Jalaneti (Nasal Cleansing)

Importance

A healthy body is not just about absence of illness; it is having a good resistance power. Suffering frequently from cold, headaches, fever, feeling weak and tired indicates need for an improved immunity. Techniques like Jalaneti are helpful in such cases. Apart from this Jalaneti is also useful for improving concentration; it is soothing for eyes; and very refreshing as well.

Description

1. Keep half cup of luke warm, pure drinking water and table salt ready.
2. Wash your hands clean.
3. Add a pinch of salt in the water to make it as salty as one's tears are.
Stand near the washbasin.
4. Cup your left palm and pour the salt water in it. (1 or 2 teaspoons)
5. Close the right nostril with the right finger; bend a little forward and hold the left nostril close to cupped palm.
6. Breath in air and water together in a steady and smooth manner.
7. Even if one drop passes down the throat it is sufficient.
8. Let the water pass out through your mouth.
9. Repeat likewise for the right nostril, but with the right palm being cupped. Alternately you may use a spoon instead of your palm.

Caution
* Jalaneti should not be done when suffering from cold, fever, sinusitis, ear
infection or headache.
* Avoid lying down after doing the technique for at least 1 hour.
* Blow off the remainder of the water immediately after doing jalaneti by doing few quick exhalations.
* Avoid jalaneti 1 hour after the sunset.

Contraindications

In very rare cases the technique does not suit a person. In that case he/she may get common cold or even a mild temperature. Discontinue the practice.

Reflection

Reflection is a highly recommended yoga technique for one on the path of Self growth.

Technically it is a Swadhyaya process, in  Niyama the 2^nd limb of the Ashtanga yoga.

Swa + Adhyaya means Self + Study.

·        For Reflection sit preferably in Vajrasana or any other meditative posture with spine upright.

·        In this process remember in 10 minutes, the day’s events in a chronological order as they occurred in the last 24 hours. 

·        The idea is JUST to browse through the occurrences ‘ As it happened’ without analyzing, judging or evaluating. From first to the next… to next… to next… Essentially avoid jumping back and forth the situations of the day. 

·        If there was any emotionally challenging event it may happen initially that the mind lingers around it most of the time seeking completion and the time may extend beyond 10 minutes. OR in a hurry to run through the whole day the reflection may get over in 4/5 minutes. Do it consistently every day, and you will master the time precision!

·        Benefits:

1.      Develops objective attitude

2.      Facilitates unwinding of the day

3.      Establishes Orderliness

4.      Increases Mindfulness

Reflection can also be done for self training. It would be self talk to prepare own self for any challenging situation. It may be adopted at various times in a day. Eg

to recap a meeting after the meeting is over,

to prepare yourself by conforming how you are going to pose yourself at respective situation,

to avoid the triggering moments…

Reflection, the powerful tool:

Does your mind linger around the event in the past when you felt hurt, ineffective or weak? Perhaps you are weaving the threads of conversation, enacting it over and again… Your mind is trying its best to complete the story that is over in time zone but not in the psychological reference.

Address this entanglement by witnessing the event in chronological order without analyzing, judging or evaluating. Do it daily for 10 minutes in your travel time. Browse through the whole day’s story in 10 minutes not more, not less.

-New Age Yoga

Ahimsa

Ahimsa, a technique suggested in Yama. 

Yama are the restraints. They support in refraining from unhealthy habits and tendencies that are detrimental in our day to day life.

Ahimsa means Non-violence.

Practice of Ahimsa is not just refraining from physical violence or abuse; that could be a way of civilized social conduct. Beyond this, Ahimsa addresses health of the mind. Criticism, sarcasm, cynicism, backbiting, offensive language, comparison could be verbal forms of not practicing Ahimsa. Further even the body gestures of denial and disregard have to be monitored for all these are expressions of unhealthy mind. It can only lead to unhappy relations and disturbance. It needs no effort to harm, its instant and handy.
If you have not practiced Ahimsa as suggested here; you will notice, that the Himsa or violence indulged in, is having its effect. It could be disturbing, agitating, and causing insecurity, thus leading to much deeper impact on physical and mental health.

New Age Yoga

Why we gain weight ?

Why we gain weight ?

