Top 5 Best Meditation Postures

Whether you are a beginner or you’ve been meditating for a while, the meditation postures are very significant. The first step to setting yourself into practice is finding a comfortable position to meditate. Sitting for hours with a blank mind seems impossible, right? But as with any exercise, it takes practice, time, and commitment. The goal of meditation is to guide you toward increased awareness, focus, and compassion for yourself. Your body positioning should reflect that. You can’t be in any discomfort or pain.

Thus, here are some meditational postures for your practice :

What exactly is meditation?

Meditation is a practice where an individual uses techniques, such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focus your attention. It has numerous benefits for psychological well-being. Such as Meditation can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain and enhance peace and perception, self-concept, and well-being.

Also, you become more self-aware and focus on the present. You reduce negative emotions. You can increase your imagination, creativity, patience, and tolerance.

Factors for Meditation Postures

1) Comfort: You need to choose a posture that makes you feel comfortable even after being in the same position for so long. You need to focus on your inner self, so you don’t want any physical distractions, only comfort.

2) Stillness: During meditation, you should seem focused and balanced. You can test this by gently rocking your body from front to back and side to side. Do this until you’ve found the perfect spot.

3) Relaxation: Meditation is supposed to relax you, removing all the tensions. So, scan your body for any part that isn’t relaxed and adjust accordingly.

4) Alignment: You must check whether your spine is straight or not. It should be stacked, shoulder over hips, not leaning in any direction.

  Five Meditation Postures

1) SUKHASANA – EASY SEAT POSE

• Sit with the legs straight in front of the body.
• Bend one leg and place the foot under the opposite thigh.
• Bend the other leg and place the foot under the opposite thigh.
• Place the hands on the knees in chin or jnana mudra.
• Keep the head, neck, and back upright and straight but without strain. Close your eyes.
• Relax the whole body. The arms should be relaxed and not held straight.

Sukhasana is a relaxing postures said to be  the  simplest meditation posture. However, it is difficult to sustain for a longer periods of time unless the knees are close to the ground or on the ground . Otherwise most of the body weight is supported by the buttocks and backache develops .

For those who are extremely stiff, Sukhasana may be performed sitting cross-legged with a belt or cloth tied around the knees and lower back.

2) PADMASANA – Lotus pose

Here two levels of lotus  pose are described. Each one progressively more difficult than the last. You should be perfect on one variation before doing next one.

Also, make sure you prepare your hips before practicing with hip openers.

Half  Lotus

• Sit with the legs straight in front of the body.
• Bend one leg and place the sole of the foot on the inside of the opposite thigh.
• Bend the other leg and place the foot on the top of the opposite thigh.
• Without straining, try to place the upper heel as near as possible to the abdomen. Adjust the position so that it is comfortable.
• Place the hands on the knees in either chin or jnana mudra.
• Keep the back, neck, and head upright and straight.
• Close your eyes and relax your whole body.

Full Lotus

• Sit with the legs straight in front of the body.
• Slowly and carefully bend one leg and place the foot on the top of the opposite thigh.
• The sole should face upward and the heel should be close to the pubic bone.
• When this feels comfortable, bend the other leg and place the foot on top of the opposite thigh.
• Both knees should, ideally, touch the ground in the final position.
• The head and spine should be held upright, and the shoulders should be relaxed.
• Place the hands on the knees in chin or jnana mudra.
• Relax the arms with the elbows slightly bend and check that the shoulders are not raised or hunched.
• Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
• Observe the total posture of the body.

Those who suffer from sciatica or weak or injured knees should not perform this asana. This asana should not be attempted until the flexibility of the knees has been developed through the practice of pre-meditation asanas. It is not advisable during pregnancy as the circulation in the legs is reduced.

3) Virasana pose – hero pose

• Sit with both legs straight in front of the body.
• Bend the left leg underneath the right leg so that the left heel is touching the right buttock.
• Bring the right leg over the top of the bent left leg so that the right heel touches the left buttock.
• Adjust the right knee so that it is above the left knee.
• Place the hands either on the right knee, one on top of the other, or the each foot, whichever is comfortable.
• Hold the head, neck, and back straight.
• Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
• Be aware of the breath at the tip.

This asana is quite easy and comfortable to sustain for a long  period as a comparatively large area of the body is in contact with the floor. It is a useful alternative to other meditation asanas.

4) TADASANA

• To take your meditation poses off the ground, try standing in tadasana.
• To get the most out of this pose, pay close attention to the anatomical checkpoints.
• Start standing with your big toe mounds touching.
• Pick up all of your toes and spread them wide before placing them back down.
• Pull your quads upward, making your kneecap rise.
• Internally rotate both thighs.
• Draw your belly in and widen through your shoulder blades.
• Shrug your shoulders up and let them roll back as you release.
• Arms hang naturally by your sides with your palms facing forward.

Anatomical Checkpoints

• If your ankle touching is uncomfortable, slightly separate your heels.
• Root your calves and feet into the floor.
• Maintain the natural curves of your spine.
• Make sure your shoulders are stacked over your hips.
• Keep your neck long and chin neutral.

5) SAVASANA (Corpse Pose)

• Lie flat on the back with the arms about 15 cm away from the body , palms facing upward.
• A thin pillow or folded cloth may be placed behind the head to prevent discomfort.
• Let the fingers curl up slightly.
• Move the feet slightly apart to a comfortable position and close the eye.
• The head and spine should be in a straight line.
• Make sure the head does not fall to one side or the other.
• Become aware of the natural breath and allow it to become rhythmic and relaxed.
• After some time, again become aware of the body and surroundings, and gently and smoothly release the posture.

POINT CHECK

Once you’ve chosen your position, move through these points to check for an optimal experience :

1. Find your comfortable position.
2. Your spine should be straight but not over extended.
3. You can place your hand on your lap or make any gestures. Try not to move your hands throughout the practice.
4. Relax your shoulders.
5. Slightly tuck your chin about 20 degrees to  stay relaxed for long period of time.
6. release your jaw, or if you are unsure, you can move it around a bit to find and release tension.
7. Choose your gaze. You can either keep your eyes closed, or you can have a gaze at a focal point 3 to 5 feet in front of you.

How to practice?

• First of all, choose a quite spot that is free from any kind of distractions.
• Then, you can set a time limit. If you are just getting started, you might want to stick to shorter sessions of about 5-10 minutes in length.
• Pay attention to your body and get comfortable with it; you shouldn’t feel any pain or discomfort.
• Focus on your breathing, and pay attention to how each breath feels.
• Notice your thoughts, whenever you start to think about something then gently focus on bringing attention back to breathe.

Why Balanced Education for Children? Children need to be mischievous. If they are not allowed to be mischievous and are suppressed or restricted, they will become bad later, and their parents will not be able to control them. When children are naughty in a small apartment, it is very difficult for their parents to handle them due to the restricted space, but if there is a property like an ashram, who cares? The children can run five times from one end of the boundary to the other. They can play, make mischief, and exhaust all their energy, then they sleep well. That kind of mischief is bal lila, child’s play.

