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The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 6 –Dharana)

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 6 –Dharana) Dharana is a Sanskrit word which means immovable concentration of the mind (or that which gives stability”) from the root Dhar, which means to “bind together”, “to make stable”. Dharanais the willful act of concentration of the mind.

Dharana is the sixth of Patanjali’s “Eight Limbs” of Raja Yoga (or classical yoga). Patanjali describes Dharana thusly: “When the pure mind is kept focused in the desired desa (region) by the seeker, it is called Dharana.”

Patanjali considered Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi to be the last three steps in his eightfold path and that all three aspects considered together are collectively termed “Samyama” (Control). We should also keep in mind, that Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are progressively advancing stages of concentration. The highest stage of mental concentration described by the Western psychologists is similar to the description of Dharana which Patanjali designated as the initial or primary stage of concentration, with Dhyana as the intermediate and Samadhi as the final or highest stage.

Characteristically there is no dividing line in between any of these three stages. When certain progress is made in the practice of Dharana, Dhyana stage is automatically entered into and so on with the progress through Dharana stage, the student or yogi automatically enters in the Samadhi stage. The three stages are said to mingle into each other as easily as three colors are mixed together on an artists palate.

In this article we will consider only the first stage; Dharana, (Dhyana and Samadhi to be considered in upcoming articles).

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 6 –Dharana)

In practicing Dharana, the student creates a condition conducive for the mind to focus its attention in one direction or on one object rather than of radiating out in a multitude of different directions. As concentration deepens, the focus on a single chosen point becomes more intense and the other preoccupations of the mind cease to exist.

The objective in Dharana is to steady the mind by focusing its attention efficiently on one subject or point of experience. Concentrate on any object (within the body or outside) that is appealing, selecting any object that’s pleasant and brings in concentration of the mind easily. Now if the student chooses to focus on their inner energy flow, they can directly experience the physical and mental blocks and imbalances that remain in their system, in other words, the obstacles to their progress becomes obvious.

Once established, this ability to withdraw the mind from all its “fluctuations” (or modifications), and concentrate on a single point produces psychological health and personal integration and should not be considered an escape from reality, but instead, a positive movement towards the realization of the true nature of the Self. This prepares the student for the next stage (Dhyana), where concentration becomes meditation and the one meditating becomes one with the object of meditation.

In summary: The practice of Pratyahara creates the setting for Dharana or concentration. When one is relieved of outside distractions, they can now deal with the distractions of the mind itself. In the practice of concentration, which precedes meditation, a student can learn how to slow down the thinking process by concentrating on a single mental object. The goal is to become aware of nothing except the object of concentration, it can be a candle flame, a flower, a mantra you repeat to yourself, a specific energetic center in the body, a picture of a guru or an image of a deity, any of the chakras can also be used as a focal point for concentration. The ultimate purpose of Dharana is to train the mind over time by eliminating all the extra, unnecessary superfluous thought. Extended periods of concentration will naturally lead to meditation (Dhyana).

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 6 –Dharana)

Related article, click on: The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 5 – Pratyahara)

Check back soon for “The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 7 –Dhyana)”

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 5 –Pratyahara)

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The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 5 –Pratyahara) Pratyahara is derived from two Sanskrit words: prati and ahara, with ahara meaning anything taken into ourselves, and prati, a preposition meaning away or against. Pratyahara means literally “control of ahara,” or “gaining mastery over external influences.” It is compared to a turtle withdrawing its limbs into its shell; the turtle’s shell is the mind and the senses are the limbs. The term is usually translated as “withdrawal from the senses,” but much more is implied.

Pratyahara is the fifth of Patanjali’s “Eight Limbs” of Raja Yoga (or classical yoga).

In yogic philosophy there are three levels of ahara, or food. The first is physical food that brings in the five elements necessary to nourish the body. The second is impressions, which bring in the subtle substances necessary to nourish the mind; the sensations of sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell. The third level of ahara is our associations, the people we hold at heart level who serve to nourish the soul and affect us with the gunas of sattva, rajas, and tamas.

