Ayurveda teaches that everything in the universe is made up of the elements: air, water, earth, fire, and ether (space/dark matter). Keeping these elements in balance is the key to living long, healthy, and happy lives.

People who are happy-go-lucky daydreamers are most likely ruled by the elements of space and air. The vata dosha in Ayurveda. Here is everything you need to know about this type of Ayurvedic constitution and how to keep it in balance in your system.

What are Doshas?

The science of Ayurveda shows that everything is made up of a combination of elements. You are born with certain physical and personality characteristics because of your Ayurvedic constitution, or dosha. These can change as you mature, however most people are born and remain dominated by a certain dosha type throughout their lives.

These are are doshas of Ayurveda:

Vata – this dosha is dominated by the elements of air and ether.

Pitta – this dosha is ruled by fire and heat.

Kapha – this dosha is dominated by earth and water.

How to Tell if I’m Vata-Dominant

People who are vata-dominant, or have a combination dosha that includes vata, have certain physical and personality traits that are indicative of the elements of air and ether. They are also susceptible to certain kinds of illness, disease, and imbalances because of the presence of vata in their system.

If you have many of the characteristics below, there is a good chance that you have a vata dosha.

Physical Traits of Vata

• Slender with prominent bones
• Either very tall or very short
• Prone to dry skin and thin, brittle hair
• Prone to cold extremities
• Have a sweet tooth
• Very physically active and mobile
• Prone to cracking joints
• Produce little sweat
• Thin, shallow, fast pulse

Personality Traits of Vata

• Creative and unorthodox
• Get lost in daydreams
• Like to multi-task
• Get bored easily
• Live in the future
• Dreamers, not doers
• Want to do everything quickly instead of perfectly
• Love stories
• No long-term vision

Signs of a Vata Imbalance

Because people of this dosha are dominated by space and air, it is challenging for them to stay grounded and stick to routines or plans. They are also more sensitive to coldness and dryness which makes winters and cold spells especially difficult for them.

Vata affects your nervous system and your ability to effectively remove waste via your digestive system.

Here are some signs that may manifest if you have a vata imbalance in your body that needs attention.

Physical Manifestations of Vata Imbalance

• Constipation, gas and bloating, and other digestive issues
• Dehydration
• Insomnia and other sleep disturbances
• Dizziness, light-headedness, and spacing out
• Rough, dry skin
• Body aches and pains
• Astringent taste in the mouth
• Tremors and twitches in the body

Personality Changes from Vata Imbalance

• Increased anxiety, irritability, impatience, nervousness, and agitation
• Desire to run away
• Feeling ungrounded, unguided, and insecure
• Increased confusion and fear
• Excessive fast movements and speech

Signs of Vata Stagnation

Just as you can have too much vata in your system, you can also have a stagnation or blockage of vata.

This is especially true for those of combination Vata-Kapha dosha types. These two doshas in particular are polar opposites from each other.

Kapha is dominated by earth and water which is in complete contrast to the space and air of vata.

Vata is light while kapha is heavy. Vata loves movement and kapha is slow. Vata is rough while kapha is smooth.

If you have a blockage of vata, this may lead to excessive stubbornness and the manifestation of the more negative aspects of the kapha.

10 Steps to Balance Vata

Ayurveda provides guidelines to keep vata in balance. These tips include everything from diet, to exercise, the kind of career path to choose, and the types of self-care treatments and rituals that will most benefit you.

Calming Exercises

Vata types should avoid excessive exercise which could increase vata. Even though this dosha enjoyed quick, fast movements, it’s best to focus on calming stretches in your exercise routine.

Vinyasas which focus on long deep breaths, rather than fast, rapid and dynamic movements will benefit you more.

Yoga asana practices that keep you grounded and focused on your connection to the earth will help balance and tame vata’s tendency to be up in the clouds.Poses like Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Vrksasana (Tree Pose), Malasana (Garland Pose or Full Yogic Squat), and Upavistha Konasana (Wide Angle Seated Forward Fold) are great Hatha yoga poses for Vata.

Vata dosha will also benefit from the Legs Up The Wall variation of Savasana as a final resting pose.

Avoid pungent, bitter, and astringent flavours

Ayurveda has documented comprehensive lists of food that each dosha can eat, should avoid, and can eat in moderation. Vata types enjoy and may eat naturally sweet, sour, and salty food. You will benefit from warm, oily, well cooked food that have grounding and heating effects on your body.

However, avoid artificial sweeteners and even though you may have a sweet tooth, avoid too many sweets in your diet.

For non-vegetarians: eat seafood, turkey, chicken and egg

Vata types who eat meat and animal products can enjoy fresh, organic, free-range turkey, chicken, and eggs. Seafood is also accepted by a vata dominant dosha.

Avoid soy milk and milk with meals

Milk and dairy have a balancing effect on vata, however they should be consumed correctly for your dosha. For vata, organic cow or goat’s milk is better.

Boil your milk and serve it hot, but not together with your meals.

Dairy foods that support vata are butter, ghee, cream, non-aged cheeses, and paneer.

If you are vegan, you should avoid soy milk, but rice and almond milk are good for vata types.

Avoid raw food

In Ayurveda, raw food is considered rough and they are made smooth through the process of cooking. Cooking food adds in  and releases moisture into food which is beneficial to dry, rough vata types.

If you must have a raw salad, add some heat with olive or walnut oil based dressings. Olives, toasted nuts, fresh oregano, black pepper, marjoram, garlic, red onion, and ginger will also help minimize the effects of raw food on a vata system.

You can also slice raw vegetables thinly and chew your food very well so they will be digested more favorably.

Eat less legumes

Beans are a general no-no for vata types because they upset the digestive system unless prepared extremely carefully and specifically. Some legume dishes are tolerated by vata such as tofu and mung bean dal.

Other foods like sprouts and cabbage which produce gas should also be avoided.

Keep warm in all weather

Vata has a natural tendency to get cold, especially in the extremities. People with vata doshas will tend to get blue in their lips from the cold faster than anyone else in extreme temperatures.

Keep warm, especially in the winter time, by wearing lots of warm layers of clothing. Drink warm tea throughout the day. Hot and warm beverages will also help keep you hydrated which is also beneficial for vata since this dosha also tends to get dehydrated easily.

To moisturize your skin, you can use warming oils like sesame.

Avoid stimulants

Vata types already have a million thoughts going through their heads at once. They are naturally prone to moving excessively and quickly, so even just a small dose of caffeine can make them shoot up like a rocket.

It’s best to avoid stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and recreational drugs that will cause you to feel even more ungrounded and spaced out.

Stick to a routine

Vata has a tendency to be flighty, multi-task, and have a thousand things on their to-do list at once. This allows them to get many things finished, but it makes it difficult for them to do anything properly.

Sticking to a regular routine will help vata immensely. Setting aside times for peaceful meals, calm exercises, work, self-care, and hobbies will allow vata types to see that they have time to do everything they want without jumping from one task to another wantonly.

Ayurvedic Treatments for Vata

Ayurveda has different spa-like treatments for different dosha types. These treatments include different types of massages, oils, cleansing therapies, and other rituals which are designed to bring your system back into balance.

For Vata, the following treatments are suggested to help keep your dosha in check:

• Marma Therapy – This treatment focuses on the meridians or energy points in your body. All these points are gateways for prana but they can also collect stress and trauma and turn into blockages that lead to disease.
  With Marma Therapy, an Ayurvedic practitioner will use light pressure on these meridians along with vata-specific oil combinations. Circular motions are administered by the fingers in clockwise motions for strengthening and anti-clockwise for reducing excess.
• Abhyanga Massage – This type of Ayurvedic massage treatment uses a lot of oil which is extremely beneficial to moisture-hungry vata doshas. The combination of oil and rhythmic massage motions helps to loosen toxins from your tissues and allow the nourishment from the oils to seep into your system as deeply as possible.
  Not only does this massage moisturize, detoxify, and soothe your skin, it also helps to calm your mind and promote relaxation all over your body.
• Oshadhi – This treatment is usually done after a massage or steam bath. Herbs and oils are applied all over your body and kept in moist heat with a full body wrap. An Ayurvedic therapist will wrap you in warm towels to help release toxins and open up your pores.

You may feel like a wrapped burrito during this treatment but the snug warmth will feel so comfortable that it’s likely you will doze off in the 20 minutes you remain in this herbal wrap.

The heat and stillness of this Ayurvedic treatment will help calm and pacify vata.

• Swedana – This is another treatment that is usually done after a massage or scrub. It is similar to Oshadhi because moist heat is also applied all over your body, but it is followed up by a cold compress.

During this treatment, you will be placed in a tent so that your entire body, excluding your head, will be filled with an herbal steam that will cause you to sweat. This eliminates toxins from your system. You remain in this hot steam bath for 15 to 20 minutes, or as your tolerance allows.

To prevent you from overheating, a cold compress can be left on your head during the treatment and afterwards.

Conclusion

Vata dosha gives you many positive and desirable traits, however, an excess of the air and space elements can also cause issues that affect the quality of your day-to-day life.

Keep this dosha in check with the proper food, exercise, and long-term lifestyle choices that will allow vata to thrive in a healthy, balanced, and happy way.

The post Vata Dosha: A 10 Step Guide to Balancing Your Ayurvedic Body Type appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

You might be suffering from a blocked chakra.

According to Hindu and yogic traditions, humans do not only have physical bodies. They also have energetic bodies and systems. It has its own channels and active centers. This system is where prana, or life force, flows. It energizes every organ, cell, and tissue.

There are 114 pools of energy spread around the body. And there are 7 main chakras that connect to specific areas. An optimal chakra system occurs when the instincts, feelings, and thoughts are balanced.

This is when energy centers and opened and aligned.

The chakra chart divides the system into two sections. There are the low chakras and the high chakras.

The low chakras are the root, sacral, and solar plexus. These are located in the lower body. They are considered the physical and instinctual centers. They deeply connect with the physical body and primal needs.

The higher chakras are the heart, throat, third eye, and crown. These are known as the spiritual centers. They align with the higher self and help you search for purpose and connection.

There are several ways to open chakras. You can do a reiki session or schedule a chakra healing therapy. You can even join a Tibetan singing bowl assembly.

But there are some simple adjustments you can make in your everyday life. These will open and nourish your energy system.

Opening Your Chakras

Before you begin, there are some important things to remember. It is tough to have completely open energy centers. Life provides a lot of experiences and external factors. These all affect your physical, mental, and spiritual condition.

Some of your chakras might be overactive. Others might be closed off.

Thus, it is essential to recognize any feelings attached to a blocked chakra. Find activities to keep them open and healthy.

Chakra cleansing is a vital part of one’s emotional, physical, and spiritual prosperity. When trying to open your chakras, there is no need to soothe overactive centers. Once all of the seven chakras are open, energy evens out. It balances itself.

Meditation for Opening the Chakras

Start by sitting in a comfortable position. Connect the tips of your thumbs with the tips of your index fingers. This will form a classic meditation mudra. Keep your palms facing up.

Place a chakra crystal on the palm of one of your hands. Settle your hands on top of your knees and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths here and relax.

Feel your body release all tension with every exhale.

Once you have reached a deep state of relaxation, visualize a vibrant light around an area of your body. Chant your mantra either internally or externally. Acknowledge any stagnant energy that may be present.

Visualize a colored light associated with your chakra. This will help to remove any blockages. Focus that light around the associated area of your body. Do this for as long as necessary.

If you are lying down, place your chakra gemstone on the associated chakra area.

Chakra meditation can be used to open any chakra. Just adapt the mantra, stones you use, and color you visualize.

Muladhara – Root Chakra

The first chakra is the Root Chakra. It is Muladhara in Sanskrit. Located at the base of the spine, the Root Chakra is represented by the color red. When closed, you might feel dominated by feelings of anxiety. You may feel fearful, angry, or nervous.

A blocked Root Chakra will leave you feeling disconnected from your body and others. You might feel constantly tired and scared of change. Or you might end up eating too much or too little.

Opening the Root Chakra can provide a sensation of stability and security.

You will feel present in the moment and deeply connected to your body. And you will feel grateful for it too.

An open Root Chakra will not allow you to succumb to distrust or insecurity.

There are different activities you can do to open the Root Chakra. Give your body some type of movement. Even just walking around the block or doing yoga can help. Another great way to connect to the body is through the earth. Walk barefoot and feel like an extension of the ground.

Try gardening, visiting a conservatory, or getting a house plant. Additionally, try planting your feet in sand or dirt.

You may also try chakra meditation. For the Root Chakra, use bloodstone, lava stone, or smoky quartz. Place your gemstone in the palm of your hand or on your perineum region.

Breathe into it and allow your chakra to open.

Svadhisthana – Sacral Chakra

This orange chakra is considered the antithesis of the Root Chakra. Muladhara is the first center and focuses on survival. But Svadhisthana, the second chakra, is emotional and creative. It is also where you find your Kundalini or sexual energy.

When blocked, you may feel a lack of motivation or creativity. You might be emotionally confused, feel helpless, and have an excessive need for control. You might find yourself repeating vicious cycles from the past. Be wary of dysfunctional relationships or toxic lovers.

An open Sacral Chakra makes you more flexible.

You will be more adaptable to unexpected changes. And you will also find yourself fully enjoying all of the pleasures of life.

The second chakra is connected to water.

All activities involving this element can open and balance this energy system. Taking a bath, swimming, or spending time by the water can unblock this chakra. Additionally, you can start a creative project. Try taking up painting, drawing, dancing, or singing.

If you want to engage in chakra meditation, use the Vam mantra during your practice. Visualize an orange light and hold a sacral chakra stone in hand.

Powerful sacral crystals include sunstone, carnelian, and orange jade. Alternatively, lie down and place the gemstone just below your navel.

Manipura – Solar Plux Chakra

The third chakra is the center of personal power and will. Yellow is often associated with this chakra and represents the sun and positive energy.

A closed Manipura is believed to lead to feelings of low self-esteem. You may adopt a victim mentality or have difficulty making decisions. You might feel riddled with guilt over past unresolved issues or have a pessimistic view of life.

When active, Manipura can make you feel more in control of your destiny.

You will feel empowered to overcome your fears. You will also feel assertive and confident in your decisions. And you will take full responsibility for your life. Manipura can help you experience a higher drive to achieve your goals and accept challenges. It will make you rise to the occasion.