Children have an excess of energy. Therefore, they need to run, play, and enjoy a lot of games. It is not good for them to simply sit and study alone. Their energy has to be balanced. Parents have a very bad habit of nagging their children and saying, “You are not studying. Have you done your homework? “Children are never asked, ‘Why don’t you go and play football ? ‘or’ There is a good movie showing today. Take some money and go and see it. People think their children have the same level of consciousness as they do.

The levels of consciousness of a father and his six-year-old child are entirely different. When the child says, “I want to see a movie,” there is a different idea in his mind to when the father, who is twenty or thirty, wants to see a movie. Children do not have an impure motivation; their level of awareness is very high. Children are very close to God. Children are indeed pure. This state of innocence is described in the first part of the Ramacharitamanas, where the childhood of Rama is described.

Arrangements must be made for games or sports to become a subject at school. Games could be compulsory for all children except those who have physical problems. Games, drama, and music competitions need to go on side by side with intellectual pursuits. What is the use of teaching your child that Akbar was born in 1615 and Aurangzeb in 1750? Who wants to know all this history? When children have time and want to read, then let them, but do not impose study as a part of their education. It is not necessary to overburden children with too much bookish knowledge.

Children do not become great through study or qualifications. They become great through the quality of their mind, intelligence, and receptivity. They are based on how much they can receive, retain, and give. It does not mean that one should not study. One must have qualifications because today, this is the system throughout the world, and we must respect it. But when children are continually asked, “have you done your homework ?” They become scared of not getting first-class marks in their exams. They worry about what their parents will say if they fail.

School children are always afraid that they might fail their exams. What does it matter if they fail? Parents should tell their children, “Never mind, if you fail, you can try again. “ But parents do not dare to say such things, so their children think, “ other students are fighting for first divisions. If I only get a second division, what will Daddy say ?” This idea, which is drilled into the minds of children, ruins their entire personality. Instead, the child should be told,” Go and study if you like, but do not bother too much about it.”

We know that many students who lagged in their school studies went on to have brilliant careers. Isaac Newton, who discovered the law of Gravity, was a poor student, but he became the foremost scientist, and today, the law of gravity is the basis of every scientific experiment. If a child is a dull student, it does not mean that he will remain dull all his life. In my school days, I was very bad at mathematics, but today I can do any calculations without a calculator. You have to be able to tackle the problems of life, whether business, family, or institutional. If you cannot, then what is the use of being a first-class student?

Nature : Balanced Education For Children

The popular notion is that if children play and have fun, they will fail in their studies and life, but it is not true. However, if they have time to play and have fun, they will be successful, and if they study too much, they will spoil their lives. Playing balances the muscular and nervous energies of children, and it circulates blood throughout the system many times over. If a child sits in front of the TV all day or something only once. Children listen to a song from the cinema just once, and they can memorize it, yet they need a tutor to help them learn from the schoolbooks. Children should be left free to play. I grieve to see what is being done to children these days.

Usually, there is a very big gap between the mental state of teachers and young school students. While teaching, one has to be mindful of this gap. One has to come down to the level of students to teach them. A teacher must not always be saying,” Do this; don’t do that .”Don’t always try to find a fault with the child. A teacher is neither a policeman nor a hunter. Rather, he should be a loving companion who can become their teacher when the child is ten to twelve years old. Until the age of seven, forget that you have to teach children anything. They should be allowed to grow and develop naturally, to sing, play, make noise, and do mischief. There is nothing wrong with that.

An important point to remember is not to tell the child what is right and wrong, good and bad. This distinction is the complex of a guilty mind. Do not put this sense of guilt into the minds of children. When they grow up and become adults they will know the difference between right and wrong, Good and bad. Even birds and animals know this. Parents should not tell their children to read a lot, study hard, or try to be great or important. Let them enjoy their schooling. They should think that their teachers in the school are good, loving, and friendly. This will generate a feeling of unity in their hearts.

Meditation is necessary because it opens up the way to realize the potential of human consciousness. What is consciousness? What is the mind? We talk of the body, and we talk of the brain. But yoga speaks of minds, and yoga speaks of consciousness as well. Human Consciousness is the all-encompassing awareness, without any boundaries and distinctions. Mind is the manifest aspect of Consciousness, which relates to the world, the environment, at present. Although modern psychology has divided the mind up into different categories- the conscious, the subconscious, and the unconscious. Yogis have described the mind as an attribute of consciousness and the consciousness as having four different stages of expressions and experience:

• Jagrat, the awakened state, the wakeful state
• Swapna, the dreaming state, a stage where you are neither awake nor asleep
• Nindra, sleep, the unconscious
• Turiya, the state of inner effulgence in which you realize your being

These are the four attributes of consciousness. Jagrat has been compared to the conscious, swapna to the subconscious, and nindra to the unconscious. However, I believe English does not have the proper words to define the actual states of consciousness, and these four states are only broad categories .

The great author Abhinav Gupta, who wrote two beautiful treatises on tantra, Tantra Loka and Tantra Sara, has described twenty-one states of consciousness. Each stage is different from the previous one. What does this indicate? That our knowledge, our perception, our understanding of human consciousness, of human personality, of the human mind is very limited. It is a feat of analysis, logic, and understanding if somebody, through years of study and research, can define twenty-one states of consciousness. This is the only example of how deep you can go into the study of human nature.

We are talking of consciousness, and you can give a shape to the consciousness in the formative years. You can shape the awakened state of consciousness, which connects to the outer world through the senses and mind. You can also shape the dreaming state, which exists between the awakened and dormant states, giving it form and identity. This happens through the processes of pratyahara, dharana, and dhyana. A beginning has to be made. Begin with the tools that you have, and practice what you know with sincerity, dedication, and commitment to transform your attitude and outlook. Practice with sincerity to develop an understanding of your nature and your child’s nature.

Human Consciousness For Children

In ancient civilizations, there used to be a method of knowing the nature of the child. At the age of eight, before being taught the practices of asanas, pranayama, and mudra, the child was put in a room in which different objects had been placed. People would watch to see which object the child was attracted to. When a child picks up the first object, the parents would get an idea of how the child is going to develop in the course of his life.

There is a story about it. A rich person placed four items in the room: money, a gun, a rosary, and a bottle of wine. He thought, ”If the child goes to pick the money, he will become a big businessman; if the child picks up the bottle of wine, I know he will become a sensual drunkard.” An eight–year–old child went into the room, looked around, picked up the money and put it into his pocket, picked up the gun and put it in another pocket, picked up the bottle and drank it, picked up the rosary and walked out the door. The father said, “My God, he’s going to be a politician. “ Do not let this happen to your child. Give your child the opportunity to grow in life with proper support and encouragement. Parents have to become the support group for the child. Parents have to provide the child with the opportunity to express his or her creativity. If we can do that, we will see a new sun shine over this world.

