De-Stress by Grounding Yourself

No one wins the rat race. Those who run it are most often left sick, run down, overwhelmed, drinking too much or medicating to relax and take the edge off.

 

Thanks to being plugged in 24×7, we’re expected to be “on” at all times for our bosses, colleagues, friends and children, with little down time. Or even some quality “me time.”

 

The result? Eventual break down because we are so disconnected from ourselves and what we’re feeling. It’s also when anxiety rules; with an accompanying  lack of focus and energy. We can’t figure out why, but more often than not it’s because we aren’t grounded.

 

Grounding is a way to dispel negative energy and maintain a flow of good energy in the body. It’s a process that helps the body connect to life-sustaining earth energies via the root chakra. Grounding and energy work are key to bringing back balance and tuning into what our bodies are trying to tell us.

 

Here are 4 great ways to ground yourself:

 

Meditation

Meditation is one of the best ways to ground and center yourself. It helps bring about awareness and makes you more in tune with subtle energies in you body. You don’t have to spend hours meditating. Even a half hour per day is enough to help you connect with yourself and become more conscious of your breath, your surroundings and the earth.

 

Envisage A Pillar of White Light

Imagine your name traveling down a pillar of white light flowing through your crown chakra and melding with it. Visualize all of the stress and negativity you’re carrying flowing down the pillar and into the earth. Then visualize clear, positive energy returning from the Earth into you.

 

Exercising

Move your body and drink lots of water. Moving your body is a way to get energy flowing and getting grounded, especially if you exercise outside. Hiking is one of the best forms of exercise for grounding, because you’re connecting with nature and with the Earth.

 

Bathing

Water is purifying, and lying in a warm tub of water will help in washing away any negative energy. Especially when you add some Epsom salts to clear away any residual negative energies and a few drops of soothing lavender oil to salve you. Visualize all the negativity going down the drain when you’re done.

Meaning of Namaste

Definition of Namaste

Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore, namaste literally means “bow me you” or “I bow to you.”

How to make the Namaste gesture

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word “namaste” is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation.

For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom.

When to incorporate Namaste into your practice

Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

Does Ahmisa Mean I Can't Eat Meat?

Practicing the principle of non-harming can trigger dissonance in omnivores. Here, thoughts on reconciling your diet with your yoga practice.

For several years in the 1990s, I lived in Chennai, India, 
and had the privilege of studying every day with the great yoga master T.K.V. Desikachar. One day, a young man from France was brought in for a consultation with Mr. Desikachar. This 
man was very eager to learn yoga and had committed himself 
to staying in India and studying for several months. But his health had been declining since his arrival in India, and after 
a few weeks, he had lost quite a bit of weight, had become very pale and weak, and was unable to focus on his studies.

During Mr. Desikachar’s evaluation of this young man, he asked him about his diet, and most specifically, if he ate meat.

“Why, no, sir, of course not,” the man replied.

“Why do you say ‘of course not’?” inquired Mr. Desikachar.

“Because I want to be a yoga teacher,” he said, “and everyone knows that yoga teachers cannot eat meat.”
The young student reflected a belief of many yoga teachers 
and students today that yoga somehow forbids eating meat. Many who have studied Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, widely considered the authoritative text of yoga, equate the concept of ahimsa, or nonharming, with vegetarianism. It’s natural for those who study yoga to try to adopt an entire lifestyle that reflects their new commitment to conscious living and mental and physical balance.

But according to the Yoga Sutra, you don’t have to become a vegetarian. The confusion stems in part from a misinterpretation of ahimsa, combined with the fact that the first generation of yoga teachers in the United States mostly studied with teachers—such as Sri Desikachar, Swami Satchidananda, B.K.S. Iyengar, and Sri Pattahbi Jois—who, being culturally Indian and Brahmin, tended to be vegetarian. So an idea has developed in the yoga community that conflates yoga with vegetarianism. But the practice of ahimsa is not as simple as that.

Assess the damage

Ahimsa (sutra II:3o) is the first of five social and environmental guidelines, called yamas, presented by Patanjali in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutra. The yamas are the first of eight “limbs,” or means, to help you reach a state of yoga, or focused concentration, in order to perceive more clearly, be more connected with your authentic Self, and suffer less as a result. 
The yamas consist of five components: ahimsa (nonharming), satya (the truth that doesn’t hurt), asteya (noncovetousness), brahmacharya (appropriate relationships and boundaries), and aparigrah (only accepting what is appropriate).

