Yoga Blogs

Meditation Blog Articles - Edition #34

Here is some weekend reading of yoga, meditation and personal development articles and blogs for you all to enjoy and benefit from.  In addition, if you are interested in being a guest author on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga (Google PR5), please email me at anmol@anmolmeht.com.

Meditation

claude presents How to Meditate - Learn the secrets of how to meditate deeply posted at How to Meditate - Learn the secrets of how to meditate deeply.

axel presents How To Prepare For A Meditation Retreat posted at axel g.

Yoga

Kat Saks presents The Subtle Power of Maha Mudra (Great Mudra) posted at Kat Saks Yoga, saying, "I’m doing a project to attempt all poses in Light on Yoga. My daily blog content seems like a good fit for this carnival!"

Ben Mural presents Yoga for Back Pain, Stress Relief, and More posted at BenMural.com.

Sandra McAubre presents 25 Reasons Your Kids Should Do Yoga posted at Sports Management Degrees, saying, "Many people who practice yoga have never thought about sharing this activity with their children. Here, we have found 25 great reasons why you should encourage your kids to do yoga."

Health and Wellbeing

Francesco Settesoldi presents Breathe, smile, enjoy life with The Five Tibetans! | posted at BreatheWithFrancesco, saying, "It’s been more than a year now since I’ve been practicing those amazing exercises….And I am ABSOLUTELY satisfied with them.I feel energized, I feel frisky, and my life is just…flowing! My body is strong and healthy."

Taylor Coburn presents How Do You Lift Your Mood When You Feel Down in the Dumps? | Motivia posted at Motivia.

Personal Development

Arnold Brod presents Life Lessons as Spiritual Guidance posted at Spiritual Healing and Energy Healing.

Spiritual Growth

Kaushik Chokshi presents Three Stages posted at Beyond Karma, saying, "The three stages of awakening…"

Thailand Breeze presents Finding Spirituality In Simplicity posted at Tip.

Other

Virginia Hensley presents 15 Bookmarkable Infographics About the Bible & Christianity posted at Masters in Divinity, saying, "If you are interested in divinity subjects, infographics about Christianity and the Bible can be very helpful. You can learn about different Biblical subjects, and visualize various events throughout Christian history."

Karen Anderson presents 13 Timeless Finance Tips From The Bible posted at Online Christian Colleges, saying, "In fact, the Bible has over 1,000 verses that discuss money. In this article, we’ll discuss thirteen timeless pieces of financial advice straight from the Bible, as well as give you the actual Scripture references."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of meditation, yoga and spiritual growth ca using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Yoga Therapy for Diseases

If you have been on the fence with regard to integrating yoga into your life, let me provide some motivational fuel to help you kick start your program.  One of the largest studies on the benefits of yoga for cancer patients was conducted at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and below I would like to highlight some of the incredible benefits that cancer patients received from incorporating yoga into their treatment plan.

If yoga can help even those suffering from such a difficult condition like cancer, then it can certainly do wonders for you as well.

Cancer Patients Benefits from Yoga Therapy:

1. Yoga Helping Patients with Insomnia and Sleep Disruptions:

In the Rochester study, about 8 out of 10 cancer survivors reported significant sleep impairment that affected their lives before the study. Half of the patients were assigned to yoga classes twice a week for one month. By the end of the trial, 31 percent of yoga patients no longer had the sleep disruptions, twice the recovery rate of patients who didn’t take classes.

2. Yoga Providing Patients More Energy:

Yoga practitioners also reported a 42 percent reduction in fatigue, compared with a 12 percent reduction for the control group. Yoga users decreased the use of sleep medication by 21 percent, while the control group actually increased reliance on sleeping drugs by 5 percent.

3. Yoga Helping Cancer Patients with Mental Clarity and Chronic Fatigue:

The yoga study released by the cancer group is one of more than 4,500 reports showcased at this year’s meeting of 30,000 oncologists. Doctors have been especially interested in yoga’s muscle-toning stretches and meditative breathing, which practitioners say clears the mental fog of chemotherapy and the chronic fatigue that plagues some survivors for years. 

In addition, the studies are showing that cancer patients are getting a great positive mental and emotional boost from doing regular yoga practice, and doctors say that this positivity is a significant factor in the success of any treatment program.

So if you are suffering from any disease or ailment, or are looking to stay healthy and fit, the evidence of the benefits of yoga is overwhelming and should not be ignored.  Start a daily program and soon you too will be singing the praises of this wonderful science and enjoying a long, healthy and happy life.

Start here if you are new to yoga:

Health Benefits of Yoga

Free Online Yoga and Meditation Classes

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• Best Treatments for Stress and Anxiety Disorder

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• How to Raise Enlightened Children
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If you would like to be a guest author on Master of Meditation and Yoga, please email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com).

On Becoming Guru-Independent

By Lucky Balaraman

If you have placed yourself under a spiritual teacher’s (aka a guru’s) wing for spiritual enlightenment and make steady progress, dependence on the guru will cease at a certain stage. This article illustrates this phenomenon with an analogy.

You go to a guru to find inner peace. Your motivation for going to a guru is usually mental unrest or powerful curiosity; the guru helps you experience the basic you, the source of unshakable peace already in your being (two of the several other names of the basic you are "Consciousness" and "Awareness)".

The guru uses various methods to teach you over time, during which period you are typically dependent on him for immediate solutions to your ongoing mental turbulence. You consult him frequently, often perhaps on an emergency basis.

Your guru tirelessly answers your questions and encourages you. You listen to him carefully, ponder over what he has said, practice what he has prescribed and gradually realize what he has tried hard to point out to you. Finally comes the point where you have enough wisdom to continue evolving on your own.  You have reached lift-off velocity.

Your guru is happy when this happens, because his spiritual child has grown into a fine adult.

There is a well-known analogy to this, one that conveys deep understanding of the concept.

In the analogy, you are out on a dark night wondering where the moon is. A friend (your guru) who has come along says, "Wait, I can help you. I’ll show you where the moon is. Do you see the silhouette of that tree over there?"

You say, "Yes."

Your friend adds, "See the first branch on the left? It’s about 15 feet up from the ground."

"Uh-huh," you say, "I see it."

Then the friend says, "Do you see that fork in the branch, about five feet along it?"

You say, "Yes, I see the fork… "

The friend then says, "Now look between the arms of the fork. Do you see the moon there?"

You look between the branches, find the moon and say, "Wow, yes, I see it, thank you!"

After this you do not need your friend’s help to find the moon… you know how to locate it yourself.

In the same way, your guru shows you the way to the basic you through his teaching. Once you have learned how to sufficiently identify with the basic you, you can dive deeper into it without depending on your guru because he has made you mentally robust. He has also trained you to be adept in relevant tools such as meditation and detachment.  Diving deeper becomes an effortless, fond pursuit.

May the day you see the moon in the fork of the tree come soon!

About the author:

Lucky Balaraman has learned about being one with the Universe from a living sage over several years.  He passes on his learning to you in his free course at http://calmandcool.com/4-part-course. He hopes you will try it out.

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Simple Yoga for Flexibility

The pose I will detail for you today, Triangle Pose, is one of those yoga poses that gives you a great many variations to choose from.  From the base position you can take multiple postures and derive a wide range of benefits from each.  These many variations to Triangle Pose give opportunities to both beginners and experts to find positions and movements that suit their level, which is why this is one of the most common poses you will find in yoga.

Other great benefits of Triangle Pose are that it is capable of working on both your strength and flexibility at the same time, and also work on your upper body and lower body simultaneously as well.  So with this one pose and it’s many variations you can certainly extract a lot of good for your body all at the same time .

Furthermore, due to the flexibility that this pose offers, you will be able to see your progress as you move from the easy variations to the more difficult ones.  Of course, the wise yogi should not rush so please follow the guidelines I have outlined in the 2 documents below.

Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Practice

Guidelines for Kundalini Yoga Practice

Triangle pose will make a nice addition to the Standing Poses section of our ongoing Free Online Hatha Yoga Book and, as it is a common pose used in other types of yoga, including Kundalini Yoga, it will also be part of our Online Kundalini Yoga Exercises e-book.   

