Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Gratitude


To experience deep gratitude, sit down and write a list of things you are grateful for. Keep writing your list until your eyes are overflowing with tears. As the tears come, you will feel the most beautiful feeling around your heart and all through the inside of you. This is the feeling of true gratitude. Once you have felt this feeling you will know how to re-create it. 

This intense feeling of gratitude is the feeling you want to reproduce as many times a day as you can. In a very short time you will be able to bring that feeling into your body at any time, virtualy instantaneously. 

Practice will get you there. 
(From "the Secret" by Rhonda Byrne) 

Control the Mind

You may control a mad elephant;
You may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger;
Ride the lion and play with the cobra;
By alchemy you may learn your livelihood;
You may wander through the universe incognito;
Make vassals of the gods; be ever youthful;
You may walk in water and live in fire;
But control of the mind is better and more difficult.” 
― Paramahansa YoganandaAutobiography of a Yogi

Monday, February 23, 2015

The Unity of Life

"All Life is One." And this One Life includes Beings as much higher than ourselves, as we are higher than the creatures in the slime of the ocean−bed. Included in it are beings who would seem as archangels or gods to us, and they inform that beyond them are still higher and more radiant creatures, and so on to infinity of infinities. And yet all are but centers of Being in the One Life−−all but a part of the great Universal Life, which itself is but an emanation of The Absolute.

- Yogi Ramacharaka (A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga, Page 24)

Health benefits of Meditations

While a meditative state is the natural outcome of yoga and the spiritual benefit of meditation is supreme bliss or enlightenment, these words are unlikely to be understood by many.

However, progress towards meditation and meditative techniques have several benefits at the gross body or material level:

Improvement of body luster and general health-When your mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. Today, many of the film stars and fashion models include meditation in their daily regimen.

Improvement in concentration - Many of the athletes and sports professionals regularly employ meditation methods. Studies have found a direct correlation between concentration exercises (meditation) and the performance level of sports professionals. Meditation strengthens the mind, it comes under control and is able to provide effective guidance to the physical body to effectively execute all its projects. Psychological Exercises are a powerful way of improving concentration and improving mental strength.

Health benefits of Meditation:

Though meditation is usually recognized as a largely spiritual practice, it also has many health benefits. The yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in management of life threatening diseases; in transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning programs, in perceptions and communications beyond the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in management of lifestyle and future world problems. Some benefits of meditation are:
  • It lowers oxygen consumption.
  • It decreases respiratory rate.
  • It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
  • Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients.
  • Leads to a deeper level of relaxation.
  • Good for people with high blood pressure as it brings the B.P. to normal.
  • Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
  • Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.
  • Builds self-confidence.
  • It increases serotonin production which influences mood and behaviour. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and headaches.
  • Helps in chronic diseases like allergies , arthritis etc.
  • Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.
  • Helps in post-operative healing.
  • Enhances the immune system. Research has revealed that meditation increases activity of 'natural-killer cells', which kill bacteria and cancer cells.
  • Also reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.
(Courtesy : Health and Yoga.com)