In today’s guest post, Richard, who is a meditation teacher and author, shares his insights about Kundalini Awakening and Energizing Chakra Centers with us.  Richard is a meditation teacher and author, and you will find more information on the courses he offers on his website Shaktipat-meditation.org.

If you would like to be a guest author on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com.

Awakening Kundalini Energy

By

Richard Crown

The Sacred Sound comes, vibrating red Mooladhara chakra (base or root). It spins and expands ecstatically. Kundalini energy, liquid and golden, pours into the spinning, vibrating vortex.

The lovely Kundalini mixes with the bright red chakra energy already present. Cool Earthly energy is drawn up from below by the increased spinning and vibrations caused by chanting the Sacred Sound, bringing unlimited power. All the energies join together in blissful, empowering union.

The Sacred Sound comes again. And again. And again…

Each time the sound comes, the energies become more powerful, growing, cleansing and expanding the chakra.

“Om Kundalini, Kundalini, Kundalini…”

The chant changes. The now golden chakra, packed full, expanded to its limit, clean and happy, begins to settle and cool –becoming stable but energized. Oh, so energized.

The Sacred Sound for Swadishtana chakra begins. As the chakra starts vibrating, lovely liquid gold Kundalini pours into it, mixing with the orange already there and with the strong Earth power coming up from below.

When the chakra is full, happy and stabilized by chanting Om Kundallini, the whole process moves up to yellow Manipura chakra above the navel. Then up to green Anahata at the heart. Then blue Vishuddi at the base of the throat and on to indigo Ajneya, the Third Eye.

Finally, it breaks the seals in violet Sahasrara, the crown chakra in the center of the skull’s top. An ecstatic burst of golden energy appears, formed by the energies from below meeting the Celestial, or Heavenly, power coming down from above.

Liquid gold flows down over the body, covering the skin with a protective, empowering layer. Golden mist fills the entire aura, cleansing, strengthening and granting it the power to dissolve incoming negative energies.

Tears of joy run down her face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

Her gratitude is for the life force filling every fiber of her being. Before, she was only half alive –or half dead. Now she feels complete. Completely normal for the very first time in her life. Super energized, but completely normal.

Different Kundalini Experiences

Other people laugh uncontrollably, have highly Spiritual visions, reunite with lost loved ones, go into muscle spasms or are rendered silent. Everyone reacts differently to a Kundalini Awakening.

A few are incapable of experiencing anything at all. They desperately want the experience, search for it, will pay anything to get it, but can’t have it. They go from teacher to teacher, blaming the teachers, searching, searching, always searching.

Sadly, their systems are still too blocked with cravings, suppressed emotions, concepts and karma. They’re not ready yet. They need more basic Spiritual healing work on themselves before being able to move up.

The Kundalini Energy Path

After the initial Kundalini awakening, the necessity of a personal, daily practice to maintain the beautiful experience appears. No practice and, sadly, the lovely experience soon fades into being just a lovely memory.

With regular practice, the entire energy system grows and expands. Psychic abilities begin to come and grow. Deeper and deeper states of meditation appear effortlessly. The life purpose becomes clear.

And the issues begin rearing their ugly heads to be healed. The increased light pouring in exposes the inner demons present in all of us. They are concepts, beliefs, suppressed emotions, chronic habit and behavior patterns, past life karmas, cravings, etc. They must all be healed as they arise.

Changes come in outer life as well. Careers, partners and homes all may change. Anything that’s not in accord with your Spiritual path to Enlightenment will go. Because that’s where dedicated Kundalini practice takes you. All the way to Realization.

If these changes are embraced with gratitude and understanding, they can be joyful and empowering. If they are resisted by trying to hang on to the old lifestyle while moving forward into the light, life can become quite painful.

The Right Teacher is Necessary

This is where the continued guidance and support of a self Realized teacher becomes invaluable. She will be kind, compassionate, supportive and available for you whenever the releasing issues become overwhelming.

She will know how to identify and heal each different situation because she’s already been through it herself and has guided other students. She’ll smooth and accelerate your healing process and your growth.

Kundalini Awakening is only the beautiful beginning of the Kundalini experience. Dedicated practice inevitably brings far greater rewards. As the Kundalini expands and grows your chakras, your consciousness grows and expands until you realize that you are an Enlightened, eternal being of pure light.

Shaman Remedia and Richard Crown have been doing energy work together for fifteen years. They awaken Kundalini for others using Shaktipat and Sacred Sounds via Skype at shaktipat-meditation.org/kundalini.  They also provide ongoing support and live, personal guided meditations one on one via Skype.

You can try Shaktipat and a guided meditation free and download free Ebooks by taking a 7 day free trial.

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Related posts:

1. Jiddu Krishnamurti Ponders His Enlightenment & Kundalini Awakening
2. Awakening of Kundalini | 4 Powerful Meditations
3. Kundalini Awakening Raja Yoga Set: Free Book of Kundalini Yoga Poses & Kriyas
4. Kundalini Awakening Symptoms
5. Om Mantra and Om Chanting

If you would like to be a guest author on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com.

Meditation Helps Children with ADD

Frustrated parents and educators have long sought alternatives to medication when helping children deal with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Who knew that ancient Buddhists have long held a valuable tool in reaching that goal? Only recently are we realizing the tremendous benefits that Meditation can bring as a very viable course of action in aiding the over 5.2 million children diagnosed in America with ADD or ADHD, according to the Center for Disease Control. The art of Mindfulness, or focusing the thoughts, has been a practiced meditation technique for thousands of years. Scientists and medical professionals are now discovering that meditation can be a huge factor in teaching ADD/ADHD children to increase focus, improve overall memory, reduce anxiety levels and calm a hyperactive mind and body.

“One recent study found evidence that the daily practice of meditation thickened the parts of the brain’s cerebral cortex responsible for decision making, attention and memory”, claims a study from Mass General Hospital.  According to a study published in Time Magazine, scientists discovered that those who meditated just 40 few minutes a day reaped huge benefits for many aspects of the brain development. 

Teaching children how to meditate in school can increase student’s ability to successfully perform as it heightens awareness and increases attention sustainability. Additionally, schools specializing in educating learning disabled students are incorporating meditation into their school-wide curriculum and noticing a huge increase in the ability of ADHD students to perform.

Teaching a child to meditate at home, when ADD/ADHD children are now able to ‘let off the steam’ built up in trying to focus at school, gives kids an additional outlet to take a few moments of calm and center themselves to handle homework or retain calm for their other activities after school.  Parents have reported happier homes once they incorporated daily meditation into their routines.

Sara, a mother of 4, reported that her son Gabe has been dealing with ADHD since the age of 5.  His hyperactivity really reduced the amount of play dates he was offered as he was not able to understand boundaries and he often overwhelmed the other children in school.  When Sara first discovered Meditation for her herself, she realized the soothing affect it had on her entire day.  She decided to teach Gabe some of the techniques she had learned during her sessions.  Within days, she realized that Gabe was generally less anxious and overall easier to handle at home.  Three years later, daily meditations have taught Gabe to focus and calm the mind and better hyperactivity management.  Meditation has been a life-changer for their family and Gabe’s functioning both in school and at home.

