Sunday 30 June 2013

Nose for calming your Senses


The lotus flower symbolizes the spiritual quest. It beautifully floats on the surface of the water, while beneath the surface it’s deeply rooted into the mud. Our mind can also be like the peaceful lotus, even if the frenetic lifestyles and busy schedules don’t allow us to PAUSE once a while.

There is a special yet easy meditation technique for calming the mind, right at the tip of our nose, also known as Nasikagra drishti or nose gaze.

Concentrate gently on the tip of the nose with both eyes completely or partly closed and take long and deep breathe. Continue the same for few seconds and increase time with regular practice.

Nose gazing stimulates the frontal lobe of the brain through the optic nerve, allowing the mind to be steady and increase concentration by heightening focus.

The above technique can be practiced anytime and is easy to follow. So next time, when your “monkey mind” gets the better of you, practice this powerful yogic exercise that’s as close as your nose!


Tuesday 25 June 2013

Knocking down Mental & Physical Barriers

It is so fascinating to observe how breathing can alter the state of being.
Breathing is the first act when we are born and the last when we die.
It is mesmerizing that how babies are attuned by nature to breathe correctly. As I initially struggled to breath correctly, my 22 months old is effortlessly breathing through her nose with her stomach expanding as she inhales & contracting as she exhale.
As we grow up and follow the course of become worldly wise, we lose our natural innocence and gather unhealthy habits. Sadhana or practice is a powerful way of knocking down one's mind blocks or habits.
As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar stated
"We all are like fire. Observe, are you the fire that produces smoke and pollution, or the flame of camphor that creates light and fragrance"
Yes sometime a simple thought can knock you out of the slumber and rock your core. This thought infused me with fresh energy to religiously practice yoga, do pranayama & meditation, alter my lifestyle and let go of my unhealthy habits.
Yoga has stimulated lots of changes in me and engaged my senses to bring transformation in my life on physical, mental and spiritual level.
On that note, yesterday was a remarkable day, as I performed 'Jal Neti' for the first time. Earlier watching someone practicing it, used to make me uneasy. But the new spirited me, was eager like a child to try the experience.
My heart unflinchingly put my coward mind to ease and I prepare lukewarm salted water for practicing the same. With all my fellow classmates watching me with deep curosity, I bravely put the tip of the Jal neti pot in my left nostril.

Initially it took few seconds for my nostril passage to clear. I felt pressure building inside the bridge of my nose. But 40 seconds later, the water starts coming out gently from the right nostril and the next few rounds of it on both sides, went effortlessly.
If I can express through words how I felt, all I can say is that I felt ALIVE and LIGHT. My Jal Neti experience has been one of the best things that have happened to me.

Monday 10 June 2013

My Yogic Journey

June 9th 2013 is marked down in my life for inception of my dreams. I was introduced to yoga by my Aunt (a yoga teacher), when I was 9 year old and my affair with it was predestine. Like a true love story, there was separation, longing, detachment and now I rekindle my romance again with fervor, for a "Happy ever after".

I want to write down the changes, the sensations I am going thru. A record from where I started, to where I strive to reach.
I made up my mind not to care so much about the destination, and simply enjoy the journey. Hence I named my blog, SADHAKA.
Sadhaka is someone who follows a particular 'sadhana' or a way of life to realize their goal. The word is related to the Sanskrit 'Sadh', which means to accomplish. As long as one has yet to reach the goal, they are a Sadhaka.
It aptly describes me and as a curious student I start my quest for this ancient discipline.

"Just for today I will live with the attitude of gratitude. I will not worry. I will not get angry. I will show love and respect for every living being." ~ Reiki Mantra

Love & Light