Brilliant commitment by STCA participants

It was great to see all the senior executives coming in great numbers to allend the program. A mix of gentle asanas, pranayamas(breathing practices) and yoganidra(relaxation technique) were given to them everyday.

Most of them are regular visitor to different programs, so it was easy for them to follow the movements, breathing and proper relaxation, inspired me to add few more practices to their daily schedule.  

There was overall feeling of joy and happiness in the end amongst the participants after five days of regular practice; they looked refreshed, energized and relaxed.

There was a short question-answer at the end of the session, regarding different ailments and respected practices for each one of them, structuring of the practices and even general contraindication of some of the pranayamas.

On the demand of all the participants, I am going to post all the different practices we had during this session below, in the same sequence it was done, so that it can act as a reminder and help the participants practice regularly. Hope you continue with same zeal and enthusiasm!

Om Chanting x 3 times

Standing postures:

Tadasana( Palm tree Pose)                                 x 8-10 times ; inhale up; exhale down

Triyaka Tadasana(Swaying Palm tree Pose)    x5-8 times each side; inhale center; exhale side

Kati Chakrasana( Waist rotating pose)              x8-10 times each side; inhale open arms to side; exhale twist

Note: As advised, you can keep practicing these three above mentioned practices every morning drinking 2-3 glasses of warm water for the proper elimination and cleansing of the body

Pawanmuktasana-I (Joint Series): few major joints every day like knees,hips,elbows,shoulders and neck joint practices. Beginners can do full series every day to open the joints and muscles from tightness and stiffness.

Toes Bending               x 10 times; inhale backward towards body; exhale forward away from the body

Ankle Bending              x 10 times; inhale backward towards body; exhale forward away from the body

Ankle rotation                x 5-8 clock & anti-clock; breathing same as above

Knee Bending              x 10 times; inhale open the leg out; exhale towards the chest

Half butterfly                  x 10 times; inhale to the chest; exhale to the floor

Full butterfly                   x 70-80 times; Normal breathing

Fist Clenching               x 10 times; inhale open the fingers out; exhale make the fist

Wrist bending                x 10 times; inhale up; exhale down

Elbow bending              x 5 times each front, side & up; inhale open the arms out; exhale bend it to shoulder

Shoulder rotation          x 5-8 clock & anti-clock; inhale upper half of the circle; exhale the lower half

Neck practice-I,II,III,IV   x 5 times each

Pawanmuktasana-III (Energy blocked series): one-two practices everyday

Chakki                           x 5-8 clock & anti-clock; inhale going back; exhale forward

Rowing the boat          x 5-8 forward & reverse; inhale going back; exhale forward

Vajrasana Series:

Half camel                   x 3-5rd each side; inhale open arms to side; exhale right arm to heel left arm in the front

Child pose a counter bend forward for few breath

Backward Bending:  Lying on Abdomen; two practices everyday

Half Bhujangasana                                      x 8rds; inhale up; exhale down                                               

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)                     x 5 rd ; inhale up; exhale down

Ardha Shalabhasana (locust pose)          x 5 rd each leg ; inhale up; exhale down

Pawanmuktasana-II (Digestive series): two-three practices everyday i.e. Lying on the back practices

Leg raised pose( individual and both legs)      x 5rd each ; inhale up; exhale down

Cycling ( individual and both legs)   x5times forward & reverse each leg

Supta Pawanmuktasana (Leg Lock Pose)( individual leg both legs) x 5 rd each

Supta Udarakarshana  (Sleeping Abd.Stretch) x 5 rd each; inhale center; exhale twist the body

Abdominal Breathing x 10 rounds

Pranayamas:  

Kapalbhati x 5rds (20 times/rd)

Nadi Shodhana –II (Alternate Breathing) x 11-15rds

Humming bee (Bhramari) x 5-7rds

Relaxation:

A short yoganidra- 10mins every day

Om Chanting x 3 times

Going Great Cutting Edge-24

 

It has been eleven days of practices for them. Everybody seems keen in learning and practicing different techniques of yoga. Great enthusiasm is shown by all of them, nobody likes missing any class. Most of them are before time ready to chant om and shanti mantras, looks one of the best of the cutting edge groups.

The practice of Jala Neti on sunday was very successful. Amazingly, they look at ease practicing Surya Namaskara, reached to 5 rounds, see how it goes.......

There is a visible change in the group since they arrive and now in just 11days. From the rusty-stiff body now look agile and flexible, from tensed face now have relaxed and vibrant face, from low energy to full of energy. Some of them have already lost few kilos.....


There is still 25 days left, many more changes would be there. I would keep updating you about the progress of the group. Overall, its fantastic!!!

Two consecutive sundays we practiced Kunjal(Vaman Dhauti) and Jala Neti, everybody felt lighter and relaxed. Face seems glowing and no sign of any tiredness and tensions.....

       

Self help during Kunjal

                                                           

            

     

                                 

          

Hard work correcting the Surya Namaskara, making it more accurate, after practicing it for 20 days.

Already many have lost 4, 5, 6 kilos of their body weight since they arrived, combined effort of regular yoga, walk and some basic dietary regulation. Keep going...two more weeks..

The practice of Shankhprakhshalana on sunday was a great success, most of the participants underwent the shorter to medium version of shankhaprakhsha(intestinal wash), followed by Kunjal and jala neti, thereafter a long shavasana-relaxation and special meal(khichadi). As they had been doing the TTK solution every morning after waking up, the digestive system already was functioning properly,it took less time to finish the entire cleansing practices in this group if I compare with other groups.

