A number of health problems are rooted in mental instability. Frequent bouts of anger and frustration can lead to stress and related problems. One of the most efficient ways of dealing with this instability and stress is meditation.
Vipasana is an ancient meditative technique that promises to allow a person to see the true nature of things. In Buddhist tradition, it literally translates to insight to the true reality of nature namely impermanence, suffering and the realization of non self. It focuses on self observation and the connection between mind and body and aims to eradicate mental impurities.
Vipasana meditation can be broken down into four stages.
Discovering Vitakka and Vicara: The first stage of Vipasana explores the connection between body and mind. This is done by concentrating on inhaling and exhaling and the feeling of air passing over the skin in front of the nose. Vitakka and vicara refer to the concentration and thought required to feel the connection between mind and body.
Disappearance of Vitakka and Vicara: In the second stage, the connection between mind and body is felt effortlessly. Thus, in this stage both vitakka and vicara fade away. This is known as anapana meditation and helps develop control over the mind.
Happiness: When a person reaches the third stage of vipasana, he stops focusing on emotions like pity, sadness, exuberance and only feels happiness. This frees the mind of negativity and hence purifies it.
Equanimity: The fourth and final stage is characterized by mindfulness and leads to clarity. At this stage, a person feels the desire for freedom and understands nature to be ever changing.
Vipasana is taught at a ten day residential program. Here, participants must adhere to a code of discipline that includes absolute silence and abstaining from any form of communication, sexual activity and substance abuse. Participants are taught the basics of the meditation technique and how to practice it but to benefit fully from it, regular meditation is necessary. Advanced vipasana students may attend 20, 30, 45 and 60 day courses to practice vipasana. An introduction to vipasana is also given to children in the form of short 3 day courses.
Ultimately, vipasana enables the practitioner to experience peace and harmony within oneself and with the rest of the world. It frees the mind from craving and hence also helps people abstain from social evils like stealing and killing. Thus, vipasana has the capacity to change minds and character and helps practitioners lead fulfilling, healthy lives. 

Vipasana - See The True Nature Of Things

Yoga is a complete workout of body and mind, and is a combination of stretching along with deep breathing and meditation. It is a way of keeping yourself fit without doing strenuous workouts and lifting heavy weights.

Ayurveda is the ancient Indian medical science, which treats an illness or a disease using natural ingredients. Ayurvedic treatment has been proven to be the most effective in cases of asthma, paralysis, joint pain, headache and gynecological issues. The following points emphasize the relation between Yoga and Ayurveda:

1. Aim at ensuring mental peace: Yoga and Ayurveda both are extremely powerful in treating medical issues as well as in delivering mental peace. Ayurveda uses diets, herbs, shrubs, meditation and pranayama for treating purpose. Both of them are interrelated branches of India's ancient knowledge.

2. Based on similar principles: The principles of Trigunas i.e. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and the principles of panchamahabuthas i.e. fire, water, air, space and earth are the base of Yoga and Ayurveda. Both of them are based on the basic principles of the body, such as working procedures of the body and effects of food and medicine on our body.

3. Share common beliefs: Both Yoga and Ayurveda have a common belief regarding healthy body as the two believe that a healthy and balanced mind result in a healthy body. Both of them have the similar metaphysical anatomy and physiology that consist of 7 primary chakras (centers of energy), 5 bodily sheaths, 72,000 nadis (subtle channels) and the Kundalini Shakti (energy). Yoga and Ayurveda both believe that in order to fulfill the four aims of life it is necessary to keep your body healthy. The four aims are:
i. Dharma (duty)
ii. Artha (wealth)
iii. Kama (desire)
iv. Moksha (liberation)

4. Similar treatment measures: For the purpose of treatment, Yoga and Ayurveda, both use meditation and pranayama practices. For improving the mental and physical health, both of them use body purification procedures, herbs & natural ingredients and chanting of mantras. The body purification procedure is known as 'Shatkriyas' in Yoga and as 'Panchakarma' in Ayurveda.