Yoga is a very effective exercise not only for your body but also for the most important organ, our EYES. These supplemental Yoga eye exercises are for strengthening the eye muscles and purifying the optic nerves. The effects are more profound than Fixed Gazing, which should be mastered first. This series should be sequenced after the joint Freeing poses or Pavanmuktasana, described in Structural Yoga Therapy. Begin sitting in the easy Pose (Sukhasana) with your eyes closed. Steady your breathing until your inhale and exhale are of even duration. Concentrate on holding your body motionless, particularly your head. When stillness and comfort have been attained, open your eyes and gaze softly straight ahead in the following ways-

1. DISTANT TO CLOSE: Sit in the front of a window that affords the greatest distant view possible. Slowly move your focus to closer and progressively closer objects until your attention is three feet ahead. Then, place your forefinger at eye level and gaze at the tip of that finger. Slowly move your hand inward until your fingertip is resting on the tip of your nose. Reverse your visual focus until you are looking at the distant horizon. Repeat three times.
   
2. SIDE TO SIDE: Move your eyes in the straight line to the far right without moving your body. Keeping your eyes focused, nothing the farthest point that you can see without distortion. Then move your eyes in a smooth steady line to the left, again finding the most distant focal point without turning your head. Repeat 3x each direction, then close and relax your eyes.
   
3. TOP TO BOTTOM: Move your eyes up to the highest focal point the down to the lowest focal point without moving your head. Repeat 3x, then close your eyes and rest them.
   
4. DIAGONAL: Look up and to the right, at a 45-degree angle. Move your eyes in a diagonal line opposite lower corner. Repeat 3x, and then rest your eyes. Then do the same exercise, beginning at upper left moving to lower right. Repeat 3x.
   
5. CIRCLES: Open your eyes, focusing at top center and slowly moving in a smooth clockwise manner to the extreme of each focal point. Repeat 3x. Close your eyes for one complete breath the repeat 3x counterclockwise.
   
6. PALMING: Close your eyes and rub your palms briskly together until they become warm. Place your palms directly over the eyes with your fingers in your hair. Do not touch your eyelids, but cup your hands close enough to feel the warmth of your palms. Your hands should be placed in such a manner as to shut out all light. Then open your eyes and focus on the blackness so your muscles and optic nerves obtain a deep rest. Direct the Adya prana into its subtaker form as vyana prana. This change will permit you to shift from being receptive to sensory input to being perceptive to intuition.

This exercise is one of the best methods for relieving eyestrain and securing relaxation to improve eyesight. If it is difficult to “see” blackness with your eyes closed, then lay a piece of black felt, velvet, or black” sleep mask” over your eyes after palming. An ideal tool for this purpose is an eye bag made up of silk with rice or flax seed inside, scented or not, available in most health food stores. This is done while lying supine in the yoga relaxation exercise called Savasana.

1. “When palming is perfect, the color of any object remembered is remembered perfectly, and one feels perfectly relaxed and sees a perfect black field before the eyes when they are closed and covered.
2. “When the eyes are opened, perfect sight comes instantaneously and the letters on the eye chart seem perfectly black and are easily recognized”.
3. “The white centers of the letters called halos seem to be  whiter than the margin of the chart”.

Virabhadrasana or Warrior Pose, is the name of a legendary warrior created by Shiva‘s wrath. This Vinyasa combines both open and closed hip standing poses that challenge the strength and flexibility of the lower back and hips. These poses can empower or overpower students depending upon the teacher`s sensitivity to their students’ abilities and limitations. Done in the sequence of this Vinayasa, the poses are more approachable and digestible when done in isolation.

Shiva Virabhadra story (transforming wrath)

Daksha was a great and powerful tantric yogi whose power had given him a swollen head, believing himself to be a god. He married Prasuti, a daughter of Manu, the universal lawyer, and had 16 beautiful daughters. The youngest Sati became the second wife of Shiva – Bhava, one of Shiva’s eight forms. He is known for his serenity and complete detachment from the world. As the ruler of transformation, Shiva had a special love for death and rebirth and could often be found doing his tantric practices at the cremation grounds.

One day, Daksha decided to throw a big party in his honor to impress the world with the supernatural powers he had gained through mastery of the sacrificial fire, yagna. But he did not want to invite his son-in-law Shiva because of his unclean practice. Daksha became indignant at the thought of Shiva’s body covered with ashes from the cremation ground disrupting his ceremony. He didn’t want him anywhere near his special guests, so he did not include Shiva among the gods to whom he offered the yagna.

Sati was by nature pious and dutiful. So, her father’s exclusion of her husband from the ceremony humiliated her and left her dependent for days. She could not conceive of a way that could reconcile the two major men in her life. Out of her depression, accompanied by morose and suicidal thoughts, she threw herself into the fire that was to consume the sacred offerings. News of this shocking event soon reached Shiva’s first wife, Parvati. (Bad news travels fast, even in the days before satellite TV.) When she told Shiva, initially he was unmoved. Out of empathy for Parvati’s distress, he felt compelled to take revenge. His shift into a destructive rage, Shiva tore the hair from his matted head and threw it on the ground.

Out of Shiva’s wrath sprang a powerful warrior. Virabhadra, with three eyes, four arms, and tusks protruding from his mouth. He wore a garland of skulls and held a trident in one right hand and a club in one left hand. His other hands displayed the mudra signs of compassion: Abhaya Mudra (a gesture capable of dispelling fear) with an open palm facing up, and Varada Mudra (a gesture of bestowing boons) with an open palm facing down. Virabhadra was sent to destroy the fire ceremony. He appeared like a hurricane, destroyed the sacrifice, and massacred the unrighteous complacent bystanders. The virtuous guests fled to seek Shiva’s grace and forgiveness for their foolishness. Once Daksha was found, he was beheaded by Virabhadra, who threw the severed head into the yagna’s fires.

Shiva’s revenge was complex. Later that night, Sati spoke to Shiva in a dream, imploring him to give her father back his life. Shiva consented to restore his life but not his head. This he replaced with the head of a ram. The karma complete, Sati could be reborn as Uma and the Goddess of the Himalayas. She lived many years in seclusion in the remote valleys and caves of the Himalayas until she completed her spiritual training. Then, she once again became Shiva’s second bride. And they lived happily ever after.

Precautions of Warrior Pose

Do not do this Vinyasa if you have an acute knee injury. However, collectively, the poses making up the variations of Vidrabhadrasana are quite beneficial for recovering a healthy knee following injuries. Be especially careful to make sure your knees are properly positioned. If you aren’t stable in the standing pose, increase the side-to-side width of your foot placement. This adjustment is especially beneficial in relieving strains to your inner knees and sacroiliac region.