Any activity involving the sun will activate this chakra.

Try exercising when the sun is out. Provide your body with energy and strength. Engaging in physical activity also releases endorphins. These are known to boost self-esteem and overall mental well-being.

Eat your meals in the sun as well. This helps your body absorb nutrients and may gently stimulate your digestive organs.

Digestion is energetically connected to this chakra. Digestive functions can also be supported by doing some abdominal breathing.

In a chakra meditation session, chant the Ram mantra. Place the healing stone in your belly button region.

You may take your pick of citrine, topaz, or rutilated quartz.

Anahata – Heart Chakra

The fourth chakra is located in the middle of the chakra system. It represents the integration between the physical realm and spiritual aspirations. Anahata is represented by the color green.

When closed, you may find yourself holding onto grudges and grief. You might keep your emotions bottled up. You may feel shy, jealous, or have a hard time trusting others. You might even struggle with commitment issues.

An open Heart Chakra leads to ultimate love, compassion, and forgiveness.

You will accept yourself as you are as well as those around you. All of your relationships will effortlessly harmonize, including those with your family, friends, and partner. You may experience feelings of selflessness and altruism. You will also be balanced between your masculine and feminine energies.

Activate the Heart Chakra by spending time with loved ones. It is said that leading with deep, more loving connections balances the fourth center.

Spend time with small children or animals as well. This will teach you about universal love and will nourish your green chakra.

Volunteer your time to a meaningful cause. This is the ultimate act of altruism. It is also one of the most powerful ways to enhance gratitude, joy, and love.

These emotions are inherently connected to an activated Anahata.

During your chakra healing meditation session, chant the Yam mantra. Place your heart chakra stone close to the center of your chest.

Some loving crystals include strawberry quartz, malachite, and unakite.

Vishuddha – Throat Chakra

Vishuddha is also known as the blue center. It is the communication chakra where your sense of self-expression resides.

According to yogic tradition, it is also considered the purification center.

It is activated and cleansed by verbalizing repressed feelings and thoughts. When closed, you may feel fearful about speaking out or being misunderstood. You might experience social anxiety or are fearful of conflicts and controversy.

An open Throat Chakra encourages you to speak the truth.

It helps you engage in honest and open communication. And it also enhances your ability to listen to others. You will start to create a safe space for them to share their deepest feelings.

To nourish your blue chakra, engage in activities where you can express your thoughts. Try journaling, writing, singing, or socializing.

Even try openly sharing your ideas and emotions.

Chant the mantra Ham during your chakra meditation practice. Place a blue chakra crystal at the base of your throat. Some soothing stones include sodalite, apatite, and aquamarine.

Ajna – Third Eye Chakra

The Third Eye Chakra is represented by indigo and purple. Some believe that when this center is open, you have direct access to a chakra control panel. It allows you to open and align all other chakras.

This center is responsible for the connection between inner and outer reality.

A closed Ajna may lead to a lack of concentration and focus. And it might make you fear the unknown. You may feel disconnected from your intuition and unable to reflect on life.

But when activated, Ajna allows you to let go of old beliefs and patterns that no longer make you happy. You start to embrace your new self with open arms. And you start to see things as they truly are. You will feel supported to move past fear and old paradigms. You will let go of things that do not speak to your truest self.

To open and balance the third eye, try engaging in activities that stimulate the imagination.

Meditate, keep a dream journey, or create a vision board. Even try following what you feel called to do. All of these are beautiful choices for you to balance Ajna.

During your chakra meditation session, chant Om to access this center. Place indigo or purple stone between your eyebrows. Other gemstones include lapis lazuli, amethyst, and fluorite.

Sahasrara – Crown Chakra

This is the last center on the chakra chart. It is often depicted in a white, violet, and sometimes golden color.

A blocked Crown Chakra can lead to feelings of emotional distress, isolation, and sadness. It can make you feel cynical about spirituality. You might experience a lack of direction or feel disconnected from others. You may also have a hard time setting goals and sticking to them.

An open Crown Chakra encourages an enhanced awareness of your higher self.

It creates an open channel of communication with your true self and the universe. You will feel a deep sense of bliss and unity with everything.

Some of the best activities include trusting the universe.

This will guide you towards attaining your ultimate potential. Try spending time in silence and stillness. Meditate, engage in spiritual practice, or set daily or weekly intentions. Giving or receiving energy work can also unblock this chakra.

During chakra meditation, chant Om and place a stone just above your hairline. Try to get it as close to the top of your head as possible.

Some stones include clear quartz, charoite, and Herkimer diamond.

Additional Ways to Balance Chakras

#1 Practice Visualization

Try manifesting an ideal reality. Visualize the person you want to be. See what you want your life to look like. And get specific in this visualization. Notice certain things about your future life. Look at your facial expressions, posture, how you feel, and how you dress. Now visualize that version of you.

You still start to create an emotional response.

And this will change the vibration of your chakras to match the vibration of your future self. Manifest your reality into the physical world. And trust your visualizations.

#2 Bring Balance To All Areas of Your Life

Examine any energetic patterns in different areas of your life. Look at your eating, relationships, and money. Pinpoint what areas need more stability. Then start to make small adjustments to bring these areas into more balance.

#3 Adopt a Daily Practice

Keeping your chakras in check requires a daily commitment. Try committing to a daily ritual that includes beneficial practices for your mind, body, and soul. It does not have to take up too much time. Even a few minutes of visualization, journaling, stretching, or meditation can help.

Take the time each day to check-in. This will help you feel more grounded overall.

#4 Check In With Your Chakras

Try incorporating a chakra diagnostic in your daily chakra balancing ritual. Get in a relaxed state and take a few deep breaths. Analyze the areas of your body where the breath isn’t flowing.

This will tell you which chakra is in need of extra love.

If you find it hard to breathe past your throat, it might signal that your Throat Chakra is blocked. Try tuning into these signals.

#5 Try Sound Healing

Attend a sound bath. Different sound frequencies correlate with each chakra. The vibrations from these sounds will help clear any energy blockages. They can also support a healthy energy flow.

Find a local sound healer near you to treat yourself to a gong or singing bowl.

#6 Practice Chakra-Balancing Chants

You can practice chants on your own as well. Use sound in a way that opens the energy flow of your body.

Chanting is like sound healing from the inside out.

The vibrations of your voice will work to clear blockages throughout your energy centers. Find a yoga class that incorporates chants. Or just do a quick Google search for chants that support chakras.

#7 Do Chakra Color Meditation

Each chakra is associated with a certain color. Another way to balance blocked chakras is by meditating on each chakra. Imagine the color radiating from its center. You can start from the bottom of the spine and slowly move up.

Go through each energy center and picture its color emanating from your body.

Final Thoughts

Opening chakras is one of the most basic techniques when it comes to energy healing. It is one of the first things that energy therapists will assess before starting an energy treatment. There are plenty of accessible and affordable actions you can take. Try daily things to stimulate and awaken your energy centers.

Do these activities and move stagnant energy.

This will help your prana flow freely to reach all parts of your body. Add the power of chakra stones and further magnify your meditation. Even incorporate chakra stones into your visualization practices.

These tips will lead to more energy, emotional stability, and overall wellbeing.

Take your time and explore.

The post Opening Chakras: 10 Steps to Balancing Your Energetic Body appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

But what really is the law of karma? And what do you need to do in order to make sure you don’t attract bad karma?

In total, there are 12 laws of karma.

Learning how these laws work can help you live in a way that creates good karma. You will be able to create more positive energy and get rid of bad karma too.

What Is Karma?

In Sanskrit, “karma” translates to “action.” But this can lead to some misconceptions. “Action” doesn’t always help to describe what karma really is or how it applies to our lives. But the laws of karma are all about positive or negative balance. And they come from our words, thoughts, and deed.

In essence, everything we do creates corresponding energy. That energy comes back to us in some form or another.

Difficult karmic experiences catalyze learning and growth. Later, this can lead to good karma if we work towards positive change.

Everything we do is linked to our karma.

Our karma is in how we treat others and how we see our role in the world. It is in the way we use resources and how we develop our characters.

But karma is not a journey about being perfect. It is about undoing what is not us and becoming who we really are.

Karma can be viewed as a cycle of cause and effect. More importantly, karma is about action, not results.

It is a philosophy of how to live our lives so that we can truly become the best versions of ourselves. Karma teaches us how to live our most fulfilling life. Since the future isn’t set in stone, we have the power to change our life’s path.

Through our choices, thoughts, and deeds, we can choose right now. 

What Are the 12 Laws of Karma?

Everything is energy. Our thoughts and emotions are energy in motion. Everything you do creates corresponding energy. And it will all come back to you in some form.

Ultimately, you create either positive or negative consequences.

Think of these laws of karma as guidelines. Follow them as you go throughout your daily life. They can help you understand how karma really works. And following them will help you create good karma throughout your life.

#1 The Great Law

The Great Law is what most people think of when they think of karma. It has also been called the “Law of Cause and Effect.”

The Great Law tells us that in order to get what we want, we must also embody those things.

Its message is similar to the Law of Attraction. Whatever you give out is also what you will receive. This can either be positive or negative.

So if you want love, be loving. 

If you enjoy financial abundance, be generous. If you want honesty in your relationships, offer authenticity and honesty to those around you. This concept is also similar to what you reap, you sow.

#2 The Law of Creation

According to the Karmic Law of Creation, we need to be active participants in our lives if we want to get what we desire.

You cannot simply wait for things to happen to you.

Instead, you should aim to surround yourself with what you want in your life. Look at your environment for clues about what you need. A major part of understanding this law is seeing things outside of ourselves.

These external things teach us about what’s going on inside of us. 

If life doesn’t look the way you want it to right now, look within. Ask yourself what needs to change. Ask yourself what needs to release.

Create space for things you desire to show up. Don’t wait for great things to fall into your lap.

Go out and create them for yourself. If you’re surrounded by chaos, then there is internal chaos that you must address. Surrounding yourself with what and who you want to be. Then you can create the future that you desire.

Also consider how you are using your skills, talents, and strengths.

Are you creating something that only benefits you? Or are you benefitting others through your actions as well?

#3 The Law of Humility

Buddhism also emphasizes the importance of the Law of Humility. This karmic rule reminds us that you need to accept the true reality of something before you can change it.

It is based on the principle that you must be humble enough to accept that your current reality is a result of your past actions.

If you constantly blame others for things you have created, you’re out of step with reality. If you see anyone who disagrees with you as a villain, you are not paying enough attention.

If you find that you fall into these categories, you may also find it difficult to make the necessary shifts.

But consistent self-reflection helps you make the most out of this law.

Start with where you are. If you want to change anything, you must have a true understanding of what and where you are starting. Accept your reality with humility. Then actively work to change what needs to be changed. Reflect on where you are in life. Then humbly work toward what you want instead.

#4 The Law of Growth

The Law of Growth is similar to the sentiment of “Wherever you go, there you are.” Its message is that you need to expect a change in yourself before you can expect it from the world around you.

You only have control over yourself.

Therefore, how you use this control shapes how the universe will respond to you. Focus on your own development before trying to control or change others.

Let them come to their own conclusions about what needs to change.

This law also asks us to look at the things we cannot control. Look at how you deal with accepting this fate. The focus should be on you. The focus should not be on controlling others or things around you.

Growth starts within us.

You cannot change the world around you before you start growing yourself. And growth should never stop. There are always new things to learn. There are always ways to improve. There are always skills and traits to develop.

When you grow and change who you are at your core, life will follow. Maybe even the world will follow.

But you must change yourself in order to change your life.

#5 The Law of Responsibility

This is another law that many people think of when they think of karma. It is helpful to remember that you are the source of what happens throughout your journey. What is happening around you is a mirror for what is happening within you.

The Law of Responsibility instills the sense that you are responsible for all of your life’s experiences.

Like the Law of Growth, the Law of Responsibility aims to teach you that you should be looking to take ownership. And this means ownership of both the good and bad things you create.

Do not constantly look outside of yourself to find excuses. Remember that you own what happens to you in this life. It is a great reminder that what happens to you is because of you. This law eliminates the opportunity for you to look outward to find the cause of all of your problems.

You are the product of the choices you make. You take ownership of what’s happening.

Don’t make excuses. Deal with the bad. You cannot control everything that happens to you. But you can take responsibility for how you respond to those things.

#6 The Law of Creation

This law emphasizes the interconnected nature of the past, present, and future. It reminds us that our control over the present and future can help obliterate the bad energy of our past. This negative energy can be from our current life or previous lives.

The Law of Creation also asks us to take time to redress our karmic wrongs from the past.

Who you are today is a result of your previous actions. And who you will be tomorrow will be a result of your actions today.

We are all interdependent.

Everything you have experienced in the past makes you who you are today. And it influences who you will be tomorrow. This includes things you have done and people you have interacted with.

Our interactions with others also have an influence on their lives as well.

#7 The Law of Focus

According to this law, you will do better in life if you can follow a single train of thought. Our minds are not equipped to follow multiple trains of thought. And even if we do, we do not follow each idea with equal competency.

If you have several important goals, try following them in a linear, ranked order. Don’t give each goal only a fraction of your energy.

Another vital lesson from this law is to focus on your higher values. This way, you won’t be able to focus on “lower” emotions like resentment, anger, or possessiveness.

Focusing on too many things at once can slow you down.

This leads to frustration and negativity. Concentrate on one thing at a time. And you’re less likely to be distracted by these heavy feelings.

We may claim to be marvelous multitaskers. But we can accomplish so much more when we focus. 

Try applying this approach to your tasks, goals, and thoughts.

#8 The Law of Giving and Hospitality

In Hindi, the meaning of karma is closely tied to this law. It teaches you that if you believe a certain thing, then you will naturally be called upon to demonstrate your commitment to that truth.

The focus here is on the link between belief and practice.

The Law of Giving and Hospitality suggests that your actions should reflect your deeper beliefs. It is also about the way in which the universe will test you.

Life gives us opportunities to put our learned lessons into practice. This law also shows you when you need to do further work on some aspect of your character.

You must give to the things that you believe in.

This will help you understand the importance of your actions. The sentiment of this law is similar to “talk the talk and walk the walk.”

