Learn About Yoga

We are pleased to offer these FREE excerpts from the groundbreaking alternative healing book “Yoga for Health and Healing.”

INTRODUCTION

Kundalini yoga is an amazing tool for recovery from physical ailments and for maintaining the body in good health. You will find in this article:

A healthy, safe alternative to Viagra, which can help you achieve a satisfying sex life,

A technique that can help you pull out of depression and have a happy emotional life,

An exercise to open the heart to the love that is the source of our being,

And a technique to experience the miraculous wellspring of divine kundalini energy that lies waiting to be tapped in each of us.

Please note that the information below is not intended to be a replacement for competent medical care. The directions stated are not intended as a prescription for any mental or physical ailments, nor does the information claim treatment or cure for any problems.

KUNDALINI ENERGY

Kundalini energy is experienced when the energy of the glandular system combines with that of the nervous system to create such a sensitivity that the brain as a whole receives signals and integrates them. The autonomic and voluntary nervous systems come under conscious control, allowing a person to become completely aware of himself and his environment. The kundalini energy is the creative potential of everyone; in its experience lies the realization of that potential.

Some say that mankind once lived in total God-consciousness. Between man and God there was no difference, except that man was manifest on this earth and God was unmanifest. Then man turned from God-consciousness to maya, the illusion of the senses, so God separated man’s consciousness into two halves. One half man uses to live his earthly life, but the higher consciousness remains sleeping until man evolves far enough to be able to use it again. The story of Adam and Eve might be said to represent this fall from grace, the garden of Eden being a state of total awareness, the apple representing maya, and the serpent representing kundalini, divine knowledge.

In fact, the kundalini energy has often been called “serpent power,” a name whose sinister implications hardly do justice to the benign reality of this energy field. The yogis of India regard it as the embodiment of “Adi Shakti,” the primal creative power. It is the energy that developed us, gave us the shape we have, and brought us on earth. It is pure energy, without residue. The word itself is sometimes translated “coil of the beloved’s hair.” In its dormant state, it lies coiled at the base of the spine.

In a functional sense, all that needs to be done to activate the kundalini is to uncoil this energy and connect it with the pineal gland at the top of our heads, which after a child reaches 8 years of age normally ceases to secrete fully. When that master gland, the “seat of the soul,” taps the energy of the kundalini, it will begin to secrete as it did when we were young. This is the state called “kundalini risen”; some call it enlightenment.

AWAKENING THE KUNDALINI

The process by which this unfolding occurs is complex. The kundalini will not awaken and rise until two energies are integrated and balanced. These two forces are apana and prana. Apana is an eliminating force; it affects functions operating on both gross and subtle levels in the body to expel negative energy and waste. In reference to the process of raising the kundalini, it might be considered the “vital air” below the navel.

Prana is the “vital air” above the navel. The life force penetrating every atom of our form, and indeed, of the universe, is stored in our bodies at the eighth thoracic vertebra, the part of the spine located near the bottom edge of the shoulder blades. This pranic center, by means of the ‘pranic nerve,’ enervates the U-shaped muscle responsible for autonomic nervous system function — heartbeat, movement of the diaphragm, responses beyond our conscious control. The ancient yogis could create pranic energy reservoirs at the “pranic cavity” and live on that reserve.

To stimulate the kundalini, one must inhale and hold the breath, directing prana down to the navel point. Then one exhales and “holds the breath out” (i.e., refrains from inhaling), drawing apana up from the base of the spine to the navel point. When prana and apana meet and unite, a tremendous “white heat” or “tapa” is created at the navel point. The combined energies are often described as the filament of sushumna (“silver cord”), a nerve current or “nadi” thought by some to correspond to the governor vessel meridian of Chinese medical theory, and by others to correspond to the central nervous system of Western medical theory. When the energies combine, this sushumna lights up like the filament in a light bulb suddenly plugged into its source of electric power. Responding to breath control and mental direction, the integrated energies depart the navel point and descend to the base of the spine, where they stimulate the dormant kundalini. Further breath control and the appl!
ication of the will cause the force to rise, along with the kundalini power, charging the higher centers of consciousness, the chakras. In this way a person’s energy can be transmuted into higher forms.

