Importance of Maha shivaratri and yoga

Today is Maha Shivaratri, an auspicious day for all the Shiva bhaktas and yoga practitioners. Shiva is known as the father of yogic science. There are two tales associated with Maha Shivaratri. Lets us see how Adiyogi saved the world and married Maa Parvati on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

Story of Maha Shivaratri

As per the legends, it was around 4.00 am when Devtas and Asuras began the tussle for the great power at the site of Samudra Manthan. It continued till 2.00 pm in the noon and thus emerged the deadly poison that could not be contained in any vessel for long or consumed by any being. It brought great confusion and concern among the gods, demigods and Asuras. Thus after a lot of discussion among the Devtas and Asuras, it was concluded that only supreme power Shiva could consume it. If he cannot do so, the world would be annihilated.

The poison was so poisonous that even a single drop of it, could burn the stomach of Lord Shiva.

Hearing the request Bhole Nath or Bhole Baba agreed to drink the poison. But still, there was a flaw, if Shiva allowed the poison to reach his stomach, he would die and so the world would come to an end. So what to do?

Shiva thus decided to drink the poison and contain it in his throat. Anyways, the world would have died and lord Shiva was ready for the ultimate sacrifice.

It happened to be 4.00 pm poison touched his mouth, and in order to contain it in the throat, he just gulped it. The moment it reached the throat, lord fainted. Everyone was now confused, concerned and worried, as this would mean the end of the world.

But, as he is Adiyogi, he revived and came to his senses around 9.30pm. Thus, the world was saved by the supreme lord. 

So, to preserve the world Lord drank the poison and retained it in his throat, leading his throat to turn blue. So he got the name “NeelKanth”. His whole body turned blue, but the world was saved. Shiva became the savior of the world. Maha Shivratri is celebrated as a day to thank Lord Shiva for his love for mankind. Both the Devtas and Asuras wished to get some glories from Samudra Manthan, but the poison came out first. 

One learning from the tale is that, if you want to taste the sweet nectar in life, you must learn to drink the venom first. As both good and bad are parts of this life.

If you are a Shiv bhagat never give up on life, while moving through all the difficult circumstances of life. If there is bad, there is good too. The ability to see both as equal is the real art and purpose of yoga. 

The second story goes, that after many years of sadhana and yearning for the love of the lord Shiva, as the two are one in the bond of love, Shiva and Parvati got married on the auspicious day of Maha Shivaratri.

So, this can also, be celebrated as Valentine’s Day of Lord Shiva. Every story has some truth and some myth to it, but they are good to learn something new.

Every occasion has a reason for celebration, the celebratory attitude one cultivates by celebrating these festivals. Every day is a festival but some are celebrated with more significance than others. I hope that you too have a great celebration today.

May the inner light shines and lightens up your path. A very happy Maha Shivaratri! May celebration become an attitude! 

Importance of Yoga in daily life!!

Yoga is a religion-free practice. Only spirituality is our religion. We are cosmic beings related through spiritual forces.

Around the world these days, yoga has become quite popular. We may find many people practicing yoga during morning or evening hours. Some may be practicing meditation techniques and some give importance to the breathing practices.

Some geeks may associate yoga with mysticism and may be looking forward to meeting an ascetic. Most people feel that yoga teachers may be ascetic and so maybe living on the bare minimum. Some may want to remove dependencies from their life, so practice yoga.

But what is the actual purpose of this ancient science. “Patanjali’s yoga sutra”, a book written by the primordial yoga guru Patanjali says “ Yoga’s Chitta Vritti nirodha”. This means ‘setting the mind free of all the limitations’. Is this really possible? 

Well the answer is like the book 50 shades of grey!

Yoga is about being open and receptive to life. So yogis understand that yoga in daily life involves imbalance. As life is in flux so how can you expect it to be the same every day all day. Change is part of life. Accepting this I would like to say that do yoga daily as “imbalance” means “I-AM-BALANCE”; isn’t it great! 

How yoga helps in daily life?

·       It helps you in setting up realistic goals.