Insulin -
Yes it is the master hormone. It is also called storage hormone and is responsible for growth. Insulin regulates the synthesis of cholesterol in liver. Insulin controls blood sugar too.( When someone is not diabetic, his or her) Our body obtains sugar from all food that is consumed. The portion of sugar which is not burnt through physical activity, converts into fat (glyco-genesis ) and accumulates as body fat in the muscles. The largest proportion of fat tends to get stored in the liver (tummy) followed by hips, around arms, thighs, shoulders and in the blood vessels. Carbohydrates are the prime source of sugar in our food, which when consumed in high quantity result in high blood sugar levels. This triggers creation of insulin – its primary role being maintaining normal blood sugar level. 

Indian meals generally contain higher proportion of carbohydrates (CHO)
When you are not diabetic, you don’t get high blood sugar but this buildup of excess CHO over the years results in perpetual high levels of insulin in the body. 
This condition is called ‘hyper-insulinemia’. As mentioned above, for a person who is not diabetic, extra sugar from CHO gets converted into fat and he/she becomes ‘FAT’.

The symptoms and effects of hyper-insulinimia on our body/ overall health are:

• Weight gain
• Cravings for sugar
• Intense hunger
• Feeling frequently hungry
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling anxious or panicky
• Lacking focus or motivation
• Fatigue
• High level of insulin  and low levels of  other hormones =  hormonal imbalance

• More production of cholesterol from liver
• Hair growth on face, chin, lower chin
• Irregular menstrual cycle, in case of women
• Irritability
• Lethargy
• Body ache

Unless we control consumption of carbohydrates, we can not reduce insulin and control hyper-insulinemia and continue to run high risk for lifestyle induced disorders such as diabetes, heart disease and other Non Communicable Diseases.

Recommendations:

• Unpolished cereals, whole grains,
• Low glycemic index food
• High fiber foods
• Plenty water intake
• Regular, timely meals every day
• Avoid processed/ tinned/ preserved foods and all refined foods.

The Yama & Niyama

Anusandhaan 5:  The Yama & Niyama

The thinking of the common man has to progress from being raw and instinct driven. It is fine for an animal to fight for its meal. The story is fixed and continues for its entire life span. And the animal does it relentlessly. This is not for man. 

Man takes up anything for results, enjoyment and recognition. Whether it is education, job, marriage, or family life…It has to be of the best. So, each strives to achieve more. So, the story of the common man unlike the animal never finds a logical end because the definition of best keeps changing. This is not for a Yoga student.

The highest possibility is clearly defined and that is Moksha the ultimate liberation. The Yama & Niyama lay a solid foundation of self discipline for this. These lay discipline in social and personal life and so are of primary importance in the practice of self growth.  

The Yama & Niyama bring in clarity to the achievement drive of the common man. 

When these qualities are nurtured the consciousness moves beyond the animal drive of food, clothing, shelter and sex; is able to see through the situation and discriminate. Just as the animal body needs food to sustain, the human mind needs Yama & Niyama to function in balance and uplift itself.

Yama are the don’ts that establish cordial social skills. It allows a person to relate in right spirit with his/her fellow-beings. These mean to not cause harm, stealing, indulgence, possessiveness and practice of truthfulness while dealing with others.  Niyama are the do’s that establish personal skills for self growth. These are personal practice tools -to practice cleanliness oneself, to feel contentment, commitment, to retrospect carry self study and to surrender to higher power realizing human limitation. These are the basics that provide logical end to the story of the common man.

-New Age Yoga

Intelligence-Buddhi

Anusandhaan 4:   Intelligence

That brings us to the function of Intelligence- Buddhi. It is ability to think & follow, perceive, observe and discriminate. These are the muscles of the Buddhi. These too, are seen through the actions that are positive or negative. The misdirected intelligence will cause negative thinking, wrong ideals, misunderstanding, craving, poor or low thinking. On the positive side the Buddhi is, 

Discipline arrived at by following what my call is at this moment, Knowledge arrived at by perceiving sensory input, Detachment arrived at by being objective spectator, and Discrimination is the viveka channeling the right action.

Our intellect functions on logical thinking or reasoning. Logical thinking is based on three factors. First, pratyaksha or sensorial input that is gathered by oneself; One wants, and believes in the data that he/she has seen with own senses. We often get into an argument purely because I SAW. And we reach extremes to prove it.

Then the second factor is anumaan or inference. The inference is drawn by comparing information. We often label something/someone to be in a good/bad character based on our past experience or based on someone’s similar experience. But just the inference is not enough; it has to be validated…! …that is done by an authority. It could be a book, scripture, parent, friend, expert, or someone whom we trust. 