#9 The Law of Here and Now

Like Buddhism, karma is connected to the idea of accepting the truth of reality. Buddhists typically link karma to the theme of truly living in the present moment. If you cling too hard to past feelings, experiences, and beliefs, you will always have one foot in the past. Likewise, if you focus on anxiety or greed, you will always have one foot in the future.

Following this law means reminding yourself that the present is all you really have. The present is here to be fully engaged with and enjoyed.

To experience peace of mind, you have to embrace the present.

That can only happen when you let go of negative thoughts or behaviors from the past. If you are too focused on past events, you will keep reliving them.

It is recommended to get in touch with the here and now by rooting yourself with your senses.

Look around the room. Focus your eyes on something. Blink.

And say “I am here.”

#10 The Law of Change

This law is connected to the message that the universe gives us what we need. History continually repeats itself until you demonstrate what you have learned. It will remain the same until you identify what you need to do differently.

Then, you will create a different future.

If you notice you are stuck in a loop, it is because something fundamental has not yet been addressed. Alternatively, if things around you begin changing, it is a sign that you have recently taken significant steps in your growth.

Change gives you a new path so that you can create a new future. And with that, you create a better version of yourself.

Free yourself from the patterns of your past.

If life seems to be on repeat, evaluate what lessons you are missing. Use these lessons to help you create a new future.

#11 The Law of Patience and Reward

This law claims that all of the greatest successes require consistent hard work. This means you must be patient regardless of your goals in life. If you expect immediate results, you will ultimately be disappointed. Successes will also be minor in comparison to what you’re capable of achieving.

Instead, figure out what your true purpose is. And act in accordance with that purpose.

Enjoy the reward of knowing that you are doing what you are supposed to do with your current life. And in time, your associated successes will follow.

To generate future change, you must be consistent in your karmic deeds today. It is not good to live healthily for one day then sabotage it the next.

Consistent goals will come to fruition. It may take longer than you planned.

But finding joy in the work will make the reward even sweeter.

#12 The Law of Significance and Inspiration

This is a good law to reflect on when you need a motivational boost. It is also a good reminder when you start to feel like you don’t matter.

This law stresses that every contribution you make will influence the Whole. However small or great your contribution, it will matter. 

Whenever you make creative, loving contributions to the world around you, you inspire. You inspire similarly positive behavior from others. This ultimately attracts more positivity back into your life.

You may not always feel significant. But you always are.

Without your presence, the energy of the universe would be fundamentally altered. We all play a part and have something to contribute to this world. What we share may sometimes seem small to us. But we may make an enormous difference in someone else’s life.

You have been born with a specific gift, mission, and purpose. Only you can bring that into the world with your uniqueness.

Authentically sharing your skills and gifts is why you are here.

Final Thoughts

The 12 laws of karma can serve as a guideline or roapmap for you. Follow it throughout your daily life and you will start to understand how karma really works.

Using karma as a set of guidelines can also incentivize you. It will encourage you to be more mindful in your thoughts, actions, and deeds before you make a decision.

Karma is not about doing good or doing bad.

Karma teachues us that everything we do affects us or changes us and the world around us. You may hold spiritual beliefs and you may not. But understanding the law of karma helps us to see the relationship between actions and consequences.

Apply these laws to find a more fulfilled, productive, and impactful life.

There is a great freedom found in understanding how your actions work to change your life and the world around you.

The post The 12 Laws of Karma: A Step by Step Guide to Understanding Cause and Effect appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

But that doesn’t mean all the benefits of modern yoga are negated. Even though it has turned into a fitness activity, the spiritual aspect of yoga still remains for many who have taken up the practice.

Where Did Yoga Come From?

Most people know that yoga originally came from India. But this is only a tiny part of the picture.

Archeological evidence shows that some form of yoga asana – seated meditation poses to be exact – may have been practiced in the Indus Valley Civilization. This culture thrived sometime between 5000 and 3500 B.C.E. Researchers believed that even before the yogic wall art was made, it may have been practiced in a non-recorded, oral tradition for many generations even before that.

Yoga is an ancient practice whose exact roots cannot be traced. What is known is that the spiritual lineages of yoga thrived all over the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, and even spread throughout Southeast Asia, China, and Japan in the various forms of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Sufism, and Buddhism.

The Mythological Roots of Yoga

In the Indian pantheon, one of the names or titles of Lord Shiva is Adiyogi, or the source of yoga. The story goes that 15 thousand years ago, Lord Shiva went to Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. He was so filled with ecstasy that he danced uncontrollably and when the joy was too much, there was no other way to express it than to sit in silent stillness.

He sat and meditated in this peace, without moving. You would have thought he was dead, except every so often, tears of pure bliss would frip from his closed eyelids.

Many recognized that he was experiencing something great and wanted to learn from him. So they came to sit with him. But he ignored them. Eventually only seven people remained steadfast.

They proved their devotion to learn the knowledge of the Adiyogi with dedicated 84 years of sadhana, or disciplined spiritual practice in the presence of Lord Shiva even though he seemed to ignore them.

Finally, the seven began to shine so brightly because of their years of service. They were ready to be receptacles of the teachings. Shiva could not ignore them anymore.

He turned himself into the Adi Guru, or the first guru. And these seven were given the seeds to yoga to spread to the rest of the world. The seven men are known as the Saptarishis. They transmitted yoga, as it was directly transmitted to them from Lord Shiva.

What does Yoga Mean?

The word “yoga” is taken from the Sanskrit word yuj which means, “to unite.” The English word for “yoke” has etymological roots in the same Sanskrit word.

Those who have practiced yoga since the dawn of civilization believe it is a science of understanding the body, both physically and energetically, in order to live more happily and to unite with the universal consciousness known as the atman.

Who Can Teach or Practice Yoga?

All people, regardless or creed, color, or class may study and practice yoga. These days, a yoga instructor may undergo intensive training for a set amount of hours to receive a yoga teacher certificate. But this does not make one a yogi or a guru.

According to tradition, the oral lineage of yoga bears more weight than written scholarly works. Even the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which is considered the quintessential text on yoga, was meant as a reference for yoga teachers who have themselves learned the oral traditions from a master, and not a standalone resource on yoga.

Beginning from the Adiyogi, Shiva, yoga is believed to be passed down from teacher to student through a direct transmission, called shaktipat, or the descent of Shiva’s grace.

This transmission allows a student to receive all the knowledge and lineage of their guru so that they can also transmit these teachings to others.

How to Practice Yoga

Yoga is traditionally part of one’s sadhana, or disciplined spiritual practice. But whether you are practicing yoga for spiritual evolution or to stay active and healthy, you can follow some general advice:

• Put yoga on your schedule – Whether you practice asana or meditation, put it into your daily routine.
• Don’t push yourself too hard – Yoga is not a competitive sport. (Although there are yoga asana competitions which are popular, especially in India). You are not required to reach further or stay longer in any asana than your own body is ready for.
• Keep yourself hydrated and nourished – Yoga can do wonders for your health but it will work even better if you couple it with living a balanced yogic lifestyle of eating nutritious food and drinking fresh, clean water.
• Wear clothes you can move in – You may think the latest lululemon pants will make you look better in a pose, but it’s not the brand name that will make you benefit from yoga. Simple clothes that will keep you comfortable while you practice yoga will always be a better choice than tight-fitting clothes that may block your circulation.
• Listen to the teacher – This part of studying yoga follows the tradition of surrendering to the guru. Even if your yoga instructor is one who received a certificate after one month of study, they still should have enough knowledge to keep you safe from an anatomical standpoint. Even subtle cues given during an asana can change your entire outlook on your practice and yourself, so stay present during class with an open mind and open ears.
• It’s more than the poses – Keep in mind that traditional yoga is a whole life science. Even if your initial step into yoga was through a modern dynamic vinyasa class, you can still incorporate the other aspects and paths of yoga which are practicing meditation, dedicating time to serve others, see the divine in all beings, and most especially living without judgement or attachment to your own ego.

Where to Study Yoga?

Your local yoga studio is where many people will get their first taste of modern postural yoga. And many of those studios may even have teachers and owners who respect and keep the beliefs of traditional yoga alive.

To go deeper into the more spiritual and traditional aspects of yoga, you may have to look elsewhere, here are ways to study traditional yoga in the modern world.

1. Find a Guru

Traditionally, a guru is one who has received shaktipat from a lineage of gurus. All the ancient texts about yoga point out the importance of studying under a guru who understands how to teach the tradition without changing it but using the vernacular of modern times.

Although not all yoga teachers today have received this transmission, there are many teachers who have studied for years with masters and received their blessings to share the teachings in the west.

Some famous Indian Gurus have been able to use modern technology to reach millions of students all over the world. Spiritual leaders like Sadhguru and Mooji regularly broadcast their satsangs, or spiritual teachings.

Other teachers like Mata Amritanandamayi Devi or Alv Kumar have been able to set-up online learning portals to teach yoga in the traditional way using modem mediums.

2. Join a Community

In the past, yogis were renunciates who turned their backs on the world because they believed that the world is all an illusion. However, even in ancient times, there were those who recognized that they still had to be present in society even if they wanted to practice and study yoga.

These were called householders and the study and practice of yoga was made possible through the support of a like-minded community called a sangha.

A sangha can be made up of ordained Buddhist monks who live together in a monastery, or it can be a group of friends who get together once a week to sing kirtan together. What binds a sangha together is the common goal of yoga.

3. Read Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras

Although yoga was already being practiced and passed down for thousands of years, it was only codified into a text by a mythical sage named Patanjali sometime in the second century C.E.

Although it is not the only text on Yoga Sutras that has ever been written, it is the one that has the most influence over modern yoga systems.

One of the challenges with studying the Yoga Sutras is that for non-Sanskrit speakers, you have to rely on a translator’s interpretation of the text in order to understand it. As is the problem with the translations of many ancient texts, this is subject to the translator’s understanding and interests.

This is why even though it is important to read as many different translations of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as you can, it is still important to study them under the guidance of a guru who has the blessings and lineage of oral teachings that were never recorded in a written format.

4. Pilgrimage to India (or other Sacred Sites)

There comes a point in many yoga practitioners’ journey that the pull of India becomes too strong. Many flock to holy places like Rishikesh in North India. This is also where the Beatles went on pilgrimage in the 1960s to follow their guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Other sacred sites of pilgrimage in India and the Himalayas have been mentioned in mythology and in the vedas, ancient sacred scriptures from India.

These include the sacred rivers, the most famous is the Ganges river which traverses most of the sub-continent and nourished hundreds of civilizations which rose and fell along its banks since pre-history.

Other places include sites where temples have been built where Lord Shiva’s tears fell or where drops of Kali Ma’s blood fell.

Outside of India, yoga practitioners can also deepen their practice at other sacred sites in places like Tibet, Nepal, Bali, Uluwatu in Australia, or other energy centers where spiritual seekers have gathered.

Traditionally, going on a pilgrimage to sacred sites is a natural part of a yoga student’s spiritual journey and studies. There, you will meet others who walk a similar path to yours and you will learn from other teachers and masters who live and teach at those temples and holy places.

5. Don’t Give Up Modern Postural Yoga

No doubt modern postural yoga practices do not resemble yoga as the spiritual path it originally was. But yoga practiced at fancy studios and gyms today still has its merits.

The physical practice of yoga prepares your body for the stillness of meditation. It allows you to be healthy and live a life that is more stress-free and content. Even as a secular, non-spiritual practice, yoga remains popular because you do not necessarily have to believe in any of its spiritual or even esoteric elements to reap its benefits.

Some of the scientifically proven benefits of having a regular yoga practice include:

• Relieves stress
• Relieves lower back pain
• Supports good health habits
• Helps manage anxiety and depression
• Helps you quit smoking
• Relieves menopause symptoms
• Helps people with chronic illness and pain
• Improves quality of life

Conclusion

Yogic masters believe that yoga has been around since the dawn of civilization. While no one can pinpoint exactly when yoga came into existence, it is clear that it has been a spiritual path for thousands of people over the millenia.

Modern postural yoga is merely the latest evolution in this practice that has been passed down from teacher to student. While you can still benefit from modern yoga classes, it is also possible to go deeper into the study of yoga, and by consequence your true self, by going to enlightened masters and teachers of traditional yoga.

The post What Does Yoga Mean? The True Definition and History appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

According to Aryuvedic principles, there are three energies that define each person. These energies are called doshas. The three dosha types are Pitta, Vata, and Kapha.

You have elements of each dosha within you, though one usually is more prominent. Understanding your dominant dosha type will help you understand how to best take care of your body, manage stressful life situations, and achieve your personal health and social goals.

Read on to learn more about the three dosha types and tips to keep your dosha type balanced and flourishing.

Pitta

The dosha type Pitta translates to fire. Those with a dominant Pitta dosha are passionate, ambitious, and intellectual. Pittas thrive on achieving their goals and love a challenge. They do best in structured situations and when they are adequately stimulated with work tasks and physical activity.

In regards to body type, those with a dominant Pitta dosha tend to be average in stature. They have good muscle tone and radiate energy.

When out of balance, Pittas can have a fiery temper. They also can have difficulty relaxing, trouble managing stress, and a low tolerance for roadblocks in their path to achieving goals.

Here are 10 tips to keep your Pitta dosha balanced:

• Exercise

Pitta thrives on physical exercise but can be thrown out of balance with exercise that is too extreme. Moderate intensity level exercise can help balance out a pitta dosha. Try 30-45 minutes of brisk walking, jogging, or cycling.

• Stay Cool on Vacation

While a summer vacation basking in the sun may sound appealing, too much heat and sun exposure can aggravate a pitta dosha. If you do choose a tropical vacation, try to avoid direct sun exposure during peak sun hours of 11am- 3pm.

As an alternative vacation idea, those with a Pitta dominant dosha will enjoy the cool morning and evenings of the mountains, or a destination with an overall moderate climate.

• Eat Cooling Foods

 Spicy food heats the body and can aggravate an already dominant Pitta dosha. When your Pitta personality is feeling out of balance, grab for foods that cool the body.

Fruit is a good food group to help cool down a Pitta imbalance. You can eat the plain whole fruit, or blend a few of your favorites into a refreshing cool drink.

Cool leafy greens and vegetables are other good options, as are bitter-tasting foods. A Pitta dosha is tolerant of raw foods.

As Pitta is generally intolerant to extremes, try to balance your cooling diet with three balanced meals a day that are well spaced out. Avoid overloading on a few favorite foods and try to incorporate a variety of Pitta boosting nutrition sources.