See also I’m Interested in Adopting a Vegan Diet. Where Do I Begin?

As I tell my students, these guidelines help us differentiate between the ever-changing, impermanent mind and what Patanjali describes as the part of us that is pure, perfect, unchanging, and permanent: our own true, authentic Self. By differentiating between the two, we can act from a place of our authentic Self (instead of from the mind), and therefore experience less suffering.

In the case of the French yoga student, Mr. Desikachar looked him in the eye and asked, “Have you considered the harm you are doing to yourself by not eating meat?” He said this young man was not getting the adequate nutrients for his body type, and that the Indian vegetarian diet was not serving him—and was, in fact, harming him. He then advised the man to start eating some chicken or fish right away and to have at least two servings a day.

Consider yourself

Now, of course, Desikachar was not saying that everyone who is vegetarian is causing harm to himself—Desikachar himself is a vegetarian—but for this particular student, vegetarianism was not the optimal or most supportive diet. And when practicing ahimsa, the concept of nonharming must also apply to oneself—whether we are referring to our interactions with others, our relationships, or our occupation. While the Yoga Sutra is designed as a universal text, it must always be adapted to the individual.

See also Explore Yoga’s Vegetarian Roots

After offering the student his “prescription,” Desikachar went on to explain the often forgotten and misunderstood next sutra, which immediately follows ahimsa and the yamas in II.3o:

II.31 jati desa kala samaya anavicchinna sarvabhaumah mahavratam

In this sutra, Patanjali acknowledges that only those very rare beings in all the worlds (sarvabhaumah) who have taken 
a “great vow” (mahavratam) are able to practice all five yamas without interruption (vicchinna), while—and this is key—the rest of us must adapt these guidelines to our current occupation (jati), the place we live (desa), time of day, month, or year (kala), or circumstance (samaya).

For example, if one who made his 
living (jati) fishing adhered firmly to the yamas without sutra II.31, he would not be able to practice ahimsa unless he gave up his occupation, and hence harmed 
his family or himself by not being able 
to provide. Similarly, in the place where you live (desa), fresh vegetables may not be available year-round, and it may be better for your health to supplement your diet with meat. Likewise, depending on the time of year (kala), eating meat may be more beneficial, or in the case of the young man from France, his circumstance (samaya) meant that eating meat was the less harmful choice for his well-being.

Adapt to your circumstance

I’ve had to embrace this concept in 
my own life. I had been an ovo-lacto vegetarian for more than a decade when 
I became pregnant with my third child. Suddenly, I found myself craving red meat. For several weeks, I resisted eating it because it went against my convictions. 
I had initially become a vegetarian after learning of the environmental impact 
of overfishing and factory trawling, the depletion of land and water resources 
due to animal agriculture, and the greenhouse-gas effects of raising cattle. But I researched where to find organic, hormone-free, grass-fed beef (that was raised as humanely and environmentally responsibly as possible) and ate a half 
a hamburger. At my next prenatal appointment a month later, my doctor informed me that I was extremely anemic, in spite of the iron supplements I had been taking, and she encouraged me to eat red meat more regularly—confirming that my cravings were telling me what my body needed, and that by not eating meat I was doing myself (and possibly my baby) harm.

See also Eat Your Way to Happy: The Mood-Boosting Benefits of Food

When it comes to your diet and practicing ahimsa, there are many ways to incorporate meat while staying true to the Yoga Sutra. Perhaps for you, the right approach is to eat meat only on certain days of the week or year. Or maybe the way the meat is fished or harvested is important to you. Or perhaps you will say a prayer of thanks to the animal that has given its life for your sustenance, nourishment, and enjoyment.

Ultimately, this consciousness and attention are what we hope for in our practice—to care for ourselves and for others around us, to be present with our actions, and to make conscious and thoughtful choices (rather than reacting without thought, which often leads to suffering). If we are not practicing the principles outlined in the yamas with ourselves, how can we expect to authentically live them and direct them toward others? When we apply the yamas to ourselves 
as well as to others, we are taking the best possible care of ourselves and doing our own important work in this process of personal growth and transformation.

4 Steps to Cultivate Ahimsa

Take a few moments each day 
to check in with yourself and 
cultivate ahimsa, both for yourself and for others in your life.