Validation is an endorsement by ‘The recognized authority’. That brings us to the third factor Aagama. The Yogasutra says , above all the authorities mentioned here, the authority of one’s own past experience is the most determining authority. The word Aagama in Sanskrit means arrival; it therefore, represents the arrival of the mind. The arrival of the mind is the conclusion of the mind which is the highest authority- It gives or does not give validity to an inference. We know individuals who took revolutionary actions in the history…, or we deny expert opinion to go by own discretion…, or we are carried away by temptations… All these are caused by arrival of the mind.

So, what we call the functioning based on our intelligence is based on one hand, on the sensorial data collected by one-self and on the other, the conclusion/arrival of the mind. The sensorial data collection may/may not be full proof. The mind is generally a cheater many times taking us for a ride. It functions so swiftly that it has to be dealt with highest and continuous alertness to catch itself.

Here is some observation to be made now:

1.      Make a list of opinions/labels/judgments you have made in your life. Explore into the sense data collected; inference drawn; and validating authority of each.

2.      Identify the agama of the mind in day to day experiences. 

-New Age Yoga

Asmita the Ego

Anusandhaan 3:   Asmita the Ego

Power position (chair) and the authority in power position (chairman) are separate. Chairman may mistakenly think that he is all powerful. Asmita is this mistaken identity. Asmi in Sanskrit means ‘I am’. Asmita hence is ‘I am-ness’or I-ness or ego.

For us everything is mine. My body, my feelings, my possessions, my family, my work, my commitments, my spouse, my life… It is real, articulate, can be seen touched…we can not imagine a proposition, that it is Not Me. 

We are essentially a spiritual being living in the material world. We are a spirit…a consciousness…, that is our true nature. But like the mistaken chairman we think wrongly. It is said surpassing the Ego is the final battle to reach spirituality. It takes lifetimes to realize it. 

There is a nice story of 4 sisters who aren’t getting married because they all stammer. A would be groom comes to meet them and praises the home made sweet that was offered to him. The instruction by the elders of the family is ‘Do Not Speak’.  Upon receiving the appreciation for the recipe one gets flattered. She stammers and says, “I made it”, second says, “Why did you speak?”, third says, “She spoke but why you had to speak?”  And the fourth says, “I didn’t speak.” Eventually all display that they stammer. And the groom goes away… This ‘I-ness’ is really tricky.

So, let’s catch the enemy. How do we find? The first characteristic of ego is ‘it’ believes that ‘it’ is perfect. (eg. story of two goats crossing the narrow bridge) Ego finds it extremely difficult to accept any weakness. So for us it is always a difficult and a skillful job to suggest correction to someone or accept correction from someone. The other trait of ego is fear. Ego feels safe in its safe zone. (eg. Story of the frog in a well). It is difficult to accept first of all, and then to change it is another tough task. That’s the role of Asmita in human life.

Ponder over Asmita the Ego in aunsadhaan 3.

1. I… complete the sentence in as many ways you can. eg. I have/ believe/ am/ do/ do not…
2. Identify one weakness, and improvise on it.

-New Age Yoga

Mind - 3 Gunas - Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas

Anusandhaan 2:   Mind

We see our body having a form. We can see our mind as well if we choose to see. It has three constituents or the Gunas- Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas  expressing as Sattwic, Rajasic and Tamasic qualities. They determine the nature and structure of our personality. In fact they are considered as the fundamental factors behind the entire material and phenomenal world. Each guna has multiple dimensions. The table below indicates the depth of their nature and influence.

Particulars	Sattwic	Rajasic	Tamasic
Denote Principle of	Illumination	Activity	Obstruction
Function is to	Reveal	Move	Restrain
In the psychological world they	Illuminate	Activate	Confuse
Manifest as the nature of	Pleasure	Pain	Indifference
They lead to	Happiness	Action	Carelessness
In the personality they cause	Equilibrium	Overcome resistance	Create Resistance
They are responsible for mental states like	Peace, Steadiness, Tranquility	Agitation, Passion, Restlessness	Inertia, Laziness, Dullness
On the moral aspects they are	Affection, Empathy	Love/Hate, Sympathy/Antipathy	Neglect, Apathy
Signify the state of	Freedom from Desire	Victim of Desire	Infatuated with Desire
In Personal Growth they reveal	Emancipation	Affinity, Attachment	Bondage, sin

Ponder over the quality of your mind and make a note of it. 

-New Age Yoga