Pratyahara is twofold. It involves withdrawal from wrong food, wrong impressions and wrong associations, while simultaneously opening up to right food, right impressions and right associations. We cannot control our mental impressions without right diet and right relationship, but pratyahara’s primary importance lies in control of sensory impressions which frees the mind to move within, preparing the student for the next stage in the Eight Limbs, “Dharana” (Concentration).

When we withdraw our awareness from negative impressions, pratyahara strengthens our mind’s powers of immunity. Just like a healthy body resists toxins and pathogens, a healthy mind can ward off the negative sensory influences around it. If you are easily disturbed by noise and/or turmoil in the environment around you; practice pratyahara, for without it, you will not be able to concentrate or meditate properly.

Pratyahara and the prevention of disease:

Ayurveda recognizes that the inappropriate use of the senses is one of the main causes of disease. Mental disease is directly connected with the intake of unwholesome impressions. Therefore pratyahara is an effective practice for treating all mental disorders. Additionally, it is very helpful in treating nervous system disorders, especially those that arise through hyperactivity. Most of the time we overly express our emotions and this drains us of tremendous amounts of energy. Pratyahara teaches us to hold our energy within us and not disperse it unnecessarily. When conserved this energy can be drawn upon for creative, spiritual or healing purposes as needed and can provide the extra power we may need to accomplish the things that are really important to us.

Physical (bodily) disease mainly arises from taking in unwholesome food. Pratyahara affords us control of the senses so that we do not crave wrong food. When the senses are controlled, everything is controlled and no wrong or artificial cravings can arise. This is why Ayurveda emphasizes proper use of the senses as one of the most important factors for wholesome living, disease prevention and maintaining optimal health.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 5 –Pratyahara)

Related article, click on: The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 4 – Pranayama)

Check back soon for “The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 6 –Dharana)”

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 4 – Pranayama)

The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 3 – Asana)

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Asana is a Sanskrit word literally translated as “to sit”, although, generally speaking, asana refers to an assumed body position, pose or posture. Asana is the third of Patanjali’s “Eight Limbs” of Raja Yoga (or classical yoga).

Yoga asana can be static or dynamic. Many asanas look static from the outside, but they are dynamic by their very essence. When the yogi or student uses the body to perform any pose, this requires engaging their muscles to assume and maintain that form. So therefore, all asanas involve muscle work and stretching, and are by definition, not static because any tension is related to the dynamic process and this holds true for all bodies. There are of course, exceptions to the rule, being Shavasana, the posture of “conscious self-shutdown”, and Padmasana the “perfect meditating posture”, done with the body fully balanced and relaxed in the sitting cross-legged position. Asana when intended as a dynamic set of movements between poses generally refers to the transfer of a student’s posture from one stage to another, or even to a completely different pose.

Basic categories of Asana are…

Seated (with twists)
Standing
Core
Backbends
Arm Balances
Foreword bends
Inversions
Restorative
Meditation
Pranayama
Mudra & Bandha

You will find there are many varieties and techniques of actual asana practice available and plenty of opinions about content, but most teachers start by having their students focus on structural alignment, methods of breathing during the practice, and increasing awareness.

Asana simultaneously produces both contraction and expansion, massaging the muscles, connective tissue and the skin, keeping them moist and elastic. Joints are moved through their complete range of motion safely, although some precautions and contra-indications may be given by a responsible Yoga teacher since not all body types have the same immediate capacity. Because correct alignment is emphasized, the stretching muscles will move along certain planes, increasing blood flow to specific areas without putting a strain on other body systems.

Asana has many proven health benefits and continued personal experience affirms the effectiveness of its practice, though the benefits will vary with the individual. Asana does not just affect skeletal muscles and their associated joints, it also has added value for the body’s circulatory, lymphatic and respiratory systems. Additionally, it is designed to produce health giving affects on connective tissue, the nervous system, and the various organs of the body.