Well, that’s the theory of kundalini yoga. Now here are a few excerpts describing practical applications of this theory:

IMPROVING SEXUAL POTENCY: A YGOIC ALTERNATIVE TO VIAGRA

Stand with the right leg bent forward enough so that the toes can’t be seen over the knee. The left leg is straight back, with the foot flat on the floor at a 45 degree angle to the front foot. Extend the right arm straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor. Make a fist as if grasping a bow. Pull your left arm back as if pulling a bowstring back to the shoulder. Create a tension across the chest.

Face forward. Fix the eyes above the front fist to the horizon.

Hold the position for 3 to 5 minutes, then switch legs and arms and repeat.

DEALING WITH DEPRESSION

Sit with a straight spine in a comfortable, cross-legged position, or sit in a chair with your spine straight and your feet on the floor. Arms are extended straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor. Close your right hand into a fist. Wrap the fingers of your left hand around your right-hand fist. The bases of the palms touch. The thumbs are close together and are pulled straight up. The eyes are focused on the thumbs.

Now inhale for 5 seconds (do not hold the breath in); exhale for 5 seconds; hold the breath out for 15 seconds. Continue.

Start with 3 to 5 minutes and work up to 11 minutes. Build up the time slowly. In time, you can work up to holding the breath out for 1 full minute. However, take care not to hold the breath out so long as to make yourself dizzy or nauseous.

TO OPEN THE HEART

This exercise uses a “mantra” or sacred chant. The purpose of mantras is to help us identify with the infinite healing energy within us. We are all children of God, and the mantra reminds us of our divine birthright.

Sit in a comfortable, cross-legged position, or sit on a chair, with your spine straight and your feet on the floor. The chant to use is SAT KAARTAAR (“a” as in “bus”; “aa” as in “far”), which means “true doer.” As you say SAT, the hands are pressed together at the center of the chest in prayer mudra (fingertips pointing up).

As you say KAAR- the arms are extending out in front of you with palms facing out and fingers pointed straight up. As you say -TAAR the arms are moving out to the sides parallel to the floor, palms still out and fingers still pointed up. Then bring the hands back into prayer mudra. Make the transition from step to step in a flowing movement.

Repeat this process for 3, 11, 31, or 62 minutes.

AN ANCIENT YOGA EXERCISE TO RAISE THE KUNDALINI

The yoga exercise (or “kriya”) described below is probably the most powerful exercise in the science of kundalini yoga. With regular practice, “Sat Kriya” increases the lung capacity, perfects the functioning of all the body organs, stimulates circulation, generates and raises great energy, and brings the experience of kundalini energy rising up the spine. Precisely because it is a very powerful exercise, if you have a medical condition, be sure get your doctor’s approval before you try it out. Also, listen to your own body — it will tell you how long and how strenuously it wants to do the exercise.

Before practicing this exercise, inhale deeply, exhale completely, and tune in to the divine teacher within you. Talk to God in the language of your heart. Next, sitting on the heels, with a straight spine, stretch your arms straight up overhead, hugging your ears. Interlace your fingers, with only the index fingers pressed together and pointing straight up. The eyes are closed and focused at a point midway between and slightly above the eyebrows, about 1/4 inch inside the skull (the “third-eye point” or center of Christ consciousness).

Chant the sound SAT (“a” as in “bus”) from the navel point as you pull “root lock” (pull up and in on the rectum, sex organs, and navel point). Then release the lock as you chant NAAM (“aa” as in “far”). (“Sat naam” means “Truth is my identity.”) The breath will come automatically. The shoulders will naturally rise up an inch or two as the lock is pulled. The spine does not flex.

