For someone who has faced anxiety all her life and lived in self-doubts, Yoga was definitely a breath of fresh air that brought a different perspective to how I saw my life. From generalising every experience into one thought : ‘Everything’s wrong with me’ to seeing things from a clearer lens like ‘This is an opportunity to work on myself’, I have come a long way in this journey of self-improvement. Yoga helped make space for new memories in my mind, which would have been otherwise, overloaded with worry about not looking good, not being good enough, parental issues etc. Yes it was a lot but now I try to direct my energy to the present moment, observe my breathing more, give myself permission to take breaks in between if things get overwhelming, and love myself more everyday.
Even in our previous blog, you get to read about how yoga isn’t merely a physical activity to lose weight, but a practice of self-regulation taught by controlling different aspects of our mind and body. It is a design for living a balanced and purposeful life, which makes it worth your time too, so scroll down and enlighten yourself.
Distracted by your Thoughts? Well pay more attention to them 'RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW’ !!!
Meditation is a part of the yoga regime that is more focused on relaxing and ‘Om-ing’ your way into a deep state of calmness, stillness and present-ness of this moment. Many people believe that the purpose of Meditation is to stop their ‘Thoughts’ altogether. Now unless you’re a Sadhu who has been meditating for thousands of years in Amarnath ki gufa, that’s near to impossible. This is why, when people fail to halt the traffic in their mind, they stop. In reality, what they fail to realise is that meditation is a process of making us more comfortable with our thoughts being there, even if it’s related to past or future. We become more accepting of things in present.
Here are some Meditation Practices you can begin with:
Mindfulness Meditation is practice of being aware of your surroundings and thoughts without judging them.
Guided Meditation is visualising relaxing situations or images.
Chakra Meditation is the art of balancing the centers of energy.
Walking Meditation involves walking on grass or any surface and feeling the sensation caused by it.
Mantra meditation is practice of using repetitive sound to clear the mind. It could be in the form of word or sentences.
Once you start practicing any of these activities, you’ll notice subtle changes in you like reacting to situations more rationally, managing stress easily, becoming more aware of yourself and doing things patiently.
’Breathe In, Breathe Out’ and Keep Calm
Remember those days when all the adults would switch on Ram Dev Baba’s yoga program and start practicing ‘Anulom Vilom’ involving alternate nostril breathing and force you to do the same saying ‘Isse sardi-zukham bhaag jayega’.
You probably didn’t understand its significance then but Pranayama, which has been an ancient practice of controlling your breath, is connected with your Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System (responsible for ‘alert’ and ‘rest’ state) which has direct influence on bodily reactions.
In yoga, Pranayama is used with other practices like physical postures (asanas) and meditation (dhyana) and has various benefits as per Scientific Study, such as
According to PubMed (2013) research report, Pranayama reduced perceived stress levels in healthy young adults as it increased oxygen level reaching brain.
According to a 2019 study, pranayama also improves sleep quality in people with obstructive sleep apnea.
It was found in PubMed (2017) study that students who practiced pranayama displayed higher levels of mindfulness and emotional regulation than those who didn’t.
I am ‘Om’ my way to Sofasana
What is your favorite Asana?
I know mine. It’s definitely Savasna. Literally the best pose you could find yourself in, All day, Every day. I think I’m proud to say that I could be the President of Club ‘Sofasana’, because let’s face it, we all have nothing better to do these days. Though Savasana seems easy, the irony is that it is the most difficult pose of all as it can be a struggle to relax in the pose; you may lie there feeling tense and staring at the ceiling.
Regardless of how difficult or easy an asana may be, you can still take out at least 10 minutes out of your day to practice various poses such as:
Downward-Facing Dog / Adho Mukha Svanasana
Upward-Facing Dog / Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Tree Pose / Vrksasana
Plank Pose / Kumbhakasana
Warrior Pose / Virabhadrasana
You can check out poses that work the best for you and stick to it like a glue. No, not just for your appearance and body related trends on social media that forces you to be someone you’re not, but FOR BETTER HEALTH. FOR BETTER YOU.