*In summary: While asana practice is a set of postures designed to enhance health and harmonize us with our inner consciousness, according to Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, the original intent and purpose of asana is the attainment of a sustained and comfortable sitting posture to facilitate meditation. To achieve this asanas help in balancing and harmonizing the basic structure of the human body which is why, if performed regularly and consistently, they have a wide range of therapeutic benefits, both physical and mental.

Related article, click on: The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 2 – Niyama)

Check back soon for “The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Part 4 – Pranayama)”

Third Eye Meditation – Opening the 3rd Eye

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Can you imagine what your life would have been like if you had kept your eyelids shut since you were born? Your eyes would have worked perfectly but yet your sense of vision would have gone to waste. Similarly, not opening your 3rd eye is keeping you in the dark in relation to enjoying the wonders and wisdom of your sense of mystic or spiritual sight.

This can be likened to putting shutters on a window and keeping them closed. No light comes in and those on the inside can only imagine the marvels of all that exists outside of those shutters. Unfortunately, this really leaves us in the dark about what is real, who our true Self is and what life is really all about.

While attending a secret, esoteric school in Egypt, Pythagoras was given the following technique…

“ATTENTION BETWEEN EYEBROWS, LET MIND BE BEFORE THOUGHT. LET FORM FILL WITH BREATH ESSENCE TO THE TOP OF THE HEAD AND THERE SHOWER AS LIGHT.”

Pythagoras then traveled with this technique to Greece, and consequently he became the fountainhead, the primary source of all mysticism in the West. He is recognized by many to be the father of mysticism in the West.

Attention between the eyebrows – although relatively simple, this technique is very deep. When we try to mentally comprehend this, modern physiology and scientific research, points out that between the two eyebrows is a gland which is the most mysterious part of the body. This gland, the pineal gland, is the third eye of the Tibetans; Shivanetra (the eye of the Shiva), of tantra. Between the two eyes there exists a third eye, but it is impotent, non-functioning. It’s there, it has the ability to function any moment, but it does not normally function on its own. You need to do something about it, you have to open it. It’s not blind; it is simply closed.

Now, some notes on the technique used to open the third eye…

Close your eyes, (or keep them half-open/half-closed) and look upward – not forcibly crossing your eyes, but instead, converging them slightly. Then focus both of your eyes just in the middle of the two eyebrows. Focus attention just in the middle, as if you are looking with your two eyes. Give your total attention to it. This is actually one of the simplest methods of being attentive. You cannot be attentive to any other part of the body quite as easily. This pineal gland absorbs attention like a sponge. If you give attention to it, both your eyes become mesmerized with the third eye. They become transfixed; they cannot move. The third eye catches attention; it’s like a magnet for attention. Traditions all over the world have used this method. It is simple because with a little effort in trying to be attentive, the pineal gland itself helps you; it is magnetic. Your attention is brought to it and then that attention is absorbed.

It is said in the ancient tantric scriptures that attention is food for the third eye. It is hungry; it has been hungry for your whole life. And once you pay attention to it, it becomes awake. It becomes alive! The food is given to it in the form of attention. And once you know that attention is food, attracted by the gland itself – then it is not a difficult thing. One has only to know the right point. The important thing is to bring your attention to that area. Don’t try forcibly to bring your eyes to a focus, but gaze mentally towards that point, and let the spiritual eye draw you into itself. Remember at all times keep your eyes relaxed and your brow smooth. When it becomes difficult to move them, then know you have found the right point.

Being focused on the third eye, suddenly you become a witness. Through the third eye you become the witness and you can see thoughts running through the mind like clouds in the sky or people passing on the street. While focused in the third eye, suddenly you can observe the very essence of breath, not just the breath, but the very essence of breath, which is prana.