Meditation practice teaches children how to learn to control their thoughts and in turn their reactions, to outside distractions. One of the main components that ADD/ADHD children struggle with is the inability to control themselves, their thoughts and their reaction to stimuli. Through practice of Meditation children can learn to calm the mind, focus on the purpose of restructuring the thoughts back to the deliberate and intentional spot or focal point. Meditation can also provide a much needed break in routine that allows children dealing with attention disorders to come back and refocus on the task refreshed and renewed.

Parents, educators and Medical Professionals have been looking to incorporate alternative methods for years. Meditation practice is a proven effective, healthy and holistic way to improve the overall anxiety levels, focus levels and functioning levels of the over 8.4 % of children dealing with ADD/ADHD all over the country.

For more information on Meditation Benefits and how to meditate please visit www.blisslotus.com.

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What makes life a joy for some, while a sad and frustration filled journey for others?  It is karma?  It is luck?  Is it disposition?  Is it fate?  I don’t think so.  I think you are supposed to be happy.  You are supposed to be full of joy and wonder, yet somehow, somewhere on this journey, things got out of control and you spiraled into the tedium of everyday life and found your life filled with conflict, suffering and the never ending pursuit of happiness. 

How do you get out of this rut now?  How do you find your way back to joy and peace?  Here are 5 tips which I think you will find useful on the journey to reclaim your birthright – fundamental happiness.

1. Understand the Problem:

The first thing you need to do is understand the root cause of your angst.  Why are you so restless and discontented?  Why is your default state not happiness?  To understand this, inspect this very moment of your life and study the situation honestly and openly.  The root cause you will discover is time. 

You think in terms of time and time brings in the issue of “becoming” into your psyche.  To put in another way, you are unhappy and bored with your life, because you have believed in an ideal or goal, which you think will make you happy when you will achieve it.  This thirst for the ideal – seeking, destroys the beauty of your life just the way it is in the here and now.  It kills the wonder of the moment and ordinary life.

So drop all your ideals and just attend to your life just the way it is.  This is the pathway to joy.

2. Live Your Passion:

As I explained in the article, Stop the Madness of Self-Discipline, one of the most important things to do in order to live a happy life, is to discover and live your passion.  If you can do this, you will be free from the clutches of society, for you will be doing what you love to do without a care in the world.

You will not be result oriented, as the doing itself will be the reward, and you will have something that no one can take away from you, as it is something that comes from within.

This is also one of the most important lessons for parents to learn.  One of your biggest responsibilities is to help the child discover what it is that he or she loves to do and then help them to do that without concern for survival or success.  Living your passion is one of the most essential aspects for living a happy and meaningful life.

3. Have Trust:

Our faith and trust in life is constantly challenged and over time eroded by all the endless failures and problems we are forced to endure.  This loss of trust then leads to a life filled with worry and anxiety.  We become obsessed with self-security and become completely immersed in our pursuit of happiness.  So instead of living in trust and going with the flow, we become machines of fear and worry and have no peace within.

This peace and ability to live spontaneously comes with just being able to trust.  Not trust someone or some belief, but simply just having trust in life.  This then translates into being carefree and not carrying the burden of self-interest, which bring with it great freedom and joy.

4. End Isolation and Endless Self-Interest:

All of our endless thinking about ourselves and endless selfish activity isolates us more and more from the whole.  It keeps on putting more and more walls around ourselves and eventually we find ourselves utterly alone and lonely, cut-off from the world, miserable and unhappy.  So you need to change this approach if you indeed what to live a happy life.  You have to simply drop endless self-interest and instead live in a connected way.

Connect with all aspects of life, be a part of the great play of life, connect with nature and others, connect with awareness and intelligence, this will bring you to happiness.  Thinking about yourself, isolates you more and more, so just stop doing that.

5. Mediate:

All of the above tips I have given for being happy, are really a part of meditation.  It is living a mediate life.  Mediation is the process which starts in time and then transcends it.  So if you really want to be happy, want to be at peace, meditation is the way.

If you are new to mediation you can sign up for the free online learn meditation classes that are offered here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  If you are looking to deepen your practice, you can try the free online advanced meditation program.

If you have more tips for being happy that have worked for you, please do share them with us in the comments section below.  Also, if you like this or any other article on the website, please share with your friends and family or Facebook, Twitter, etc.   I appreciate your support.

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These simple quotes are great pointers of the deeper Truths of life and enlightened living and can inspire one to live at a higher level.  So, below are 4 such sayings which I thought would be worth sharing with you on the blog as well.  I am sure you will find them uplifting as have others.

If you have quotes that you find specially uplifting and insightful please do share them with us in the comments section below.  Also, feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback, we would love to hear what you think of these sayings.

Be The Lion

Spirituality is rebellion; religiousness is orthodoxy. Spirituality is individuality; religiousness is just remaining part of the crowd psychology.   Religiousness keeps you a sheep, and spirituality is a lion’s roar. – OSHO -

 

 

Insight

 Jesus said: the mote that is in thy brother’s eye thou seest, but the beam that is in thine eye thou seest not.

 

 

The Down Ward Dog Pose :))

The True Person is detached and humble and to the world appears confusing. The people all strain their eyes and ears,yet the True Person remains childlike. – LAU TZU -

 

 

Sleep - Samadhi

Patanjali says sleep is just next to samadhi. A good sleep, a deep sleep, and samadhi, are different only in one sense: samadhi has awareness, sleep has no awareness. – OSHO

 

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If you are new to yoga and looking for good exercises and poses in order to start your practice, I certainly recommend the poses detailed in the following article – Basic Yoga Poses for Beginners.  One of the great things about yoga is the wide range of exercises and positions that it offers, so in addition to the poses given in that article, there are many other great beginner’s yoga exercises as well and in this guide I am going to detail one of my favorite for you.

This particular exercise is called Yoga Rowing and it is part of another great beginner’s yoga set called the Morning Wake-Up Series | Yoga Poses for Beginners.  In fact it is the first exercise of that set and it is very often the first exercise I begin my yoga routine with as well.

One of the great things about this exercise is that it is an easy motion which can be done by yogis of all levels and of all ages.  In addition, this exercise is wonderful to warm-up with and it has the dual advantage of being a strengthening and stretching exercise.  If you are a beginner or out of shape and looking to get back into fitness then Yoga Rowing is a perfect place to start.

As with all yoga exercises, breathing is a key component of this movement as well so be sure to pay special attention to that aspect.  Also, as you might be doing this exercise first, be sure to start off gently and them extend the range of the movement as you feel you muscles starting to warm-up.

More Yoga Exercises and Poses:

In addition to the 2 beginner yoga sets I pointed out above, you will also will find plenty of yoga poses and exercises in the following 2 free online galleries. There you will find both, starter yoga exercises and poses, as well as more advanced one. Free Hatha Yoga Galleries and Free Kundalini Yoga Exercises.