Instructions of Virabhadrasana ( Warrior Pose )

1. Stand in an erect standing steady posture (Samasthiti)
2. Exhale and step wide apart so your feet are three feet apart.
3. INHALE and stretch your arms our and overhead, interlacing your fingers.
4. Exhale form an outward finger lock as you turn your hips to face squarely to your left. Check your foot angles out slightly (2’o clock ). INHALE and extend your spine, lifting up out of your waist.
5. EXHALE, bending your left knee until your shin is perpendicular to the floor. This is Warrior I. Hold the position for three steady breaths. Then on the next.
6. INHALE, bring your palms to your heart in the Namaste gesture. EXHALE, staying still.
7. INHALE your arms up overhead into an outward finger lock as you straighten your left knee.
8. Exhale, forward bend, lowering your hands towards your left ankle. INHALE, extend your spine forward.
9. EXHALE, lowering your head so that your forehead is closer to your chin. Repeat the last two motions three times, gradually lengthening your spine to comfortable capacity as you lower your hands toward the floor. This is the side Stretch pose, Parsvottanasana. Stay here for 3 breaths.
10. INHALE, lift your torso to an upright position with arms overhead. EXHALE, lower arms parallel to the floor at shoulder height and at the same foot at 9`o clock and the right foot at 10 o’clock. INHALE  fully lengthening your spine and arms.
11. EXHALE, move your torso as a unit from your hip joint and bring your left hand to rest on your mid-shin. Steady yourself for three breaths in the Extended triangle position, Utthita trikonasana. If you can maintain cervical alignment, INHALE and rotate your head to look at your extended right thumb, palm facing front.
12. INHALE and lift to standing, resuming position.
13. EXHALE, bend your left knee until your shin comes perpendicular to the floor with your torso. remaining vertical to form Warrior II, Virabhadrasana. Stay for three breaths.
14. INHALE, return to center standing position with fingers interlaced overhead. Then repeat all the poses on the right side.
15. After completing the postures on both sides, return to standing steady pose, and remain there to feel the effects of the warrior Vinyasa. Lie down in Savasana and feel the benefits.

Notes for polishing your practice

The muscles of the hips are intricate, and they interact with each other in various combinations. They tend to both strengthen and bind the pelvic girdle to the spinal column. To help facilitate a balance of stamina yet freedom to these dynamic forces of the spinal column, I encourage doing micro–movements with the basic four asanas of this sequence. They consist of repetitively doing pelvic tilt and thrust, sideways pelvic swing ( lifting on one hip socket while descending the other ), and drawing a circle with the pelvis. By repeating these motions 6-10 times in each position, you will be creating freedom of the joints and stamina in the deeper muscular tissues. These micro motions may also bring up emotional patterns held by restricted pelvic mobility. This benefit can be pursued in individual Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy sessions if you are not comfortable giving expression to these emotions and energies in class.

Opening your feet to an increasingly wider stance is a great way to challenge the capacity of your body to adapt to change. Keep in mind that the increased stance will place increased pressure on both your hip joints and your sacral ligaments. So, these are beneficial only if you have no concerns for these delicate regions of your anatomy. Increasing the width of your base or the depth of your pelvis is not recommended until you have spent time with the micro-movements to free up the pelvis.

Benefits of Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose)

Standing positions with both open and closed hip variations powerfully work the muscles of the thighs and buttocks. These postures provide balance to the hips, pelvis, and spine through the strong opposing movements of the closed versus the opened hip positions. By giving plenty of time with these poses, Yoga students can make wonderful strides in their capacity to do comfortable seated poses. This series can increase your comfort in all forms of sitting. The Warrior pose, especially the variation on, dramatically opens the respiratory muscles and begins to enhance their stamina. Over time, increase your holding time of each of these primary organs’ postures to optimize the benefit.

The warrior is a powerful image and certainly one of the most dynamic postures in Yoga. The Warrior is especially beneficial in creating strength and stamina by challenging your endurance. The sequence includes both open and closed hips variations of Virabhadrasana. The open hip positions (Warrior I and extended triangle ) create a powerful stretching of the adductors, which comprise the greatest bulk of the thigh, as well as toning the outer thigh and hip. Moving between bowed legs and knock–knees as well as weak ankles, particularly fallen arches or flat feet. Also, stretching the inner thighs (adductors) is beneficial for runners as an important factor in preventing injuries to these muscles as well as their posterior neighbors, the hamstrings.

The closed hip positions (Warrior I and Side Stretch) reverse the effects of open hip positions. Thus,  strengthens the groin (adductors) while stretching the outer thighs and buttocks (hip extensors and external rotators ).

Have you ever felt like your body, mind, and soul are out of balance? Do you ever feel as if there is some disbalance in your mental, physical, spiritual, and physical issues? Also, does it sometimes feel as if energy is trapped or blocked inside you and causing more stress? If so, Chakra Meditation is the best way to energize your physical, mental, and spiritual body and ease your stress. You may benefit a lot from Chakra Meditation.

Chakra Meditation is a simple yet powerful meditation that anyone has the potential to practice. It aligns your body, mind, and spirit in harmony. The intention is to stimulate and unblock the energy centers and harness the power of energy centers located throughout the body so you can live with greater enthusiasm and peace.

If you are curious to learn about this practice and process of Chakra Meditation, this article will be your guide. After reading this article, you will be able to open your chakras and activate the energy centers that help you to relieve stress, and anxiety and you will feel better for sure.

What is a Chakra?

The word chakra comes from Sanskrit which means “wheel” and refers to the energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy throughout your whole body that should stay open and aligned, as they correspond to different areas of our energetic body that affect our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

There are seven main chakras located from the base of your spine to the top of your head. Each chakra is responsible for a different aspect of your well-being, and each benefits differently. Each of these seven chakras has a corresponding number, name, color, and health focus. When all seven chakras are open, energy flows freely through the area and manifests in how you think, feel, and behave.

When your chakras become blocked, they disrupt the smooth flow of energy, leading to physical blockages, psychological distress, and an imbalance in your emotional and spiritual state. That’s why experts recommend Chakra Meditation.

What is Chakra Meditation?

Chakra Meditation is a powerful form of meditation that aims to balance your body, mind, and spirit. On the other hand, Chakra meditation is a practice that opens and balances your body’s seven chakras. By practicing Chakra Meditation we cleanse and activate the energy of our chakra system. Chakra Meditation is all about focusing on each chakra, from root to crown, to control and restore the energy that flows through them. The ultimate goal after this practice is to ensure that your chakras are wide open and allow a strong connection between body, mind, and soul.

When your chakras are blocked or imbalanced, you may feel:

• Uneasy, anxious, and stressed
• Digestive and blood circulation problems
• Insecurity
• Lack of consciousness
• Disconnected from the world, yourself, and loved ones
• Unable to move forward in one(or more) areas of your life

To avoid this from happening, you can practice Chakra Meditation to open your chakras and let the energy flow freely and smoothly as nature intended.

Once your chakras are open and rebalanced, you will have a strong connection to every aspect of your body, mind, and soul. You will also feel more at peace and out of your comfort zone

What are the seven Chakras of Meditation?

There are seven chakras located throughout your body, and each serves a different purpose. Each chakra has a corresponding color that follows the color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (or white). You can wear or surround yourself with that color and meditate on its element nearby.

Let’s go through each chakra to find out what they are responsible for and what you may feel if they are unbalanced.

1. The Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Element: Earth
Color: Red
Sound: LAM
Yoga poses: Tree pose, Mountain pose, Warrior II

The Muladhara chakra is found at the base of the spine. Because of its location at the seat of your body, it keeps us strong into embodied reality, physically strong and secure. The root chakra is connected to the Earth. This chakra governs your family ties and feelings of survival and belonging. The root chakra holds our instinctual urges around food, sleep, and sex.