Continue for 3 to 31 minutes. Then inhale and exhale long and deep several times. On the last exhalation, hold the air out and apply root lock again. Keep the spine straight and the chin tucked slightly in. Focus on drawing energy up the spine to the third-eye point. Inhale. Repeat the breathing exercise and the lock once or twice if you wish, but never to the point of discomfort. Then relax out of the posture.

Lie down on your back, arms resting along your sides, and relax. Be sure to allow at least as much time for this relaxation as you took to do the exercise.

ABOUT SELF-HEALING

Here is a quote from Yogi Bhajan, whose teachings were the inspiration for the book “Yoga for Health and Healing”:

“The process of self-healing is the privilege of very human being. Self-healing is not a miracle, nor is it a question of being able to do something that most people can’t. Self-healing is a process that occurs through the relationship between the physical and the infinite power of the soul. It is a contract, a union — that is the science of kundalini yoga.”

“YOGA FOR HEALTH AND HEALING”

How can you use yoga to maintain your body in a healthy state? What meditations can you do to heal others? What lifestyles will keep you healthy year after year? These questions are answered in the book “Yoga for Health and Healing.”

This book will teach you easy yoga techniques to HEAL OVER 100 SPECIFIC PHYSICAL PROBLEMS — addiction, stress, headaches, backache, colds, constipation, menopause, sinus problems, and sexual potency, to name a few.

Profusely illustrated, this 141-page book offers simple explanations of yoga as a tool for self-healing (the electric force, the magnetic field, the life force, the chakras, the pineal gland, the nadis, and how to awaken the kundalini energy), yoga basics (kriyas, mental focus, breath techniques, mantras, postures, mudras, body locks), and key areas in the body for staying healthy.

You can try “Yoga for Health and Healing” at no risk whatsoever — We offer an unconditional 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE. If you aren’t pleased with it for any reason, return it to us for a speedy, cheerful refund.”

TO READ WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID about this amazing new alternative healing technique, go to http://2u3d.com/yoga/YHH_reviews.htm

TO ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY, go to http://www.2u3d.com/yoga/yhh.htm

With kind regards,

From our heart to yours,

Yoga Books and More
P.O. Box 7482, Santa Monica, CA 90406-7482 USA
Phone: (877) 432-2999 (toll-free) or (310) 393-8167 (local or international)
Message or fax: (310) 362-8877
Email: mailto:yoga@2u3d.com
Web site: http://www.2u3d.com/yoga

Written By: Alice Clagett

As I walked out of the Bikram Yoga studio toward my car after my first class, I found myself declaring, “If I can actually do this yoga, it will totally change my whole life.” I had only been able to attempt half the postures, with the rest of the time lying down, just dealing with the heated, humid room. But it was a revelation as to the sorry state of my body’s condition, and the pathetic condition of my mind-body connection.

I had already made the firm decision to do yoga class every day for two months, after reading Bikram Choudhury’s introductory yoga book. He says, “Give us two months. We will change you.” After living with years of back pain due to compressed lumbar discs and a sedentary lifestyle, I was ready for that change–so ready, in fact, I was willing to subject my de-conditioned body to 90 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular activity in 105 heat and 60% humidity (making the “apparent temperature” somewhere around 145). But the prospective discipline of it appealed to me, and soon I was actually enjoying the gentle torture of it, as I began to move muscles, bones and cartilage that hadn’t been moved in years.

Beyond the rewards of seeing my body stretch and reach new ranges of motion in class, it was after and between classes where the payoffs truly lay. Bending over to pick up something no longer hurt, standing up after sitting for a while no longer involved pain and stiffness, and I began noticing how good I felt instead of how bad.

Of course, getting to these improvements took a while; and although I had committed to two months of daily practice, it has now been nearly eight months, and I can now say yoga is an indispensible part of my life. This path has blatantly announced to me how I had incrementally reduced my own range of motion with each tiny discomfort, each injury, each bout of stiffness, in an attempt to protect myself from future pain. It is a common life strategy, but a very wrongheaded one. The body needs to increase its range of motion over time, and each discomfort or injury points the way. As the World’s Stiffest Person at 50, I was on the fast track to being a crippled old man by 60.