• Manage Your Outdoor Activities During Morning and Evening

Pitta is aggravated by too much heat. Being in the direct heat of the day can place a Pitta dosha out of balance. Aim to spend time outdoors in the morning, or as the sun is setting to keep Pitta balanced.

• Wear Breathable Fabric

Light breathable clothing will keep Pitta cool and prevent overheating.

• Take a Walk in Nature

Pitta is soothed by viewing cool palette colors. Take a walk in nature and depending on your setting enjoy the green trees and grass, blue oceans and creeks, and white clouds.

• Listen to Calming Music

Balance a high energy Pitta dosha with soothing sounds. Find what relaxes you, whether that is instrumental music, slow melodies, or nature sounds.

• Practice Cooling Breathing Techniques

Sheetali pranayama is a breathing technique to cool your body. Find a quiet seat and close your eyes. Inhale through a curled tongue, and exhale out your nose. Continue for 10 rounds of breath.

• Stay Hydrated

A naturally heated Pitta tends to sweat and run warm. Staying hydrated will help balance out Pitta’s heat. Choose cool liquids for even more benefit.

• Practice Cooling Yoga Postures

Focus on postures that open up the navel and solar plexus to release Pitta’s heat. Try incorporating gentle backbends and twists into your practice when you are feeling out of balance.

Vata

The dosha type Vata translates to air. People with a dominant Vata dosha tend to be high energy and creative. Vata is always moving and loves new experiences. Vata tends to be flexible and easy to get along with.

Those with a dominant Vata dosha are lean and agile.

When out of balance, a Vata dosha type experiences difficulty with sleeping and digestion.
Vata can struggle with dry skin.  They tend to worry and are prone to anxiety. Vata tends to over-commit, leading to stress and insomnia.

Here are 10 tips to balance out a Vata dosha:

• Keep a Regular Bedtime Before 10 pm

Vata has a tendency for schedule inconsistency, which can lead to insomnia and fatigue. When feeling out of balance, a sleep schedule can help a Vata dosha fall back in rhythm. Avoid doing tasks and avoid screen time before bed. Have a calming bedtime routine, and lights out by 10 pm so you can achieve a full night of rest.

• Stay on Schedule

While well-intentioned, Vata can over-schedule their day. To manage Vata’s enthusiasm and subsequent worry if tasks are incomplete, set a realistic schedule at the beginning of each day.

• Eat Warming Foods

The Vata dosha is aggravated by cold. Warm cooked foods are best for Vata’s digestion. Raw foods can be aggravating.

Try warm cereals for breakfast. Cooked vegetables, warm soups, and rice-based pasta make a Vata soothing lunch and dinner.

• Daily Self Massage

Massage can help bring moisture, relaxation, and heat to your body. These are all qualities that are helpful when balancing a Vata dominant dosha. Choose a warmed oil or lotion and make this part of your bedtime routine!

• Avoid Overstimulation

Vata has a tendency to become easily distracted. To help balance Vata, try not to stimulate too many of your senses at one time. Choose calm, warm settings to focus on your tasks. Set specific times to surf the Internet or social media so you are not trying to multitask, aggravating your Vata dosha.

• Drink Warming Teas

Warm teas will help hydrate Vata’s tendency to be dry. Choose teas that are warming in nature, such as ginger, licorice root, or cinnamon based teas.

• Admire Warming Colors

Reds, browns, and oranges are soothing for the Vata eye. Pick up your favorite art or photography book and enjoy a quiet place to relax for a few minutes.

• Practice Yoga at a Steady Pace

Avoid the urge for a fast and furious power-based practice. Try a slower based practice while combining a warming breath to balance Vata.

• Take a Bath

Baths create relaxation, warmth, and schedule. They will also help combat Vata’s tendency towards dryness.

Try a warm bath in your bedtime routine to help quiet a busy Vata mind in preparation for bedtime.

• Meditate

Vata can have trouble focusing and staying on schedule. Establishing a meditation practice can help calm a dominant Vata dosha.

Choose a warm quiet space. Layer yourself in warm clothing or blankets. Practice a warming breath as you close your eyes and find a quiet space for 5 minutes. For those new to meditation, guided meditation can help build your skills.

Kapha

The Kapha dosha type translates to earth. Those with a dominant Kapha dosha are caring, empathetic, and patient. Kapha is known for being a supportive friend. They have an even temperament and are mindful with their actions and words.

Those with a dominant Kapha body type have a strong and often thicker body type. They can have a slower metabolism and are more susceptible to weight gain.

When out of balance, the Kapha dosha can experience difficulty with depression and low energy. This dosha type can feel difficulty being motivated to complete a day’s tasks, sometimes preferring to sleep in or rest.

Read on for 10 tips to balance Kapha.

• Get Moving

Kapha prefers to stay snuggled in bed and will miss a workout for a bit more rest. To keep Kapha balanced, try to schedule activities throughout the day to keep Kapha’s energy up. Take a short walk with the dog in the morning, a midday jog, or an after-work cycle with friends to keep Kapha moving throughout the day.

• Eat Warm Light Foods

Kapha needs to stay warm to thrive. Foods that are too heavy can slow Kapha down though. Choose warm and light foods such as cooked vegetables, cooked fruits such as apples and cranberries, and white meat to fuel Kapha.

• Rise Early

To combat Kapha’s tendency to remain stagnant, get your day going at 6 am. Bundle up and try some light cardio exercise to build heat. Follow up with a light warm breakfast and you are ready to tackle the day!

• Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol can make Kapha sleepy and can also fuel overeating. To keep Kapha energetic and thriving, reach for a warming tea over a glass of wine.

• Choose Fresh Foods

Processed foods are often full of additives, sugars, and dairy which can slow Kapha down. Choose fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and light proteins to fuel Kapha’s energy.

• Listen to Lively Music

Boost Kapha’s energy by tuning into some lively beats. Try listening to your favorite upbeat music when you feel your energy start to slide. Upbeat music is also motivating during exercise sessions!

• Stay Social

The Kapha dosha is naturally social. Use Kapha’s strengths to help when this dosha type becomes out of balance. Recruit a friend to be an accountability partner for exercise. Invite a friend over to help tackle a particularly challenging project. Kapha provides so much love and empathy to his friends that they are surely happy to repay the favor!

• Try New Things

Avoid boredom and boost motivation by keeping your routine fresh! Sign up for new exercise classes, hit a new trail every week with friends, or try a new hobby out.

• Smell Invigorating Scents

When your energy is feeling low, try a scent of lemon, grapefruit, ginger, or peppermint to increase Kapha’s energy to tackle the next task of the day!

• Let Go of Accumulation

Kapha has a tendency to accumulate objects when out of balance. Letting go of clutter and creating a bright clean space can help boost Kapha’s energy and productivity. Try setting a schedule to clear out drawers and closets quarterly to avoid build-up.

Understanding your dominant dosha type will help you live healthier and happier. Refer to this list whenever you feel out of balance to get back on track!

The post Understanding Your Ayurvedic Body Type: 10 Tips For Each Dosha appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

Why? Well, that’s because it’s all about balance. Our life experiences lead us to have a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. By implementing karma, we’re able to restore balance to our lives through action.

The Ideas Behind The Laws Of Karma

There are 12 laws of Karma that will help to guide your life and bring balance through your actions. Each law is specific to aspects in our life that bring us closer to understanding ourselves and the world around us.

1. The Cause And Effect: This law is about the energy we put out is the energy we will get back. This can be either positive or negative energy but what is guaranteed is the return.
2.  Creation: Being an active participant of what happens in your life influences karma. It’s about creation, using our gifts and abilities to better the world.
3.  Humility: Humility is about accepting the circumstances of your current reality. Be humble and kind and accept the path you are currently on. This is so no matter where you start in life, you are able lead your own life without the weight of expectations.
4. Expansion: This type of expansion is about going deeper into ourselves. Our external reality will change as a result of what is happening internally.
5. Responsibility: This law is about taking ownership for all the circumstances that happen within our lives. In order to implement this karmic law, we must take responsibility for the part you play in every situation.
6. Connection: The connection states that every person is connected in some way. Our experiences have led us to have this interaction with one another.
7. Force: This law teaches us that we cannot put energy into two things simultaneously. When you focus on one thing you will achieve better results.
8. Giving: Karma is all about being open and selfless. This law is about making sure what you preach is happening in action.
9. Be Present: The importance of being in the here and now is because you will be able to channel your energy.
10. Change: Change is about patterns. If there is something that is happening in your life and it seems to appear over and over again this is part of the karmic law to change. This law has to do with action. It’s the universe’s way of helping you to learn a lesson.
11. Patience: This karmic law helps us to not give up on our big goals. That our efforts over time have rewards. This law is to trust in that time.
12. Inspiration: Inspiration and significance showcase that we have value and that we must share are unique talents.  No matter how small we may think these talents are they have a contribution to the world.

What Are Karmic Lessons?

Here, we break down some ways to recognize that you are experiencing karmic lessons. They may be coming into your life to influence you to make an alteration in your current path or give you another perspective.

1. Instances Seem To Repeat

You may keep living experiences, or having outcomes to certain decisions come up repeatedly. Sometimes this is giving you a lesson that you’ve seen before. This isn’t by coincidence, this could be a karmic lesson you are meant to learn. As it isn’t something you’ve ingrained into your life yet, maybe it’s time to start dissecting these occurrences. See what you can take away from them.

2. Attracting Specific People

We often hear people say that they attract some sort of individual or instance into their lives and in a way, this could be true! We’re accepting that we attract that specific person or instance, and therefore making it true. Instead, if we’re facing issues with these types of people, or a circumstance we need to overcome, karma could be trying to show you what to pay attention to.

3. Confronting Fears

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have to face your fears in the oddest situations? For instance, perhaps you’re afraid of being alone. You show up at the movie theatre but your friend bails last minute. You would usually just skip it but you’re in this position where you can challenge your karmic past. Challenging yourself, and facing your fears, is just the start.

4. Doubt In Decisions

When there are lessons that we’re avoiding, it could be because we start feeling hypocritical. We know that there are decisions that we should have made but decided against it. That’s why these lessons are so important. We know deep within ourselves that we’re capable of breaking these toxic patterns.

Once we acknowledge these lessons we must align them with our current lives. When these issues rise to the surface we must take accountability for our actions and know we’re not being authentic to our truth. It’s important to live life with that truth as that is the guiding force of karma. To be authentic and honest with ourselves to practice self-expression and compassion in our daily lives. And to trust ourselves in that process.

What Is Karmic Debt?

Karma is not physical energy but one that resides in us through spirituality. As we continue with our lives making decisions and taking physical actions we are also held accountable for the consequences of those actions. This is us being responsible for the balance of our lives and the balancing of our karmic debts.

In Numerology, karmic debt is associated with the cyclical nature of the universe. These often can contain the numbers in your birth or rebirth cycles. These numbers are representative of the obstacles you intended to overcome in your life.

Though, to understand karma to its fullest we must better understand what is karmic debt in the first place. Karmic debt is beyond our current choices in our present life. This debt takes into account the choices of our past, and how they could be influencing our present. Some of the choices we could be making are due to patterns in our old life. Decisions or behaviors that are from the past. Since we haven’t properly healed we’re repeating these patterns.

Life Paths And Karmic Debts

Numerology has deep roots in the idea that we all possess a spirit that will take form in this dimension. Because of this spirit we come and go until we reach an elevated state of consciousness. Each life, or “incarnation“, that we live we become more knowledgeable and aware because of this evolution.

1. Follow The Numbers

One way to figure out if you have karmic debt is by figuring the numbers. If your calculations end up as 13, 14, 16, or 19 then this is your karmic debt to pay.

2. Past Life Tendencies

If you find yourself in instances that seem repetitive this could be a sign of karmic debt from a life before. This can be in relationships, finances, or addiction. If this is a lesson that resonates with you then it could mean that this is something that you must balance and align in your life. This is how you can pay back your karmic debt.

3. Empathy For Others

If you have a tendency to care for certain people this could be karma. Karma could be influencing this care for certain people as a way to pay back this debt.

4. Familiarity In Relationships

There are instances where someone is interwoven in our lives and we have a strong connection with them. Sometimes these relationships are very satisfying, other times they can feel toxic. These relationships exist because we may have a debt with this person and we are to learn a lesson. If this resonates with you, it may be worth asking what the relationship isn’t working and identify some of the deeper roots to the problems.

How To Calculate Karmic Debt

As mentioned before, we calculate our life paths by our birthdate. Specific birthdays may help give us an insight that we may be carrying this debt. To calculate this, take your day, month, and year of birth and add them together. For instance, consider the birthdate March 5th, 1961. For this, you would add 0+3+0+5+1+9+6+1 = 25= 2+ 5= 7. This is life path 7 and corresponds to the karmic debt of 16.

If your birthday doesn’t align with one of these dates. This simply means that there isn’t a specific lesson that you must learn in this lifetime. You are without debt in this life. Here are the karmic debts based on birthdays;

Karmic Debt Number 13

If your numbers align with karmic debt 14 or life path number 4, your karmic debt may be for the selfish behavior of a past life. In a past life, you may have not wanted to face responsibility. So, for your present life, it may be especially important to be authentically true to yourself and express your truths. This will help you to take responsibility for your actions and ultimately repay your karmic debt.

Karmic Debt Number 14

For karmic debt number 14, or life path number 5, then in a past life, there is an issue of giving power and control to others. In your present life, this karmic lesson could be teaching you to take control of your power and not give it away to others.

Karmic Debt Number 16

If you’ve calculated karmic debt number 16, or life path number 7, then you may have been egotistical in the past or hurtful to others. This karmic debt is more difficult to overcome as it is about “proving” yourself worthy. Consider active listening to those around you and being open-minded to other opinions.

Karmic Debt Number 19

Karmic debt number 19, or life path number 1, represents a past life of someone who was either manipulative or selfish. For a debt like this, try encouraging those around you and be supportive of their endeavors.

As we continue to navigate this life it’s important to be mindful of our actions, and in that, mindful of the power behind karma. The universe will bring back to you the energy that you put out. That is why we shouldn’t wish anything harmful to anyone, as the universe treats this like a boomerang, and it comes back to you.