Pythagoras’ sutra says, “Let form fill with breath essence to the top of the head…” And when you come to feel the “essence” of breathing (prana), just imagine that your head is filled with it, simply imagine that. No need for any effort. When you are focused on the third eye center and then imagine it filling all the space in your head, the “shower of light” happens, then and there – a shower of light falling down from the top of your head. This shower can recreate you; it can give you a new birth.

This 3^rd eye meditation technique has the potential to throw the shutters wide open, as well as provide you with wings to transport you to the infinite, eternal, universal divine reality that is your inherent birthright.

The Importance of the Feet & Pada Bandha in Yoga

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Acquainting yourself with the essential workings of your feet and the pivotal role they play in yoga is literally the foundation of productive and genuine practice. It’s the first step in attaining proper balance and body alignment.

Since antiquity devotees have considered it a privilege to touch or kiss the feet of their beloved masters and treat it as an act of reverence. Accordingly, the very first phase of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga’s invocation is, “vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde sandarśita svātma sukhāva bodhe” (Praise and adorations to the lotus feet of the Gurus, for they reveal the happiness of the true Self), acknowledging that the true yoga teachings to have “walked” down through time on the feet of the adepts.

This honoring symbolically represents the importance of the feet as the very foundation of the “temple of the body”. Since the foundation of a temple must be strong and level to support the entire structure, the feet must also be sturdy to support and balance the legs, spine, arms, and head. If our feet are tilted (turning inward or outward) or our arches are collapsed, that will be telegraphed up through the entire body producing misalignment. Ida Rolf, the world renowned body worker and the founder of “Structural Integration” (Rolfing), often pointed out, “A man’s tracks tell quite a true story. They inform quietly about ankles and knees, but they shout the news about hips and pelvis. If one foot is consistently everted (tilted onto its inner or outer edge), the ankles, the knees, and more likely, the entire pelvic basin is rotated.”

But our bodies are not static like temples, we move around, so our feet are required to be flexible and adaptable to various terrains. Simultaneously, they must be firm stabilizers. When the foot is collapsed or distorted, the resulting strain travels up into the hips and lower back, and a strong, adverse pull or twist may develop, either from side to side or back to front.

The best way to tell if your feet are everted is to look at the soles of your shoes. Do the heels wear down unevenly? If there is excessive wear on one side, the foot is shifted off its central axis, resulting in undue strain on the knees, hips, and/or lower back.

Now on to Pada Bandha…

In Sanskrit Pada is translated as feet, and Bandha as lock, and/or a “harness” that can be used to draw energy upward. Pada bandha is a group of muscles in the feet that, when engaged, cause energy (prana) to spread out. They can be compared to valves; when a valve is open, then fluid can move through it to be distributed beyond the feet into other areas of the body, but if the valve is closed, then fluid cannot move into any area beyond the valve. Engaging the Pada Bandha is like opening tiny valves in the feet for energy to move more efficiently.

Pada Bandha is engaged through lifting up the arches of the feet…Stand with your feet together. Lift your toes and gently spread them apart. While keeping the toes lifted, feel the inner edges of the balls of your feet and focus on pressing that point firmly into the mat. It’s quite useful to play around a bit with lifting and lowering the toes giving you a better feel for how the ankles and inner ankles lift up. This awakens Pada Bandha. At first it will be challenging to keep Pada Bandha engaged when you lower your toes to the floor, but with enough practice you’ll perfect it.

Generally speaking, once you cultivate mobility and support in your feet (in other words, once Pada Bandha is actively engaged), you can sustain the same lifting action to pull life force in through the feet. Without Pada Bandha, the thighs, hips, and low back lose their intelligence and they need that intelligence to stay sufficiently active.

As an activated Pada Bandha supports proper elevation in the ankles, knees, and inner groin area, it also supports the lift and firming of the pelvic floor (aka, Mula Bandha). Even though the first primary chakra (located at the perineum in the pelvic floor), is traditionally called the Root (Muladhara) Chakra, our feet provide even broader stabilizing root support for the upward moving calves and thighs of our legs. From this point of view, we have two root supports, located in the center of both feet, like a healthy tree in which the root system divides as it descends.

