Today’s yoga practice started with a warm shower to freshen the body (I hope to get back to cold ones when the temperature rises). A reading on personality types inspired me and freshened up the mind. This was followed by a practice on the mat that began with a centering chant.

The warm-up was core strengthening. I kept awareness of my breath in order to synchronize it with the movement, and this increased mental focus. The rhythmic chant playing in the background was an encouragement for me to keep up… and I needed that towards the end.

I rested after the warm up to allow my heart beat and breathing to slow down a bit. And I remained aware of what was happening in my body and the thoughts in my mind. Some body parts pulled my attention.

This is day 2 of the Kundalini Yoga Sat Kriya workout – a series that helps digestion and elimination, and any sexual ailments. It is very strengthening and builds endurance. I enjoyed the kriya workout and the short rest periods during the series. Day 2 was easier than Day 1. The longer relaxation at the end was soothing for my body and soul. I floated away with the healing chant that also doubled as a 10-minute timer.

I had time to include the special 1000-day meditation chant at the morning practice today. The practice ended with me heartily singing the Kundalini closing prayer:

May the long time sun
Shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light
Within you
Guide your way on

Yes, courage came with a good workout and a song in the heart. Let’s keep the faith.

When the mind is boss, it shows up in the body as headaches, digestive problems, poor sleep, lack of concentration, muscle tension, difficulty breathing, anxiety and many other symptoms. Interpersonal relationships suffer, and you become an unhappy camper.

Meditation offers great relief from these symptoms. A regular daily practice of 10-20 minutes can make a huge difference. There’s a smile in my heart when I see students interested in learning to meditate and taking the time to develop this life skill. I know first hand just how important it is to have the mind as a friend.

Here in Hamilton there are many types of meditation offered, for fee and for free. Here are two group classes:

1. Classes by Samara at the Regent Health and Chiropractic Clinic  (see http://tinyurl.com/ye2xb4w).

2. Classes at Blue Heron Zen Buddhist Centre (see  http://blueheronzencentre.blogspot.com/)

If your schedule is quite inflexible, private meditation classes are offered throughout our city as well. If you’d like to learn  meditation in a semi-private or private class, you may call  905-628-6463 or email us.

Heather Greaves

Yoga Teacher Trainer

Is your breathing shallow? To check, place one hand on the chest, and the other just above the navel. If the hand on the chest moves more, then shallow breathing is your normal breathing pattern.

Shallow breathing, also called paradoxical breathing, creates tension in the shoulders, neck and thoracic spine and increases heart rate, breathing rate, muscle tension and metabolism.

Yoga Breathing Exercise: To correct chest breathing, practice the following exercise 10 – 20 minutes daily for several weeks until breathing from the diaphragm becomes natural and easy.
•    Lie on your back with you knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
•    Place a hard cover book or 10-15 lb sandbag on your abdomen around the area of the navel.
•    As you inhale through the nose, lift the book. As you exhale through the nose, the book lowers.

2.  Rough Breathing

Your breath is jerky. Sit comfortably with the spine lengthened. Notice your incoming and outgoing breath. Is it smooth?

Yoga Breathing Exercise: Place one hand about 4 inches away from your body. Move one finger from navel to chin as you inhale, then back down as you exhale. Practice with awareness of the breath.

3. Mouth Breathing

Mouth breathing exacerbates high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, dry cough and many other medical problems.

Yoga Breathing Exercise: Sit comfortably for 3-5 minutes and practice breathing through the nose. You can also press one nostril closed with a finger or thumb and breathe slowly through the other nostril. Then change sides.

Yoga breathing exercises must be practiced without force.

Meditation had been part of my daily routine for many years. Yet angst and anxiety was my shadow companion. Sure, I was definitely peaceful. Yoga philosophy had answered many of life’s big questions for me. I could accept life’s dramas, and understand that we were all actors. The law of karma and reincarnation I got. This knowledge had brought a great deal of calm.

So how come I was still anxious? The fact that my breath was shallow would have contributed significantly to the angst. I remember once a massage therapist said to me something like, “Your breath is high up. Try to get it down here.” Her hand was resting on my belly and I couldn’t get my breath down there.

In my heart of hearts, I prayed for an answer to this anxiety, which would step out from the shadows every now and then. One day I suddenly realized my prayers had been answered. I couldn’t remember the last time I was anxious. What was it that had changed things for me?

I had begun to practice the basic pranayama breathing exercise – simple breath awareness; being aware of the breath. Breath awareness is vital in yoga therapy. My meditation practice changed and became this basic breath awareness; sitting and following the breath in and out. I don’t remember exactly how long each practice was. I know it was at least 10 minutes. And it was definitely in the morning. Meditation is also important in yoga therapy.

If you have used any no cost pranayama, breathing exercise, to cope with anxiety, or to reduce the number of times you take medication, I’d like to hear your story.  Comment below.