Below you will find illustrations of this pose, along with practice details, benefits and other related information.

Triangle Pose for Strength and Flexibility

Illustration of Triangle Pose Variation

The Above Pose is illustrated by Kara Leah Grant.  You will find much more great yoga information on her great yoga site Yoga Lunchbox (http://theyogalunchbox.co.nz/). 

Triangle Yoga Pose:

A. How to Do Triangle Pose: 

• Stand straight up with feet spread wide apart as in the illustration above.

• Raise your arms up to shoulder level, out to the side, elbows straight with fingers extended and palms facing down.  This is a base beginning position.  From here you can come into many of the different variations.

• Variation 1:  Turn your left foot so it is pointing to your left, while keeping the right foot pointing straight.  Then bend to the left and reach down towards your toes with your left hand.  You may bend your left knee slightly if necessary, but try to keep the body from leaning forward if possible.  At the same time let your right hand reach straight up, palms facing forward.  Once you come into the pose hold it for 10 - 60 seconds and then do the other side.  This variation is great for bestowing flexibility.

• Variation 2:  As a variation to the above pose you may do the pose as illustrated above, where you bend one leg to 90 degrees at the knees and rest your elbows on the thigh as shown.  This pose is more strength oriented and is a mix of warrior pose and triangle pose.  Again you should do both sides and hold for 15 seconds to 1 minute or more.

• Variation 3:  Another variation is to reach down and across with the opposite hand to the opposite foot and hold the pose while reaching down towards your toes in this way.  The other hands goes straight up in the air.  Again try to keep the knees straight if you can, but bend the knees if you need to or just reach down as far as possible.  In this variation you should keep your feet pointing forward and not force the stretch.  Again hold for 10 - 60 seconds.This is an excellent pose for improving your flexibility.

B. Duration for Triangle Pose: Varies as per the variation or level.  Generally 10 seconds to 1 minute is typical.

C. Benefits of Triangle Pose:  

• Great simple stretch for the entire body.  Especially for the lower back, sides, shoulders, hamstrings and calves.
  
• Helps stretch and strengthen the spine and relieve back pain.
• Helps stretch the ligaments and joints as well.
  
• Stretches the side abdominal muscles as well.
• Good way to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
• Helps strengthen and tone the thighs and buttocks.
• Helps open the shoulders and chest.
  

D. Practice Tips and Cautions for Triangle Pose:

• This is a great yoga pose and as I mentioned above, you should find a variation suitable to your level and include it in your practice.  This is a wonderful pose with which to help open up and stretch your entire body.
  
• Always come into the final positions slowly to ensure you don’t risk injury.
• Generally Triangle Pose is done with normal slow breathing and if you are going to do the poses in a flow, inhale when you rise up and exhale when you bend down.
  

Here are some more simple and easy yoga poses to help you develop your practice.

Basic Yoga Poses | Beginner’s Yoga Poses

Easy Yoga Pose for Stretching

Basic Yoga Poses for Balance

Basic Yoga Poses for Balance - Tree Pose - Part 2

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Beginner’s Meditation Guide

(Anmol: It is always great to learn from someone who has real and deep experience of a subject and this is all the more important when it comes to meditation and spirituality.  So below I would like to present the following guest post from Axel, who was an actual Buddhist Monk and now shares his wisdom, knowledge and expertise with you on his great meditation website Axel G.

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

A Beginner’s Guide To Walking Meditation

By Axel Gjertsen

This guide is packed with information and offers detailed instructions on how to start with walking meditation. No previous experience needed.

Walking meditation is one of my favorite forms of practice. So, I’ll very much enjoy pointing you in the right direction. This guide will be followed by a post called How To Master Walking Meditation, that will help take your practice to the next level.

What is walking meditation?

Perhaps you’ve never even seen anyone practice walking meditation, so let’s take a close look at what it is and why we do it.

Walking meditation is an age-old form of meditation practice. In Buddhism it’s one of the 4 body postures in which you practice.

The 4 body postures

Walking
Standing
Sitting
Lying (traditionally on the side)

Some meditators use the same meditation object for all body postures while others have different meditation objects for each posture.

Personally, I use the same meditation object for every body posture. To avoid any confusion, let me point out that the techniques taught in this guide are only for walking and standing meditation.

Generally walking meditation is practiced indoors but in some Buddhist traditions they emphasize outdoor practice. Either you pace back and forth, or walk in a circle.

There is no need to control your speed. Any pace that feels right is fine.  Anyhow, it’s good to know that some Buddhist traditions emphasize a set speed, either fast or slow.

When you practice walking meditation you keep your eyes open, however don’t look around the room like a little kid. Walking meditation is done with the head and eyes pointing straight ahead.

What are the benefits of walking meditation?

There are many benefits to walking meditation. To start with, it’s usually practiced hand in hand with sitting meditation. The two support each other and it’s also nice to stretch the legs every so often, particularly after long periods of sitting meditation.

If you’re doing a meditation retreat, you may be dealing with physical discomfort or pain, after hours and hours of sitting. Then, every period of walking meditation becomes an appreciated break.

Another benefit is that walking meditation generates a lot of mental energy. As you gain experience you’ll be able to sense the build up of energy, especially when sitting down after a period of walking meditation.

The mental energy fuels concentration and supports sitting meditation.  Likewise, sitting meditation boosts concentration which in turn makes it easier to do walking meditation.

One could say that sitting meditation boosts concentration while walking meditation generates mental energy.

So, the two body postures, walking and sitting, truly support each other.

The above is a simplification but more about mental energy and concentration in the follow-up post.

Some meditators find walking meditation difficult, so why bother?

I wouldn’t tell anyone, “You have to practice walking meditation, if not your meditation practice won’t get you anywhere.” Because it’s not true.  You can practice other forms of meditation and still reap the sweet fruits of stillness and liberation.

However, walking meditation makes it easier to practice sitting meditation since the walking builds up mental energy that supports concentration. You also have the benefit of alternating between two body postures which relieves any physical discomfort.

Walking meditation can look odd and certainly feel awkward, especially in the beginning. But don’t let your very first impressions discourage you.  With experience walking meditation becomes second nature, just like you eat and drink without giving it much thought.

If you have any physical injuries, walking meditation is a great practice. Meditators with back, neck and knee injuries often take a liking to walking meditation since they’re not comfortable sitting on the floor.

Now, don’t expect to become an expert overnight and be aware that walking meditation generally isn’t as deep as sitting meditation, since you’re walking and meditating at the same time, with the open eyes.

Which technique should I learn?

There are many styles around but I only recommend plain and simple techniques. Below, I’ll introduce you to two easy yet powerful techniques.  I suggest you give both of them a try, then stick to the one that is easiest for you.

Two basic techniques:

Any room will do but a large space is preferable since you don’t have to turn around as often. Walk slowly and when you get close to the wall, stop for a moment and turn around.

An alternative is to walk in a circle which means you never have to turn round. If you practice in a circle, stop occasionally for a brief period of standing meditation. But more about that in a minute…

Technique 1:

• Relax your body and walk slowly with you spine upright. Also relax your arms and hands.

• Give attention to what it feels like when the souls of your feet touch the floor. The sensations in the feet is your meditation object.

• The feet carry the weight of your entire body which puts a lot of pressure on them. What does that feel like?

• The floor may be hot, cold, rough, smooth, slippery etc. Give relaxed attention to any sensation in the feet, become one with the sensations. But don’t try too hard, since a tense mind makes for a tense body, and vice versa.

• Now, focus on the foot that is moving, even when it’s not in contact with the floor. In other words, you only focus on one foot at the time.

• When you reach the end of the room, stand still for awhile and feel the sensations in both feet, including the pressure against the floor and possible tingling. This is a beautiful moment of standing meditation.

• Then, turn around and walk slowly while giving relaxed attention to the sensations in your feet. Only focus on one foot at the time.