Instead, we should be aware of our actions and be grateful for our circumstances. Always come from a place of compassion and check the motives of why you’re doing something. Ensure that it isn’t about you or that the action isn’t only to benefit something that you want. And lastly, be open to forgiveness. Forgiveness is the most difficult step but it is the most valuable as it teaches us compassion for others and ourselves.

There are amazing things that we can accomplish when adopting these karmic beliefs. We’re capable of leading a life that is set with positivity, that cultivates compassion, and no matter what we do act with love.

The post How Does Karma Work? The True Meaning and How to Use it as a Guiding Force appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

Brahmacharya refers to the use of energy. In today’s world where people are rushing from one task to the next, it is important to pause and consider how you are using your energy.

Take a moment to reflect if you are using your energy to cultivate a sense of peace versus a sense of stress. Learn about some small steps you can take each day to refocus your energy and live a life of moderation to find peace and happiness.

What is Brahmacharya?

Brahmacharya is an important part of yoga philosophy. In fact, Brahmacharya is part of Pantajali’s Sutras as one of the 5 Yamas on the 8-limb path. The Yamas and Niyamas are important life guidelines. They help us in developing relationships with the internal and the external.

Today, Brahmacharya is a practice of moderation. In a society that values money and success, and has super-size options at every fast food restaurant, moderation can be hard.

Brahmacharya teaches us the process of self-regulation. It teaches how to use energy to bring about internal peace and happiness instead of overindulging now and feeling bad and depressed later. Those who put in the hard work to practice moderation every day will be able to find greater joys in day-to-day life.

As stated by Emma Newlyn of Eckhart Yoga, “Brahmacharya also evokes a sense of directing our energy away from external desires … and instead, towards finding peace and happiness within ourselves.”

By developing a practice of being aware of how we direct our energy each day, we can figure out ways to live a life of moderation. This can lead us to become the happiest version of ourselves.

The 8-Limb Path

The 8-limb path is a journey that lasts a lifetime. Each limb helps practitioners to learn how to foster a relationship with both the external and the internal. The ultimate goal is Samadhi. Samadhi occurs when the individual is united and one with the divine/ultimate teacher/universal consciousness. As great as Samadhi sounds, it cannot happen overnight. It takes consistent practice and work through each limb to reach this final state of peace.

The Yamas

The Yamas are principles that help practitioners interact with the external components of the world. There are 5 Yamas.

Ahimsa: Ahimsa is taking the path of least harm or non-violence. This Yama helps us to become aware of how we are treating ourselves and others. It encourages the practitioner to be compassionate to others, ourselves, and nature.

Satya: Satya is truthfulness. Seeking the truth can be difficult. We often tell ourselves lies that end up making us miserable. Emma Newlyn of Ekhart Yoga teaches that Satya can be applied to many areas of our lives. Truthfulness should be practiced toward ourselves, in our relationships, and on the yoga mat.

Asteya: Asteya means non-stealing. When we think of stealing, we often think of shoplifting or robbery. In reality, stealing is a practice many of us do without even knowing it. As Deborah Adele puts it in her book The Yamas & Niyamas, we steal from ourselves when we try to be something that we are not. Working a job that doesn’t bring you joy? Not taking the time to do hobbies that you love? These are both ways that many people “steal” from themselves every day.

Aparigraha: Aparigraha is the practice of non-grasping. It is the idea of being happy with what you have and not always wanting more. In western culture, the concept of keeping up with the Jones’ leads to many people grasping for things they want and think they need. Whether it’s a new house, a new job, or more money, this practice of grasping is destructive. Aparigraha teaches us to be satisfied with the here and now and that we don’t need more to be happy.

Brahmacharya: As mentioned above, Brahmacharya is an awareness of our use of energy. Emma Newlyn of Eckahrt Yoga states it perfectly: “Right now there seems to be an overemphasis on how ‘busy’ we should all be – that busy is better – and that if you’re not busy, there’s something wrong.”

Instead of trying to fill days with mindless activities, what if you took the time to listen to your body and use your energy in a more positive, mindful way?

The Niyamas

While the Yamas focus on our relationship with the external, the Niyamas focus on our relationship with ourselves.

Saucha: Saucha means cleanliness. This Niyama can be taken literally and metaphorically. In a literal sense, examine the clutter that surrounds you. Take the time to clean up your house or office. In a metaphorical sense, notice if there is clutter in your mind. Are there thoughts running through your head that you can let go of?

Santosha: Santosha is the practice of contentment. This is a practice that works in all areas of life. As you move through your day, find areas at work, home, in your relationships, and in your yoga practice that you are content with. The more you seek out contentment, the more positivity and peace you will feel.

Tapas: Tapas is the practice of self-discipline. This practice looks different for everyone. For one person it could be finding time to exercise every day. For another, it could be taking the time to cook a healthy meal each evening. Through commitment and positivity, the practice of tapas can be very rewarding.

Svadhyaya: Svadhyaya means self-study. This is the process of reflection and introspection. Take time to clear your mind through methods like yoga, meditation, or pranayama. Look inside to study yourself. You will be surprised at what you find and learn during this process!

Ishvara Pranidhana: This is the practice of surrendering to wisdom. Ishvara Pranidhana can look like a spiritual practice for some. For others, it can be something like painting, running, or cooking. According to Shiva Rea “the whole mandala of life is the realm of Ishvara Pranidhana.”

Pratyahara

This limb emphasizes refocusing the senses from the internal to the external. This can be a difficult practice as there are so much external stimuli that we are bombarded with each day. This practice takes time and commitment.

Pranayama

The next limb of yoga is pranayama. Prana is the life force inside everyone. It can be liberated through different breath practices.

Dharana

Dharana means concentration. According to Mohan-ji, this is perhaps the most important limb of the 8-limbs. He says this because he believes a level of concentration and focus are needed before embarking on the journey through the other limbs of yoga.

Dhyana

This is the practice of meditation.

Asana

In the practice of physical yoga, we think of asana as a pose. In Sanskrit, this word means a “seat”. The goal of this limb is to find the delicate balance of effort and ease. This can be done in the physical practice of yoga but can also be practiced in life.

Samahdi

Samadhi is reached when the individual is united with the divine/ultimate teacher/universal consciousness. According to the Pilgrimage Through Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras Guidebook for Yoga Teachers, “Samadhi is the culmination of the totality of it all, and leads us to the complete understanding of Svarupa (Atman)”.

Back to Brahmacharya!

While Brahmacharya can seem like a small part of the larger 8-limb path, it is crucial. If you are misusing your energy, how can you ever reach a state of meditation, concentration, or true self-reflection? Having a reverence for your energy will help you create the space you need to seek truthfulness.

Brahmacharya: A History

Brahmacharya goes beyond modern day yoga and has been practiced in the Hindu religion for years. In Sanskrit, the word means “conduct consistent with Brahman”. The idea of restraint is seen in ancient Indian practitioners through things like celibacy, certain ways of eating, and practicing meditation.

While today it may seem unrealistic to lead such a restrictive life, there are ways we can use our energy in a positive way to create a sense of peace.

What You Will Need to Begin Practicing Brahmacharya

1. A positive attitude
2. An open mind
3. A willingness to learn
4. Journal
5. Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice by Deborah Adele. This book gives readers practical ways to practice the Yamas and Niyamas in daily life.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Practicing Brahmacharya in Everyday Life

Whether you have a shopping habit, overindulge in alcohol, or spend hours a day watching Netflix, everyone has an opportunity to take a step back and find areas of their life that need moderation. Listed below are some common places where the practice of Brahmacharya can be very helpful. By moderating your energy in these areas, you will begin to embark down the 8-limb path to a better, happier you!

Moderation in Eating

What we eat greatly affects how we think, feel, and act. If you are using your energy to eat fast food and sweets all the time, you will most likely feel sluggish and can experience illnesses like diabetes or heart issues.

Try using your energy to focus on healthy foods. Make it a goal to cook dinner at least 4 times each week. If that feels like too much, start with once or twice a week. Research nutritious recipes and talk with a doctor or nutritionist about food that you should be eating. Over time, you will notice how eating in a healthy way will give you more energy!

Moderation in Drinking

There is nothing wrong with a glass of wine here and there but when you find yourself frequently overindulging with alcohol, it can become a problem. Not only can it negatively affect your health, but it can also cause you to feel anxious, depressed, and sick.

Practice Brahmacharya by moderating your alcohol intake. Set a limit for yourself each week and stick to it! Another great way to start the moderation practice is to take on a dry month. For example, participate in dry January and abstain from alcohol all month.

Use of Energy in Extracurricular Activities

If you are being honest, a lot of your day is probably spent running around doing activities that stress you out. Maybe you feel like you have to exercise every day, so you force yourself to go to the gym even when you don’t want to. This is an area where we can practice Brahmacharya. First, listen to your body. If your body is telling you to go to the gym, go to the gym. If your body is telling you to relax and read, relax and read! Self-reflect on your daily extracurricular activities and figure out which are making you happy and which are unnecessarily taking up too much of your energy.

Moderation of Emotions

This one is key! Think about how many hours of your life you spend worrying, feeling anxious, or being angry. What if each minute you had a negative emotion, you flipped your perspective and turned your feelings into those of hope and positivity? By moderating our responses and focusing on the here and now, we will spend much less time wasting our energy on negative emotions.

Moderation of Work

Easier said than done when so many people work from home these days. It is crucial, especially if you work from home, to create boundaries between work, family time, and time to relax. Work can easily bleed into other areas of life and it is important to shift your energy so that overworking does not happen. By creating separate work time and downtime, you will find yourself having more energy and becoming more productive at work. Sit down and make a schedule. Give yourself and start and stop time for work each day. Take a break from work when you sit down for meals. Mindfully enjoying breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a great way to slow down and refocus energy. Schedule activities you like to do whether that’s playing with your kids or taking a yoga class.

As you make these changes to refocus your energy, take the time for self-reflection. Grab a journal and take the time each evening to write about your practice of Brahmacharya. Note any time you were able to evaluate your use of energy and change it in a more positive direction. This will give you the chance to see which practices are working and which aren’t

Brahmacharya: A Practice for All!

Brahmacharya is a great practice and the best part is, you can start right here, right now. This Yama is a lifelong journey, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t feel inner peace overnight. The more areas of your life where you can cultivate the practice of Brahmacharya, the more you will be able to feel that sense of peace and joy. The key is to start small. Pick a few areas of your life where you could use a refocus of your energy. Work on those areas, self-reflect, and notice positive changes start to occur in your life.

The post Brahmacharya: The True Yogic Meaning of Right Use of Energy appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

Pratyahara classically translates to the withdrawal of the senses. This limb is often considered the most neglected and misunderstood. But it is still a fundamental aspect of yoga.

What Is Pratyahara?

Pratyahara is described as sense withdrawal. In this way, you are causing your senses to “imitate” withdrawal so you can travel inward. Generally, this already happens during your yoga practice. Through your flow, you do not immediately react to an incoming sensation. And this is what Pratyahara is all about.

Pratyahara teaches us to approach stillness in the mind. To do this, one must shift the act of sensation from an external orientation to an internal one. Turning our attention inwards and ditching from stimulations is sense withdrawal.

The ultimate goal is to have command over the senses. This means that you are no longer attached to external gratification. You are not distracted by external stimulation and you can focus the mind inwards.

In this way, there are two aspects to Pratyahara.

First, there is the detachment from external aversions or desires. One must reign in their wandering senses and withdraw from the outer world.

Second, there is the journey of going inside. This is when a practitioner will realize that everything they need is already inside of them.

As long as we believe we need external sensory stimulus, the longer we are slaves to it. But we do not have to be slaves to our senses, desires, and the external world.

This is not to say that shutting out or negating the world is the path to Pratyahara. It is also not to say that we shouldn’t enjoy the external world and sensory pleasures. Instead, Pratyahara relies on this belief: the more we believe we need sensory stimulation, the more enslaved we are to them.

Being a slave to the external world makes it more difficult to discover the inner world. But practicing Pratyahara allows us to explore consciousness and freedom inside of ourselves.

Pratyahara in the Eight Limbs of Yoga

In Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, he places Pratyahara as the fifth limb. After the fifth limb, there is Dharana (concentration, dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). Those three are considered the inner limbs.

This way, Pratyahara acts as the gatekeeper from the outer limbs to the inner limbs.

This bridge shows us how to use asana and pranayama to find dhyana and samadhi. It teaches you how to use postures for concentrating the mind. Pratyahara allows us to use asana to accurately tune in, read, and respond to our mental states.

By practicing Pratyahara, you can cultivate a more intimate relationship with your senses. Your sensory experiences will become a path toward concentration and mental clarity. It will lead you towards buddhi and individuation.

Pratyahara is essential for one’s yogic development. And it deserves more attention than it generally gets.

Instead of trying to jump out through the senses, Pratyahara teaches us to let the senses find us. In this way, you remain inside the body and let impressions come in from the outside. Doing this will allow you to feel tones of sensations. These will linger within you and mingle with your inner awareness.

It will allow you to give more attention to your thoughts and feelings. Perceptions, desires, and aversions will become clearer. And your inner state will be better cultivated.

Pratyahara uses the body and breathing to change your relationship to sensory information. It will bring more mind, psychology, honesty, and authenticity to your practice of self-awareness. These new dimensions will help you find a more accurate physical alignment.

This will cultivate a deeper significance in your practice. You will feel more beauty in your movements. And you will feel more grounded in your postures.

In this way, you are “staying home” and letting impressions come to you. Rather than be moved, pushed, or pulled by them, you are creating your immovable spot.

Inside the Immovable Spot

The immovable spot is deep internal awareness. This is where you awaken buddhi, your highest mind. Both your intellect and inner faculty of discriminative intelligence is awakened.

Perceiving through buddhi brings you sensory information in new forms of awareness. Soon, you will be able to mix this with slowing down time and slowing down the relay of sensory information. Then you can develop concentrative powers that are called supra sensory.

The act of seeing or feeling will become heightened to a marvelous degree. It will be as though you have new eyes and ears. You have new senses. You will perceive colors more vividly and you will enjoy food more.

By waking up these senses, you are waking the inner psychology and spiritual dimensions of yourself. These new dimensions are the substance and source of what you feel, see, taste, smell, and hear.

Another common translation of Pratyahara is to “recover” the senses.

To recover the senses as opposed to withdrawing from them allows for a different flavor. This suggests that the senses are lost and somehow need to be rediscovered or reclaimed. This perspective can lead you to a new relationship with sensation and transformation.