For Yoga and Meditation Certification Program Students:

For teachers graduating from the Online Yoga Teacher’s Training and Certification Program or Online Meditation Certification Program, Yoga Rowing is a great exercise to do early in your class and my students have always loved this exercise.  Also, as this is a relatively easy movement to do, all students are generally able to participate. I use it in both my yoga classes and meditation classes as it really is a great way to get a stretch and get the energy moving.

Yoga Exercise for Beginners | Yoga Rowing

Below please find details of how to practice Beginner’s Yoga Rowing, along with illustrations, step-by-step instructions, benefits and practice tips.

Yoga Rowing Illustrations

B. How Long To Do This For:

• Beginners might not be able to do more than 15 or 30 seconds and that is perfectly ok.  Just take a break and start again.  Try to build up to 1 minute and from there build up to 3 minutes.  If you really love this exercise, feel free to keep going for even longer.  There are no bad affects and it will just make you stronger and fitter :-).
  

C. Beginner Yoga Rowing Benefits:

• Good for stretching the hamstrings and calves.
• Builds core strength and helps tone and firm the stomach.
• Develops your shoulders and strengthens the deltoid muscle group.
• Helps stretch the lower back.
• Opens up the solar plexus and frees the body.
• Improves respiration and gets the energy going.

D. Practice Tips for Beginners:

• Often some parts of your body are not as strong as others, so if you find your shoulders tiring before your abs, you can lower your arms, while continuing to do the exercise.  If the abs are tiring you can limit the motion and continue on.
  
• Once you finish the exercise a great addition is to reach forward and grab your toes while keeping your knees straight.  If you can’t reach your toes, grab your legs as far down as you can.  Then inhale completely, hold your breath and apply root lock.  Then exhale and inhale again and apply root lock.  Do this 3 times.  It is a great finish to this wonderful exercise.
  
• Don’t forget to do the breathing along with the motion.

PS: If you enjoy this exercise or any other exercise on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share them with your friends. I appreciate your support.

Connect w/ Anmol

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2. Yoga Positions for Beginners | Basic Yoga Poses
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Thanks to all of you who have liked my fan page on Facebook.  Yesterday it crossed 1,000 likes, and I am very grateful to all of you for stopping by and supporting the page.  If you have not done so yet and would like to check out the page, you can do so here – Mastery of Meditation and Yoga Fan Page.

Yesterday, we ran an interesting survey on the page, where we asked everyone the question, “What is the Best Advice You Have Ever Got?”  We got some great responses which I thought would be beneficial to share with all of you as well.

This is the first time I am sharing directly from the fan page so if you receive my articles directly in you email, please note that this article might not render correctly as it contains Facebook code.  If that is the case, please visit the website directly in order to read the article.  Here is the link to my blog page, where you will find all my newest articles, Mastery of Meditation and Yoga Blog Page.

For my part, the best advice I ever got was the teaching from J. Krishnamurti which instructed that one should not settle for anything but the Highest in life.  This simple piece of advice has been instrumental in inspiring me on my own journey and has always reminded me not to settle for anything less that the Ultimate Truth itself.

This advice is analogous to the following wonderful Buddha quote, “There are only 2 mistakes you can make in life.  First mistake is not to take the first step and the second is that having taken the first step to not go all the way.”  Here again the advice is to reach for the very highest in life.  Reach for enlightenment.

Below there are other great pieces of advice from various friends. Some that stand out to me are the following…

Miz Bell advises, “Live like you are dying.”

Diana Hernandez advises “Never stop being you.”

Terry Lee Lawrence advises, “The body is a vehicle, the mind is the motor but it is the soul that is the driver!”

Thomas Martin advises, “Do not delay your spiritual practice. Start today.”

Best advice you ever got responses:

PS: The buttons will not work directly from this page, in order to participate please visit my Fan page below.

Best Advice You Ever Got Summary

The above thread is still very much alive and active, so if you would like to contribute, please head on over to the Mastery of Meditation and Yoga Fan Page and chime in.  Of course, the comments section of this blog is always to open to you as well, so if you have received some advice which has helped you in your life, do share that with us.  Such pearls of wisdom are often the catalysts for great transformations, and by sharing them you could be the source of that catalyst for another.

Connect w/ Anmol

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2. Survey Results – Are We Entering the Age of Enlightenment?
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One of the most profound meditations is the chanting of the OM mantra.  There are many meditation techniques that use the OM mantra, and in today’s article you will find an excellent variation below. This technique has been wonderfully explained by Richard, and this is his first guest post on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  Richard is a meditation teacher and author, and you will find more information on the courses he offers on his website Shaktipat-meditation.org.

If you would like to be a guest author on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com.

Chanting Sacred Om

By

Richard Crown

Om is the most sacred sound in our Universe. It represents the basic Shakti energy field that forms the substratum of all existence. The goal of chanting Om is to realize Shakti and become Shakti. While reaching this goal, you can enjoy excellent health and many other benefits by simply chanting Ommmmm……

I learned this exercise from a vibrantly healthy Chinese man who had long white hair tied back in a ponytail. I met him on the street in front of a Taoist Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He told me, “When I was a young man, I took a long journey up into the Himalayas on a Spiritual quest. The only thing I learned was how to chant Om. I’ve never had a sick day since then”.

3 Phases of Om

The Shakti energy field is composed of the smallest energy particles in existence. This particle field underlies everything in our universe. The particles flash out of, and disappear back into, emptiness so fast that their life span cannot be measured. All phenomenon in our universe is created from Shakti particles, sustained in Shakti and disintegrates back into Shakti.

The sacred sound of Om encompasses all three phases of energy:

1. Creating (Brahma)
2. Sustaining (Vishnu)
3. Disintegrating (Shiva)

When you chant Om as described in the exercise below you are:

1. Creating new energy to rebuild yourself on all levels.
2. Sustaining your presence in the universe.
3. Disintegrating away old, unneeded, stale energies, leaving you clean and refreshed.

Chanting Om With Beads

Chanting with beads is the traditional method of measuring both time and number of repetitions while chanting. If you don’t have beads, set the alarm on your cell phone for 10-15 minutes.

Buddhist beads are the most common. There 108 beads on the string –one bead for each of the Buddha’s 108 disciples. You could also use Muslim beads with 99 beads or a Christian Rosary.

Hold the beads loosely in your hand draped over your index finger. Every time you chant Om once, use your thumb to move one bead.  There is usually one slightly larger bead, or a piece of string, to mark the beginning and ending point. Once around the string of beads is one mala.

Pronunciation & Vibration of Om

1. O –long O sound, short duration.
2. m –short m sound, very long duration.

 The long O sound lasts for a very short period of time with your mouth open.

The short mmmmmm…… sound lasts very long with your mouth closed. (It continues as long as you are breathing out.) Send the sound vibrations up your nasal passages with your exhaling breath to vibrate the bone in your nose.

Ommmmm……. While vibrating your nasal bone.

The vibration of your nasal bone is THE most important part of this exercise. No benefit accrues without this vibration. The vibrating nose bone is the magical tool that sends waves of Om energy throughout your entire system.