1. Sit quietly in your home, in your parked car, or even on the bus or in the waiting room of the doctor’s office and bring your awareness to your breath.
2. Observe the quality and comfort of the breath without judgment. Does it feel rapid and short? Strained and heavy? Shallow and quiet? Smooth and steady? Observing yourself (your breath, your sensations, your thoughts, your energy level, and so on) without judgment is the first step toward being gentle with yourself and directing the attitude of ahimsa inward.
3. After a few moments of simply observing the breath, relax your abdomen and shift your breathing to gentle abdominal breaths, allowing the belly to expand on the inhale, and softly contract on its own on the exhale, with nothing forced or strained. With each breath, remind yourself that you are all right just as you are. You may be struggling or going through challenges, but right now, you are just right. Remind yourself that yoga is an ongoing practice and that the practice of personal growth is not always easy.
4. Now reflect on ways you might support or be kinder or gentler to yourself: They could include taking a quiet walk, spending time with your dog or a friend, or taking a hot bath. And remember, even these few moments of breathing and reflection are a practice of kindness and gentleness. From this place of cultivating ahimsa toward yourself, and checking in with yourself without judgment, you will better be able to manage any challenges that come your way and respond to others in the world and in your life from 
a place of understanding, one that comes from being connected to that quiet inner 
resource of your own, true, authentic Self.

Yoga as a Religion?

The Question: Is Yoga a Religion?

Most American yoga students would answer this question with a simple no. As practitioners, we aren’t required to adhere to a particular faith or obliged to observe religious rituals such as baptisms or bar mitzvahs. We aren’t asked to believe in God, to attend organized worship services, or to learn specific prayers.

And yet, Patanjali‘s Yoga Sutra, an ancient text that is widely referred to in yoga classes today, clearly presents a moral code for yogis to follow and outlines the path toward a mystical state of enlightenment known as samadhi, or union with the Divine. The yoga tradition also recognizes the path of bhakti yoga, the branch of yoga whose adherents devote themselves to a personal form of God. Its practices include chanting to deities, setting up altars, and even praying.

So, even if yoga is not practiced like a religion today, did it descend from a religion and morph into a form of spirituality? Is it naive to think of yoga as a wholly secular activity? These are questions essential to explore, as yoga is increasingly taught in schools, hospitals, and secular institutions across the country. Some religious leaders and parents have expressed concern about yoga in schools, leading yoga teachers to strip the practice of anything remotely foreign or spiritual. 

Yoga 101: A Beginner's Guide - 10 Yoga FAQs

10 Yoga Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is Yoga?

The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner, a yogini.

The Indian sage Patanjali is believed to have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra is a collection of 195 statements that serves as a philosophical guidebook for most of the yoga that is practiced today. It also outlines eight limbs of yoga: the yamas (restraints), niyamas (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing),pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana (concentration), dhyani (meditation), and samadhi(absorption). As we explore these eight limbs, we begin by refining our behavior in the outer world, and then we focus inwardly until we reach samadhi (liberation, enlightenment).

Today most people practicing yoga are engaged in the third limb, asana, which is a program of physical postures designed to purify the body and provide the physical strength and stamina required for long periods of meditation.

See also: Meaning of Namaste

2. What Does Hatha Mean?

The word hatha means willful or forceful. Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of the body—especially the main channel, the spine—so that energy can flow freely.

Hatha is also translated as ha meaning “sun” and tha meaning “moon.” This refers to the balance of masculine aspects—active, hot, sun—and feminine aspects—receptive, cool, moon—within all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each pose.

Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation. It asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and be more present in the unfolding of each moment.

3. What Does Om Mean?

Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean?

Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us—that the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell.

Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves—the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.

4. Do I Have to Be Vegetarian to Practice Yoga?

The first principle of yoga philosophy is ahimsa, which means non harming to self and others. Some people interpret this to include not eating animal products. There is debate about this in the yoga community—I believe that it is a personal decision that everyone has to make for themselves. If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, be sure to take into account your personal health issues as well how your choices will affect those with whom you live. Being a vegetarian should not be something that you impose on others—that kind of aggressive action in itself is not an expression of ahimsa.

See also: Does Ahimsa Mean I Can't Eat Meat?

5. How Many Times Per Week Should I Practice?

Yoga is amazing—even if you only practice for one hour a week, you will experience the benefits of the practice. If you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits. I suggest starting with two or three times a week, for an hour or an hour and a half each time. If you can only do 20 minutes per session, that’s fine too. Don’t let time constraints or unrealistic goals be an obstacle—do what you can and don’t worry about it. You will likely find that after a while your desire to practice expands naturally and you will find yourself doing more and more.