I drew a valuable conclusion from this, that all the little aches and pains and microconditions we had as twentysomethings, if not dealt with in a broad and holistic way, are the exact pains and conditions that amplify over time leading us to our ultimate demise. From this perspective, what is commonly referred to as “aging,” is actually more like an excuse for not answering the body’s calls for help early on. I’m just not buying the “I’m just getting too old for this” refrain I hear from my friends. Time, friction, and gravity will take their respective tolls, but only with permission from you. If I end up dying at 94, I would rather have gotten there vital, active and pain-free, instead of feeble, crippled, and tormented.

The main thing I’ve learned from my beginning yoga experience is that it takes MUCH MORE WORK than I thought to reverse my past slothfulness, and much more diligence on the day-to-day to maintain what gains I have acheived. Bikram refers to the “body’s bank account.” You invest into the account with yoga, and then spend the account when not doing yoga. Of course, I found I was sorely and deplorably in DEBT, and am only now seeing the light at the end of that tunnel, striving for the day I can touch my forehead to my toes, rest my leg on my shoulder, and nap on my back with my head on my feet.

SEVEN MORE THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN BIKRAM YOGA

1. If yoga turns it on, yoga will turn it off. I’ve had many classes where a muscle or joint will “release” (I used to wrongly identify it as “strain”), causing pain and stiffness or soreness after class. By the end of the next class, invariably, that soreness and pain disappears.
2. Your body is stronger than you think it is, and you have more energy than you think you do. One day in class I decided to completely ignore my thoughts as to what I could or couldn’t do in class, and was surprised to find a whole new range of motion, and a whole new area of energy and strength. The body obeys the limitations imposed upon it by the mind. Because Bikram Yoga is one of the most strenuous forms of hatha yoga, it is easy to claim to myself that I MUST be tired after all that exertion. Letting myself engage in this way, certainly obtained the result. The REALITY of yoga class is that it CREATES energy. Although it is natural to feel weakness or exhaustion, that feeling is actually RECOVERY, and in a few minutes, I claim to myself that I am refreshed and energetically ready for life. And, magically, I am.
3. Trust your body to know what it needs to do. Patience. As obedient as the body is to the limitations of the mind, it has also retained the awareness of the sequence of how those limitations were imposed, and knows how to undo them. The deeper problem with this is that many times there seem to be opposing limitations and confused commands operating within the body. These were put there by the mind, resulting in the wrong muscles being used to do certain motions. The trick, of course, is to get the mind out of the way, and it WILL resolve.
4. How you do yoga is how you do your life. The corollary to this is what happens during yoga practice is a microcosm of what happens to you in life. Paying attention to this is the road to revelation–as well as some inner grins.
5. Flexibility and core strength are the keys to health. Nutrition is important, drinking lots of water is important, getting proper amounts of sleep is important–all things I had been doing throughout my life. Unfortunately, I had overlooked the two most important things. Exercise is inadequate (and I dare say useless) without flexibility and core strength training. Again, it has taken much more than I thought to keep my body’s bank account from going into the red, and the quickest way into the black is with flexibility and core strength training. (By “core strength” I mean the deepest core muscles that create movement in the body, such as abdominal and back muscles.) With a high degree of flexibility, all the enzymes, minerals, blood flow, and myriad other rejuvenating substances the body creates to heal and build itself can get to those areas that need it. Without flexibility, there is withering and dying. I also noticed that I didn’t engage my abdominal muscles when I should, such as when bending over, lifting, carrying, walking, standing up. This set up bad habits of motion, and the obvious developing flacidity and inappropriate muscle recruitment.
6. Breathe. Combine this command with how you do yoga is how you do your life, and you’ll quickly see where you cut off your life force in daily living. I would stop breathing when I felt weak, for example. Ooops.
7. Use your mind to guide and expand. This is a corollary to Number 3 above. I noticed that by setting and visualizing goals on each posture, as well as for the entire class, and by refusing to entertain any other thoughts–such as how hot it is in the room, what hurts, what I’m afraid of, etcetera, etcetera–lo and behold progress gets made. The body wants to feel better. Help it out by concentrating on improving each posture, and when not doing that, concentrating on breathing. I’m saving myself a lot of unnecessay torture by applying this point in my practice, and in my life.