                   
               

It has been intense practice last two days, introduction of some more asanas including inverted poses, doing 12-14 rounds of Surya Namaskara, 4-5 pranayamas everyday. Last 4-5 days are remaining for this cutting edge group, some fine tuning and they are ready to soar high up in the sky......

surya namaskara-beautiful rhythm 

roaring lion

This week we focussed more on pranayama, making it more accurate, what to do and what not to do in different diseases. Understanding the different ways of sequencing to have a balance practice and getting ready to practice independently. We discussed a general life style routine and diet and nutrition to lead a healthy and happy life.

getting ready to be independent

mastering their practices

With certificate distribution, 38days of regular yoga practice for Cutting Edge-24 came to an end. It was heartening to hear everybody's experinece and honest feedback. It seems they received wide range of benefits attending it regularly which I already noticed in the questionnaire filled by them in the end. Two questionnaire were administered before the start of the program and again in the end same questionnaire were administered after practicing regular asanas, pranayamas, yoganidra, meditation, and cleansing practices for 5 weeks. There is a clear and significant change in the measurement on all the scale of the psychological test, in all of them who practiced yoga regularly, in fact, a clear sea change in most of them.
Though, It was not a weight loss program, yet maximum weight loss achieved during this period, was 7.5 kilos by Mr.Ruchir, was great to know, 4 to 5 to 6 kilos of body weight was reduced by many of the participants.

I have strong feeling that this intensive 40 days program would bring a positive change in the overall physical, mental and spiritual health and well being of all the participants, improving their lifestyle and provides them the ways to handle various issues and problems of their life as well as the family's life. Eventually, becoming the part of the larger aim of making the entire organization healthy and happy.

Expecting an open and honest comment and feedback from all the participants, which would help make the course become better and better.... 

Thanks a lot to all of you for being so supportive and cooperative during the full course!

May God and Guruji bless you all with a great success, complete health and eternal bliss and peace in your entire life!!!!

                                                                                                                                                                        

No Substitute-Yoga Is Ultimate

There is a saying “First wealth is perfect health”, but in today’s scenario, It is hard to find a person who is perfectly healthy. The air has got polluted, water has got contaminated, and food stuffs have become full of adulteration that has affected our health adversely. Stress and tensions have reached at all time high, which is causing all kinds of psychosomatic disorders like anxiety, restlessness, high blood pressure, heart problems, asthma, diabetes, migraine, insomnia etc. The temptations are there all around us in every sphere of life, which has spoilt our life style immensely.

The over dependence on medical science like allopath, which cure only the symptoms and not the root cause of disease, hence the disease surface again and again even more vigorously sometime, people have started looking for different other means of keeping their body fit and healthy.

In this world of growing awareness towards health, where one have so many options to choose from if one likes to adopt a physical regime for the body to be fit and healthy. There are several options available for a person like walking, running, jogging, swimming, dancing, zymming, aerobic exercises, pilates, martial arts etc. All of them are good for our health as they all have some or other physical benefits. But, none of them could be as holistic as the yoga practice in terms of overall benefit.

Yoga as a health tool has so many techniques; Asanas(Physical postures), Pranayamas(Breathing Teachniques), Relaxation, Meditation, Cleansing practices(Shat Karmas), different Yamas and Niyamas( Restraints and Principles), Dietary guidelines etc. If we undertake yoga in our life and practice it diligently, achieve an integrated benefit which affects our entire framework of body, mind and soul which does not happen in any of the above mentioned forms of exercise.

When we do Asanas, it opens up entire body, stiffness and tensions leave the body, body becomes supple and flexible, pranic blockages are removed and movement of energy in the body becomes free flowing. There is an improvement in the organic functioning and harmony will be there in functioning of different systems, so we regain our lost vitality and health.

With the practice of Pranayama, the amount of energy increases in the body and there is a regularization in the flow of prana(the vital energy) and at the same time we gain physical and mental balance, stability and strength.

Practice of relaxation and yoganidras makes one be relaxed at physical level, muscular level, mental and nervous level. Person becomes calm and free from stress and tension. Yoganidra, is one of the best tool in countering day to days stress and tensions of our life and helpful in the management of most of the psychosomatic diseases.

Meditation practices are very helpful in improving concentration, becoming focused and one-pointed, increases the inner strength and confidence if practiced regularly. Person becomes more close to reality of life and undertakes all the work as a fun.

Shatkarmas(Cleansing practices) like neti, kunjal, shankhaprakshalana, if done regularly, would not allow the toxins get stored in the body, brings an inner purity, immunity increases and body becomes more healthy.

All the four above mentioned tools of yoga (Asanas, Pranayamas, Relaxation and Meditation) if practiced and is well supported by Cleansing practices (Shatkarma) and Dietary regulations, we achieve a perfect health physically, mentally, emotionally as well as spiritually which can not be there practicing any other form of exercise. Yoga offers a wide range of benefit for the human being that can not only be applied in therapy but can be understood as a technique to lead a healthy, happy and peaceful life free from stress, tensions and diseases.

However, one has more time then one can adopt some other activities as well but if there is less time then yoga is ultimate, there is no substitute as you can not achieve what you achieve here practicing yoga, elsewhere.