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