In addition to our formal yoga practice, we can take many simple steps to improve both the flexibility and strength of our feet. When at home, walk barefoot whenever possible. Leaving our shoes at the door not only helps to maintain a clean house, we will likely develop a greater feel for the textures and surfaces beneath our feet giving us a feeling of being grounded and “in touch” with oue surroundings. Being barefoot at home also gives us the opportunity to incorporate all sorts of “foot yoga” into our daily routines. We can even practice lifting our arches and spreading our toes in the kitchen while doing the dishes or tending to things cooking on the stove.

Additional note from Rae: It is highly recommended you get a pair of “Gel Flex Toe Stretchers”. Simply slide the soft, flexible polymer gel toe stretchers between your toes and feel the circulation and elasticity in your foot muscles and ligaments increase. Best bargain is probably on Amazon.

Non-GMOs after Prop 37 (Video)

You and your family may be on the wrong side of a bet – there are those who are working hard to see that the odds are not in your favor!

When the United States government ignored the repeated warnings of scientists (even its own) and allowed untested GM (genetically modified) crops into our environment and our food supply, it was a gamble of unprecedented proportions. The health and wellness of all living beings and future generations were (and now are) put at risk by a technology still in its infancy.

After over two decades, both physicians and scientists have uncovered a gloom trend. The same serious health problems found in lab animals, livestock, and pets that have been fed GM foods are now on the rise in the US population. And ironically, when people and animals stop eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), their health improves.

Watch the following video where TV News reporter Anita Lopez spoke with longtime non-GMO advocate Jeffrey M. Smith, who sees the possibility of a silver lining in Prop 37’s shocking failure at the polls. Smith is author of “Seeds of Deception” and “Genetic Roulette”, books that examine the dangers of GMOs.

Also, check out: NonGMOShoppingGuide.com

The Basics of Cleansing & Detoxification

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As a follow-up to the last blog post “Are You Addicted to Food?” this article will focus on detoxification as a means to break that vicious cycle and embark on the path to optimal health and wellness. Note: In the following text the words detoxification (or detox) and cleansing are interchangeable.

Cleansing is like a knife that cuts away much superficiality, getting right to the heart of the matter. Effectively, any good detox program will work on deeper levels than most of us realize because they are able to break up our daily patterns; those patterns upon which we have become so dependent (our comfort zones). When those patterns of pleasure or selfish indulgence are disrupted, we are left with our own internal resources. If those resources are bankrupt during a cleanse you will come face to face with a vacuum that only your inner self (or Divine Providence) can fill.

Any of these detox programs will shake up the physical body, and we may be appalled at how much the body will squirm and resist. But it is high time that the body be put in perspective with the role of our own inner (spiritual/essential) self. Cleansing dethrones and places the body under the jurisdiction of our will. It is this creativity of a freed will which lifts us above our animal instincts and releases us from the cages of our monotonous and empty routines.

In addition to eliminating toxins from the body, cleansing accomplishes two purposes that many are unaware of. First, it will reveal how much the physical appetites have taken control of our emotions. And secondly, it will serve in breaking the body’s habitual cravings and the power they hold upon the will.

You may be surprised at how much your body can detoxify itself in only 24 hours, and a longer cleanse (of three days or more) will invariably bring to the surface deep seated fears which affect thinking and decision-making. It does this by challenging that complex human instinct called self-preservation. This instinct has been created in every living thing on earth, including us. But, we are able to choose to “recreate” ourselves, building a new life which will not be controlled by old habits and base instincts. Because of our ability to make these life changing choices, we will have the power to recreate ourselves into a radiant being of a higher and grander design than that of our former life.

Cleansing compels us to face the chaos of addictions, compulsive behaviors, depression and internal pain. It’s like pressing the pause button of life, and quietly observing how crazy and detached we have become to who we really are.