Rather than withdrawing from the senses and diminishing their range, try recovering them. Practicing Pratyahara in this way will engage the senses to have more clarity. This way, you will know what to withdraw from and how to do it.

Pratyahara with Sensuality

The word sensual is defined as relating to or affecting any of the senses. It can also be defined as providing gratification to the physical, sexual appetites.

Allow this concept of sensuality to expand into your Pratyahara practice. Let this combine the sacred and the physical. Such a combined context could be developed to perfection within one’s asana practice. In this way, the ability to be sensual is an essential part of having a mature, satisfying asana practice.

If done properly, sensuality could help one’s asana practice. It could become a great form of art. It will equip you with tremendous skill and craft. The soul will inhabit the body to a degree that you can achieve the highest mastery of aestheticism. This mastery could then extend to everything else you experience.

In this way, sensuality should be an integral part of Pratyahara.

To cultivate sensuality could mean many different things. Sensuality can teach you to appreciate all that you are, including your body and your viscera. You can take these components from the world as a means of reflection. Ultimately, sensuality will reflect your soul. In the depths of your spirit, your aspirations will be realized.

12 Ways to Explore Pratyahara

#1 Observe Silence

Sign up for a silent retreat. Stay quiet for a day or two regularly. Or you can observe silence for a set period every day.

#2 Skip a Meal Once a Week

Or you can try giving up your favorite food. This will allow you to withdraw from the senses in a way that will make you appreciate them more.

#3 Avoid Gossip

Negative remarks will root you in trivial matters. Pratyahara is all about cultivating what is inside of you. It does not condone engaging in meaningless external distractions.

#4 Vrikshasana – Tree Pose

Vrikshasana asana will reveal the interactions between the body, mind, and senses.

Start by standing with your feet parallel and hip-distance apart. Rotate your right knee out to the side. Place your right foot on your inner left thigh and press the sole of your foot against it. Draw your right knee back and your tailbone down.

Press your standing foot into the floor as you stretch your arms up alongside your ears. Lift through the crown of your head and fix your gaze on a single point on the floor. Refine your breath and focus your awareness on the vertical axis of the core of your body.

Hold this pose to become steadier mentally and physically. Notice the stabilizing effects of the active senses. This posture will help to still the mind. You may also notice that fixing the gaze will stabilize your vision. This will help to focus the body and mind.

#5 Observe Compassion

Imbue it in your thoughts, speech, and actions. This will help you to engage with sincerity and make purposeful actions in the world.

All of the above exercises are practical tapas. Restricting one’s habitual engagement of the senses is a powerful way to check and control one’s desires. These exercises may help you replenish your vitality and quiet the mind.

#6 Seated Pratyahara Practice

Awareness is an attribute of buddhi which directs our attention, consciously or not. Try this exercise while seated and ask yourself the following questions.

• Can you feel your sit bones on the chair?
• Do you hear the sounds in the room?
• Do you hear the sounds outside of the room?
• What do you see in your peripheral vision?

Most likely, you are not aware of any of these things to begin with. But through practice, you will sense these things more frequently. Buddhi will call you to these sensations.

#7 Bind Your Senses to Something Else

We do this in our daily asana practice, sometimes without realizing it. As we breathe and move through different postures, we move our attention inward. Rather than focusing on the external world, we focus on body alignment and movement.

Our sense of sight is bound by the practice of dristi. Our sense of hearing is bound by listening to our ujjayi breath. Our tactile sense is bound by the body in asana and our consistent activation of bandhas.

#8 Supta Kurmasana – Bound Tortoise Pose

This leg-over-head posture functions as a deep forward bend. And the forward bend functions as the first step towards our path inwards.

This pose is compared to a tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its shell. In this way, the shell is our mind and the limbs are our senses.

#9 Practice Inversions

Gregor Maehle is a renowned yoga practitioner and teacher. He prescribes inversions as a direct practice of Pratyahara.

#10 Bhramari Pranayama – Humming Bee Breath

This pranayama is considered a direct practice of sense withdrawal. During this practice, use your fingers and hands to pull in and close your senses to the outside world. Your fingers should cover your eyes and close your eyes to external awareness.

Humming like a bumblebee, you are only aware of the buzzing sound. This will bring an agitated mind to a tranquil state.

#11 Practice Periods of Voluntary Celibacy

This can be practiced in many different ways. Ultimately, decide what celibacy is to you and commit to this practice for a set period.

#12 Yoga Nidra Meditation – Psychic Sleep

This meditation practice uses body awareness to withdraw from the external world. It will help you enter into the subconscious and unconscious realms of your psyche.

Specific instructions are given during this guided meditation. These instructions will bind the senses to various things such as sound or points of the body. Through the process of binding the senses, they are automatically withdrawn. This allows the practitioner to relax. Here, they can access the deepest parts of their internal world.

Final Thoughts on Pratyahara

Pratyahara is the bridge between the outer limbs to the inner limbs. It combines the external and internal world, allowing them to reinforce one another.

Do not underestimate the practice of Pratyahara. It is essential for your yogic journey. Your Pratyahara practice will start to influence your asana practice. This will allow you to be more sensual and aware. You will find a deeper sense of control as well as exploration.

Cultivating your immovable spot is investing in your inner power. When you no longer require an external stimulus, you are no longer a slave to it. In this way, you will discover that everything you require has been inside of you all along.

Explore the senses you take for granted. Even if you do not engage in practical tapas, try leaning into the senses that you habitually use. Withdrawing from the senses will help you develop a deeper connection to them. But first, you must cultivate their inner meanings.

The post 12 Ways to Practice Pratyahara and What It Means to Withdraw From Your Senses appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

Everything in the universe is constantly vibrating. As humans, we are energetic beings that radiate energy in everything we do, say, think, or feel. A combination of these things is what makes up your aura. Whether you can see someone’s aura or not, you can most likely feel the energy they radiate into the world.

Those that can see auras will likely see all sorts of colors. Energy vibrates at different frequencies, and some are stronger than others. As a result, different color auras emerge. Some people show only one color, while most people can radiate multiple colors at any given time. Before you can try to see an aura, you must first have a basic understanding of what they are and what the different colors mean. Continue reading to learn more.

What Is An Aura?

To put it simply, an aura is an energetic field that surrounds the physical human body. It is considered the subtle body because it is always with you, a part of you. Energy is not something that can be created or destroyed, only recycled. Your aura acts the same way.

It’s possible for your aura to become muddy and literally dark in color. When this happens, you are likely hiding yourself from the world in more ways than one. When you aren’t true to who you are, for whatever reason, your energetic field suffers. In turn, you might feel as though it is nearly impossible to accomplish your dreams.

In reality, even your wildest dreams are within close reach. That is why they are your dreams. You are here to accomplish all of them, and it starts with your aura.

Aside from the different auric colors, there are seven different auric layers. Each within a person’s energetic or auric field that comes together to produce their aura.

These seven layers include:

• Physical
• Emotional
• Mental
• Astral
• Etheric
• Celestial Body
• Causal Body

For many people, their aura isn’t as strong because not all of their auric layers are lit up. Maybe they haven’t done the work to open up that connection with the divine energies of the universe. In that case, some of the auric fields won’t show a strong color because the energy flow is weak in those areas. Nonetheless, everyone still has an aura, whether they are aware of it or not.

The first three auric layers are the easiest to spot because they are closest to the body. That is also why some people claim that a person has more than one aura. The person still only has one aura, but it has seven different layers that can each produce their own color vibration.

Scientifically speaking, there are a few studies on the subject of auras. They compare auras to what scientists now call synesthesia. Synesthesia is something that occurs in the brain. It’s when the sensory receptors are inner-connected within the brain. It is because of this that people claim to see sound and hear colors.

Emotional synesthesia is the ability to see another person’s energy/mood. Their energy is portrayed as a color. This oftentimes happens because the person tells you how they’re doing. This type of synesthesia essentially recognizes and validates a person’s ability to see auras.

When you think of auras, think of the frequency of colors. Each color has its own frequency. Red is the lowest, and purple is the color with the highest frequency. The frequency level of any given person will translate into the color that matches that frequency. Below are the ten different colors a person might see when looking at someone’s aura.

The Aura Colors and Their Meanings

As mentioned above, the aura color is directly related to the frequency the person energetically vibrates at. In the same sense, the more energy the person puts towards that frequency, the brighter the auric color. To continue, the more spiritually in-tune the person is, the larger the auric field will be. Some auras you can’t help but notice because the person has so much energy radiating from them, it’s nearly impossible not to see.

It can be difficult to decipher someone’s true aura at first because of all the different layers the aura has. Perhaps the hardest part about seeing an aura isn’t seeing it but learning to read it. The below ten colors are the only true colors to exist within the seven auric layers. Three of the ten colors are actually only a combination of the other seven colors. But when you are trying to learn how to see auras, the colors in the list below are the only colors to look for, contrary to what you might read somewhere else.

Red

Red is the lowest frequency color on the spectrum. This means it is also the closest in relation to the earth and the physical plane. Because of this, it is related to adrenaline junkies and those that put a lot of effort into how they look and the material world.

People with a red aura might initially come off as extremely healthy people because they work out a lot or have toned or bulky muscles. However, they must not be confused with the nutritionists that radiated a green aura. People with a red aura cannot necessarily heal with the power of herbs, plants, and food like green aura people can.

Orange

Those with an orange aura are often referred to as child-like. They are charismatic and affectionate and love to be in the presence of others. It is also the color of good health and vitality. Having an orange aura is more common than it used to be. Especially now that more people are realizing their true nature and living creatively.

Yellow

Yellow is the vibrant color of awakening and inspiration. Those that radiate yellow are often intelligent and optimistic. It is also known as the bossy aura. Most of those that hold a position of power will have yellow auras. Think managers, politicians, principals, and even mothers; these are all people you’ll see with yellow as the primary color.

Green

The color green is notorious for healers. Whether it is a doctor, nurse, veterinarian, or an alternative and holistic healer, you’ll see a vibrant green colored aura on these people. Sometimes a person is a healer without even knowing it. Maybe they’re a writer and use their words as a method of healing the soul. Whatever it may be, this person is usually quite calm and serene. They often seem wiser than most and wear the badge of an “old soul” with honor.

Blue

Blue is the second-highest frequency color on the spectrum and is often the aura of highly intuitive and spiritual people. These people make great listeners as well that always seem to have the best advice. Typically, blue aura people are naturally creative and artistic in some way. They likely live their lives a little differently than most because they try to be creative in all they do.

Communication is definitely their strongest suit, so think public speakers, singers, and writers.

Violet

Violet is the color most closely associated with divine energy. It is the highest frequency color, and therefore the farthest away from earth or the closest to the divine (other than white). Many of those that radiate violet are extremely open-minded and progressive because they can see more to life than the material world. Sometimes, people of this nature will have a hard time acclimating to society because they seemingly (or quite literally) live with their heads in another realm.

Most of those with a violet aura have an open and developed third eye. Some even adopt and hone in on certain psychic abilities as well, like the five Clair senses.

Pink

Pink isn’t itself a color, rather a mixture of red and violet. However, it is worth mentioning because it is a rare color to see in a person’s aura. You will likely never see it as a dominant color, only just a spot or flash in the overall aura. Regardless, it indicates the person has developed the ability to live a perfectly balanced life between the material world and the spiritual world.

If you think about it, this is something that is a lot harder done than said. That is why it is so rare to see it in someone’s aura. So rare that it’s definitely worth noting if you spot it in someone else’s one day!

White

White is usually only perceived a few feet above the body extending from the third eye because it naturally resides in the sixth auric layer. It is extremely rare to see this in someone as it is only seen in highly evolved angelic or prophetic people. To give you an example, Gandhi, Jesus, and Mother Theresa are the only widely known people to have had a white aura.

It is more common to see a person with undertones of white rather than a purely white aura.

Gold

Gold radiates from the seventh layer and is the closest in connection to the divine energy source of the universe. Everyone has gold in their aura, but most people are unable to tap into the energy readily available to them through this avenue. It takes someone who has devoted their life to spirituality and growth along with years of integrating that lifestyle into their life.

Chances are when you meet someone with a golden aura, you immediately feel at home and respected when with them.

Muddy: Brown or Black

Anytime you see someone’s aura, and it seems muddy or fogged over, it’s because there is some sort of negative energy muffling their true nature. Maybe the person is scared to be themselves, or they are hiding something. Auras also become muddy when people lie and try to manipulate others.

How to See Auras

Seeing auras isn’t as out of reach as it might initially seem. It takes immense self-discovery first, though. A person cannot truly see the aura of others until they have mastered the self and where their feelings end. It is common to project your aura onto someone else when you first start learning to see and read them.

The easiest way to learn to see auras is by first trying to see your own. You can do so by stepping into a bathroom that preferably has white walls. Colored walls could interfere with your ability to distinguish what color your own aura is.

Then stare at yourself in the mirror, just above your head. If you can, try to relax your vision, so you are still staring, but everything becomes blurry. Try standing there for a few minutes and enter into a meditative state.

You should soon start to see colors wave into your vision. They might not appear directly in front of you. Instead, you might see them in your front, side, or bottom peripherals. Don’t try to chase the colors! Let them flow freely as they may. You will soon start to see your energetic body form around your physical body.

Once you get better at this, you can try to see your friends’ auras as well. First, ask them to stand in front of a white wall so you can practice deciphering their aura from your own against a white background. Once you’ve mastered this, you can practice seeing the auras of strangers on the street. Soon, it will become second nature to you!

To see great examples of auras caught on film, click here.

It is important to note that your aura color is not permanent. It is actually the exact opposite of permanent. Energy is constantly flowing, which means your aura is constantly changing. That said, people do not make constant or tremendous changes to their lifestyle often, so most of the time, a person’s aura will generally be the same.

It is when the aura seems to dim or flicker out or become muddy that things should be a cause for concern. Still, with a little self-love and relaxation, the aura can clear right out and strengthen up once again.

The world of auras and aura reading is a vast world that has yet to be fully uncovered. All the world currently knows for sure is that some people are highly sensitive to sensory reception and do, in fact, have the ability to sense the emotional well-being of others. Regardless, it can’t be denied that humans are energetic beings. That said, the ability to see that energy shouldn’t seem so far fetched because, with a little practice, anyone can develop this ability!

