8 Limbs of Yoga- Week 6 Meditation and Ayurveda

[sacredsilence]

Breathing Exercises

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)-Balances energy and chakras, stilling affect of the mind

OM-Breath-Centering

Breath of Fire

Three Lock Breath-Controlling of pranic flow

Recommended ReadingThe Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga-Goswami KriyanandaThe Breathing Book-Donna FarhiJivamukti Yoga-Sharon Gannon/David LifeLight on Yoga-B.K.S. IyengarBeginners Guide to Meditation-Goswami KriyanandaAsana Sequence

1. Sun Salutations-Traditional
2. Down Dog w/ raised legs and raised to side, also bring knee into chest
3. Sun Salutation to Lunges
4. Sun Salutation to Warrior I & III
5. Powerful fierce pose with twists ,Parsvokasana w/twists
6. Warrior II/Lateral Extensions/Trikonasana/Reversed
7. Sun Salutation, Jump through to seated
8. Knee to chest to setu bandha to revolved stomach
9. Adepts poses with forward bends, shoulder openers, neck stretches
10.  Plow to pashimottansana to upavistha konasana
11. Boddhokansana w/forward bend, Pashimottasana, ½ lotus with forward bend
12.  Legs up wall with variations
13. Savanasana

Meditation 

Meditation practice is a way of life. It is something you incorporate into daily life much as you would brushing your teeth. Meditation is the effortless concentration of the mind and watching how your mind works as an unattached voyeur. Everything we have done until this point is leading up to the meditative state; asana, pranayama, the yamas and niyamas, then sense withdrawal and concentration.  I am in no way suggesting that you have moved beyond these practices but they are to continue and with every new day comes new discoveries about the self. I also do not suggest in the beginning to meditate more that 2-5 minutes at a time. There are four components of a successful meditation practice they are right time, right place, right lifestyle and right technique.

The right time is personal to you some people love to practice as dawn breaks and others as the sun sets or before bedtime. The important thing is that it is a time you will not be disturbed and can sit quietly. It should be a time when you are relaxed but not too tired. Meditation is not sleeping! Your asana, pranayama and eating patterns must be looked at as well. If you are a morning person it makes sense to wake and cleanse, have a piece of fruit. Meditate, practice pranayama, then asana. If you are an evening person and like to wait for right before bed, wait until 2 hours after dinner, practice asana, pranayama, reflection (journaling), then meditation. These are just guidelines but you meditation time is personal to you.

The right place is also a personal choice but should be clean, comfortable, warm and inviting. Again it needs to be a place that you cannot be disturbed, it needs to be known as your mediation space. Along with choosing the right place is the right posture, the posture needs to be one where your spine is perpendicular to the floor and where you can remain for a lengthy period of time.

            Selecting a technique will take some trial and error but eventually you will resonate with one in particular that brings you into effortless concentration, if you are visual it may be visualization, if you are auditory it may be mantra and so on. Whichever technique you choose beginning with the Resurrection Breath, and having your gaze gently focused on the third eye are recommended. Spending a minute watching the mind is worthwhile to clear it and prepare, and remember the NEti,Neti,NEti technique and employ it when necessary. Also, remember do not beat yourself up, or attach emotions to any distractions.

Right lifestyle should go without saying, but the practices of self-study, purity and austerity are key to developing a successful meditation practice.

Meditation reduces stress, improves concentration, and mental focus, and can lower your blood pressure. Meditation helps you to let go of your fear, confusion, and discontentment. Most importantly, it helps to remove the root cause of pain and suffering in your life.

  

This week we will discuss the ancient form of medicine called Ayurveda and the daily rituals associated with it. Ayruvedic medicine was documented in the ancient Indian texts called the Veda it is estimated this Science of Life was documented between 2000-1500 B.C. The two objectives of this science are the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease. Ayurvedic medicine is based on three guiding principles. Free flow of the Life Force called Prana, Self-awareness, and compassion.  The component of self-awareness is directly related to the gunas or life qualities that we discussed last week. Sattva health characteristics are clear minded, alert, and refreshed. Rajas qualities are agitated, overactive, and scattered, tamas qualities are sleepy, dull, and heavy.

            Ayurveda is based on balancing the 5 elements which are:

1.      Ether

2.      Wind

3.      Fire

4.      Water

5.      Earth

Out of these five elements, we derive three constitutions or doshas, most people have a predominant dosha and the idea of ayurveda is to bring all three into balance.