EMOTIONAL/SPIRITUAL CHANGES

The most impressive effect underlying all the physical changes has been my greatly increased ability to confront life in the proper perspective–what I’ll call the “Small Potatoes Effect.” This is where one does something so monumentally difficult that the rest of life’s daily conflicts, conundrums, irritations and niggly stresses seem to all pale in importance. Or, more accurately, they begin to assume the quality of merely the backdrop texture accompanying my personal goals and purposes. They become the tiny, swirling dust devils stirred up by my atmospheric movements of intention. These are no longer “stresses”–they are revealing acknowledgements that life is changing according to my desires.

As the practice advances, I’m wondering if perhaps it is not so much that it is “monumentally difficult” to do this yoga, but that certain firmly embedded toxic conditions residing for decades deep within organs, muscle and bone are at last being purged–and that translates as a monumental achievement on some subliminal cellular or auric level.

Whatever it is, it has restored my sense of humor, allowed me to rediscover my enjoyment of living, and added an aura of leisure in everyday activities, even as I find myself accomplishing more.

And so I continue on with my daily practice of Bikram Yoga with an inner smile, remembering that Bikram says, “You gotta go through hell to get to heaven,” and remembering that the only reason the “hell” is there was my own doing. But with yoga, my days of redemption are at hand.

GRAPHICS/LINKS: http://www.subtleenergysolutions.com/newsletter-boydyoga.html

About the Author

Boyd is the webmaster of www.subtleenergysolutions.com and the newsletter writer for that site. He enjoys a wide range of experience both in the ways of the internet and in freelance writing. An active, professional drummer, Boyd performs in the Portland area with several area blues and R&B bands. Boyd is also an avid, practicing Bikram Yoga participant

Written By: Boyd Martin

The purpose of this article is to provide information on methods and techniques on how to cope with pain, or in some instances, possibly even overcoming pain with the use of techniques derived from Yoga meditation.

Chronic pain sufferers spend millions of dollars to find ways of relieving their pain. This article hopes to share a process that is natural, and free.

Meditation: The Most Popular Alternative Pain Relief Therapy

According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, mind-body medicine is the most popular alternative approach for people in pain. And at the heart of mind-body medicine lies the age-old practice of meditation; a quiet, simple technique that belies an extraordinary power that has scientifically been proven to boost disease resistance and maintain overall health.

For many people who suffer from chronic pain, spending quiet time in meditation has proven to be the first step in learning how to cope with their pain. Over the years, thousands of individuals have sought help at stress reduction clinics that teach meditation techniques to people with pain. Their symptoms vary -from headaches, arthritis, and back pain to anxiety, eczema, and many other conditions- but their stories are remarkably similar:For those seeking help in coping with their problems, meditation works.

How Pain Relief Is Attained Thru Meditation (Why Meditation Decreases Pain)

The human body can produce its own natural chemical self-stimulants called endorphins. Among other things, this group of molecules alleviates stress, reduces pain, and gives a feeling of pleasure.

During meditation, when the brain is in a highly synchronous and coherent state (as measured by EEG brainwave biofeedback machines), it produces large quantities of these pleasure-causing neuro-chemicals, i.e., endorphins, making the whole experience pleasurable, giving an overall feeling of well-being. Many report a feeling of peace, happiness, connectedness, and a sense of wholeness when meditating.

Scientists have found that when the brain is stimulated by a pleasurable experience, it is capable of overwhelming or inhibiting other stimuli. Thus, pleasure can overcome depression or pain.

Yoga Meditation Methods For Coping With Or Overcoming Pain

There are many meditation methods andtechniques but they can generally be divided into several categories listed below. You may experiment with each one, and maybe even combine them to suit your needs. It all depends on what works best for you. Meditation is a very flexible tool.