The post What Color is my Aura? A Guide to What Each Color Means and How to Find Yours appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

All About Sadhguru

Sadhguru teaches yoga and gives motivational speeches all around the world. He has spoken at the United Nations World Headquarters as well as at the World Economic Forum. Sadhguru has also spoken at many prominent universities including Oxford, Harvard, and Yale.

According to Sadhguru’s website, he is “dedicated to the physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing of humanity and gifted with utter clarity of perception.” Sadhguru is relatable to many as he does not ascribe to a particular belief system or religion.

Part of his appeal to his audience is his humble beginnings. Sadhguru states that he was “a young agnostic who turned yogi, a wild motorcyclist who turned mystic, a skeptic who turned spiritual guide.” He is living proof of his teachings that self-transformation is accessible to everyone.

Sadhguru provides wisdom and knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. He has writings on everything from parenthood to ecology to suffering. In 1992, he created an ashram called the Isha Foundation. At the ashram, he shares his teachings with visitors through various programs.

Sadhguru has a gift for teaching and inspiring others. He shares his wisdom through books, poems, and speeches. He is famous for his hundreds of inspirational quotes. The quotes guide readers through their own spiritual and life journeys. Below we have listed out 18 of Sadhguru’s quotes. More can be found at the Awaken Greatness Within website.

18 Sadhguru Quotes

1. “To rise above the modifications of your mind, when you cease your mind, when you cease to be a part of your mind, that is yoga.”

Sadhguru is a teacher of yoga. He mentions here that yoga is not only a practice of the physical body but also of the mind. During yoga, the goal is to synchronize the breath and movements to quiet the mind. This practice can bring about peace and relaxation.

2. “Our lives become beautiful not because we are perfect. Our lives become beautiful because we put our heart into whatever we do.”

This quote depicts the yogi philosophy that we should not strive for perfection. Instead of always focusing on the outcomes of situations, enjoy the process. Let go of expectations! By putting our hearts into whatever we do, we find love in the process without expecting perfect outcomes. This philosophy can also apply to the yoga asana practice. When it comes to practicing asana, it is important for yogis to let go of how they think the poses should look. They should stop beating themselves up over what they consider to be imperfection. Instead, put the full heart into the practice and realize that wherever you are at, you are enough.

3. “Whatever happens to you, you can either see it as a curse and suffer it, or you can see it as a blessing and make use of it.”

Sadhguru encourages a change in perspective with this quote. Every day we are confronted with many different aspects of life. The good thing is that we get to choose how we react to the circumstances of our lives. Instead of finding the negative in situations, Sadhguru encourages us to seek out the blessing and use that for our own good. This quote is especially significant during the current global pandemic. This year, it seems like we are being bombarded with sad news every single day. Instead of falling deeper into a pit of depression and negativity, see if there is a way to find a blessing at this time. Maybe it’s the fact you can spend more time with your family due to quarantine. Or maybe since you are working from home you can spend more time outside each day in nature. While it can be difficult, a blessing can be found in most tough situations.

4. “Nothing in life is a problem – everything is a possibility.”

Sadhguru again encourages a flip in perspective with this quote. Instead of framing things in life as a problem, look at them through a new lens and see them as a possibility. For example, if you lose your job, you most likely consider that to be a big problem. While it’s not ideal, consider how you can change your thinking so that you see it as a possibility. Maybe this is the time to follow your dream and switch careers. Or this could give you a chance to slow down and take a break. With every situation, think about the possibilities that can come from it.

5. “If you tell yourself you don’t want to think a certain thought, that is precisely the first thing your mind will produce! That is the nature of the human mind.”

This quote brings up one of the key parts of meditation. Often during meditation, practitioners try to push their thoughts out of their minds. This is an impossible feat! The more we try to empty our minds of our natural thoughts, the more frustrated we will become. As the quote says, that is the nature of the human mind! During meditation, let thoughts come and go without judgment.

6. “Learning to listen is the essence of intelligent living.”

In this quote, Sadhguru promotes the practice of listening. Listening is the key to self-transformation. Listen to your friends, family, gurus, and teachers. There is wisdom that can be learned from every interaction. Next time you are having a conversation be sure to take the time to listen instead of thinking about what you are going to say next.

7. “Fear, anger, and stress are poisons you create. If you take charge, you can create a chemistry of blissfulness. Engineer yourself to inner well-being.”

Fear, anger, and stress are all natural human emotions. As Sadhguru mentions in this quote, these are poisons that are created in the mind. If we are able to create these poisons then we must also be able to create blissfulness. Sadhguru encourages the idea that we can engineer our inner well-being. We can create an environment of positivity and happiness as opposed to fear.

8. “Every moment there are a million miracles happening around you: a flower blossoming, a bird tweeting, a bee humming, a raindrop falling, a snowflake wafting along the clear evening air. There’s magic everywhere. If you learn how to live it, life is nothing short of a daily miracle.”

Sadhguru makes the point that there are miracles all around us if we take the time to stop and notice. He also notes that miracles don’t have to be something big or over the top. Something as simple as a bird tweeting or a raindrop falling is magic!

9. “If you resist change, you resist life.”

Change is a key, unavoidable part of life. It is important to understand that change is not a bad thing. In fact, Sadhguru states that resisting change is resisting life. Welcome change with open arms and watch as your perspective shifts.

10. “The fear is simply because you are not living with life, you are living in your mind.”

It is so easy to get stuck in our own heads. The problem with living in the mind is that it leads to fear and getting caught up in the past or future. Instead, Sadhguru encourages us to live our lives and get out of our own heads.

11. “In the vastness of the cosmos, everything is going perfect, but one nasty little thought in your mind can make it a bad day. That is a lack of perspective.”

Sadhguru is all about cultivating a new perspective and reframing thinking. This quote shows how one thought can sometimes change our entire day. Bad thoughts will happen and that’s ok but the key is to not let them ruin our day. Acknowledge the bad thoughts. Let them pass through without judgment. Then work to flip your perspective to one of positivity.

12. “See how to go ahead in life. Constantly looking in the rear view mirror will make you crash.”

The philosophy of yoga and mindfulness encourages living in the now. The idea is to be aware of the present moment without focusing on the past or the future. As Sadhguru states, looking in the rear view mirror will make you crash. By living in the present, we can move ahead in life without getting stuck in the past.

13. “Unless you do the right things, the right things will not happen to you.”

This idea helps us in our relationships with other people. Relationships thrive on respect, listening, and showing compassion and empathy. We cannot expect others to do the right things for us if we do not reciprocate. Relationships are all about give and take.

14. “Incredible things can be done simply if we are committed to making them happen.”

Sadhguru provides a lot of teachings on self-transformation. Through a commitment to the process, Sadhguru states that great things can happen. Keep in mind that you can commit yourself to many different things big and small. Whether that is starting your own business or implementing a 10-minute meditation routine each morning, putting in the hard work will lead to incredible things.

15. “No work is stressful. It is your inability to manage your body, mind, and emotions that make it stressful”

In this quote, Sadhguru points out that work itself is not stressful. It’s how we manage our body, mind, and emotions that make it stressful. By shifting our attitude about working and focusing on self-care, we can better manage stress. We can also realize that stress levels are always in our control.

16. “Frustration, discouragement, and depression mean that you are working against yourself.”

Ever felt frustrated, discouraged, or depressed? You will be hard-pressed to find any human who hasn’t experienced these emotions. According to Sadhguru, these feelings are an act of working against ourselves. As many of his other quotes teach, often a flip in perspective or attitude is all we need. This allows us to change our thoughts and feelings about situations.

17. “If you set an example as someone worth looking up to, you do not have to do much parenting.”

This quote is an important one for all the parents out there. Sadhguru makes the point that the key to successful parenting is being an example for your kids. Be someone that they can look up to. By doing this, every other aspect of parenting will become much easier. Think about the character traits you hope your kids have. Next, start embodying those traits yourself. If you are in a time where you feel parenting is difficult, try setting an example for your kids. See if it changes their behavior and makes your job a bit easier.

18. “When pain, misery, or anger happen, it is time to look within you, not around you.”

This quote is quite comforting because it states that pain, misery, and anger are within us, not around us. Instead of blaming external situations for our feelings, take a look inside. Think about why we are responding the way we do. The point of this quote is that we can’t control what is happening around us. Although, we can control how we respond and let emotions manifest within us.

Sadhguru Quotes and the Path to Transformation

Sadhguru provides so many profound quotes for us to live by. He speaks on many topics from stress to love to parenting. No matter who you are and what season of life you are in, there is a quote that can speak to you. Sadhguru’s thoughts about flipping perspective in all situations are transformative. His statements and words are powerful. They promote growth, healing, and self-work that can lead to a more peaceful, happy state of being.

The post 18 Sadhguru Quotes for Wisdom and Motivation appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

Overview of Chakras

Chakras exist in all of us and are frequently referred to in yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation. There are seven chakras located along the spine, each considered to be a wheel of energy moving energy up and down the body. This system helps keep us healthy from a physical, emotional, and mental standpoint. Because each chakra moves energy up and down when one chakra is out of balance either being containing deficient, depleted, or excessive energy, it affects the entire system.

There are seven chakras that exist in all of us. They include:

1. Muladhara Chakra: The first chakra is located at the base of the spine. Muladhara is depicted by a red lotus with a downward pointing arrow and four petals.  Its element is earth and provides us with a sense of grounding. This chakra is related to our most basic needs: survival and security.
2. Svadhishthana Chakra: The second chakra is located at the pelvis. Svadhishthana chakra is depicted by a six-petaled orange lotus. It contains a circle with a crescent moon and its element is water. The second chakra guides our ability to experience pleasure, sexuality, and sensuality.
3. Manipura Chakra: The third chakra is sometimes referred to as the navel chakra or the solar plexus chakra. It’s located just above the navel. Depicted by a ten petaled yellow lotus flower containing a red inverted triangle, the navel chakra is associated with the fire element and is responsible for our personal power.
4. Anahata Chakra: The fourth chakra is known as the heart chakra and located at the center of the chest. Associated with the air element, it is represented by a twelve petaled green lotus containing a six-pointed star. Responsible for our ability to give and receive love and openness, it also represents our ability to stay in harmony and balance with ourselves and others.
5. Vishuddha Chakra: The fifth chakra is also referred to as the throat chakra. Vishuddha chakra is represented by a blue sixteen petaled lotus containing a crescent with a white circle inside of it. Its element is ether. This chakra helps us speak our truth and express ourselves. It also represents purity and knowledge.
6. Ajna Chakra: The sixth chakra is often referred to as our third eye chakra. Located at the forehead just above the eye-brow center, it is an indigo lotus with two petals. It commands the other elements. Keeping this chakra in balance helps increase our intuition, imagination, and knowledge of self.
7. Sahasrara Chakra: The seventh chakra is sometimes referred to as the crown chakra. Depicted by a violet color with a thousand-petaled lotus containing a full moon, its element is considered to be consciousness. This chakra helps us experience bliss and our connection with the universe.

While this article will reflect on the third chakra, it is important to have a working knowledge of all seven chakras to keep the mind and body in harmony.

Navel Chakra Overview

The third chakra represents our power in the world. Enclosed in this lotus wheel of energy is a fiery red inverted triangle. This symbolizes fire and the movement of energy downward. Kundalini energy is unable to move upward until it is pierced. This chakra has ten lotus symbols representing the following mental states: spiritual energy, thirst, jealously, treachery, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness, and sadness as well as ten pranas: prana, apana, samana, vyana, udana, naag, dhananjaye, devdutta, kurma, and krikil. Manipura chakra develops between ages 18 months to four years old. As it forms, the individual requires appropriate discipline, encouragement of self-confidence, playfulness, and support for independence to help develop it.

When it comes to the idea of power, there are varying degrees of it. Often in today’s society, power for one person or group usually comes at the expense of another. This combination of power imbalance means that some people have excess energy in their third chakra while others are deficient. Cultivating our own power means finding balance in establishing our own personal power to lift us up move us forward while carrying others with us versus leaving them behind or pushing them down.

This chakra is a perfect example that when individual chakras are depleted or excess in energy, there is a direct impact on the health of the chakras surrounding it. When an individual lacks basic survival needs from the root chakra or any sort of pleasure in their lives, it is easy to feel powerless. When there is excess in Muladhara and Svadhishthana, there can be an abuse of power, putting our own needs and wants at the expense of others.

When the third chakra is in balance, we have strength and freedom. We emit a natural self-confidence, discipline, and balanced nature. There is a sense of being able to meet life’s challenges, act responsibly, and have a warm personality.

Deficiencies and Excess

When the third chakra is deficient it manifests itself in the body. Symptoms of a deficient third chakra included low energy, feeling physically cold, poor digestion, and addiction to stimulants. Mentally and emotionally it shows up in people as being easily manipulated, lack of follow-through, low self-esteem, unreliability, and a victim mentality.

Excess of third chakra energy also shows up in the mind and body, almost the exact opposite of when it is deficient. In the body, it shows up as being attracted to sedatives and hyperactivity. People may need to be right at the expense of others’ thoughts and feelings. They might be deceitful, manipulative, have violent outbursts, arrogant, and overly competitive.

Healing Practices

To help bring the third chakra in balance, a variety of practices can be used. When it is deficient, individuals can try to take more risks. When in excess, stress reduction techniques can help bring the chakra into harmony. Physical activity that works on the core or is vigorous can help. Grounding practices can also help.

Yoga Sequence for a Deficient Third Chakra

Tadasana — Mountain Pose

Start in standing posture. Rotate the feet so they are facing forward, avoid angling the feet. Firmly press down into the feet feeling a connection to the earth. Activate the legs so the muscles are engaged and pressure is being lifted off of the knee caps. Let the tailbone release downward while the top of the head extends towards the sky. Bring the navel towards the spine. As you hold here, breathe deeply. It could be helpful to envision a mountain, staying steady regardless of the weather patterns surrounding it. Hold for 15 – 25 breaths.

Parivṛtta Anjaneyasana — Twisted High Lunge Pose

Step the right foot back and lift the heel. The toes are pointing forward. Bend the left knee up to 90 degrees without overextending the ankle. Like mountain pose, lift up through the torso. Bring the hands into prayer. Rotate at the waist and bring the right elbow to the outside of the left thigh, reach the top of the head forward while lengthening through the spine. Hold for 15 breaths before repeating on the opposite side.