An Om Exercise

1. Chant the sacred Om sound aloud for one mala. This vibrates all your cells, detoxifying and recharging them.
2. Chant Om in a whisper for one mala. This cleanses your emotions.
3. Chant Om silently for one mala. Continue chanting in time with your breath, sending the silent sound into your nasal bone. This vibrates your etheric energy body. Ultimately you will see the Shakti particle field.

Chanting Om purifies you on all levels. It dissolves away the obstructions that are preventing you from experiencing reality and gaining Enlightenment.

Richard Crown left his native California for Asia more than thirty years ago. He began meditating with the Forest Monks of Northern Thailand before moving on to South India where he has received authorization to teach from two different SatGurus.

Richard now teaches meditation in centers throughout Southeast Asia and worldwide via Skype/Tel. His favorite teaching energies are Shaktipat, Kundalini and Deeksha because they take students very deep into meditation very fast. You can take a personal online course with Richard at Shaktipat-meditation.org.

Download 2 free Ebooks Creating Eternity: A Meditation and Healing Manual and Ascension In Love: Our Spiritual Journey at http://shaktipat-meditation.org/weekly-shaktipat-blessing/

Connect w/ Anmol

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For all the readers of Mastery of Meditation and Yoga that read my articles via RSS feed or directly from the website, please find below the 10 best yoga poses from last year.  This was the topic of my January 2012 – Edition 1 newsletter.  Edition 2 featured the 10 best meditation from last year.  If you would like to sign up for the newsletter simply enter you email at the top left corner of the website.

The next newsletter will feature the 10 best articles from 2011, so in case you missed any of them, you will have a chance to catch up :-).

Each title below is a link to the article with all the details including cautions, benefits, practice tips, etc.  So click that to get full details for that pose.

#2: CLICK FOR YOGA FOR BACK AND LUMBAR SPINE

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/10/13/yoga-for-lumbar-back-pain/

 

Given that almost 80% of adults in the US suffer from back problems at some point of their life, it is no surprise that coming in at #2 is Yoga Bridge Pose.

 

This video article teaches many variations of Bridge Pose.  Some of these variations are perfect for beginners, while others are for advanced practitioners.  The best part is that all of these pose variations are excellent for strengthening and toning the lower back and spine.

 

Here is a picture of Advanced Bridge Pose.  Check out the article for full details and modifications…

 

 

Advanced Bridge Pose Picture

 

#3: CLICK FOR YOGA FOR MALE SEXUAL FITNESS

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/11/15/yoga-exercise-to-enhance-virility-male-sexual-fitness/

 

2011 was the year of Free Yoga Videos.  I created videos of many of the best yoga poses and exercises to help you learn the techniques easily and as well as possible.

One of these videos, was for Chair Pose, which is designed for improving sexual virility and energy.  This pose is also great if you are looking to tone and strengthen your thighs and buttocks.

You will find the original article for Chair Pose here – Chair Pose for Sexual Health.  For this pose there are modifications for beginner’s as well, which you will also find in the video.

 

 

Kundalini Yoga Chair Pose

 

#4 CLICK FOR POWER YOGA ELBOW PLATFORM

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/11/29/power-yoga-video-online/

 

This is one of best power yoga poses and is great for those who are really looking to challenge themselves.

This pose works your upper and lower body simultaneously and is excellent for building grit and character.  Below is an advanced version of this difficult pose.  I suggest trying the basic version first, as that is quite difficult in and of itself.

You will find the original article, which is part of the Free Kundalini Yoga Exercises Collection, here – Tough Power Yoga Pose. 

 

 

Advanced Elbow Platform

 

#5 KUNDALINI AWAKENING SPINAL TWISTS

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/12/07/awakening-the-kundalini-with-yoga-twists/

 

For those aspirants interested in stimulating Kundalini Shakti at the base of the spine, this is an exercise worth exploring.  You should note that this exercise done with particular hand positions is best for kundalini awakening affects.  

Also this article not just contains a video demonstration of this movement, but has links to other important resources for those interested in awakening kundalini.

 

#6 CLICK FOR BEST CORE YOGA EXERCISE

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/04/13/core-yoga-pose/

 

If you have been a reader of my blog, then you know that core and ab work is something I always stress.  This not only helps tone and shape your stomach, it also helps you build character and willpower.

 

To work on the core there is of course the classic Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose and in 2011 I finally got a chance to create a video of this wonderful exercise, which you will find in this article.

 

 

Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose

 

#7: CLICK FOR THIGH AND BUTT YOGA WORKOUT

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/10/14/excellent-thigh-workout-from-yoga/

 

One of the great things about yoga sequences is that a single sequence can work on many different parts of the body.  I see these types of exercises now being done at the gym, but yoga has incorporated them for thousands of years already.

 

The sequence in this article, is great for healthy weight loss, toning your things and buttocks, building your cardiovascular system and improving your flexibility.  It is a one of the best combo exercises.  

 

#8: CLICK FOR YOGA FOR CLEARING ROOT CHAKRA

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/03/18/opening-and-healing-the-root-chakra-yoga-pose/

 

Another video from 2011 was for the yoga crow pose, which is excellent for cleansing the root chakra.

 

As all other videos, this one also teaches important modifications for this pose.

 

#9: CLICK FOR EASY YOGA TWISTS

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/10/31/easy-yoga-exercises/

 

A perfect exercise for starting your yoga session and warming up the entire torso and back are these easy spinal twists.  This exercise is recommended for daily practice by many schools of yoga and they are excellent for beginners, seniors and kids as well.

 

 

Easy Yoga Spinal Twists

 

#10: CLICK FOR YOGA FOR NECK PAIN

 

http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2011/04/01/neck-yoga-exercises/

 

This is a very nice set for stretching the neck in a safe and healthy way.  If you have tension, pain or stiffness in your neck, or are looking to warm-up prior to doing more advanced yoga asanas then this set is perfect for you.

 

The set is also good for those with thyroid issues or looking to work on the Throat Chakra.

 

 

 

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Related posts:

1. Basic Yoga Poses for Balance
2. Basic Yoga Poses for Weight Loss – Part 2
3. Best Yoga for Weight Loss – Complete with Illustrated Yoga Poses and Exercises
4. Yoga Positions for Beginners | Basic Yoga Poses
5. Top Yoga Poses with Pictures for Daily Practice

Kundalini Awakening Signs

To help people identify that what they were feeling and experiencing were actually signs of Kundalini Awakening and not symptoms of a mental or medical condition, I created a list of Kundalini Awakening Symptoms for them to use as a reference.  These symptoms were from my own experience with Kundalini Rising, and were certainly not comprehensive.

Kundalini is a very mysterious process and its awakening and rising tends to always have some unique and personal aspects.  Of course there are many common signs, but if you read the hundreds of comments in that article thread, you will notice there are various different ways that people experience kundalini.   These varied experiences then gives us more insight into the nature and secrets of kundalini and how she works.