• The souls of the feet are sensitive not unlike the palms. If you can’t sense much, it’s always possible to practice barefoot.

Technique 2:

• The only difference with this technique is that you give relaxed attention to the movements of the legs and feet. Together, they form your meditation object.

• Relax your body and walk slowly. Give relaxed attention to what it feels like to walk, become one with the sensation of the body movements. Only focus on one leg at the time, unless you’re standing still.

• Don’t try too hard, just relax. Look straight ahead, not at you legs or feet. Relax and feel the body movements.

Cultivating awareness

Let me clarify why I don’t promote techniques where you think “left foot” when you take a step with your left foot, and “right foot” when you take a step with your right foot.

Techniques like that tend to become mechanical. I agree that it may be easier at first, but meditation is not about thinking. You already know how to do that.

Meditation is the cultivation of plain and simple awareness. So, I favor techniques where you give relaxed attention to the sensations in the souls of the feet or to body movements, without any involvement of thought.

Where to practice

In the very beginning it’s best to practice indoors, since there generally are more distractions outside. With some experience under your belt you can practice in nature, but again, there are more distractions outdoors which does make it more difficult.

By keeping your practice as easy as possible, you’re more likely to make steady progress.

Again, any room will do for walking meditation. Just make sure the ventilation is ok. If it’s noisy where you are, consider using earplugs to cut down on the noise.

Some meditators find it awkward to walk and meditate at the same time, leave alone with open eyes. Give it some time, it’s almost like learning how to walk again. Practice makes perfect!

Standing meditation

This is a beautiful part of the walking meditation practice. You stop for a moment and give relaxed attention to what it feels like to stand still.  Stop for as long as you like, for 5 seconds or even 1 minute.

Every time you’re about to stop, be aware of your intention to stop. Likewise, every time you’re about to start walking, be aware of your intention to start walking. There is no need to think, “Now I’m going to stop.” Just be aware of the intention.

To be aware of one’s intentions is a profound practice. It’s an effective way to cultivate awareness.

If you don’t like this technique, ignore it for now. It’s more important that you enjoy the practice than anything else.

Walking meditation can be done at a natural pace. Some days you may walk slower and other days slightly faster - that’s perfectly ok. Let it flow naturally, there is no need to control the pace. It’s easier to walk slowly though.

Am I doing it right?

That’s a common question! Follow the basic instructions: relax the body and walk with the back upright, look ahead and not at your legs or feet.  Give relaxed attention to the sensations in the souls of your feet or to the movements of your legs and feet.

Relaxed attention is the key to success, never try too hard.

Whenever you get distracted by something, accept it and continue with the practice. Getting frustrated or angry with yourself would only make things worse. So, adopt a forgiving attitude toward yourself.

Where do I focus my eyes?

Just look straight ahead, not at your legs or feet. Give relaxed attention to your meditation object and with some practice you’ll stop thinking about your eyes all together.

Give attention to your meditation object and not to what you see!

How long should I meditate?

5-15 Minutes would be a good start. Then, you can take a short break and continue for another 5-15 minutes, if you like.

It’s not about logging as many hours as possible but rather about quality time. Relax the body, give relaxed attention to your meditation object and enjoy the practice. Again, don’t try too hard.

How often should I practice?

Start with 3 times per week and if you enjoy it, meditate every day. Dedicated meditators practice both in the mornings and evenings.

Meditate whenever you have time at hand and when you’re not under a lot of stress, which makes it harder to stay focused.

A measure of discipline helps a lot when it comes to establishing and maintaining a regular practice. Experiment to find out what works best for you…

Avoiding common mistakes

Meditate in a quiet place, voices are especially distracting. The fewer distractions, the better.

If you catch yourself thinking while practicing, gently go back to your meditation object. That’s part of the learning experience and it’s pointless to get angry about it. Rest assured, that with experience you’ll be able to concentrate for longer periods of time.

Walking and sitting meditation

When you start to get the hang of walking meditation, alternate between walking and sitting meditation. I suggest you do the walking meditation first since it provides fuel for concentration, which supports sitting meditation.

The intervals don’t have to be long. 15 Minutes of walking and 15 minutes of sitting would be a good start. But it’s fine to extend the intervals whenever you feel ready for it.

In the next post called How To Master Walking Meditation we’ll take walking meditation to the next level. Until then, enjoy your practice…

Axel Gjertsen is a former Buddhist monk and lives in Thailand. He runs axel g which is a personal development site with a focus on meditation. 

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I am happy to announce that the Learn How to Meditate Program is now open to affiliates and JV partners.  Many of you are already partnering with me on the Meditation Teacher’s Training and Certification Program, and I welcome you now to join me in continuing to spread the wisdom of meditation and yoga via the Learn How to Meditate Program.

Many of my partners requested a Beginner’s Meditation Course, as the Teacher’s Training was a bit too advanced for some of their clients, and now I am excited to bring you such a course.  The affiliate program works through Clickbank, just like the Teacher’s Training Program and you can get all the affiliate details and tools on the following page:

Best Meditation and Yoga Affiliate Program

For those of you already doing affiliate marketing through Clickbank, this program also offers a 50% commission .  Also, here is the hoplink for you to start marketing the product and earning money while doing something that is good for the world.

http://Your-ID.anmolm1.hop.clickbank.net

Highlights of the Learn How to Meditate Program:

You will find full details of this program on the following page.  And for readers wishing to join the program the registration link is below as well.

Learn How to Meditate Course Details

Learn How to Meditation Program Registration Page for Readers

Here are the Highlights of this program:

This is a 4 week home study course to learn the great art of meditation and enjoy all the benefits of joy, peace, health, healing, compassion and wisdom that we know meditation bestows.  During your training you will have full support from me as well.

14 Superb 5 Star Videos

214 Page Fully Illustrated Training Manual

Full Support from Anmol himself for Entire Duration of the Program

Learn all the Best Meditation Techniques

Learn Gentle Yoga for Meditation

Learn Yogic Breathing for Health, Healing, Vitality and Clarity

Bonus Material Included - Advanced Meditations and Pranayamas

Find Joy, Peace, Compassion and Wisdom

Contact Anmol:

If you are interested in being an affiliate partner or are interested in signing up for this course and have any questions, please feel free to email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com.

Looking forward to working with you for the benefit of all.

Again for reader looking to join the program, here is the registration link:

Learn How to Meditation Program Registration Page for Readers

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Self Belief and Fearlessness

Self Confidence is a key, not just for success in manifestation, but also a key for making genuine spiritual progress.  We all know the important part confidence plays in ordinary life, allowing you to make great strides in your personal development, career, relationships, etc, but in the spiritual realm self confidence is equally important.  In the spiritual realm you have to have confidence in your ability to work your way through the illusion of duality and the ensuing suffering, and the self belief that you will be able to find your way out of the chaos.  At the end of day, as I have often said, enlightenment is a path walked alone.

So how can we build our self confidence?  What can we do to develop our courage and self belief so we can be fearless in our approach to life?  There are many methods and techniques for building this kind of confidence, and in this article I will give you some yoga and meditation approaches to achieve this goal.

These techniques for building self confidence will be the yoga poses for the month of June and will be part of our yoga practice for the month series.  For those who are new to the blog, each month we practice together a particular yoga exercise, pranayama technique and meditation, in order to enhance our skills and learn from each other.  We share our experiences in the comments section below as well.  So join us this month and experience the burst in confidence that this month’s techniques will produce.

These techniques come from the following 3 free online e-books here on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga.  These are the Free Online Kundalini Yoga Exercises E-book, the Free Online Guided Meditation Techniques E-book and the Free Online Yoga Breathing Exercises E-book.  Feel free to check them out for more great exercises and meditation to keep you healthy, happy and fit.

Below you will find all the exercises and meditations that we have practiced so far in this Yoga for the Month Series.  Following that are the confidence building techniques for June.