]]> http://www.yogatogo.com/2009/02/24/yoga-therapy-%e2%80%93-pranayama-breathing-exercise-for-angst-anxiety/feed/ 1 http://www.yogatogo.com/2009/02/20/march-to-a-new-age-with-a-daily-meditation-practice-after-yoga-exercise/ http://www.yogatogo.com/2009/02/20/march-to-a-new-age-with-a-daily-meditation-practice-after-yoga-exercise/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:08:14 +0000 Heather Greaves http://www.yogatogo.com/?p=507 “People get ready, there’s a new age coming, you don’t need no baggage you just get on board.“

What 3 mistakes prevent you from dropping mental or emotional baggage? How can yoga exercise and daily meditation practice help you drop baggage and march to a new age?

What 3 mistakes prevent us from dropping baggage and moving forward to a new age easily and with courage? How can a daily practice of yoga exercise and meditation bring courage?

Mistake #1 – Pointing Fingers – Whenever you are uncomfortable, unhappy or upset you point fingers and blame other people.  Whenever you blame someone for your troubles, your troubles instantly become heavier than they actually are.

Solution: Take personal responsibility for your response to what is happening.  “I take full responsibility for my response to this situation.”
Yoga Exercise: Breathe deeply for as long as it takes to begin to accept this thought, or totally accept it. Assume correct posture to increase breathing capacity as well as gain a courageous feeling. Start a daily meditation practice of at least 3 minutes of breath awareness.

Mistake #2 – Constantly Making Comparisons – You keep comparing yourself to other people and feel you are less than others. You don’t know your own strengths, or you forget to recall them. Instead you keep focusing on your weaknesses. Or on the other hand, you feel you are better than others. You keep seeing others weaknesses, as you take pride in your strengths. You create so many extra thoughts. Baggage!

Solution: Consider that each individual has a special place in the universe, a unique part to play, and gifts and talents to play the part.
Yoga Exercise: Practice 3 fundamental principles of yoga (self discipline, self-study, and surrender to the divine) to see reality. Be firm about your daily meditation practice, and read an inspirational book daily.

Mistake #3 – Thinking Your Thoughts Are Okay – You think that because no-one can know your thoughts, it is okay to think whatever you want. You think your criticisms affect no-one, and therefore it is alright.

Solution: Put a full stop to your thoughts, and practicing calming the mind.
Yoga Exercise: A daily meditation practice that controls all senses.

And now I invite you to a free instant download of a special daily meditation practice for a courageous spirit. You can practice this meditation right into the new age.

Share with me your thoughts on these points; I’d really like to know.  Simply use the comments section below.

1.    The march rhythm of this meditation music gave me an instant boost. It put a smile on my face. I look forward to 999 more unique experiences of the march music.
2.    It’s amazing how the eyes can wonder off the words on the page. As I sat holding the sheet focusing on the words of the chant, I noticed that sometimes my eyes roamed away from the words. I look forward to fewer journeys via imagination.
3.    I instantly recognize the importance of focusing the eyes in order to stay in the present. I see how people with overactive minds would benefit from this daily meditation.
4.    The mental focus of being aware of the movement of the tongue and the sensation of the sound helped me to enunciate the chant better, and to stay in the present.
5.    After the 7 -minute mark, I pressed my hands on the heart hard and chanted the mantra 8 times. I could feel the sound vibrating in my chest, and I felt strong.
6.    For the next minute I whispered powerfully. Strange how I listened quite intensely with the whispering.
7.    Then the last 30 seconds I chanted the mantra twice without music, enjoying my own slightly varied version of the tune.

I invite you to join in on this 1000-day meditation practice at any time. This yoga exercise will march us courageously through these times to the Aquarian Age, November 11, 2011, and perhaps with excitement.  You can download the PDF file with your copy of the meditation instructions and the words of the chant itself.

meditation-1000-day-spiritual

You can also listen to the pronunciation of the chant and download the music free from www.kundaliniresearchinstitute.org

Why to Chant

Sound creates a vibration. Our thoughts are silent sounds that vibrations. We attract according to the frequency of our vibration. When you chant a mantra, you attract whatever you are vibrating.

How long to Meditate

11 minutes of meditation begins to change the nerves and glandular system.

Stage 1 –40 days to change a habit.
Stage 2 –90 days to confirm the habit.
Stage 3 –120 days to own the habit.
Stage 4 –1000 days to master the new habit.

When to Meditate

First thing in the morning is the best time right after your yoga exercise. Your yoga exercise could be a mindful walk, movement, or a breathing exercise. If another time is better for you, of course make it then. Get together with friends and practice in community.

Benefits

Mantras can transform destructive mental habits and limiting personality tendencies. If you like being alone or the other extreme seek attention and popularity these will evolve to community with your courageous spirit. Hoarding possessions or poverty consciousness will change to the realization of prosperity. And your courageous spirit will transform fear of the future or, the other end of the scale, fantasy of the future so you face the future.

The Kundalini Yoga meditation chant is available for free download on this site.