When it’s blocked

• Unstable and unsettled
• Sluggish and unmotivated
• Frustrated
• Poor immune system

When it’s opened

• Strong connection with yourself, family, and friends
• Feel strong and confident
• You can take care of yourself
• Happy with your body
• Feel safe and secure

2. The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)

Element: Water
Color: Orange
Sound: WAM
Yoga poses: Goddess pose, Pigeon pose, Reverse warrior

The sacral chakra sits just below the navel. This one is connected with reproductive and sexual organs, emotions, and creativity. Your emotional regulation and how you relate to yourself and others. It is also connected to your passions, sexual pleasures, and the sensation of joy.

When it’s blocked

• Uncreative
• Guilt about your sexual desires and pleasures
• Emotionally unstable
• Unable to become intimate with partners
• Uterine or bladder issues

When it’s opened

• Feel passionate
• Feel creative and positive
• Powerful and strong in your sexual energy
• Friendly and joyful
• Feel more inspired

3. The Solar Plexus (Manipura)

Element: Fire
Color: Yellow
Sound: RAM
Yoga Poses: Boat pose, Warrior III, Sun Salutation

The Manipura chakra is located in the navel which is associated with the digestive system, the element of fire, Individual power, and purpose.

When it’s blocked

• Lack of courage
• Low self-esteem
• Feel stagnant and inert
• Powerless and unable to take action
• Muscle and stomach cramps
• Insecurity
• Digestive issues

When it’s opened

• Inner power and self-confidence
• Happy to share self gifts and abilities with others
• Feel confident, productive and energized

4. The Heart Chakra(Anahata)

Element: Air
Color: Green
Sound: YAM
Yoga poses: Camelpose, heel pose, Upward-facing dog

The Anahata Chakra is in the center of the heart where your heart beats. It’s right in the middle of the seven chakras and unites the Chakras of Matter (the lower three) with the Chakras of the Spirit (the upper three). The heart chakra is the source of love, emotions, and connections. It can radiate our deepest feelings of insecurity, disappointment, and loneliness. It can help you open up and form relationships with yourself and others.

When it’s blocked

• Lack of compassion and empathy
• Fear of Commitment
• You please others but never yourself
• Unwilling to forgive
• Loneliness
• Circulation problems and chest pain
• Possessive and co-dependent
• Fear of rejection
• Dysfunctional relationship

When it’s opened

• Form healthy relationship
• Unconditional love for yourself
• Gratitude for all you have
• Heal past wounds
• Spiritually aware
• Emotional connections with others

5. The Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

Element: Ether
Color: Blue
Sound: HAM
Yoga poses: Fish pose, supported shoulder stand

The Vishuddha Chakra is located in the throat region that physically covers your throat, mouth, and tongue. This Chakra is all about communication and speaking the truth. On a spiritual level, this Chakra is about expanding our conversation to the divine. It is responsible for your voice, speaking the truth, listening, and hearing what others share without judgment.

When it’s blocked

• A sore throat
• Thyroid issues
• Social anxiety
• Unable to speak up[ and scared to voice your opinions or feelings
• Like no one really understands/hears you
• You may be overly talkative and not listen to others

When it’s opened

• 100% confident to speak your truth and share your feelings
• Helps you communicate your emotions in healthy ways
• Listening to others and honoring their personal truth without judgment
• Communicate constructively
• Express our true authentic selves

6. The Third Eye Chakra (Anja)

Element: Light
Color: Indigo
Sound: OM
Yoga Poses: Candle Gazing, Child’s Pose, Cat/Cow Pose

This Chakra is located in the eyebrow level mid-brain. It is associated with intuition or the sixth sense, divine wisdom, and insight into the spirit world and our world. Your Third Eye “sees” things that are not visible. It reflects the information as imagination and governs how the rest of the Chakras function. It is the meeting point between two important energetic streams in our body, the idea and Pingala Nadis. Tapping and opening your Third Eye May give you a deeper understanding of yourself and the universe.

When it’s blocked

• Unable to make good decisions
• Disconnected from your intuitions and gut instincts
• Headaches, migraines, and tension across your brow and forehead
• Lack of self-trust
• Anxiety and depression
• Problems with the pituitary gland and pineal gland
• Close-minded and untrusting

When it’s opened

• Inner wisdom
• A clear sense of purpose for your life
• Active imaginations
• Communication with universe
• Can face life challenges and choices
• More connected to your spirituality, others, and the universe
• Correct your decision

7. The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

Element: Spirit
Color: White and Purple
Sound: OM
Yoga Poses: Savasana, Headstand, Rabbit pose

The Sahasrara Chakra is located right at the top of the head, just like where a crown would naturally sit.  It connects to beauty itself, spiritual realism, and your higher self with the divine. Also, responsible for spiritual awakening, enlightenment, faith, and divine understanding. It helps you to understand who you are beyond your physical self. It is everything that lies beyond our linear intellect, personal needs, and emotional experiences.

When it’s blocked

• The feeling of emotional distress
• Lonely, insignificant, and abandoned by a higher power
• Migraines and problems with the nervous system
• Confusion and Materialism

When it’s opened

• Accept and process divine guidance
• Enlightened and open-minded
• Connected to the higher power
• Powerful spiritual energy
• Grateful for all the blessings and divine offers
• Spiritual beliefs

How Do You Meditate To Open Chakras?

Just follow the given steps:

Be in a comfortable position

You can be seated on a meditation pillow, under a tree, or lying down. Choose somewhere quiet and relaxing where you won’t be disturbed.

Set an intention

Take a few deep breaths to relax your physical body and mind and make yourself in a meditative state. Think about what you hope to learn and accomplish during that time.

Visualize the light of each chakra glowing and swirling through your body.

Imagine the chakra you want to work on as a spiral of healing light or picture all of them shining at the same time. Visualize the energy moving through your whole physical body from the base of your spine to the top of your head.

Breathe deeply into each chakras center

Place your hand on the exact area you are focusing on to form a deeper mind-body connection. Feel the energy activating and clearing out blocked paths to your inner happiness and wisdom.

Work through your difficult areas/chakras

If you notice some negative sensation or feel negative thoughts when visualizing the specific chakra, spend more time breathing deeply and slowly release those negative energy. As you unblock stagnant energy in your body, you will be able to tap into deeper conscious levels of yourself and your place in the universe.

End your meditation by visualizing yourself stepping outside of your body and watching yourself as an observer

Imagine that your physical body is surrounded by a positive energy field. This flowing energy will increase your consciousness. How do you feel as this is happening?

Keep breathing and practicing your visualizations until you are ready to come out of the meditative state.

You will feel different after performing Chakra Meditation like this. No matter which route you take, you will likely feel so much better once you try it.

How many Types of Yoga Schools are there? Yoga-Meditation is said to have been practiced in Nepal since Vedic Culture 28,000 years ago archeologically proved. It is the reason why Yoga is an integral and deep-rooted culture in Nepal. All the yoga-related words are used in our daily conversation too. Vedic literature and Shiva Samhita say that Guru Gorakhanath formulated Yoga-Meditation from the beginning of human civilization. This is inevitable to live a healthy and well-disciplined performing ‘Dharma’, duties, and responsibilities with utmost sincerity.