Parivrtta Trikonasana — Revolved Triangle Pose

Step the feet out wide and rotate the toes on the right foot towards the right. Extend the arms outwards inline with the shoulders. Rotate at the waist towards the right. The left hand will reach down towards the floor. If it cannot reach, place a block or chair place in front of the right leg as a support. The right arm reaches towards the sky with the intention of opening the chest. Hold for 10 breaths and practice on the left side.

Phalakasana – Plank Pose

Come into a Table pose and step the feet back. The toes are curled under, the heels and lifted and the legs are engaged. Using your core strength, keep the body stable. The hips should neither be sagging or lifted up but rather imagine keeping the back of the neck and tailbone in line with each other. The legs are engaged. Hold for ten to fifteen breaths.

Bhujangasana — Cobra Pose

Lower onto the belly with the feet hip-distance apart. Place the hands underneath the shoulders with the elbows pointing back. Gazing forward lift the head, chest, and upper abdomen off of the mat while keeping the lower belly and hips pressed down on the mat. Hold for five to ten breaths.

Dhanurasana — Bow Pose

Start by lying down on your belly and bending the knees. Reach behind you for either the tops of the feet or the outsides of the ankles. If you cannot reach, use a strap and place it around the ankles. Bringing the shoulder blades together, lift the legs, head, chest, and abdomen up as high as you can while gazing forward. Hold for five breaths before lowering down. Practice this posture three times. After completion, lower the whole body down, bend the knees and let the feet sway from side to side for at least five breaths.

Savasana – Corpse Pose

It could be helpful to set a timer between five to fifteen minutes. Lie down on your back and come into Corpse pose. Allowing the body and breath to settle down and notice the body lying on the mat. Without falling asleep take time to actively relax. If you notice the mind begins to wander try to bring you attention to either the breath, sounds in your space, or the body. Rest here with an attitude of gentleness and kindness until your practice is complete.

Yin Yoga Sequence for an Excess of Third Chakra

When the third chakra is in excess, instead of working on abdominal strength as its practiced when it is deficient, the practitioner needs more grounding practices and a way to release the energy that is stuck in the chakra. Heart opening postures and slower practices can help release this energy.

Yin Yoga is slow grounding practice where each posture is held for long periods of time. When practicing this sequence, start each posture at only 75% of your ability. The practice is to surrender not to strive for a physical goal. For each pose below, set a time for 3-5 minutes per pose. For Savasana, rest for ten to twenty minutes.

Balasana – Child’s Pose

Start in Table posture and bring your knees to the edge of the mat with the big toes touching. Lower the glutes towards the heels as you extend the arms forward opening up the chest and shoulders. To support your practice, it could help to place a folded blanket underneath the knees or a bolster underneath the chest.

Anahatasana — Melting Heart Pose

Start in Table posture, keep the hips above the knees as you extend the arms forward and lower the forehead onto the floor. This is an intense posture. To support your practice for the long length of time, you can place a block underneath the head or a bolster under the torso.

Baddha Konasana — Butterfly Pose

Start in Staff pose and bring the feet towards the groin. Let the outsides of the knees release downward towards the floor bringing the soles of the feet together. Fold forward at the waist. The hands can either be placed on the floor or you can lower onto a bolster supported by blocks.

Matsyasana — Supported Fish Pose

Start in Staff pose and place two blocks behind you. One will support the body underneath the shoulder blades, the other will be placed under the head. Begin to lie back using the blocks as support. The arms can either come along the side of the body or extend out to the sides.

Lying on your back, bring the knees towards the chest. Let the knees and feet release to the righthand side of the floor as the arms extend outwards resting on the floor. If it is too hard to bring the legs to the floor and hold, you can place a blanket, pillow, or blocks underneath the legs. Repeat on the left hand side.

Savasana — Corpse

Like the Savasana practice for a deficient third chakra, the intention here is to allow yourself to practice just being as you are. Find a relaxing posture and support yourself with blocks, blankets, and bolsters if needed.

Conclusion

The navel chakra is responsible for empowerment. While it is possible for it to become out of balance, through yoga, meditation, and exercise, we can bring it back into harmony with the rest of the chakras.

The post The Navel Chakra: Everything You Wanted to Know appeared first on YOGA PRACTICE.

This will allow for a more holistic yogic journey.

Some practitioners use symbols in their wardrobe or jewelry. They do this to express their love and dedication to yoga. But symbols are not just for decorative purposes.

Symbols allow one to cultivate a deeper knowledge of yogic philosophies.

Through symbols, one can gain insight into various teachings and mythologies. They are a powerful tool for understanding. And they can deepen your yoga practice.

Yogic symbols convey a visual concept. They can embody a teaching or spiritual idea. Using these concepts will enhance your yoga or meditation practice.

They can focus the mind and induce a state of contemplation and absorption.

What Are Yoga Symbols?

A symbol is a graphical representation of an idea. They can visually convey a concept or relationship. In this way, a symbol can create potent links between different concepts and experiences.

Symbols allow us to move from the unknown to the known.

Mystics from India created yoga symbols. They did so to elevate consciousness. These can bring insight into one’s spiritual path. Therefore, it is important to communicate with these deeper truths.

Use symbols to guide you towards achieving inner peace and enlightenment.

How to Use Yoga Symbols

Using symbols can enrich and deepen your yoga and meditation practice. You can have one or more symbols around your living or practice space.

This will help you obtain higher levels of inspiration and spiritual energy.

You can also try incorporating symbols into your wardrobe. You can wear decorative pieces or place them around your home. Having them closeby will elevate your practice. They can also boost your concentration, inner peace, and connection with the Divine.

Place one or more of these symbols in your practice space. Make a specific intention for utilizing them.

They can serve as a visual reminder to return to your intention. Whenever you see it, it will guide you back to where you want to be.

You can also place a symbol in front of you to focus on during meditation.

The Om/Aum Symbol

The om symbol is the most common symbol in yoga. It is included in the Vedas, the most ancient Hindu scriptures.

Om refers to the breath of the universe. It is believed to be the original sound.

In this way, Om unifies everything in the universe.

Some believe that chanting Om can open the third eye. Meditating on it can also connect one to the divine force of the universe. The image of om represents the primary goal of yoga.

It seeks to unite the mind, body, and spirit.

There are three different sounds of Om (A-U-M). These three sounds represent the aspects of Hindu Trimurti.

A represents Brahma, the creator. U represents Vishnu, the sustainer. And M represents Shiva, the transformer.

The Om symbol can be broken down into four various meanings.

1. The bottom left curve represents the sound of A. It is the first or waking state of consciousness. The sound of A is the conscious mind. This is where we experience the world through our five senses.
2. The bottom right curve represents the sound of U. It is the second dreaming state of consciousness. Here, we experience the world beyond our physical bodies. The sound of U is our active unconsciousness. It captures our energetic realms.
3. The top left curve represents the sound of M. It is the third or deep sleeping state of consciousness. The sound of M represents the spiritual forces of the universe. It garners connectivity for all.
4. The dot located at the top represents silence. It is the fourth samadhi state. This is our highest state of consciousness that is absolutely pure. Here, we can experience absolute stillness. Here, we are one with all creation.

The Lotus Flower

The lotus flower represents the womb of the universe. From this flower, all things are born.

An open lotus flower represents purity. It signifies enlightenment and new beginnings.

The lotus flower blooms on the surface of stagnant water. Its roots grow deep into the muddy bottom. This growth pattern symbolizes our ability to transform struggle into power. In this way, the lotus flower is us.

A closed lotus flower represents an un-enlightened yogi.

It signifies that the path towards enlightenment is shut off. The petals of the flower are compared to the heart. When the petals, or heart, are open, divinity is revealed.

The Hamsa

The Hamsa symbol is connected to a number of traditions. Today, it is a popular symbol for warding off evil and negativity.

This symbol is often found in jewelry and clothing.

The word “Hamsa” refers to the five fingers of the hand. It is believed to be a symbol of protection. This symbol can repel harm and bad energy.

Appropriately, it represents luck, good fortune, health, wealth, and fertility.

The Mandala

Mandala is a Sanskrit word that translates to “circle.” Mandalas are often symmetrical geometric patterns and shapes.

As a symbol, it represents wholeness, unity, and harmony.

The outer circles of a mandala symbolize the oneness of the universe. The inner layers represent the different levels of human existence.

Mandalas are used as a visual aid during meditation.

They help to focus the mind. They can also promote contemplation and create inner peace. The intricate designs of mandalas represent the world as well as one’s self-journey. The many layers illustrate the qualities needed to attain wisdom and reach enlightenment.

Buddhist monks make mandalas out of different colored sand. This symbolizes the impermanence of everything. It goes beyond the material world. In Hindu traditions, mandalas show the connection and trajectory between the material and the immaterial.

Overall, mandalas represent the harmony of the mind, body, and soul.

Image of Shiva

Shiva is one of the many Hindu gods. In yoga, Shiva is known as the “first-yogi.”

According to yogic teachings, Shiva entered enlightenment 15 thousand years ago. This occurred in the Himalayas. Upon reaching enlightenment, Shiva started an ecstatic dance. Then he became very still.

Shiva became the first guru by sharing knowledge with the human race.

Now, Shiva represents the possibility of raising beyond one’s present limitations.

Image of Buddha

Siddartha Gautama, or the Buddha, lived during the 5th Century B.C.

His image represents enlightenment, oneness, and peace.

The image of the Buddha is one of the most popular symbols in Buddhism and in yoga. It signifies one’s ability to become awakened or enlightened through meditation. The Buddha liberated himself from worldly suffering and spiritual ignorance.

His image reminds us that we can do the same.

The Buddha can be thought of as one of the original yogis. He was, after all, a teacher that dispelled ignorance.

The Evil Eye

The evil eye symbol is related to the Hamsa symbol. It is a pervasive theme in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The evil eye is even present in Greek and Roman cultures.

The idea of the evil eye is that someone is putting too much emphasis on you. They are paying too much attention to you.

This symbol dates back to the 6th Century B.C. Today, the evil eye is worn or displayed as a talisman. This symbol is believed to ward off any ill will from others.

The Chakras

Like Om, the chakras are first mentioned in the Vedas. We all have lots of chakras in the body. There are seven main chakras that run up the spine. They start at the base of the spine and reach the top of the head.

The chakras can be thought of as the invisible body.

Imagine them as our spiritual circulation system with energy centers. When a chakra is blocked, it can cause various disruptions to one’s wellbeing.

The chakras represent seven energies in the body. They are described as whirling disks of light. If all seven energies are working in perfect harmony, one will be at peace.

This peace will be experienced spiritually, mentally, and physically.

One method of balancing the chakras is to meditate on them. By meditating on the meaning of each chakra, one can restore harmony.

The chakra icons are composed of lotus petals, triangles, colors, and circles. Some even include Sanskrit letters and other symbols.

#1 The Muladhara Chakra – Root Chakra

The Muladhara chakra is also our root chakra. Its symbol is red in color and looks like an upside-down triangle. This chakra represents stability and growth.

#2 The Svadhishthana Chakra – Sacral Chakra

The sacral chakra symbol is orange in color. It looks like a crescent moon with a flower. This chakra represents the center of our creativity.

#3 The Manipura Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra

The Manipura chakra is yellow in color. Its symbol looks like an upside-down funnel. This chakra can affect our confidence. In this way, its symbol represents the energy and vibrancy we put into the world.

#4 The Anahata Chakra – Heart Chakra

The heart chakra is green in color. Its symbol looks like a star within a lotus. This chakra is said to fuel our capacity for compassion and empathy.

#5 The Vishuddha Chakra – Throat Chakra

The throat chakra is blue in color. Its symbol looks like a circle and triangle within a flower. This chakra represents our ability to speak up. In this way, the symbol encourages us to share knowledge with others.

#6 The Ajna Chakra – Third Eye Chakra

The third eye chakra is indigo in color. Its symbol looks like a triangle within an eye. This chakra represents our connection to divinity. It is also said to be the source of our intuition.

#7 The Sahasrara Chakra – Crown Chakra

The crown chakra is purple in color. Its symbol looks like a fully blossomed lotus flower. This symbol represents our divine connection to the entire universe.

Namaste

Many teachers end a yoga class by saying “namaste.” This means “The light in me honors the light in you.”

Sometimes, namaste is overused and misconstrued. Namaste does mean to honor someone. But in India, namaste means “hello” or “welcome.”

Typically, one says namaste with their hands in a prayer position.

Yin & Yang

Yin and yang represent the masculine and the feminine. They are the light and the dark. They symbolize the law of polarity.

This symbol has been around since before the 3rd Century B.C. in China. Yin and yang is the idea of opposing forces. This sentiment is echoed in many cultures and philosophies.

Ultimately, yin and yang demonstrate balance. It signifies the inherent harmony of nature.

The Gyan Mudra

The Gyan mudra is the most common hand mudra used in yoga and meditation. It looks like the “ok” gesture we make with our hands.

Using this mudra while meditating can bring peace and calm.

The illustration of the mudra symbolizes a state of meditation. It signifies the attainment of inner peace. The Gyan mudra is also known as Jnana Mudra or Chin Mudra.

Image of Ganesh

Ganesh is a very popular Hindu deity. He is always represented with the head of an elephant and the body of a man.

His image represents good luck, knowledge, and learning. This symbol will be invoked at the beginning of new endeavors.

Ultimately, the image of Ganesh is known as the remover of all obstacles.

Final Thoughts

Yogic symbols can be used to enhance your yoga practice. Learning their histories will strengthen your connection to them.

Symbols allow for lessons to be captured in a single visual. They can boost concentration and one’s sense of inner peace. In your practice, allow symbols to communicate these deeper truths.

By having them closeby, you can be reminded of various yogic philosophies. These will strengthen not only your practice but your daily life. By incorporating symbols into your wardrobe, you can embody these philosophies and concepts.

Yoga is much more than physical activity. It is a philosophy of life. It is a way of living.

In this way, symbols can provide us a guide. Whenever we get lost or discouraged, we can use symbols to help guide us back.

Like setting an intention, symbols do not judge us for veering from the path. Instead, notice when you have shifted directions. Use symbols to help you achieve what you would like to manifest.

Let their power influence you.

And be open to all of the possibilities they have to offer.

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