Yoga Exercises for Each Month

August:        Learn Yoga | Nauk Asana for the Month (Abs)

September:  Yoga Pose for Thighs - Frog Pose (Thighs/Butt)

October:      Important Hatha Yoga Posture for Healing - Forward Bend (Thighs/Buttocks)

November:   Yoga to Work on Your Aura (Aura and Magnetic Field)

December:   Kundalini Yoga Exercise for Emotional Health - Cat-Cow  (Back and Emotional Balance)

February:    Daily Yoga Cobra Pose for Healthy Back

March:         Yoga Moves to Detox Your Body

April:           Yoga Ab Workout Routine and Free Exercise Videos

May:            Yoga Exercise for Brain Fitness (Shoulder Stand)

Pranayama for Each Month

February:   Kapalbhati Yoga Video for Daily Practice

March:       4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise

April:         Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

May:          Supreme Yogic Breath for Brain Development and Mind Control

Meditation for Each Month

February:  So Hum Mantra Meditation for Joy and Peace

March:      Zen Meditation Technique

April:        Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

May:         Advanced Mind Meditation Videos

Yoga Exercise for Building Self Confidence:

One of the most popular poses from Kundalini Yoga is Archer Pose and this is the favorite for those warrior yogis looking to boost their course and confidence.  This pose is not suggested for ego maniacs as it is just gonna make their heads swell even more , but if you are looking to give your inner strength a boost, there is no better technique than Archer’s Pose.

Remember that the biggest aspect of confidence, course and fear is psychological, so as you do this pose and breathe fiercely, engage your mind in helping you grow your self belief and power.  With every breath feel yourself expanding and growing more powerful, more focused, more strong and more resolute.  Done regularly it will help break the patterns of negative thinking and self doubt.  Practice this pose like you are a Warrior Saint.

Here is the link for Archer Pose for Building Confidence and Self Esteem.

Archer Pose for Power and Confidence

Bhastrika Pranayama for Energy and Vitality:

Another aspect of self confidence is having a healthy body and having lots of energy.  Feeling energetic and healthy will give you a psychological boost and this will translate to you having more confidence.  This particular yoga breathing exercise is excellent for helping you build a more energetic body.  In addition, Bhastika Pranayama can boost your metabolism, help you detox, increase your lung capacity and also help you burn fat.  All of these blessings, especially looking and feeling better, also contribute to having more confidence and power.

Here is the link to this wonderful exercise: Bhastrika Pranayama to Burn Fat and More

Smiling Buddha Meditation for Happiness and Confidence:

Along with looking good and feeling healthy, feeling happy also helps boost confidence, and one of the best meditations for doing this is the meditation supposedly prescribed to the Buddha to cheer him up, the Smiling Buddha Meditation for Happiness and Confidence.  Remember to do this meditation with a smile and not allow negative thinking to bring you down.

So for this month, if you need to build your self confidence, go ahead and try the three techniques above.  Remember though that it is not about having a big ego, but it is about having faith in yourself that you can achieve here in life all that which you were meant to do.

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• Illustrated Yoga Archer Pose for Building Confidence and Self-Esteem
• Meditation, Yoga and Spiritual Growth Carnival - June 6, 2007 Edition
• SM Meditation Program: Confidence: Chapter 5
• Best Yoga Positions and Exercises - Part 2

The Wisdom of Lau-tzu

Today I would like to share with you a chapter from the great Tao Te Ching, the book which is the only trace of it’s author, the profound and infinitely wise Lau-tzu.  The chapter I will share with you below, speaks towards what an enlightened master is.  Many people wonder what an enlightened man (women) would be like?  I suspect their presence would be like a gentle breeze, and your interaction like encountering the open sky, for those who understand know the True Non-Dual nature of Reality and know how to not interfere with it.

This is perhaps the best way to understand the enlightened mind.  One that is able to behold Reality without poking at it in any way.  One that is in complete harmony with the moment and free of any self absorption.  Let’s see how Lau-tzu’s Tao Te Ching describes such a Master.

Book: Tao Te Ching 

Author: Stephen Mitchell

Chapter 38

The Master doesn’t try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.

The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls up his sleeves and uses force.

When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.

Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusions go.

In harmony with the Tao,
the sky is clear and spacious,
the earth is solid and full,
all creatures flourish together,
content with the way they are,
endlessly repeating themselves,
endlessly renewed.

When man interferes with the Tao,
the sky becomes filthy,
the earth becomes depleted,
the equilibrium crumbles,
creatures become extinct.

Analysis of Tao Te Ching

The above excerpt is so full of profound wisdom that I don’t know which parts to not highlight .  So I am going to leave it for you to contemplate and digest.  Perhaps is there is anything I would say it would be to learn to go with the flow.  That is the secret to being in sync with His will.

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Related Articles at Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen:

• Zen Definition of Spiritual Enlightenment
• True Meaning of Zen and of Life… In Just 3 Words
• My New Guided Meditation Product | Greed vs. Peace
• How to Raise Enlightened Children
• Is Mindfulness Meditation Right for You? | An Excellent Test to Find Out

Yoga Philosophy

(Anmol: Here is a great article by guest author David explaining the foolishness of fighting with each other due to superficial differences in the various spiritual paths.  David is a deeply spiritual being with great knowledge and wisdom about natural healing, yoga and meditation.  Read more of his wonderful writings on his website and blog http://scientificliving.net/.

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

The 3 Fundamental Teachings of Vedanta and the Harmony of Religions

By David

At some point or the other, the Indian system of religion had a name given to it called “Hinduism” (i.e. “Indianism”). But this name isn’t actually descriptive of anything. Before this, the Hindu religion was known as the “Sanatana Dharma”, which means the “Eternal Religion”. One might think that Hindus then have the idea that their views alone are right, and others wrong. Afterall, their religion gets to be called the Eternal Religion! But that is not actually the meaning of Sanatana Dharma. This religion is eternal in the sense that it emphasizes the underlying unity and common threads of all spiritual systems. All religions in the world are in this sense part of the one Eternal Religion. It is only that the essentials of spiritual truth have been clothed in different garments (so to speak) again and again, so as to fit the needs of a particular era and its specific set of circumstances.

The philosophy that declares these common essentials of all religions is known as “Vedanta”, which can be taken to mean “the culmination of spiritual truth”. The main teachings of Vedanta have been summarized by Swami Vivekananda in three main points:

1. Each soul is potentially divine:

Yes, everyone is in fact divine, yet we have to admit that we see a difference between someone who is always kind and peaceful, and someone who is often angry or violent. The difference lies in the degree in which divinity has become manifest in each person. Both are divine, but one has awakened that latent divinity to a higher degree. That is why it is said that each soul is potentially divine.

2. The goal is to manifest this divinity:

“The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy - by one, or more, or all of these - and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.” ~Swami Vivekananda

The means by which we “control nature” are called “yogas”. Yogas are methods of union with the Divine. There are four main yogas referred to in this quote:

Jnana Yoga: The yoga of knowledge:

Intellectually understanding what must be done to make spiritual progress, how to do it, and why it works might all go under the classification of Jnana Yoga. Studying scriptures, books, or even articles such as this one and others found on Anmol’s site, all qualify as Jnana Yoga. Discriminating between what is real and unreal, or between what is helpful and what is unhelpful, also fits here. This path is for those with predominant intellectual tendencies.

Raja Yoga: The yoga of meditation and psychic control:

After having heard and reflected on teachings of how to practice meditation, actually doing so can be called Raja Yoga. This path is also called “Dhyana” Yoga – the yoga of meditation. It is for those with predominant contemplative tendencies.

Karma Yoga The yoga of selfless action:

Doing all actions with the attitude that I am serving God, and with the attitude that though you have the right to act, you do not have the right to the fruits of those actions, is called the yoga of action. This path is for those with very active tendencies.

Bhakti Yoga The yoga of love and devotion:

This path is for those with devotional or emotional tendencies. Here, the spiritual seeker longingly worships God by assuming a definite attitude, such as that of a servant, friend, child, etc. These 4 yogas are neither exclusive nor exhaustive. One finds that ultimately, they are all very similar. All seekers -to some degree or another- practice all of these yogas at once. However, one yoga will tend to predominate according to an individual’s temperament.