Originating in the Himalayas approximately 5000 years ago, yoga has now reached almost all parts of the world, from third-world countries like Thailand and Nepal to first-world countries like America. Yoga retreats, yoga studios, and yoga teacher training programs are booming in the most rapid way possible. Yoga Schools are those institutions or educational establishments where the gurus (masters) teach the students about the knowledge of yoga. These Yoga schools teach and train yoga students. They teach many types of yoga like hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga, vinyasa flow, laya yoga, bhakti yoga, nada yoga, and many more. There are generally two kinds of yoga schools. Both of these types of yoga schools are good in their way and have unique qualities.

Yoga Alliance Registered Schools

Yoga Alliance is the largest non-profit association for the yoga community. This association intends to promote and protect the integrity of yoga all around the world. Yoga schools that are registered with yoga alliance can be expensive, and some can be less expensive too.

For example, a yoga school registered with the Yoga Alliance would be much cheaper than Bikram yoga. The teacher training courses for Bikram Yoga cost around USD 10000 to 20000. Other yoga schools that are registered with Yoga Alliance would be more expensive than others, offering a similar style of yoga teacher training course.

It is always worth it to go for schools that are registered with the Yoga Alliance. You can be assured that you will be receiving the best quality yoga education. Plus, yoga alliance courses are intensive yoga courses that start from 200-hour courses to 500-hour courses, which is also why they can be expensive.

A yoga school registered with Yoga Alliance will have in-depth yoga asana studies. There will be classes for studying ancient texts like the Bhagavad-Gita, hatha yoga pradipika, and Patanjali Yoga Sutras, meditation, anatomy and physiology, teaching methodologies, and so much more. In these schools, you will learn how to practice yoga not only on the mat but off the mat too.

As Rolf Gates says, “The real payoff of a yoga practice, I came to see, is not a perfect handstand or a deeper forward bend—it is the newly born self that each day steps off the yoga mat and back into life.”

Non-Registered Yoga Schools

These yoga schools aren’t registered with the Yoga Alliance. However, many of them provide high-quality yoga education. The main difference is that non-registered yoga schools typically don’t cover the full scope of yoga like registered ones do.

Non-registered schools focus more on yoga asanas and meditation. Passionate certified yoga teachers often start these schools, which are typically located in exotic countries like Thailand and Costa Rica. They tend to be quite expensive, usually costing between USD 3,000 and 10,000.

Doing a yoga teacher training course with this kind of yoga school can be a fun and enriching experience if you have the budget for it.

Yoga School in Nepal

Himalayan Yoga Academy is considered the most affordable and qualitative yoga school in Nepal. Located in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, our pioneering school of Yoga takes a holistic approach to provide you with the best learning environment for your 200 and 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification. Registered with the Yoga Alliance USA, we create bespoke training programs for 200hrs, 300hrs, or 500hrs yoga teacher training, specializing in Hatha Yoga and Ashtanga Yoga. Our Academy is also a sanctuary for those seeking a respite from life, with our Yoga Retreat and detox programs, which include daily Yoga practice, full body massage, Shirodhara, and healing therapies.

Vipasana is often defined as a meditation practice that seeks insight into the true nature of reality. With this method, you practice self- observation by focusing on your inner self in non – judgmental way. Vipasana meditation focuses on mind purification and the elimination of delusions, thereby clearing the individual of negative attachments such as pain, suffering, and distress. Breaking down this Sanskrit word Vipasana, there forms Vi means multiple and pasana means to see something distinctly or see more closely.

It has one main objective which is – to learn to see the “truth of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selflessness of phenomena. It only happens when we are fully in the present moment and nowhere else. We are then able to accept that everything in this world is temporary and breakthrough maya and illusions work towards liberation and moksha.

The main teaching of vipasana is – Awareness, Observation, and Equanimity. This means learning the awareness of how the senses meet the mind and matter (body). Observing the changes happening in our body. finally learning how to stay equanimous and to react to sensations.

2500 years ago, Buddha found out that knowledge, insight, and goodness are the only reliable antidotes to dissatisfaction and suffering. He said that our happiness doesn’t depend on ever-changing external circumstances. By observing inwards we can discover that fulfillment and joy are our true nature. And insight meditation is the method we use to look inward.

Many of our daily activities  can be the object of the both mindfulness and awareness meditation . Our actions, thoughts, feelings, and emotions, whether it is blissful or painful, can be used as object of meditation.

Vipasana can be carried out by observation and control. First of all, you have to observe yourself, study the object, and understand it carefully only then you will be  able to pass your opinions and control over those things. So, in this case observation can be regarded as self study .

Suppose your sleep patterns are not well managed for this you have to know yourself, and study your sleeping patterns then finally you try to judge yourself you will be able to find out the reason behind the unmanaged pattern, and you will be conscious  about how can you change them and bring your mind under control.

Control is the result of awareness. Awareness is the foundation by which we can oversee sorrow, extinguish suffering, and walk toward the path of realization.

Parts of Vipasana

1)Kayanupassana –kaya – body

2)Vedananupassana – Vedana – feelings /pain /sensation

3)Chittanupassana – Chitta – mind

4)Dhammanupassana – Dhamma – uplifting

NU from Nupassana means single point focus

Now, let’s dig into different parts of Vipassana from the perspective of observation and control.

1. Kayanupassana

 A) Observation –What we can observe

As kaya refers to the body so, Kayanupassana means what we can see in our body . Every individual observe differently. for instance – if we ask bunch of girls to put a tika on their forehead  , each of them have a different spot where they put on the tika. One may wear it between the eyebrow, another may put little above the centers, and last still above .

So , there are multiple observations  but what can be considered as the  truth ?

Keep observing our body can leads us to find the new things, answers we are searching

Some observations of our bodies :

1. Our body behaves differently every single day, one day it can be active and another day it can be passive. Also, we can feel the pain in the hand someday, and in the legs, it’s another day. So it’s strange that our body isn’t the same every day. It is affected by various factors.
2. Our bodies have limits. For instance – when we go hiking with our friends, some of us can walk 5 km continuously and still not tired but some walk about 2 km and also get tired.

So, it’s about how much we can allow pain to affect our body or let it go.

• Our bodies require various things without which they can’t function. Like, food, water, sleep, adequate rest. But our minds works constantly even when our body is asleep. So, it’s our body with a lot of desired that lead us to a pain and suffering.

So here when we will be able to stop the desires in our life, that day will be the day when we will find out the truth and can be far from all those suffering and pain that happens because of our body. Finally you can see your body and know what it is actually .

Exercise :

Take some time to be with yourself, a minimum of 20 minutes or more how much you can give your time for yourself? This should be the For time without any distraction, no phones, no other people, no need to go toilet or anything. Just observe yourself and have some silence. Some suggestions to help you start – concentrate on your breathing (Exhalation and inhalation). Look at the speed of your heartbeat notice the breath write it in your journal. Just observe your inner body and be with yourself.

B) Control

Once we become aware of our sensations. How do we exert control over them? Vipasana uses a technique named Anapanasati. Here, Anapana means exhalation and exhalation, and sati –means awareness/mindfulness. So, we can simply say that it is the awareness of breathe.