The doshas are Vata or Air, which is comprised of the ether and wind elements. Pitta/Fire, which is comprised of Fire and Water, and lastly Kapha/Water, which is a combination of water/earth. The following are properties associated with the doshas:

Vata-cold,dry,light, irregular,dry rough skin, thin, lots of movement. Vata is associated with windy changing weather, and the fall season.

Pitta-hot, oily, light, irritable, strong metabolism, good appetite, intense, Pitta is associated with sunny, hot weather, and the summer season.

Kapha-cold,wet, heavy,stable, tendency toward obesity,excess mucus, and stability. Cold wet weather, winter and spring seasons.

Nutrition is the keep component to maintaining health according to ayruvedic medicine. Each dosha has tastes associated with it and the belief is that certain foods will bring on excess of a particular constitution or that symptoms related to disease may be associated with bad digestion; therefore, certain foods should be eaten to promote digestive health. In ayurveda agni or fire is associated with digestion. The following are digestion patterns and foods associated with each dosha.

 

Dosha

Digestive Qualities

Aggravating Foods

Balancing Foods

Vata

Hungry anytime, gets tired if a meal is missed, loves crunchy salty food

Crunchy Dry snacks,raw food, cold food, white sugar, caffeine,alchohol,eating on the run

Warm, fresh cooked veggies, soy,nuts & seeds,regular meals in a relaxed setting

Pitta

Eats a lot, gets irritable if a meal is missed,loves oily spicy food, cold drings and ice cream

Hot pepper, garlic,onion,fried foods,spices,white sugar, alchohol, eating when upset

Fresh fruit, salads,steamed veggies, rice,soy,milk, eating in moderation

Kapha

Stays calm if meal is missed, loves gourmet food, sweet gooey food, and no variety

Dairy,sweets,flour,red meat, overeating

Veegies, beans and legumes, warm spices, salads, dried fruit, variety

 

Similar to Chinese medicine there are pressure points throughout the body called marmas and there are 107 of them. When stimulated or compressed they are also meant to bring the body back into balance. In addition the asanas help the body to come back into balance. Each dosha is also associated to a particular orgran and its energy pathways throughout the body.

Daily regimen is a very important component of ayurveda the following lists a typical daily regimen:

1.      Rise early and attend to calls of nature-Stretch and set intention for the day

2.      Drink a glass of lemon water to start digestion process

3.      Clean the teeth and scrape the tongue

4.      Splash the eyes will cold water

5.      Apply oil drops or saline in nose to remove allergens

6.      do oil massage, except for kapha who should do dry massage

7.      exercise-yoga

8.      Shower-first slough dead skin, wash, and then moisturize

9.      Meditate

10. Eat breakfast

11.  Work

12. Eat lunch away from desk

13. Use peppermint essential oils for an afternoon pick me up

14. have a quiet dinner prepared with love

15. evening exercise

16. meditation

17. journal

18. evening cleansing

19. intimacy with partner

20. read

21. sleep

 Recommended ReadingAveda Rituals-Horst RechelbacherHealth Trough Yoga-Mira MehtaAyurvedic BeautyAyurveda Nature’s Medicine-Dr David FrawleyHome Practice

Practice the postures and breathing techniques at least 15 minutes every day.

Practice the ayurveda rituals at least once this week, reflect on how you feel and if there are any changes

Try a new food that is balancing to your dosha

  

 

 

[momsherbs]

Aug. 21, 2007 at 6:53 PM

Good information Sacredsilence,

Is there any yoga dvd that you recommend? I am a beginner when it comes to yoga. I workout with Denise Austin in the mornings.

[michaelsmom777]

Aug. 22, 2007 at 3:37 AM

Thank you for posting a typical daily regimen.  It was helpful to me to see a day in the life.  Lemon water and washing the nostrils is somthing I hadn't thought about.  Journaling is a great way to let out the day and my journals are collecting dust.  It's a nice reminder.  I like that intimacy with partner is there too.  Mine's been neglected lately.  Poor guy.   I love the whole post, only I'm not too well read on the all the meanings of some of the words.  Know a good book that defines all that stuff for the layman? 

It's past midnight and I'm not in bed.  I'm losing chi, I"d better go. :)