3. These truths are universal:

The “secondary details” mentioned by Vivekananda are what allow these universal teachings to be applied to various cultures in various times and circumstances. If you examine all religions closely, you find that they all have this same goal of manifesting the latent divinity within man. The methods are also fundamentally the same. The apparent differences are only in superficial aspects.

“Truth is one; only It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the variance is due to climate, temperament, and name. A lake has many ghats. From one ghat the Hindus take water in jars and call it ‘jal’. From another ghat the Mussalmāns (Muslims) take water in leather bags and call it ‘pāni’. From a third the Christians take the same thing and call it ‘water’. Suppose someone says that the thing is not ‘jal’ but ‘pāni’, or that it is not ‘pāni’ but ‘water’, or that it is not ‘water’ but ‘jal’, It would indeed be ridiculous. But this very thing is at the root of the friction among sects, their misunderstandings and quarrels. This is why people injure and kill one another, and shed blood, in the name of religion. But this is not good. Everyone is going toward God. They will all realize Him if they have sincerity and longing of heart.” ~Sri Ramakrishna

It is very important to have faith in ones own spiritual path. It is natural and even helpful to believe one’s own path is best. But one great message of Vedanta is to always remember that your own path is not the only way. All paths are true. The proof is that people have in fact realized God in innumerable ways. God is the sole author of truth, and he cannot be copyrighted by anyone. Remember that in a sense, whether they are doing so consciously or unconsciously, all people are practicing the one Eternal Religion, wrapped in different clothing.

About the Author:

David is a spiritual seeker formally initiated into Vedantic spiritual discipline.  He is a Natural Health Consultant and helps people free themselves from disease using natural means.   He also wishes to encourage people to consciously seek spiritual goals in life.  His website Scientific Living is devoted to these two purposes. 

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Related Articles at Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen:

• Zen Teachings on God & How to Get His Help
• Tao Te Ching - Lau-tzu on What is an Enlightened Master
• Comprehensive Guide to the World of Meditation Practice - Part 1
• Key Zen Practice and Teachings for Peace of Mind
• J. Krishnamurti Speaks on the Atman

Personal Development & Spiritual Growth Articles - Edition #33

The Carnival of Meditation and Yoga is here again and it is bigger and better than ever.  I am sure you will find some articles below that are of interest to you and that will be very helpful to you in your personal and spiritual growth.  The authors below are without a doubt the best spiritual bloggers on the internet and this collection gives you a chance to browse their best works from one central location.

Enjoy!

GUEST AUTHORS WELCOME ON MASTERY OF MEDITATION BLOG:

I am happy to report that Mastery of Meditation and Yoga has developed into one of the most popular yoga, meditation and spiritual sciences blog on the internet and is considered a high authority site by Google (PR5) and other search engines now.  So I would like to extend a hand of friendship to all my blogging friends out there and invite you to become guest authors on Mastery of Meditation and Yoga if you like.

If you are interested in submitting a guest post on the blog, please insure it meets the criteria below.

1. Must be an original post, not one that you have already posted or submitted elsewhere.

2. Must be related to the topics of this blog.  Which are Yoga, Meditation, Non-Duality, Zen, Ayurveda, Enlightenment, New-Age, etc.

3. Should not be an advert, product promotion or press release or anything like that.  It should be an article that adds value to the life of those who read it.

4. Needless to say, it should be of the highest quality.

All guest posts will of course be given full credit including links back to their website.  Currently there are nearly 10,000 RSS readers and 300,000+ Pageviews/Month for AnmolMehta.Com, so you will be able to reach a wide audience, get great link-love and increase your website traffic.  If you are interested please email me at anmol@anmolmeht.com.

You man also network with me below…

Network w/ Anmol on Stumble Upon

Network w/ Anmol on Twitter

Network w/ Anmol Facebook

Network w/ Anmol YouTube

Below, in addition to the great yoga and meditation articles, you will find lots of information on fitness, diet, weight loss, positive thinking, mind power, faith, confidence, money, manifestation and more.  Some good weekend reading for you all.

Yoga

Benjamin Langley presents Hand Yoga: How To Awaken Your Palms… posted at Peaceful Prosperity, saying, "Hope you enjoy it!"

Allan Caulfield presents Where to Get Yoga Teacher Certification posted at Yoga Tips Library.

NHE presents Benefits Of Yoga For Cancer Patients posted at Natural Health Ezine, saying, "How can yoga help cancer patients? Find out here."

Meditation

Kara-Leah Grant presents How to connect to other people while holding your centre - a new loving-kindness sadhana | Prana Flow NZ posted at Prana Flow NZ, saying, "Can a simply four-line loving-kindness meditation (in english no less!) change the way you experience the world? Can it open your heart? Find out here!"

axel presents Insight Meditation Techniques posted at axel g.

Jessica Nagel presents Summer is in the Air! posted at Sustainable Halo.

Toby Clarke presents Meditation - Holiday Treat? posted at GuidedMeditationsNow.com Blog, saying, "An article on the benefits of meditation and guided meditation to help calm you down at the beggining of a holiday!"

Frankie Minus Johnny presents Meditation and Excitement posted at Frankie Minus Johnny, saying, "A meditation practice is a crucial part of my efforts to live more in the present. Feelings of exuberant excitement have made meditation difficult for me in the past. Here, I talk about how to overcome this blockage in my meditation practice."

Steven Handel presents Sky Gazing Meditation | The Emotion Machine posted at The Emotion Machine.

Vellum presents Regimen 1, part 1: A week of meditation posted at 12 Hour Pills, saying, "12 hour pills is a blog about all around contentment with life. It doesn’t seek to give dogma, but to talk and be listened to. It is not meant for the practice of zen only, but seeks to help a wide variety of people from different walks of life. It is also snarky at times."

monkjoe presents 5 Simple Steps to Meditation posted at MonkMe.com, saying, "Thanks for reading our article and having the opportunity to be featured in your blog. I hope you and your readers will benefit from it."

Jimmy Camut presents Why You’re Guilty of Meditation posted at ManifestWell.com.

Susan Liddy presents Coaching Tip: Walking Meditation… Glide Through Your Day | Secrets to Ultimate Living! Blog posted at Secrets to Ultimate Living! Blog, saying, "Not all forms of meditation need to be done flat on your back. Here is a simple way to actively bring meditation into your life and to get to enjoying all those calm and peaceful benefits right away!"

Lucky Balaraman presents Find Happiness 20: Inner Peace and Letting Go | Calm and Cool posted at Calm and Cool, saying, "The Parable of the Rope"

eric klen presents How Strong is Your Attention Muscle? | Dharma Consulting posted at Dharma Consulting.

Bob Fraser presents 50 Inspiring Blog Posts for the Beginner Meditator posted at Nursing School Search Blog.

Mike Vogt presents 20 Spiritual Must-Read Books posted at Christian Colleges Online.

Kaushik Chokshi presents When you stop running posted at Beyond Karma, saying, "letting go of resistance…."

Health and Wellbeing

Nigel Coates presents The Secret Benefits of Guided Meditation posted at Guided Meditation, saying, "We all know you feel good after meditation, but the secret benefits are the result of Homeostasis. That is when all of the systems of the body are working towards balance. This free guided meditation MP3 will help."

Jessica presents Random Ways To Feel Healthier Today posted at Jessica’s Health Tips, saying, "Seven easy to implement ideas to make your life a little healthier."

Mesquite Pete presents Protect Yourself from Mosquitoes While Backpacking posted at Mosquito Basics, saying, "If you are going hiking or camping, you will want to make sure you are protected from mosquitoes."

Caterina Christakos presents Covert Pain in Hypnotherapy | Trance You Out posted at Trance You Out.

Mark Donovan presents Basement Home Gyms posted at HomeAdditionPlus, saying, "In this article, Mark Donovan of www.HomeAdditionPlus.com discusses creating a basement home gym. In particular he reviews the key items that should be considered when designing a home gym."