One good thing though with regard to Kundalini Syndrome, which is what the experience of Kundalini Awakening is often referred to as, is that the approach to dealing with the challenges such awakening brings is usually common.  Of course there are cases on the extreme end of the spectrum, which need medical intervention and/or psychotherapy, but the vast majority of cases can be handled individually by following the advise laid out in the following 2 articles…

7 Effective Tips for Dealing with Kundalini Syndrome

Kundalini Shakti Help and Advise

So as I alluded to above, the list of kundalini symptoms I enumerated is not necessarily a complete list, and today I want to share with you Don’s kundalini experience, which has a detailed account of what he went through with regard to kundalini.

I find his account very useful as it adds to the list of signs of kundalini awakening and also provides valuable advise and help for others who might be struggling with kundalini syndrome.  I want to thank Don for sharing his experience with us and if you have yourself experienced kundalni rising please do share your experiences with us in the comments section below.  I am sure others will benefit from your insights as well.

Don’s Kundalni Experience and Symptom List:

When I started to experience, what I later found out after intensive soul searching and some online research, to be Kundalini symptoms, I was, to put it quite bluntly, terrified.  The height of their intensity was in November, October, and December of 2010.  I awoke suddenly in the middle of the night to some intensely pleasurable vibrations of a sexual nature, when my wife was sound asleep next to me.  Since I knew it wasn’t coming from either of us, I was disturbed, putting it mildly.  The next few months were followed by me not being able to sleep without the light on.  I felt very strong waves of unseen energy traveling from the soles of my feet toward my head. It was like being in a massage chair.  I had nightmares, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

I went through some nights or days when I was home alone with some intense kriyas.  That’s what terrified me more than anything at the time. I had no control of what was happening, and I didn’t yet understand why.  My spine felt like it was elongating. I would go through periods of spontaneous stretching.  I was also experiencing some painful aches in my left side, just under my ribcage, which my doctor had no medical explanation for, after she put her stethoscope to where the pain was.  That physical pain only lasted a few months,
 thankfully.  I went through some horrible neck and back pain for those few months, too.  At times, I couldn’t even stand up straight.

Here’s a list of other symptoms I was experiencing at the time:

1. Spontaneous popping sounds coming from my nose
.

2. Itchy crawly sensations on my left leg, between my eyebrows, cheeks, and my neck.


3. What felt like tremendous heat around my left leg and foot. I went through an agonizing forklift injury to my left foot in 2003 that was followed by a long bout of depression, over not being able to support my family the way I was used to, so that needed tremendous healing, and it has in more ways than one today. I didn’t lose my foot, but the crushing injury shattered several bones in my heel, severing my ligaments, and liquifying the soft tissues inside my foot. I shouldn’t be able to run on it today, but I can sprint today from home plate to first base. That shouldn’t be possible, considering the severity of the injury.


4. Intense ringing in my ears
.

5. Spontaneous emotional trauma and anxiety (sudden memories cropping up of past trauma of sex abuse my brother and I endured at a daycare in the early seventies)


6. Tachycardia (rapid heart rate of 100 beats a minute or more)
.

7. Severe headaches
.

8. Seeing black blobs of color with my eyes closed that were beyond dark (fears that needed to be released that manifested into dark entities that I could feel and sense)


9. Unexplained twitches unrelated to anything like Parkinson’s disease
.

10. Being jerked awake at times, almost like my arm was suddenly pulled out of socket.


11. Severe lack of sleep.


12. Considered checking into a mental hospital, and so glad I didn’t
.

13. Considered an exorcism.


14. Severe lack of concentration, like I couldn’t retain any new information.


15. What felt like electrical sparks around my head and in between my eyebrows.


16. Spontaneous orgasms that would go on for hours when I was alone with no stimulation or visual. (Reminded me of puberty, without a doubt, although I was now 40)


17. Nocturnal emissions (wet dreams).


18. Spontaneous yoga positions, although I’d never taken yoga (something I also experienced often around the age of 10-15).

The list goes on, believe me, but these were the most intense.

Then, an amazing thing happened at about 3 in the morning. I had been lying in bed terrified, when I was suddenly out of my body up near the ceiling in the corner of my bedroom. I looked down to see an intensely beautiful being rubbing my forehead, comforting me. I saw what I can only describe as her wings, stretched down past my toes. My entire bedroom was lit up in the most amazing blue light I can even imagine. In an instant, I was next to my kids’ room, where the light was a beautiful shade of orange. Then, I was in the living room, gazing down at my daughter as she was bathed by a brilliant white light, where she had fallen asleep. Then, I ended up in the kitchen to see an amazing shade of green throughout that space. Before I knew it, I was back in my body.

From that moment on, I have been in awe. I released my fears. I truly did experience a “dark night of the soul.”  If you’re going through anything like that, and you’re scared, just release your fear. Fill your heart and thoughts with love.  Love vibrates at a very high frequency. 

In the coming months, I started to sleep soundly all night long. I started to see auras with the naked eye, as I do today quite clearly. My aura is the most amazing neon green I can imagine, and lately I’ve been seeing my aura turn more blue, and it’s getting stronger and bigger all the time. I’m in school right now, working on medical assisting classes, and I plan on using that as a stepping stone to move into nursing.

There is a spiritual awakening going on. I can feel it every moment.  Trust your heart.  Trust your intuition. Love yourself as you deserve to be loved, so that you can share that with others.

Lately, I’ve been able to see brilliant shades of purple, blue, and green with my eyes closed, and especially during and shortly after meditation.  I see these with the naked eye just as easily.  The universe all around us is teeming with life.  I trust in that with every ounce of my intuition. It’s something that I’ve always had a gut feeling about. It’s nice to know it’s true.

Namaste and God bless you always! – Don Winslow

Kundalini Experience Signs and Symptoms Summary:

Don’s experience is that of a full blown kundalini awakening.   If you are experiencing kundalini activating, you may also be experiencing some of these symptoms.

What I want to especially highlight here is the importance of Trust.  If you are going through something like this, you have to simply trust the process.  This will help reduce the anxiety, stress and fear that accompanies such a process, which will also help reduce some of the symptoms that are actually not related to kundalini rising, but related to stress and anxiety.  I know this can be very hard to do, but the more you can trust kundalini, the better you will be able to handle her.

Some of the interesting symptoms that Don experienced that are often reported are those of spontaneous yoga poses, itchy creepy crawly, intense pressure in the forehead and spontaneously organisms.  If you are also experiencing any symptoms of kundalini awakening, feel free to share them with us in the comments sections below.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. Kundalini Awakening Symptoms
2. Awakening of Kundalini | 4 Powerful Meditations
3. Awesome Power of Prayer for Kundalini Awakening & More
4. Top 5 Signs You Are Living Your Passion
5. Kundalini & Enlightenment Experiences Being Reported by Reader Like You

Simple Yoga Fat Burning Exercise

Today I read an interesting piece of advice regarding using simple Jumping Jacks 3 or 4 times a day to help you expend extra calories, burn fat and speed up your weight loss results.  The article suggested doing 3 sets of 100 Jumping Jacks scattered throughout the day to complement your weight loss exercise program.  It stated that you could burn an additional 60 calories a day by including this easy exercise into your day, and that each set would take just 2 minutes to do.