So, more than help us to detox our bodies and lose those extra pounds, a good cleansing also clears our mind, purifies our soul and frees our spirit for a better reception of the healthy, spiritual life intended for us. This blessing is our birthright and all we have to do is remove the obstacles we have placed in our own way.

*In conclusion: There are a lot of analogies that could be drawn in regard to cleansing and spirituality. We prune our trees, weed our gardens, separate the wheat from the chaff, etc., etc. Its human nature to think of getting “there” because we are “here” and “here” is not as good as “there”. So if we are overweight, we want to be slim. If we are profane, we want to be divine. We want an instant cure, an instant shapely body, an instant awakening. But, ask yourself, what about the enjoying the trip, what about rejoicing in the process? This is what cleansing AND spirituality both have in common.

Mother Nature and Divine Grace give us opportunity to learn from the simplest things. Take an apple tree for example, it lies barren for the winter, leaves and flowers appear in the spring, the flowers develop small fruits which grow until they’ve reached their optimal size…then they RIPEN! How cool is that?

Are we satisfied being mere trees? When cleansing our bodies we begin to flower; literally, we begin to give off a fragrance, a beauty, a radiant quality, and then if we continue to heal and nourish ourselves the way nature intended…we too will RIPEN! When fully ripe we are truly receiving our Creator’s blessing and then we become a blessing to others.

In summary, cleanse to heal, heal to nourish, nourish to grow, grow to ripen, ripen to receive our inherent blessing and then become an instrument of that blessing to help others. This is a way I see it possible to save ourselves, and in turn to save the world.

Are You “Sold” on Organics?

Make sure you’re not being “sold-out”!

If you are currently one of the growing numbers of those who go to great extremes in order to insure they’re eating healthy, organic food as much as possible (and practical) – BEWARE! You need to read the following report from Carolanne Wright (NaturalNews)…

Click on: The big sellout — Majority of organic companies owned by mega corporations

Greed and profits have now taken over much of the organic food production industry, with “Big Organic” joining “Big Ag” and “Big Pharma” as they compete for your dollars, rather than helping you find foods that insure optimal health and wellness.

The following quote is just one example of the deception that seems to be everywhere you look for some unadulterated, natural or healthy food:

”…as I was running late for a meeting I tried to find just one prepared food item that I would choose to eat from the hot food bar at Whole Foods Market last night. Everything offered was either dead animals, which are very un-hygienic to eat and a spiritually costly choice (Ahimsa), or GMO-laden dishes full of tofu (not organic) and other sordid attempts at pretend healthiness, much of which was smothered in dairy.”

I think we all were delighted to see healthy foods becoming more popular, but now it is becoming just another marketing ploy. If you want to eat energizing, life-giving foods you really need to research what you eat, and this goes way beyond reading labels; you need to know where your food comes from and, if possible, who grew it and under what conditions was it grown. If you don’t hold yourself accountable for truly understanding what you are actually putting your body, don’t expect anyone else to do it for you, your government certainly won’t do it, corporate farms and the biotech industries won’t do it; they actually want you to remain in the dark so that they won’t be threatened by you making intelligent, informed and responsible choices. You need to make up your mind; your body can a temple or a prison, and the biggest deciding factor? It’s Your daily choices.

Support your local and family farms; get to know the people you buy your food from. By supporting them, you will help them to resist the need to sell out to the corporate consolidations that are trying to drive them to bankruptcy.

We have to remain diligent and keep the demand for healthy foods increasing. On Jan. 21, 2010 a US Supreme Court decision overturned the legislative ban on corporate campaign financing. Government watchdogs allege that opening the floodgates to corporate dollars means that industry giants now have carte blanche to bankroll politicians who side with big ag and other corporate entities.

Where do we as consumers get to cast our vote? At the supermarket, the roadside stand and the family farm.

Moksha!!! Liberate yourself through education!