00FF00 presents Idle Musings posted at ooffoo, saying, "A member of the ooffoo community takes time out from idling to ask whether it’s true that the devil make work for idle hands and to suggest (quietly, gently!) that we might all benefit from learning why and how to slow down."

Betty Truitt presents Anxiety ? A Portal To Pure Enlightenment posted at Sane Advice, saying, "This is a rather long post detailing how stress and extreme anxiety can actually be a the driving force behind a spiritual growing period and hopefully one day to pure enlightenment."

Aparna presents Clean your tongue to avoid bad breath posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming, saying, "dentists suggest that brushing and flossing should be accompanied by tongue cleaning also in order to thoroughly cleanse your oral cavity. The bacterial count on your tongue can be drastically reduced (as much as 50% in one day) with effective tongue cleaning."

Charles Chua C K presents 10 Tips for a Simple and Peaceful Life posted at All About Living with Life.

Jessica Paulk presents What you can do right now to have more abundance and prosperity. posted at Going Free.

Basia presents Does Your Diet Repress Your Emotions? posted at Perfect Health 101.

New Age

eye4art presents METAPHYSICAL MIND » Tasha Teachings 4 posted at METAPHYSICAL MIND.

Ella Moss presents COUNTDOWN TO BIG BANG « Zodiac Times posted at Zodiac Times, saying, "astrological predictions for this summer and thoughts on the law of attraction"

Other

Caterina Christakos presents Learn Stage Hypnosis - How to Get people onstage | Trance You Out posted at Trance You Out.

Drew Tarvin presents Collaborating Through Yes And posted at Humor That Works, saying, "Collaboration through a more open view and improv perspective."

Vera Nadine presents Do you have “the sight?” posted at Awaken to Light, saying, "Someone wrote and asked, “When did you first know that you had the sight?” Good question. I, of course, do not have a very simple answer. Firstly the sight is ofttimes a complete misnomer as many psychics do not actually SEE anything….."

Ferrari Dude presents Top 50 Blogs by Divinity Students posted at Masters in Divinity, saying, "This post has managed to cull 50 top blogs written by divinity students across the U.S., categorized by degree and a bonus category filled with groups of students who blog."

Judith Summers presents Habits That Keep Your Skin Healthy and Beautiful Part 2 posted at Holistic Skin Care Blog, saying, "Second post in a three part series listing the best practices for maintaining naturally, healthy beautiful skin. These easy to follow tips help you stay healthy on the inside and gorgeous on the outside."

Thailand Breeze presents Buddhist Alms Giving (Part 2) posted at Tip.

Personal Development

Scientific Living presents Fearlessness posted at Scientific Living.

Jon Beebe presents Manifesting Intentions Quickly posted at DevelopMinds.com Blog, saying, "The five most important aspects of manifesting your intentions quickly and effectively."

Taylor Coburn presents Time for Change Movie posted at Motivia, saying, "Maybe we dwell on the past, and at times maybe we live for the future. The truth is, there is only now. Now is the time for change. Enjoy this free inspirational movie."

Beth Jukuri presents Tending Reality posted at Imperfect Lady.

Ben presents Want to Get the Best Solution to Your Problem? Use Intuition posted at Self Help Gold.

Kathleen Gaga presents Participating in a marathon is like growing a business posted at Street Smarts Marketing & Promotions, saying, "The fact is, it is in the moment by moment choices we make we either create our success or create our failure. Simple as that. Cake or vision. Television or walk. Sleep in or fundraise. It’s the same with business."

Barbara Williams presents 25 Great Thinkers Every College Student Should Read posted at Learn-gasm.

Chris Akins presents Living in the present posted at ChrisAkinsdotCom, saying, "Living in the present is not about wearing blinders. It’s about focusing on what is important right now, and accepting reality for what it is right now. Doing so allows us to focus and connect intensely to our current situation, without the distractions of the past and future."

Effortless Abundance presents Life coaches and being alone posted at Effortless Wealth and Abundance.

Ryan Parenti presents Alternative and Spiritual Healing Blog posted at Alternative and Spiritual Healing Blog.

Broderick Durisseau presents Prioritizing Values Exercise posted at Personal Growth From the Bottom Up.

Eliza Fayle presents The importance of saying No posted at Silver and Grace.

RagsToRich presents Awakening to your life posted at The Real Mind, saying, "An observation of the lack of consciousness of many people I see day-to-day inspired me to write this post. It may be a little hard-hitting in places but I know that it has been appreciated."

Chris presents Interview with an Intuitive Warrior posted at Martial Development, saying, "Intuition is a phenomenon most widely associated with women and mothers–but what about soldier’s intuition? Read our exclusive interview with intuitive Navy SEAL Michael Jaco."

Bert Meert presents Live Truthfully posted at Life, Blogging and The Pursuit of Personal Growth.

Taylor Coburn presents Some Things Just Take a Little Time posted at Motivia.

Madoline Hatter presents 15 Fascinating Facts About Your Dreams posted at MRI Technician Schools.

Shannon Wills presents 20 TED Talks That Will Make You A Better Person posted at Online Christian Colleges, saying, "These lectures can inspire audience members to look inwards and explore what they stand for and how they hope to uphold these values. By knowing themselves, they can better understand the best routes towards expressing love to others and making both the individual and the world just that much better."

Shoeb Khan presents The Emancipation of The Common Man posted at The Passive Pundits.

Mitch Smith presents 6 Essential Android Apps for Bible Study posted at Masters of Divinity, saying, "God is everywhere, and now, He can be in your phone thanks to Android Apps for Bible Study. Here are 6 of the best apps to help you get closer to the divine."

Mia Taylor presents Peter Pan Professions: 50 Fun Jobs That Don’t Require You to Grow Up posted at Online University Lowdown, saying, "Numerous career paths exist for those who want to enjoy their adulthood by forging a life for themselves out of stereotypic childhood, adolescent, or even collegiate pursuits."

axel presents Learning To Trust posted at axel g.

Spiritual Growth

Akemi Gaines presents The True Nature Of Reality And Life posted at Yes to Me.

Storm presents The Beauty of Simplicity posted at Ways To Simplify.

Ross - Tolemac presents Law of Attraction - Methods and Techniques: Part 2 posted at Tolemac’s Metaphysical Blog, saying, "More tips and techniques to improve the way you use the Law of Attraction."

Suzanne presents Happiness in 7 steps: Step 4 - Is this it? posted at Without Dash.

Joe Tichio presents The Greatest Intention Quotes posted at Inspirational Quotes Blog, saying, "A great collection of inspiring quotes on intention."

Daylle Deanna Schwartz presents Law of Attraction in Action: Excuses posted at Lessons from a Recovering DoorMat, saying, "A big block to manifesting is making excuses for why you can. But you can change those thoughts to send a more positive expectation to the Law of Attraction."

Thailand Breeze presents Buddhist Alms Giving (Part 1) posted at Tip.

Hannah Lokiec presents The Fool’s Journey posted at Blogging the Spirit.

Your Best Library presents Living in the Present Moment posted at Your Best Library.

Jaqueline Dornbach presents Dealing With Unruly Emotions posted at The Young Pastor’s Wife.

Dario Knez presents Experiences of an Itinerant Monk (1) posted at yswami.com.

Kaushik Chokshi presents World Trends posted at Beyond Karma, saying, "World trends point to a deflationary depression…an opportunity for awakening and elegance"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of meditation, yoga and spiritual growth ca using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Related Articles at Mastery of Meditation, Kundalini Yoga and Zen:

• The Miracle of Self Awareness - I AM ALL
• My Time at an Osho Retreat When My Body Disappeared
• No Short Cuts to Enlightenment
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• Meditation Training Program Congratulations, Important Updates and Successful Launch

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

Hypnosis and Meditation

Self Hypnosis

By Benjamin Langley

People frequently ask questions about the differences between self hypnosis and meditation, as well as the connections.

I have played quite a bit with both disciplines over the last 15 years, and I have taken a close look at both the similarities and the differences.