·       It makes you feel calm, centered and focused.

·       It keeps your energy aligned.

·       The asana makes your body flexible.

·       A flexible body indicates a flexible mind.

·       Free falling body in space, opens your mind.

·       Heals the parasympathetic system.

Do we ever get aligned with the cosmic energy?

Yes, once you start practicing yoga, you do get aligned with the cosmic energy and often receive information about your next move. Intuition gets developed and you feel more aligned to the universe. Some miracles happen. 

You can look for the famous doctrine “spiritual reality: journey within” where some benefits of yoga have been revealed. The movie tells us about what are the spiritual, mental and emotional benefits of yoga practice? and how the energies change when we start the practice. It also reveals that when in balance the “prana shakti” flows freely through your body and all the fatal ailments are dissolved.

Following the various practices of yoga, which include asana, Pranayam, Mudra and Bandha, the body is healed. A healed body is prepared for higher sadhana such as Dhayan. Mastering dhayan one becomes ready for Samadhi.

How to practice Kapalbhati Pranayam? Benefits and Prevention

Kapalbhati Pranayama

Yoga practice is not limited to just some yoga asanas, it has knowledge of power storehouses within the body. These can be activated easily by the practice of pranayamas. Of all the pranayamas listed in yoga. We find kapalbhati pranayama to be the best.

“Kapal” means head and “Bhati” means shining, so a shining forehead with the development of “wisdom” can be achieved by the regular practice of “kapalbhati Pranayam”.

                         

How to practice Kapalbhati Pranayama (minimum practice 5 rounds):

·       It is advised to sit in a comfortable meditative posture, with the spine and head erect.

·       Create Gyan mudra with your palms and place them on your knees gently.

·       Now close your eyes and relax your whole body.

·       Do a deep exhale from both your nostrils and contract your abdominal muscles.

·       Avoid any deep inhalation as minor inhalations happen during the practice.

·       Do rapid exhalation of 10 breaths with shallow inhales. Allow the breath to return to normal.  

                                                         

Breathing:

Rapid breathing must be carried out from the abdomen; the shoulders and the face must remain relaxed.

Beginners can take several free rounds of practice.

The total number of respirations may be increased from the initial count of 10 to 50, as the abdominal muscles become stronger. If you are an advanced practitioner you can increase up to 60 to 100 rounds.

When to practice Kapalbhati Pranayama:  

·       It is advised to practice kapalbhati pranayama as part of the Shatkarma practice.

·       This helps in removing excess mucus from the nasal passage.

Practice Precautions Kapalbhati Pranayam:

·       Always perform kapalbhati on an empty stomach.

·       It can be performed 3-4 hours after a meal.

·       Do not practice late at night as it may disturb your sleep.

·       In case of pain or dizziness stop the practice and sit quietly.

·       Be more aware while you practice and less force.

·       In case of problem contact a competent teacher.

Who should not practice Kapalbhati Pranayam:

·       Anyone suffering from heart-related disorders like high blood pressure or heart disease.

·       People afraid of heights i.e. suffering from vertigo.

·       People suffering from epilepsy, stroke, hernia or gastric ulcer.

·       Pregnant women.

What are the benefits of kapalbhati practice?

·       Deep cleansing of lungs.

·       Removal of respiratory disorders.

·       Strengthens the nervous system.

·       Easy toning of digestive organs.

·       Works on the prana channel and clears all the nadis.

Energizes the mind for mental work and removes sleepiness.

What is the difference between Bhastrika and Kapalbhati:

Bhastrika has forceful inhalation and exhalation whereas kapalbhati uses only forceful exhalation.

In bhastrika, the lung capacity is increased beyond normal during both the inhalation and exhalation. The lung capacity goes beyond the resting or basic volume.

Kapalbhati actively reduces the volume of air in the lungs below their navel level through forced exhalations. Passive inhalation is done in kapalbhati, so the air volume level of the lungs goes back to basic. It has a great impact on the nervous system. 

Gratitude works wonders!!