6. How Is Yoga Different From Stretching or Other Kinds of Fitness?

Unlike stretching or fitness, yoga is more than just physical postures. Patanjali’s eight-fold path illustrates how the physical practice is just one aspect of yoga. Even within the physical practice, yoga is unique because we connect the movement of the body and the fluctuations of the mind to the rhythm of our breath. Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to direct our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognize our habitual thought patterns without labeling them, judging them, or trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than a task or a goal to be completed. Your body will most likely become much more flexible by doing yoga, and so will your mind.

1. Pigeon Pose

2. Crow/Crane variation using yoga blocks to help with balance.

7. Is Yoga a Religion?

Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy that began in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. The father of classical ashtanga yoga (the eight-limbed path, not to be confused with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois’ Ashtanga yoga) is said to be Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutra. These scriptures provide a framework for spiritual growth and mastery over the physical and mental body. Yoga sometimes interweaves other philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism, but it is not necessary to study those paths in order to practice or study yoga.

It is also not necessary to surrender your own religious beliefs to practice yoga.

See also: Yoga as a Religion?

8. I’m Not Flexible—Can I Do Yoga?

Yes! You are a perfect candidate for yoga. Many people think that they need to be flexible to begin yoga, but that’s a little bit like thinking that you need to be able to play tennis in order to take tennis lessons. Come as you are and you will find that yoga practice will help you become more flexible.

This newfound agility will be balanced by strength, coordination, and enhanced cardiovascular health, as well as a sense of physical confidence and overall well-being.

9. What Do I Need to Begin?

All you really need to begin practicing yoga is your body, your mind, and a bit of curiosity. But it is also helpful to have a pair of yoga leggings, or shorts, and a t-shirt that’s not too baggy. No special footgear is required because you will be barefoot. It’s nice to bring a towel to class with you. As your practice develops you might want to buy your own yoga mat, but most studios will have mats and other props available for you. 

See also: Good Items to Have But Not Necessary

10. Why Are You Supposed to Refrain From Eating 2–3 Hours Before Class?

In yoga practice we twist from side to side, turn upside down, and bend forward and backward. If you have not fully digested your last meal, it will make itself known to you in ways that are not comfortable. If you are a person with a fast-acting digestive system and are afraid you might get hungry or feel weak during yoga class, experiment with a light snack such as yogurt, a few nuts, or juice about 30 minutes to an hour before class.

Beginner Yoga Introduction: Good Items To Have But Not Necessarily Needed

Are you a beginner at yoga? Are you intimidated by some of the things you have seen online? Well this is the place for you. I will start you out on where to begin, things you need and beginner's poses. This first post will consist of things you need for your practice. You don't absolutely need them if you are on a tight budget but I am also posting links for where you can find the items cheaper.

Items you will need for your practice:

1) Yoga mat
You can get one of these pretty cheap at Walmart. They actually have a yoga set that includes your mat and some other things.

This specific yoga set comes with a yoga mat, two yoga blocks, yoga strap and bag to carry your mat in: Sivan Health Fitness Prepacked 5 Piece Yoga Kit Purple

You can buy mats individually as well through many sites online besides Walmart. All depends on what type of prices you are looking to pay.

2) Yoga Props
These are your yoga straps, yoga blocks used for beginner and advanced poses. Can also help intensify some stretches with the yoga strap.

There are many types of yoga blocks. Most common and tends to be the cheapest are the ones that are foam like these. I got these on Ebay for cheap.

These are yoga straps and they are also inexpensive if you purchase from Ebay.

These straps can double by wrapping them around your yoga mat to make it easier to carry if you don't have a yoga mat bag which can be expensive. 

3) Yoga Clothing

Wearing loose or stretchable clothing is best for practicing yoga poses. There are many clothing manufacturers that specialize in yoga clothes, but you will pay a premium for the fit and performance, so you might want to start with what you already might have in your closet.

This is my basic outfit which is a pair of capri yoga pants (Fila) gotten from Ebay. A tank top (gotten from Walmart) and a sports bra (gotten from Walmart). I also sometimes just go with my sports bra and capri yoga pants. 

You can buy expensive yoga pants from like Alo Yoga but they may last longer. I have had my Fila capri yoga pants that I got off of Ebay for the last 2 years now.