I like this idea and I think its benefits will go beyond just burning fat and losing weight.  Today a lot of jobs and life styles lack physical activity and there are many studies that strongly suggest taking a break from prolonged sitting and getting periodic exercise throughout the day.  I think this will help with cardiovascular health, respiration, relieving stress, and also help with issues such as back problems and the like.  But if you are going to make the effort of sprinkling in the Jumping Jacks during the day, why not do the advanced form of Jumping Jacks which will not just help you burn fat, but will also help you develop mental focus and concentration.  In other words, do Yoga Jumping Jacks :-).

The yoga variation of this exercise will be just as good in getting your heart rate up and help you burn fat, but the design of this movement is such that it will require additional concentration from you to do correctly.  This additional concentration will work your brain along with your body and help you build mental focus.  The variation will also help expand your lung capacity. 

We should all be familiar with simple Jumping Jacks, and have probably done plenty in gym class or physical education training, but for yoga jumping jacks, you break up the exercise into 4 parts instead of the 2 parts it normally consists of.  Step by step details and illustrations are in the instructional section below.

For those who are familiar with the popular Healthy Weight Loss Yoga Set here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, this exercise is part of that set.  In an upcoming article I am going to discuss how fast you can lose weight with yoga, and this set will certainly be a part of that discussion.

More Yoga Exercises and Poses:

You will find plenty more yoga poses and exercises in the following 2 free online collections.  There you will find both, easy yoga exercises and poses, as well as more advanced one. Free Hatha Yoga Galleries and Free Kundalini Yoga Exercises.

For Yoga and Meditation Certification Program Students:

For students enrolled in the Online Yoga Teacher’s Training and Certification Program or Online Meditation Certification Program, this is a great exercise to do early in your class, especially if you want to get the energy going and get everyone’s blood pumping.  Also, as this is a relatively easy exercise to do, almost all students can participate.  Make sure you have plenty of spacing between the students prior to starting.

Yoga Exercise to Burn Fat – Yoga Jumping Jacks

Below please find details of how to practice Yoga Jumping Jacks, along with illustrations, step-by-step instructions, benefits and practice tips.  Please note the special breathing that goes along with the movements.

Yoga Jumping Jacks Illustrations

B. How Much To Do:

• For the purpose of losing weight, burning fat and doing it frequently during the day, as I mentioned, do 2 minutes or a set of 100.  Try to do 3 times a day to burn more calories.
  
• In general though you can even do 5 minutes of this exercise.
  

C. Easy Yoga JJ Exercise Benefits:

• Good for Burning Fat and promoting weight loss.
• The different variation and coordination with the breathing makes it good for building concentration and focus.
• Works on your heart and lungs.
• Helps tone and strengthen your calves and leg muscles.
• Works on your arms and shoulders.
• Great exercise for getting your entire body warmed up and getting your energy going.

D. Practice Tips for Yoga JJs:

• This yoga exercise is not as simple as it looks as you really have to focus in order to break the pattern of how you normally do Jumping Jacks.  Once you get the rhythm though, it should get easier and start to flow.
  
• To modify this exercise just move the legs or just the arms.  This easier version is good for seniors or the disabled.  Also, if you are getting tired you can switch to doing just arms or just legs, to allow yourself some time to recover.
  
• You can also of course do normal Jumping Jacks instead of these more difficult ones.
• This is really a fun exercise to do, so enjoy yourself as you do it.  Embrace a child like mentally and jump away.

More Fat Burning Exercises and Poses:

Post Natal Yoga Exercise to Lose Weight

Best Yoga Exercises for Weight Loss

PS: If you enjoy this exercise or any other exercise on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share them with your friends. I appreciate your support.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. Rapid Weight Loss Yoga Exercise Video
2. Yoga Exercise to Tone Thighs and Buttocks
3. Weight Loss Yoga Exercise Program Feedback
4. Bhastrika Yoga Breathing Exercise to Burn Fat for Natural Weight Loss & More
5. Terrific Post Natal Yoga Exercise for Weight Loss and Toning

Altruism and Living a Good Life

One of the more interesting debates in the spiritual landscape is whether or not Enlightenment stops at “being”, or if living a truly enlightened life, includes “doing”.  In other words, can the enlightened life be defined as simply being in the state of Oneness, with no trace of the ego, or should the definition of an enlightened life include doing good and being altruistic?

Is focusing on “being” enough?  Is it ok to stumble upon the state of non-duality or the One Self and then retire to the mountains to rejoice in this discovery?  Or is it incumbent upon those who have discovered this great Truth to then be of service to others?

In the article, the 5 Principles of Living a Good Life, I detailed the 5 principles I follow, which I feel are key to enlightenment and living an awakened and good life.  These 5 principles are the following…

1. Being Relaxed: Going with the flow.
2. Witnessing: Being mindful of your thoughts, feelings and actions.
3. Affection: Being kind and loving.
4. Honesty: In all things, actions included.
5. Courage: This is needed to face the horror of your inward state and go beyond.

The above 5 principles were not forged overnight, but they came forth after being on the spiritual path for many years.  Although in the list above I included affection, I did not specifically say that doing good or altruism was a necessary part of the process.  In other words affection can be taken as more passive in nature, while going out there and doing good is more active in nature.

To this list and article, I received a very interested response from my friend Steve Cohen.  He is indicating that the “doing” should be made a part of leading an enlightened life and altruism should be added to the list of 5 principles that are essential for enlightened living.

Of course, I am all for altruism and doing good flows naturally when your heart is full of love and compassion.  The enlightened, free of the burden of self centered desires are loving and giving, and in this state goodness flows from them, but is it ok for them to just reside in “being” and not engage consciously and actively in “doing”?  That is the question being put forth.

Here are Steve’s very insightful thoughts on this subject:

I wanted to share a few thoughts on living an enlightened life, which have been bubbling inside since I read the yoga sutras a few years ago and started to focus on the spiritual journey.  My thoughts didn’t crystallize into something I could articulate until I read your 5 Principles For Living an Enlightened and Good Life article and subsequent meditation.

I was also at the same time preparing a teaching for a monthly service that I lead  and my focus this month is on seeking  balance between “being” and ” doing” using analogies from the Joseph story in the bible.  During recent meditations a realization flowed through that all of the originally articulated enlightenment principles  are “being” focused.

I wanted to suggest an additional essential principle for leading an enlightened and good life that focuses on “doing”.

Altruism.  For this purpose, I define altruism as taking actions with the primary intent of benefiting someone other than oneself.  I believe that part of living an enlightened and good life is coming to the realization that we are all part of the whole and then acting for the benefit of the whole (including another Self in the whole) rather than simply for the benefit of your Self. If enlightenment is defined as awakening to the realization of non- dualism and to the fact that we are each one with others and with divine nature, then it seems to me that altruism is a logical and essential result of this enlightened realization.