How much time to spend on a Gratitude Journal?

About 15 minutes can be invested in writing a gratitude journal each day. If you have time limitations then you can write a gratitude journal 3 times a week. Duration remains the same, so you just need 45 minutes to express gratitude.

Does writing a gratitude journal have an impact on my mental health?

Yes, of course.  It has a good positive impact on your psychology. It gives you a positive boost every time you find a reason to be grateful for. Plus, it boosts your creative muscle, as you keep finding new things. 

How often to write a gratitude journal?

A minimum of 3 times a week is required. If you have time and are really interested in boosting your self-confidence then you can increase the frequency of writing to 7 times or more.

Does gratitude journal need to have some details?

It would be great if you can add some details. If you get clear pictures of the day and paste it in your journal it surely helps. You can write about 5-6 lines or more about the expressions. So as you go through your journal you can find a reason to be happy. 

Can you share some tips for writing a gratitude journal?

Sure here are 9 tips for writing a gratitude journal:

1.   Be specific about people who brought that happy feeling.

2.   Write complete details of the events.

3.   Be expressive and personal about things you are grateful for.

4.   You can be grateful for all the outcomes that came out as learning. It is important to be grateful as an attitude and so some subtractions can be good. The addition is not always important.

5.    Frequently use the word “gift” in your gratitude journal. It keeps your mind focused on the good things.

6.   Savour surprises. Record events that were unexpected or surprising and brought the best out of you.

7.    Repeat the gratitude journal with the same people and events if you do not find new reasons. (Your mind will be trained to be happy, you are in-charge).

8.   Commitment is important, to write the gratitude journal.

9.   Although it’s suggested that overdoing gratitude journal can make it weak but try to write 3 times a week. 

Learning to be grateful; a blessing for receiver and giver!!

Learning to give thanks must be taught to children at a very young age. As, being grateful works wonders. The only difference between the optimist and pessimist is the “perception”. An optimist finds a reason to be “thankful” where a pessimist might just miss the creative opportunity of being grateful.

In a story from the Bible, Jesus helped 10 leapers and only one returned to thank him. He quoted, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other 9? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

We take every blessing for granted and miss to say “thank you” often in our lives. This is especially true in Asian countries, where saying thank you is considered vague in close relationships.

There is a big difference between the words “thanking” and “being thankful”. One is taught as part of the behavioural training and the other is the attitude of life.

Sometimes we do feel that people are not grateful but that is because of the cultural grooming. So, take time to write a gratitude note. It will give you a little extra space in someone’s heart.

Being grateful keeps you close to the people. It keeps us on a positive track. And, with every positive thought, we have more thoughts rushing in, adding to the “garden of memories”.

Do help a stranger on the road!

Smile at someone!!

Share a rose with an uncle or aunty who you wave sometimes during that walk. All these acts help you in keeping grounded to gratitude.

We don’t know what these unexpected acts can do to someone’s heart. It may bring out a smile or give some fresh air to breathe to someone who felt he/she was just like wallpaper.

Wish that relative “hello!” that you have not met or called in years. Keep your ego aside; anyhow there are no risks in losing the ego. Keep trying!!

Just like forgiveness, gratitude can be learned.

Simply say “Thank you” to that guy who served you food. Or admire the cashier at the desk for handling the customers so well. Tell him “you do a great job”.

When people feel appreciated, they go the extra mile and the happiness spreads across the families.  Gratitude uplifts the soul of both the sender and receiver.

Thank you for coming to my blog. Thank you for this nice laptop!!

Have a great day!!    

Gratitude works wonders!! Keeping a Gratitude Journal!!

Being grateful has immense benefits. People who express gratefulness more and often take time to reflect on the good in life often tend to have better sleep quality, express more compassion and kindness, feel more alive and have stronger immunity. It is not limited only to some particular project or people but they use their medicine everywhere and every minute. It gives them the base to improvise them and feel more connected with life.

Gratitude is inherent in our system like a tree is born from earth and all the fruits when ripe tend to fall on earth due to love for the earth, which we find as gravitational force.