To keep it simple:

The Primary Similarity:

Both are means of altering consciousness for positive growth and/or change

The Primary Difference:

Hypnosis is typically focused on getting rid of bad habits and/or achieving worldly goals, where meditation is usually focused on becoming peaceful, becoming more aware, growing spiritually, and/or becoming enlightened.

Now this is useful information, but the question that should be asked more is "How can one benefit from the other?"

And since this is a blog that talks about meditation, the question becomes:

How can the practice of meditation be vastly improved

with understandings and practices from self hypnosis?

Here are 3 Powerful tips from Self Hypnosis that you can use to Super Charge your practice of meditation right away.

1 – The Countdown

Most meditations start with some form of relaxing and focusing.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have systematic way of doing this that allowed you to go deeper into meditation every time?

A countdown does exactly this! 

A countdown is a process from hypnosis and self-hypnosis that allows you to simply count backwards in order to enter a more peaceful and relaxed place of mind and body.

One of the most common methods is counting down from 3 to 1 (which I learned from The Silva Method). 

Breathe deeply, relax, and notice yourself entering a more peaceful place as you count downward from 3 to 1.

You can also count from 10 to 1, 25 to 1, or even 100 to 1.

Taoist meditation instructor, Mantak Chia, recommends an exercise he calls the ‘Century Breath’, where you essentially count 100 deep relaxed breaths… Why not do this while counting down from 100 and notice yourself sinking into a more and more peaceful and powerful place of meditation the whole way…

As with many things, in the beginning, you do as much as you need to get the intended result.  Long term, though, less is more.  You want to do less and less to ‘get’ more and more ‘benefit’.  Every time you practice see how much further you can go with the same countdown, or see if you can go just as deep with less countdown.

2 – Practice Fractionation

Simply explained, fractionation is the tendency of consciousness to be able to experience something more deeply every time you come back to it.

When we move into an experience, and then back out, we can go a little further into the experience each time.

For example, if you like to practice Zazen (which Anmol describes in one of his videos), you might notice that you can count a little bit further while staying focused each time you practice.

Our mind works a lot like our muscles in this way.  If you go into a stretch, release the stretch, and then go back into it… you will be able to go a little further each time.  The only difference is that our mind doesn’t have the physical limitations that our muscles do.

This is a powerful principle to be aware of throughout your life, but for the purposes of meditation, you can use it to go into a much deeper place much more quickly.

When you are meditating, imagine coming out of the meditation, and then going a little bit deeper into it.  Then come back out a little less, and then go deeper still into the meditation.

Using the Zazen meditation mentioned earlier, you might count as far as you can while maintaining focus, then relax and let it go for a moment.  Then count a little further (starting again at 1) while maintaining focus, then relax and let it go again. 

You will notice that you can go progressively further and deeper with any meditation much more quickly if you practice this!

Famous hypnotist and personal development coach, Vince Kelvin, likes to call this ‘The Dolphin Effect’.  Your consciousness is much like a dolphin that comes to the surface for air and then goes deep into the ocean, and then it returns for more air, and then dives deeper and deeper in the depths of the ocean to continue playing.

3 - Convince Your Subconscious mind

The primary reason growth seems so slow at the early phases of practice, is that the deeper parts of your mind (your subconscious mind) are not yet convinced that this is more than a new distraction that will be quickly forgotten.

So how can you ‘convince yourself’ of your sincerity more quickly?

I like to look at it in terms of consistency and intensity.  Start out with as much consistency as possible.

The Silva Method advises:  Practicing once a day is good, practicing twice a day is great, and practicing three times per day is excellent.

When you have a solid base of consistency, begin to build on it with greater intensity.

The Silva Method advises:  Practicing for 5 minutes is good, practicing for 10 minutes is great, and practicing for 15 minutes is excellent.

Starting off with a simple 5 minute meditation once per day is fine… just stay consistent with it!  Gradually you can start to practice more frequently.  Then you can begin to add a little more intensity as well.

Ultimately, you want to immerse yourself in as much practice as you can while still keeping it joyful (in order to avoid burnout).

Put simply, the more you lovingly put into your practice over the long term, the further you will be able to joyfully take it.  And the further you joyfully take your practice, the more you will get back from it.

Another way of looking at this is summed up by world famous stage hypnotist, Marshall Sylver:

"Small commitments lead to large commitments."

Each small commitment to practice builds a little more momentum… after a while, the most serious practice of meditation just doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, anymore.

So as you continue to work with your own practice, or one of the many practices Anmol describes on this site, begin to bring in these powerful tips from hypnosis, and watch how quickly your results improve!

Benjamin Langley has been on a quest of self discovery through meditation, self hypnosis, and energy work for over 15 years. He has written well over 300 articles on these topics at his website, and he has a page devoted to hypnosis instructions.  His new book, Master Meditation, Master Your Life is currently in the process of being published, but you can still get a free copy of the ebook version by opting in at http://PeacefulProsperity.com/blog/

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Yoga Sit Ups for Building Abs

One of the important factors to optimize fitness gains is to introduce variety in the exercises you use to target various muscle groups, and in that way abs and stomach muscles are no different.  Not only does variety help keep your fitness and yoga routines fresh, but it also help to challenge the muscles in different ways which is essential to their development and strength.  So I think for those who have been doing the various ab exercises and workout already on the blog, such as Core Abdominal Power Yoga Set or the Terrific Yoga Ab Exercises and Workout for Shaping Stomach, it is time to introduce you to the another excellent technique for getting a fast ab workout, the potent Yoga Situps.

As you would expect, Kundalini Yoga exercises will certainly keep you moving and try to exploit the value of dynamic pressures to help rejuvenate, heal and strengthen various regions of the body.  And Kundalini Yoga Sit Ups are no different.  Kundalini Yoga emphasizes speed in terms of bestowing results and in this case the focus is the same here as well.  To target the abs and accelerate their development as fast as possible.  This particular exercise targets, at one time, both the lower abdominal as well as the upper abdominal, so it is a great way to work the entire stomach and develop six-pack abs fast. 

The drawback to using fast and powerful techniques is that they come with dangers of injury, so you really need to be cautious when using these potent exercises.  To that end please follow all the guidelines I have laid out in the following documents prior to practicing these Kundlaini Yoga exercises and workouts.

Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Practice

Guidelines for Kundalini Yoga Practice

Yoga Sit-ups Overview:

Kundalini Yoga Sit-ups combine several postures into one fluid and ab busting motion.  It combines Forward Bend, Corpse Pose and Plough Pose into one exercise which will give you one hell of an ab workout.  If you are interested in fast ab results and quick six-pack abs, then doing these Yoga Situps are just what the doctor ordered.  Not too easy, but a lot of fun and great results.  As we are approaching the summer here in the US, I will be providing you more great yoga exercises for getting flat, toned abs, in the near future so you can enjoy the body you have been gifted.  So be on the lookout for those.

Yoga Sit Ups will be added to our free ongoing yoga exercises e-book, which you can find here: Online Kundalini Yoga Exercises e-book.  In addition, be on the lookout for yoga sets incorporating this exercise in the near future here: Free Online Kundalini Yoga Sets.  And also, be sure to check out the Free Online Yoga Classes that we already offer on the website.  

Below are all the details, along with illustrations for Yoga Sits, do them regularly and washboard abs are yours.

Yoga Sit-ups for a Fast Ab Workout

Illustrations for Yoga Situps

Yoga Situps Fast Ab Exercise:

A. How to Do Yoga Situps: 

• Start as shown above in Illustration #1 - Yoga Situps Starting Position.  Please note you do not have to reach your toes or have to have your head reach your knees.  Just reach forward as far as possible.
• From this position start to lie back and come into Corpse Pose.  In Corpse Pose you are simply lying on your back with your arms to your side and legs extended.
   