I also favor the word integrity over honesty as a more nuanced word for enlightened living.  To me, integrity encompasses honesty of thought and consistent follow through in actions; however, I think this is just word choice preference and we mean something similar in how we use these words.

I guess at some level of enlightenment it is all being focused being in the present with “what is”, but something in my gut tells me that an even higher level of consciousness would be to be doing from that place of enlightened being in the present and that would truly be the epitome of an enlightened and good life.  The journey continues.

Obviously, one can’t encompass all of life in 5 words, but I thought you might be interested in considering these observations.

I continue to very much enjoying your course materials and appreciate the work you have undertaken to compile them.

Steve Cohen

Summary of Altruism and Enlightened Living:

So what do you think?  Is is sufficient to be enlightened, and live your life in love, peace and harmony, in just “Being”, or is it essential to go out there and do good and be altruistic?  If the world is all an illusion, a dream and just a game, is it really important to bother with it at all?  Or, since suffering is real for those who are not enlightened, is it the responsibility of the enlightened to go out there and be of service to others, and help alleviate their pain?

Would love to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. Interesting Osho Quote on Enlightenment
2. Zen Definition of Spiritual Enlightenment
3. Understanding Non-Duality, Hinduism, Buddhism, Enlightenment & Life!
4. Survey Results – Are We Entering the Age of Enlightenment?
5. How to Attain Enlightenment

Techniques to Manifest Desires

With the new year upon us and many of us having forged resolutions and goals, I thought this would be a good time to summarize all the techniques and wisdom from previous articles on how to manifest your desires.  This knowledge and these techniques can be very useful, not just in helping you manifest your intentions, but very useful in helping you determine what indeed is worth manifesting in the first place.

Below are the best articles on the topic of manifestation from past years.  I have provided a summary of each of these articles below, and you can click the title link to read the articles which are of interest to you.

1. The 4 Key Laws of Manifesting Desires:

If you are interested in manifestation, law of attraction and intention manifestation this article is a must read.  It summarizes the topic of desires end to end.  It discusses the mysterious states of desirelessness and witnessing, and also explains what kind of desires one ought to pursue and what kind of desires the Universe helps fulfill.  This is one of the most popular and important articles on the topic of manifestation.

2. Secret to Manifesting Abundance and Wealth:

In this followup article to the 4 Key Laws of Manifestation, I discuss what I consider the fifth law of manifesting desires.  This article goes into the difficult topic of security and how it needs to be approached in order to have the Universe taking care of you and fulfilling your desires. 

3. Relax and Let the Universe Fulfill Your Desires:

Along the lines of the fifth law of manifestation, this article explores the value and practice of “going with the flow”.  The great challenge and benefits of this approach are discussed, and it includes a funny real life event of mine to illustrate the points.

4. Meditation for Making Money and Success:

This article details a visualization meditation often used for manifesting money, success, or anything else you feel you need in your life.  It exploits the power of the Third Eye and the mind to assist with the manifestation.

5. Infinite Energy and Prosperity Meditation:

Here you will find details of the powerful kundalini yoga technique to bring upon you blessings and rewards.  There is also a video demo of how to practice this potent technique.

In addition to the above articles, the following posts also explore manifestation and mind power, and you might find them useful in helping you realize your desires.

Visualization Technique to Manifest Desires

Weight Loss Meditation

Mind Power to Manifest Desires and Intentions

If you have used techniques to help you manifest your desires successfully, please do share them with us in the comments section below.  I am sure everyone will benefit from your feedback.

If you enjoy any of the articles of Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share them with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, etc.  I appreciate your love and support.

Connect w/ Anmol

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1. Effective Visualization Technique to Manifest Your Desires and Dreams
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4. The 4 Key Universal Laws For Manifesting Desire If You Absolutely Must
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Help for Weight Loss

Next time someone asks you, “Will yoga help me lose weight?”  You can say, “Yes, it sure can!” And for proof you can go ahead send them this article link :-).  In fact, as you will see below, you don’t even need a full fledged yoga workout in order to lose weight, you can do it by simply practicing Yogic Breathing!

Today I received an email from a long time reader who had undertaken the serious practice of Kapalbhati Yoga Breathing Exercise with the objective of burning fat and losing weight.  So did Kapalbhati help her lose weight?  It sure did and here is her success story in her own words.

Kapalbhati Helped Me Lose Weight – Pat’s Story:

Pat Writes:

Hi Anmol,

Remember me?  I corresponded with you a number of times, but have not done so in over 6 months — I think it has been that long.  Anyway, here are my wonderful Kapalbhati yoga breathing weight loss results so far, as I promised you that I would let you know what they are from time to time.  Well,  I started doing Kapalbhati yoga breathing in Mid or late Feb. of 2011–about 11 months ago.  At that time, I weighed 210 pounds.  I just weighed myself today, and find that as of today, I have lost 17 pounds, and now weigh 193 pounds.  Naturally, I am very happy and hope that you will be happy for me!!!

I have long since made Kapalbhati my own, and will most definitely use it for the rest of my life for continued weight loss and then for low weight maintenance.  My goal is to get down to, and then to maintain 120 pounds, for the rest of my life.  So, that means, I have about 73 or so more pounds to lose.  I expect that that goal might take maybe 4 or 5 years for me to attain, but that does not matter to me because I am going to do Kapalbhati yoga breathing for the rest of my life, anyway, and I know that the longer it takes me to lose all of the weight I still have to lose, the better off I will be health wise.  So, these are my Kapalbhati breathing yoga weight loss results that I have to report to you so far.

Yoga Helps with Weight Loss:

Pat is not the only one I know who has had success with losing weight with Kapalbhati.  There are others who too have enjoyed success, with some having completely transformed their body, with Kapalbhati being the core of their weight loss program.

Although Pat’s testimonial is evidence that yoga breathing exercises in and of themselves are effective for weight loss, I would suggest a program which includes other aspects of yoga and Ayurveda to further accelerate your weight loss process.  With Kapalbhati alone, Pat has been able to shed 17 pounds over the course of 11 months.  This type of gradual weight loss is safe, natural, healthy and permanent.  The weight that comes off, stays off.  If you include yoga poses and exercises, along with an appropriate Ayurvedic Diet, you can aim to comfortably lose 5 pounds or so a month.

Below are more yoga resources to help you achieve your weight loss goals.  I hope you will find them useful and I look forward to receiving your email saying, “Yoga has helped me lose weight too :-)”.

Yoga Resources to Help You Lose Weight:

Yogic Breathing: 

Along with Kapalbhati, I would suggest Bhastrika Pranayama for Burning Fat and Kundalini Yoga’s Breath of Fire as effective weight loss techniques.

Ayurvedic Diets:

I would suggest following the Ayurvedic Diet to Burn Fat and also using the these 5 Healthy Weight Loss Tips from Ayurveda to help you lose weight.

Yoga Sets:

For Beginner’s or those who are obese I would suggest one of the following yoga sets for weight loss.

Best Yoga Poses for Weight Loss

Best Morning Yoga Stretches – Surya Namaskar

For those in better shape, I suggest the following yoga set.