Category 1: Breathing

One of the first steps in meditation is being aware of your breath. This method involves the use of specific breathing patterns to bring about relaxation. Essentially, as you slow your breathing rate, the body relaxes, and the mind calms down, as well. Based on my own personal experience, the more relaxed you are, the less pain you will feel.

Category 2: Transformational Life View

Meditation does not only involve breathing awareness. Many meditation traditions ask you to ponder on life-changing concepts such as what reality is and who you really are.Understanding your True Self, and experiencing your True Self directly thru meditation causes practitioners to undergo a profound transformation of view. This transformation of view leads them to a different way of looking at themselves, namely from a perspective of wholeness. With this change of perspective, a new and profound coming to terms with their problems and their suffering begins to take place.From feeling out of control, helpless, and beyond help, they develop a sense of inner peace and acceptance, and even a sense of the possible, a feeling of calm confidence, and control. This attitudinal and emotional transformation plays a major role towards better health and often causes a reduction in physical symptoms and improvement in a person’s physical condition.

This transformational life view brings about an ability to act with greater balance and inner security in the world, especially when encountering stress, pain, or illness.This category includes the popular mindfulness meditation which is used extensively by stress reduction clinics that have helped thousands of chronic pain sufferers and people with illnesses.

Category 3: Visualization/ Imagery

Visualization or imagery is a commonly used technique to relieve anxiety and pain. It involves imagining a pleasant and relaxing, or even exciting, place or activity that has brought you happiness in the past or is appealing to you. Mentally exploring this place or activity in great detail can help induce a sense of calm.

Category 4: Prana/ Chi / Life Force

It is said that a life force flows through our bodies, invariably known as prana or chi, and that this energy flows through the body within a psychic nervous system composed of subtle channels. There is an intimate relationship between our mind and this subtle nervous system and we can control or direct this energy for improved well-being, such as for pain relief.

You can also visualize blue, white, or pink healing light having a positive effect on the painful area.

Conclusion

These Yoga meditation techniques have been used for centuries for spiritual purposes.However, they can also be used as natural pain relief methods. By applying the meditation techniques specifically for pain control, practitioners are able to have a positive effect on such severe kinds of pain.

I hope these methods help those of you with chronic pain so that you can use meditation to lead better lives.

About the Author

***** Copyright (C), 2005 Raj Kenshin Norbu *****
You are free to distribute or publish this article provided you do not change any of the content, and/or delete my name and URL from the article. Thank you!

Raj K. Norbu is founder of a site that shows you how to experience your True Self thru Yoga meditation, enabling you to increase pain threshold and perform amazing feats.Ebooks available include The Yogic Method For Developing Supernormal Powers and The Ultimate Yoga Meditation Course. To know more, visit: http://www.PainRelief-Meditation-Yoga.com

Written By: Raj Kenshin Norbu

You learn many things in a Yoga class, such as: Living in the present moment; but how can you put your Yoga into practice in today’s hectic world? We learn to meditate so the mind will stop multi-tasking, but once you leave the Yoga studio, or ashram, you have to face the world again.

So, how do you take the soothing effects of your Yoga practice and apply them to the rest of your day? Develop a system where you use your time wisely. This is the wisdom of time management, as applied to “real life.”

We’re not discussing a “catch phrase,” or short-term solution, where a manager goes to a one-day workshop on time management, and then comes back lecturing his, or her, staff, about their time management.

The irony is that, most of the time, this type of manager is aware of time management because he, or she, wastes plenty of time. This usually goes on until the next workshop, and then management will learn a new catch phrase to tell the staff what they are doing wrong.

What we are discussing is a lifestyle, and possibly a big change, just like the first time you visited a Yoga class. In a “nut shell,” we have limited time on this earth and we cannot afford to waste it thinking about future worries, past regrets, fighting with loved ones, or leaving goals on hold.