• Now swing your legs over and come into Plough Pose which is Illustration #2 above.  The only difference is your hands DO NOT have to come up to support your lower back, instead just keep them flat on the ground as they were when you came down into Corpse Pose.  Also, you do not need to tap the floor with your toes if you cannot reach that far back.  Just swing them over as much as comfortable and be careful with your neck.
• Next swing your legs back down and come back into Illustration #1 position.  As you swing your legs over and down, bring your upper body back up and reach forward with your arms towards your toes.  Continue on in a smooth motion in this way.
• Variation for advanced practitioners. 
• If you are ready for a slightly tougher challenge and ready to blast your abs even more do the following sequence.
• Lie on your back with your arms stretched out OVER your head and ON the floor behind you.
• Then swing up and come into Illustration #1 above.  Again as you come up reach forward with your arms towards your toes.
• Next as you come down let the arms come to your side as in corpse pose and swing your legs over into Plough Pose (Illustration #2) above.  Again your arms stay flat on the floor besides you and do not have to come up to support your lower back.
• Next, as you swing your legs over and down, SWING YOUR ARMS back up and over so they are stretched out on the floor behind you (the position where you started).
• Then come up and into Forward Bend again and continue from there.  Soon your abs will be burning and core will be getting stronger and fitter.
• To breathe.  Inhale when you lie back during the transitions and exhale when you come into Forward Bend and Plough Pose.

B. Duration for Yoga Situps Ab Exercise: 15 seconds - 11 minutes.

C. Benefits of Yoga Situps Ab Workout:  

• Excellent for strengthening abdominal and stomach muscles.
  
• Great for toning abs and getting six pack abs.
• Great overall workout.
  
• Excellent for flexibility.
• Good for digestive system and internal cleansing.
  
• Stimulates blood flow and helps overall health and well being.
• Excellent exercise for weight loss and burning fat.
  

D. Practice Tips and Cautions for Yoga Sit Ups Fast Ab Workout:

• Please stretch before doing this exercise.  Specially your hamstrings.
• Do not over stretch in either pose.  Only stretch as far as comfortable.
• Careful when coming into Plough Pose, especially with your neck.
• You should do Forward Bend and Plough Pose first before doing the situps.
• Even though this exercise will work your abs very fast, I suggest slow and steady as the best and safest way for developing fitness and strength.  So feel free to take breaks in between doing these situps.
• This exercise can replace any current ab exercise you have in your workout.
  

More Ab Exercises:

In addition to the ab workouts I mentioned in the beginning of the article, there are more excellent yoga exercise on the website to work out core and here are a few of them…

Best Yoga Exercise to Get Firm Toned Abs

Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose for Core Abdominal Power

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

Welcome To Mind

Let’s have a “straight-up” chat about the purpose of the negative, positive, and neutral minds and which one is the most important for yogis to develop.

“What’s that I fear?” is the mantra of a negative mind.  It is protective and reactive.  The purpose of the negative mind is to signal danger and to protect you from harm.  When out of balance, you live in a fear state-of-mind and symptoms include hiding inside your head instead of living from your soul, seeing only negative aspects of every situation, isolation due to fear of life, and repeating patterns without learning the lessons.  If you are frozen by fear you will remain captive in the cage of your self-limitations.  Consciousness never lives in the space of a fearful, submissive mind.  It’s easy to let fear take over, with the expectation of staying safe.  The more you can begin to know your fears and embrace them, the more they will no longer hold any energy over you.  Everything then becomes a learning experience toward consciousness.

“Bring your wishes and your well!” is the mantra of a positive mind.  It is constructive and teeming with risk-taking initiative.  This part of the mind seeks fulfillment and possibility.  The purpose of the positive mind is to encourage optimism, excitement, and enthusiasm.  When out of balance, you live in a pleasure state-of mind and symptoms include not being able to think clearly, being over-optimistic, and pushing everything to the limit in order to get what you want.  If you are locked into this over-expansive mindset you will remain captive in “leap before you look” actions and never get to the full depth of any situation.  Consciousness never lives in the space of an over-focused mind.  It’s easy to let enthusiasm take over, with the expectation of genius.  The more you can synchronize your projection and work with perspective, the more you will be able to guide passion to purpose.

“A noble asking.” is the mantra of a neutral mind.  It is the uniqueness of the soul assessing and reflecting.  The purpose of the neutral mind is to weigh the information from the other two minds and makes a conscious decision.  Neutral mind is impersonally personal and sees things for what they really are.  Existing in a neutral state-of-mind is about seeing beyond the surface so you can respond beyond the positives and negatives.  It is about being simultaneously in your activities but not of them.  Neutral mind reacts on the basis of fulfilling you and your destiny, seeing the short-term and long-term effects of your actions. 

With this in mind, (ah the puns)…why is it important for a yogi to develop a neutral mind?  Without a doubt it is because that mind state allows you to evaluate the input of your negative and positive minds and access your soul.  This is what makes the neutral mind the ultimate “win-win” mentality.  As a yogi, it is essential to listen to and act on the voice of your soul.  Neutral mind is what will take you there and the way to a neutral mind is through meditation.  Let your neutral mind be your guide to integrate your experiences and find meaning in them.  The more neutral minded you become, the closer you are to being you and authentically coming into your mind, body, and spirit.

In the long run, understanding the nature and challenges of the mind is the key to opening up space within you to live from your soul.  In his book The Mind, Yogi Bhajan shares that, “You are here to be you and your mind is your best servant.”  The real game is to make your mind follow you.  If you can change your mind, you can change your life.  Welcome to mind.

Sharlene Starr teaches Kundalini Yoga classes for women and is the author of the *FREE* Special Report," A Beginner’s Guide To Kundalini Yoga!"   If you’re ready to awaken your mind, body, and soul, get your *FREE* copy at:  http://www.SharleneStarr.com

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How to Meditate Course

As many of you know I run a Meditation Certification Program which has been very successful so far, but the feedback I received was that many of you were interested in a Beginner’s Meditation Course, so you could first learn how to meditate and then progress from there.  So today I am very happy to announce the launch of the Mastery of Meditation Learn How to Meditate Course and welcome anyone interested in learning this profound art to join the program.

Below are the highlights of the Learn Meditation Course, but before I jump to those I just wanted to let you all know that to kick start the program I am offering a special introductory price of $47, which is a 40% discount over the regular price of $77 .  So if you are interested in transforming your life and reaching your highest human potential, this is your chance to come on board and begin that journey in earnest.

Highlights of Learn How to Meditate Course:

Below are some of the highlights of this home study online course.  If you do sign up you will have my full support during the course of the program and I will be there to guide you through it.  Here is the registration link Learn How to Meditate Course Registration Page.

Learn Meditation Course Details:

14 Superb 5 Star Videos

214 Page Fully Illustrated Training E-Manual

Full Support from Anmol himself for Entire Duration of the Program

Learn all the Best Meditation Techniques

Learn Gentle Yoga for Meditation

Learn Yogic Breathing for Health, Healing, Vitality and Clarity

Bonus Material Included - Advanced Meditations and Pranayamas

Find Joy, Peace, Compassion and Wisdom

You can see from the above list that this program will not just teach you how to meditate, but will also help you learn the important sciences of Yoga and Yogic Breathing Exercises to further help your personal and spiritual growth.

The course puts everything together for you and is designed for 4 week of home study with my support.  During this time you will get to learn all about meditation and how it works, as well as practice the best meditation techniques to see which ones work best for you.  Some of the meditations taught in this course include, Zen Meditation, Mantra Meditation, Chakra Meditation, Concentration Meditation and various others.

Also, you will see I have included bonus materials into the program as well.  These include more advanced meditations and additional yoga techniques, so you can continue to expand and deepen your practice after the 4 weeks are completed.  Of course, if you take longer than 4 weeks that is fine too and you will continue to have my support in helping you throughout.

If you have any questions about the course, please feel free to email me at anmol@anmolmehta.com.  I am very passionate about meditation as I know it to be the answer to life and I am committed to spreading these teachings to help as many people as I can.  I do hope you choose to learn this priceless art as there is nothing greater than meditation.

Here is the link for the registration page:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN LEARN HOW TO MEDITATE COURSE

Thank you and God Bless You All!

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