In this technique we tend to focus on our breath, every time the mind diverts, bringing it back under our control by focusing on our breath. We don’t want to change the way of breathing, we just want to stop our minds from being distracted by paying full attention to the breathing process naturally.

We people have lots of thoughts regarding the past and future. Through this, we want to bring our mind consciousness to the present moment. And the most present happening in our body is our breath. So, we train our minds by simply concentrating on breathing.

We have to be able to know ourselves and be able to know the nature of bodies to connect our body with the mind, consequently, we will be able to hear the voice of our inner soul.

Kyananupassana is the first and toughest step of Vipassana.

We can be easily distracted by the outer world’s desires and attached to it due to our senses.  Whenever our eyes see some thing it passes the signals fastest to our brain. So, what the eyes see is the mind’s desires. And the mind function is to explore. Therefore, to control over the mind and bring it back from those worldly things, we bring all the consciousness towards our breathe. It is constant and with us all the time.

2) Vedananupassana

A) Observation

What you can’t see – feelings, sensations and pain

Vedana means pain in Sanskrit And according to the Buddha, Vedana means feelings and sensations

Pain tends to stop our body.

Suppose when we feel the pain in our legs, we wouldn’t go for a walk.

Thus, pain just stops you from doing something more or demotivate you.

Feelings create a sensation to perform a task or a desire.

For eg: When we sit in padmasana (cross-legged pose), then we start feeling pain in our knee at a certain moment. Our reflex action would be to stretch our legs, and shake. But, How about ignoring the pain or accepting it with no reaction at all. Bringing all our focus  back to the breathe. After the lot of practice,  you feel the pain but you are no more attached to it and you think the pain no more bother you at all.

 B) Control

All those feelings, sensations, and pain are temporary. They come and go. The only way to control all these under our control is Awareness. Our minds tend to get attached to all three. This mind is addicted to the attachment. However, our soul is never attached to anything else; It is fully in the present moment and just witnesses its flow. It embraces every moment and accepts what it is as it will eventually pass.

Lets explain it with the example :

Suppose you are at the top of the hills where you can observe the best natural view. Here a part of you will be observing the breathtaking views, overwhelmed by the rivers flowing through the edge of the hills, the fresh air flowing, and many other things. Then, when you try to leave the spot where you are, you just focus on the step ahead and leave that beauty behind. Another part of you may start wondering how fast the river goes, you may get annoyed by the animals’ sounds nearby, and you may start to notice the garbage around it. That part of you also might start to wish to be there forever and even if you leave that place your thoughts are still back there. The first part of you is your soul, it mesmerized the moment you were there and left it behind when the moment was over. However, the second part of your mind is wanting to make moments (especially the happy ones) forever.

On the contrary, if it is the sad moment we want it  to end immediately. We have been taught that pain is something bad instead of accepting it for what it is.

Task

Draw a rough sketch of your body, observe your body, and point out parts where you feel pain or any kind of sensations, how does it make you feel? How do you react to it? Write this in your journal in a peaceful place without any distractions.

How often we spend our time on ourselves, observing everything in our body and how they influence our mind. And remember that our mind body and soul are interdependent of each other.

3) Chittanupassana

A) Observation

According to our yoga, our mind can be divided into four parts

Mana – the overall mind, has many layers and is connected to every single cell in our bodies. It is related to memory and intelligence. It is not intellect.

Buddhi – intellect – this is the logical mind and functions based upon the data that already exists.

Ahankara – ego – It is our sense of identity. Once the anhakara assumes the identity, the intellect functions only in that context. It is important to function beyond the intellect because the intellect is suppressed to intellect.

Chitta – the conscious mind – (chetana) is the mind without the memory. It is pure intelligence which is like cosmic intelligence. It connects you to consciousness.

Our chitta is always suctioning whether we are asleep or awake. The Buddhi comes and goes (our mind travels ) but Chitta is our presence, it is our breath. If we use buddhi to control our breath, we lose focus.

B) Control

Suppose you are flying in the sky on either of these two vehicles, a plane and a flying carpet.

The plane has a fixed view from the cockpit. It cannot look beyond what it sees from the windows. So, it stay focuses on what is visible from here and this helps the pilots to tuned in to the direction in which they need to fly.

Now, imagine yourself flying on the carpet, you can look around you, change positions you want, you can stand on the carpet, you can sit or stand up whatever you want. It is sure that you will be fascinated by everything around you and always get distracted by the next thing in your vision.

Now, apply this theory to your own self. Your eyes have a cockpit view and your mind is flying on the carpet. We can train our minds to focus on the view we are currently seeing with the help of our breathe. Even when our eyes are closed, our minds start to fly again we start focusing on the breathe to concentrate on the single point.

However there is someone who is watching our mind that is soul.

4) Dhammanupassana

 A) Obeservation

In kaya and vedana you try to remove the negatives. In the chiita, your practice helps you get connected to the present moment all the time. So, in Dhamma, we move higher.

The task you did in your journal, noting down all the things you had done just for you. The things make you feel good about yourself. You don’t do it for any other reasons besides the fact that it gives you happy feelings.

Eg: you feed the street dog just because you feel happy and you want to not because you will get good karma. It’s an unselfish act.

B) Control

Here it is important to understand following things :

Dharm – responsibility

Karma – every actions has its reaction

Bhagya – destiny – this is  the result  of your karma

Karma and Dhamma is both related with the intention

Karma is highly misunderstood. Every action we perform, whether in thoughts or deeds, you will get the result in some form of reaction. This reaction may be sudden or it may occur after a long time or in another life.

Karma is of two types :

Good karma (punya) karma

Bad karma (sin/pap) karma

Destiny is the storehouse of all your good and bad karma. This destiny works on how your karma cycle has been completed. Let’s understand this with the examples:

Suppose you have borrowed some money from your friend and after some time you return it to your friend. Here your friend did some good karma and it paid off later on when you returned back to him. So, destiny is not affected here.

But, when you borrowed money from your friend but you passed away before you returned it then. The karma cycle is left incomplete here. So, in the next life, the situation will come when you have to give your money to your friend in some form. So it’s the destiny.

Sometimes though you have good intentions it may lead to bad actions or results where it’s not your fault. For eg, the Teacher has given Ram and Hari to write an essay on the importance of language in their way. Here Ram points out all the points first and starts writing an essay but Hari has still not started writing it. So, Hari asked Ram to give his copy to note down some points and Ram provided him with the copy. But Hari copied all the essays rather than taking points and writing them down himself. Finally teacher came to check and observed Hari and Ram had the same answers then found that Hari cheated and got punished.

So here, Ram’s intentions were good but it led to bad reactions because of Hari’s bad action. Yamaraj is the first department that you encounter when you die and go to heaven where Yamaraj starts judgment on your karmas, small good and bad karmas get sorted out in the same life or the yamaloka. Those small karmas you completed in your life are not recorded in your destiny but Big good and bad karma added into the next life.