Here are 8 ways to be more grateful each day and live a better quality life:

1.    Maintain a gratitude journal: Yes, a healthy habit of maintaining a daily-dairy like we used to do in school, help us to focus better on the positives in life. It does not require a fancy diary but a fancy imagination and a deep feeling of thankfulness for everything that touched you during the day.

2.    Track your changes: We all have felt like a victim sometimes in our life, keeping this journal will show you how your life has evolved for the better since the past few days or over the past years, how it has helped in healing your consciousness.

3.    Practice Naikan Meditation: Every day you can reflect on these 3 questions “1. What have I received from_?”, “2. What have I given too_?” and “3. What troubles and difficulty have I caused?”.

4.    Learn new gratitude prayers: Every religious prayer is a form of the narration of the greatness and immenseness of that universal spiritual energy. The great source from which we all are born and we merge and are a factual representation off.  There are plenty available online: https://www.restoreemotionalbalance.com/gratitude-prayer.html

5.    Sensory experience: Our ability to experience life through these sense organs is incredible. It is a miracle to be human and to be alive. The most important thing is our breath. So seen through the lens of gratitude the human body is a miraculous construction and the birth in this form is a gift.

6.    Using Visual Aids: Share a word of gratitude with everyone you meet, so you have a gratitude circle. As humans, we tend to forget or become unaware of the good we have, so let people be the reminders.

7.    Vow yourself to Gratitude: Just like all the important stuff is kept on the shelf, put up a pinboard for gratitude. This helps in keeping a reminder that “you have things to be grateful for”.

8.    Practice Gratitude in action: Say thank you often and smile frequently, this keeps your mind and heart uplifted and your mind is triggered into the gratitude state.

Let your mind, body, and heart be dipped in the holy water of gratitude. Let there be peace within and without. Let there be love among all. Have a hopeful journey in life. Thank you!! 

8 Healthy Habits to boost your positivity

It is how you feel that will determine the quality of your life!

                                       

We often get up early or wish to start our day early and set up a tone for the day is important to live each moment well that we have been blessed with. It is only our attitude that we live with and carry with ourselves. So why not work on it since early morning!

Bingo!! Bingo!! Bingo!!

So, let’s take a look at these 8 simple habits to start your day and boost your positive self:

1.    Create a Morning Routine: It has been seen that people who make their bed or brush their teeth early in the morning, often feel happier. Ask why? It just makes you feel stronger as you have things planned and organised. So create a routine that works for you.

2.    Celebrate the small: We often celebrate only big changes in our lives, like completing graduation, first job, marriage or an anniversary. But, these require you to wait for long. So start celebrating more like celebrate your first blog, your new day, and smile at someone unknown, just feel creative about your day.

3.    Shift your brain cells nature by giving it positive feedback: Improve the quality of your self-talk, it actually works. It improves the nature and the quality of your brain cells. As the quality of thought, so is the quality of the matter.

4.    Be open or Be Present (Zen at work): We only live in the present moment; there is just a change of perceived reality. Just learn to be present and be receptive to your highest good by staying present and feeling pleasant.

5.    Be Proactive: Keep the power of emotions under your control, be strong and stand still, just like a yogi. No matter, what the circumstances, just choose to feel pleasant, let you decide how you want to experience the present moment and not anybody else.

6.    Create a purpose: Find a reason to focus on; what is the purpose of this life? What is it you want to experience in this life? It will give you the inner strength to move through the various circumstances and feel calm and centered. As, this life is one of the many lives as said by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

7.    Focus on the Good: Whatever you focus on increases, if you focus on the good, it will increase. So choose to focus on the positives in the present moment.

8.    Be Grateful: If you are breathing, just be thankful for the breath, as it is the most important thing. This is the only difference between life and death. So why complain? That glass of water, the cup of tea, morning breakfast, today’s lunch, that happy dinner are all good enough to keep you going.

So, if you want to live well breathe well and choose to be happy. It is simple and doable!! Congratulations on the present moment. Have a great day!!