Most of us leave dreams, goals, relationships, and ambitions on the “back burner,” while the daily routine of life goes by. No wonder people complain about the monotony of daily tasks. Very often, we hear, “I don’t have time to learn new skills, go to night school, practice Yoga, or become a Yoga teacher.”

Remember when you were a child and life seemed to go by so slowly? You had time to play, watch television, listen to the radio, and lay around, without a care in the world. Now, welcome to adulthood, life is flying by at a rapid pace, and goals sometimes seem further away than ever before.

Your starting point is today. All you have to do is write your list of tasks for tomorrow. This is commonly called a “to do list.” You can post it on a piece of paper, on your desktop, in your PDA, or anywhere you will refer to it in a day.

To be honest, I put the piece of paper in my pocket and refer to it during the day. Sometimes, the lesson plan for my next Yoga class can be found in my pocket, too. This is a reflection of my time line, and my generation, but my son would put it on his PDA. Whatever you choose is fine, as long as you refer to it, and get something done.

Notice, I did not say get everything done. Somehow, life throws us curves and your “well laid” plans may not fit into the daily time frame. You learn this in your Yoga practice too. It is absolutely necessary that all of us accept change. These days, change occurs on a daily basis, so there is no need to become tense about it. This explains why so many corporate fitness centers have Yoga, or meditation programs, for their employees.

Be prepared to make modifications to your plans or “turn on a dime.” Deadlines should be taken seriously, but sometimes life gets in the way. There are times when the path you are on will have to be altered. So, be prepared to have a backup plan.

Remember the Serenity Prayer: “God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.” It goes without saying, that you will waste a lot of time and energy, if you don’t know the difference.

The next point to cover is when to multi-task. What is this? You say, “This doesn’t sound very Yogic.” Yoga refers to “unity” or “union,” and we must exist in harmony with life as it is today. The mind naturally multi-tasks so, let’s make the most of our time.

In ancient times people multi-tasked, too. Why else would people around the world practice meditation for thousands of years? Why else would the people of India practice Yoga for over 5,000 years? Stress was one of many things our ancestors, and the ancient Yogis, have in common with us, and we know that stress is a killer. Most likely stress is linked to every ailment that connected to mankind.

True irony is when you consider planning time, and start to make excuses why you don’t have time to manage, or plan, your time wisely. If you like to watch television, you could do a little planning at the same time. Ideally, it is best to be totally focused, thinking clearly, and be in a quiet place when planning time.

However, there are other forms of multi-tasking you can do such as listening to an audio book in the car, using an exercise bike while watching television, and reading or listening to books while traveling. There are a number of Yoga, and Yoga philosophy audio books, available.

On the other hand, we know multi-tasking can go too far. I will never forget commuting into Boston, stuck in traffic, and seeing a guy next to me reading a newspaper on his steering wheel! Within the same month, I saw a motorist driving with a hamburger in one hand, and a milk shake in the other, while driving through stop and go traffic on Interstate 95!

We’re not considering reckless multi-tasking, but consider combining tasks that don’t require 100% focus. For example, you cannot focus entirely on an audio book while driving, and you may have to listen to it quite a few times before you mentally digest all the material.

For this very reason, you should not consider listening to, and concentrating on, meditation audio books, while driving your car or operating machinery. Yoga philosophy is one thing, but trying to listen to or practice with a meditation audio book, while driving, is quite another. Therefore, be very careful about the safety factors involved in multi-tasking.

Another point to cover is logistics. When you consider where you are going, always plan to avoid “back tracking.” For example: If you are picking the kids up from school and have to get groceries, make it into a combined trip. If you make it into two trips, this is truly a waste of time. Therefore, plan your trips, whether they are time spent in a car, riding a bike, or walking.

Lastly, make time for family, friends, and loved ones.

Unify your time for a balanced life. Life is not, “all work and no play,” but life is not sitting around living the life of a “couch potato.” Remember one of the best excuses for not attending a Yoga class: “I don’t have the time.”

About the author:

Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He’s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

Written By: Paul M. Jerard Jr.