Online Yoga Exercises to Lose Weight

Meditation for Weight Loss:

Emotional eating and food issues are often the cause of obesity and being overweight.  To combat such conditions, use the following meditation techniques to promote self love and resolve emotional problems.

Emotional Healing Through Meditation

Ayurvedic Treatment to Stop Emotional Eating

Ayurvedic Herbs for Weight Loss:

You can also supplement your weight loss program with Ayurvedic Herbs.  Here is one product in particular designed to help you lose weight naturally and safely – Ayurvedic Herbs for Weight Loss – Yogic Slim.

If you have achieved successful weight loss through yoga or other natural means, please do share your stories with us in the comments section below.  I am sure it will be inspirational and helpful to all.

If you enjoy this or any other article on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga, please do share it with your friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, E-mail, etc.  I appreciate your love and support.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. Healthy Weight Loss Via Yoga, Breathing & Meditation Program- Online Course #104
2. Can You and How to Lose Weight with Yoga? – Part 1
3. Healthy Ayurveda Diet To Burn Fat & Lose Weight
4. Sweet Ayurveda Treatment to Stop Emotional Eating & Lose Weight
5. Bhastrika Yoga Breathing Exercise to Burn Fat for Natural Weight Loss & More

Tips to Simplify Your Life

Life is pretty complicated these days and for most of us, it seems to just get more and more complex and busy with each passing day.   Such complication, not just adds to our stress levels, but it also significantly reduces our opportunities for spiritual and personal growth.  So for our peace and sanity, and for helping our hearts and minds blossom, we really need to simplify our lives.

In this series I am going to share tips and information that will help you learn how to simplify your life.  Given that we are heading into new year’s resolution territory I think this is a great time for such a series, as I hope many of you, understanding the need and benefits that such simplification brings, will be adding it to your resolutions for next year.

In the first part of this series I am going to share with you what I have done this past year which has helped me a great deal in ensuring that each day is spent in the most meaningful way possible.  Given all the things that we have on our plates, from family, career, friends, finances, hobbies, passions, responsibilities, etc, etc., how can we make sure that our time and energy is well directed and that we are not being swept away in the tidal wave of daily activities and chores?  The answer is to create a must do daily shortlist.

Create a Daily Shortlist:

I have found that creating such a shortlist of things really goes a long way in helping me simplify my day and help me structure it in the best possible way.  What this list is, is simply the few things you must do everyday no matter what.  I have 3 things on this list and I suggest the same number for you.  If you make this list too long, it is just going to end up being too complicated like everything else :-).  So keep it short and keep it meaningful.

My list of the 3 things I must do everyday are Meditation, Exercise and Blog Work.  These are the 3 most important things in my life and if I don’t give them my time and energy, I always feel that my day has been incomplete and that I have not used my time wisely.  If you don’t know what might be the things you ought to do everyday, here are some questions which can help you uncover the answers.

How to Determine Your Shortlist Items for Life Simplification:

In the article Stop the Madness of Self Discipline, I provided 6 questions which help you determine what your real passion in life really is.  Those 6 questions can be very helpful in creating your shortlist and helping you simply your life.  Here are those questions for you…

1. What is it that you like to do for its own sake, without any concern for reward or compliment? Do you find joy in writing? Do you like to just create music? Do you like to teach? Do you like the challenge of watching your thoughts in action?

2. If you won the lottery, I mean the really, really big one how would you like to spend the rest of your life?

3. If you were informed you are about to die shortly, what would you regret most as not having spent your time doing?

4. No matter where on Earth you are. In a rich, first world country, in the bush lands of Australia or high up in a Himalayan village what do you see yourself doing regardless of location?

5. What activity do you always find yourself coming back to throughout your life?

6. What activity can you just not see yourself doing without?

For me the answers to those questions are Meditation, Exercise and Teaching (blogging).  Those are the things that fit the questions and those are the 3 things I make sure I do everyday without fail.

Simply Your Life Summary

So this is what I suggest for you to do as well as the the first step in simplifying your life.  This will set the foundation for more simplification which I will suggest in future articles of this series.  Doing the things you care about most and which are the most important to you on a deeper level, will ensure that you are living your true purpose in life and ensure that you will not have regrets later in life.  It will also make sure that each day is being spent meaningfully and productively.

Another good resource for helping you determine which things you should shortlist is the article 10 Things You Should Do Everyday for a Happy Life.  This list can give you ideas on what daily activities raise your level of consciousness and make life a beautiful adventure.

Look out for more tips on how to simplify your life coming soon.

If you have tips you have used to simplify your life please do share them with us in the comments section below.

If you enjoy this or any article on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga please do share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.  I appreciate your love and support.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. 3 Keys for How to Live a Blessed Life
2. 3 Beautiful Words that Can Change Your Life
3. Important Life Lessons to Learn from Biggest Mistakes In Life Survey
4. My Simple Rule for a Peaceful Life
5. 10 Things You Should Do Everyday For a Happy, Meaningful & Good Life (Combined)

Prayer for Love

Some time ago a reader, Debra, shared with me the wonderful prayer of Saint Francis which reflects the desire of those of us who wish all hearts everywhere to be filled with peace and love.  During this season where we recognize Jesus Christ who was a great example of love and forgiveness, I thought it would be a great time to share this payer with all of you as well.

An interesting aspect of yoga practice, which I always enjoyed, was the extra 1 minute we would add to various exercises and sets, and devote that effort to others.  This aspect was a reminder that we not only practice for our wellbeing, but that our practice is ultimately aimed at uplifting and healing the world around us as well.

Also, there is a technique which is dedicated to the expression of such love and sacrifice and it is called Jesus Pose.  A picture of that pose is below and you can get more details on it in the following article: Jesus Pose for Love and Sacrifice.  This exercise is great for including into your practice as well, especially towards the end of sets, to build your inner strength and retain the attitude of love and forgiveness.

Jesus Pose for Love and Sacrifice

The Prayer of Saint Francis will be added to our collection of prayers, mantras and chants which is available to you at the following link – Free Online Mantra MP3 Downloads.  There you will find many more prayers and chants to express your feelings of love and devotion for the world. 

Other prayers you might also enjoy, which are dedicated to promoting peace and love in the world are…

Beautiful Buddhist Prayer for Peace

Serenity Prayer – Wahey Guru Hymm

Prayer of Saint Francis

Prayer for Peace and Love

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred- let me sow love.
Where there is injury- pardon.
Where there is discord- harmony.
Where there is despair- hope,
Where there is darkness- light.
Where there is sadness – joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not seek so much to be consoled as to console…
To be understood as to understand…
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born into eternal life.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and peaceful new year.  Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om.

Connect w/ Anmol

Related posts:

1. Beautiful Buddhist Prayer for Peace and Matrimony
2. Beautiful Prayer to Talk to God
3. Awesome Power of Prayer for Kundalini Awakening & More
4. Serenity Prayer – Free MP3 Download of the Beautiful Wahey Guru Hymm
5. Video of the Greatest Devotional Vedic Mantra (Prayer)