We all wish to kickstart our day with a tonic of our choice. Be it tea, coffee, lemon water, or maybe herbal drinks. While we all know the harmful effects of the caffeine content in tea and occasionally, our addiction and dependency thereto know little or no bounds. Here are 5 healthier yogic drink alternatives.

The desire and looking for tea and occasional has been increasing so rampantly even once we know both beverages can cause some serious health complications. But how else can we kick-start our day? What might be the healthier alternative?

5 Healthier Yogic Drink Alternatives

1. Chicory coffee

Ingredients

2 tbsp Chicory root powder (The root must be cut, dried, roasted before grinding it into coarse powder. are often utilized in an espresso machine or filter coffee machine.)

Jaggery powder (optional)

Milk (as per taste)

Method

Add the filtered Chicory root during a glass, add hot milk and Jaggery powder.

Serve Hot.

Benefits: This tea is far better than normal coffee as Chicory roots have more fiber and nutrients than normal coffee and even have anti-inflammatory and decongestant properties.

2. Lemon and kokum juice

Ingredients

1 Lemon

Honey (optional)

Salt (optional)

2 tbsp Kokum (raw juice/sugar free)

Method

Add Kokum juice during a bowl, add juice and water (about ¾ glass). Add salt or Honey as per taste.

Benefits: Kokum is of course sweet, salty, and astringent. it’s loaded with nutrients and vitamins sort of B3, C, and B9, and minerals like Calcium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese, and Potassium. It also features a healthy amount of fibers and is that the perfect start for the day. Lemon, as we all know alright is rich in vitamin C and excellent for detoxifying and energizing the body.

Perfect start for the day, won’t you agree?

3. Kahwah (Arabic tea)

Ingredients

½ tablespoon Green Coffee beans , lightly roasted and coarsely ground

½ tablespoon Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds , crushed

1 cups Water

1/8 teaspoon Saffron strands

½ teaspoon perfume , optional

Method

Bring water to boil during a saucepan. When it boils, add ground coffee. After 10 minutes of boiling, add cloves, crushed cardamom and stir once and boil for an additional 4 to five minutes. Now cut the flame, cover and let dregs settle at rock bottom for a moment . don’t stir at this point since the liquid must settle. Now add the perfume and saffron. Strain and pour the steaming coffee into the flask or teapot.

Benefits: this is often a superb energy drink that acts as a natural remedy for congestion, severe cold, even headaches, and migraine, and helps in reducing cholesterol. It aids in digestion, keeps the skin healthy and rejuvenates you while speeding up the metabolism and burning calories. it’s also proven to release stress and strengthen the system .

4. Pumpkin Apple Cider

Ingredients

Pumpkin syrup:

½ cup pumpkin purée

¼ cup sugar

50 ml water

½ teaspoons pumpkin spice

½ teaspoon pumpkin spice extract

Spiced cider:

1 cups Apple cider

½ orange, sliced

5 cloves

1 cinnamon sticks

Method

In a saucepan, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar , water, pumpkin spice and pumpkin extract and convey to a boil. Once it boils, lower the warmth and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring every now then , until it thickens and becomes a syrup.

In the meantime, stud the orange slices with the cloves and reserve.

Transfer the syrup to the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix .

Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until fragrant and warm. Remove the cinnamon, star anise and orange slices and serve.

Benefits: This drink backs up a lot of fiber and vitamins. Cider contains polyphenols, which are compounds in plants that act as antioxidants. they will help the body fight against free radicals and cell damage, lowering your risk of certain sorts of cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions. With the goodness of both pumpkin and apple combined, this drink improves internal functions, aids weight loss, provides natural sugar to the body, and adds a refreshing boost to our day ahead.

5. Caramel Apple Cider

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups apple cider

1 1/2 tablespoons caramel sauce

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Add apple cider and caramel sauce to alittle saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. Stirring constantly, heat until the apple cider is hot and therefore the caramel sauce has completely melted. Pour into mug and serve warm.

Benefits: It helps in promoting blood flow and filtration, which helps in boosting energy within the liver. Apple vinegar can aid within the removal of harmful toxins that tend to create up in an overwhelmed or unhealthy liver, enhancing the detoxification process of our body. It also improves blood glucose levels, provides relief from indigestion and reduces the risks of heart diseases and cancer.

In addition to being refreshing and delicious, these yogic drinks made up of natural ingredients are loaded with nutritional and medicinal values that are very beneficial to us. They’ve been use to cure various ailments and imbalances for years now and can continue doing so for the years to return . It’s time we optimally enjoy and utilize these health benefits. Namaskar!

Introduction of Rudrakshya Mala

Rudrakshya is a seed traditionally used for prayer beads in Hinduism. It is associated with the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. Here, “Rudra” stands for Lord Shiva, and “Akshya “ stands for Shiva’s tears. The question that always comes to yoga and meditation practitioners about Rudrakhsya that Why it is so called tears of Lord Shiva. Actually when Sati who is called `Dakshyani ‘ – Daughter of Dakshya. Also, the first wife of Shiva, Parvati, Sati’s reincarnation after Sati’s death. More about the Benefits of Rudrakshya Mala.

When Dakshya insulted Sati in front of all the guests during a fire ceremony, calling Lord Shiva a disgusting and terrible person, Sati felt humiliated and jumped into the fire pit (Agni Kunda). When Lord Shiva learned of this incident, he became furious, plucked a lock of his hair, and struck it on the ground. From that strike, two deities, Virbhadra and Bhadrakali, were born. Shiva ordered them to destroy the fire ceremony and kill Dakshya immediately.

After Sati’s death, Shiva carried her lifeless body in his hands and flew toward Kailasha, his home. During this time, Shiva was overcome with deep sorrow, and some of his tears fell to the earth, where they transformed into Rudrakshya. Grief-stricken after Sati’s death, Shiva meditated for many years. When he finally opened his eyes, his tears, born from years of deep sadness and attachment, began to fall. This is how Rudrakshya was formed.

People primarily use the seeds in Nepal and India as beads for organic jewelry or malas, valuing them similarly to semi-precious stones. Rudrakshya malas are available in different combinations, ranging from one mukhi to 21 mukhi beads, each carrying significant meaning and value.

Scientific benefits of Rudrakshya

1) Rudrakshya mala protects the wearer from negative energies like ghosts, evil spirits, and other such malefic components of our world.

2) Rudrakshya Mala creates a cocoon on their own energy helping the wearer sleep easily and make other adjustments smoothly .

3) It is known for its mystic healing properties that can help cure various physical and emotional disorders.

4) Rudrakhsya beads can increase focus and concentration.

5) It is also useful for water purification purposes.

6) It also helps to improves our physical health .

7) Rudrakhsya brings peace, tranquility, and calmness to the person wearing it.

Spiritual benefits of Rudrakshya

1) Increases devotion as its origin is related with the Hindu deity Lord Shiva .

2) Safeguards its wearer from negative energy.

3) A Rudrakshya is supportive for the certain practices like chanting of mantra .

4) Rudrakshya beads increase thinking capacity, concentration power, and wisdom.

5) Remove the  fear of death and feelings of detachment.

6)  It creates positive aura.

7)  Also gives the blessings of Shiva.

8) Helps to balance water elements.