Many Yoga practitioners add Ayurvedic remedies to your daily routines because Yoga and Ayurveda together are powerful mediums that maintain your body, breath, senses, mind and chakras. Together Yoga and Ayurveda work excellently and cure you naturally with no side effects.

Yoga and Ayurveda Connection

"Adopt these most natural ways to fight Hypertension-
1. Exercise. 30 min everyday is enough.
2. Eat Bananas. Its potassium counters sodium from salt.
3. Cut Salt. Avoid processed foods and you will cut salt.
4. Don't Smoke. Avoid Alcohol
5. De-stress. It will keep BP in control.
6. Meditation or Yoga. Both are very balancing.
7. Skip Caffeine. Coffee is bad for your BP.
"

7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

Yoga is the healing system par excellence. It can help all of us stay healthy without medicines and surgeries. It is also the go-to modality for spiritual and mental peace. The selection of yoga asanas for different age groups is extremely critical in yoga. How asanas are done, at what time and for how long are some of the basics that matter a lot too.

Here are a few easy-to-do asanas for three different age groups:
Age: 9-19
Before the age of seven, children should not do yoga. This is because their heart s capacity to pump blood is limited and it may not be able to handle the heightened load during practice.

1. Virabhadrasana: This asana strengthens the muscles of the legs and makes leg and back muscles flexible. It tones the abdominal organs too. It helps children be active and fit.
Method:

Stand straight with your legs wide apart.
Turn your right foot out by 90 degrees.
And turn left foot in by 15 degrees.
Lift both arms sideways to shoulder height with your palms facing upwards.
Now breathe out and bend your right knee.
Turn your head to your right. Push your hips down and hold the posture.
Breathe in while you come up.

2. Naukasana: This asana works on the muscular, digestive, circulatory, nervous and hormonal systems, and gets rid of belly fat.
Method:

Lie down flat on a mat on your back.
Breathe in and hold the breath.
Raise your arms, shoulders, head and trunk off the ground.
Balance body on buttocks and keep the spine straight.
Keep arms in the same line as your toes with palms facing downwards.
Age- 20-34
1. Sukhasana: This asana is excellent to calm and soothe. It eliminates anxiety.
Method:
Sit with your legs stretched in front.
Bend your knees and fold your legs towards your middle.
Cross your legs and keep the arches of the foot on the thighs.
Sit with your hips in a neutral position.

2. Trikonasana: This is a very good pose for the spine and pelvis. It cures a backache and is good for digestion.
Method:

Stand erect, inhale and step to the right with left heel turned inward.
Exhale and reach out over your foot with your right hand, bending to the right.
Feel the stretch.
Raise the left hand vertically upwards.
Turn your head to look up towards the left thumb.
Age- 35 and above
1. Vajrasana: It improves blood supply to upper torso and head and builds stamina. Excellent for digestion and can be done on a full stomach.
Method:

Stand on your knees with the lower legs stretched backwards, with toes crossing.
Now lower your body to sit on your heels with buttocks resting on them.
Keep your hands on knees and head straight.
Breathe in deep and concentrate on the breath.
2. Halasana: Cervical spondylosis, back pain and shoulder stiffness can all be cured through this asana. It is very useful for menopausal women too.
Method:

Lie on your back with knees bent and legs together.
Place your hands underneath the back supporting it.
Exhale and swing your knees and thighs over your torso.
Raise your hips and abdomen to support the position.
Straighten your legs parallel to the ground.

Yoga Asanas For Different Age Groups!

8 Do’s and don’ts of meditation for beginners

While meditation can improve your overall well being considerably, it can take some time for you to master this art, especially if you're a beginner.  Follow these simple do’s and don’ts, even if you’re a novice, you can be well on your way to finding inner peace, happiness, focus and the holistic health benefits that come with the daily practice of this art (and science).

The Don’ts of Meditation

1. Don’t do it with too many expectations
It can do more harm than good if you go into meditation with a baggage of expectations. You need to go into it with an open mind, while letting go of all your hopes, goals and expectations. Most importantly, to experience inner peace and stillness, you have to persevere, even if the results do not match your expectations. 

2. Don’t worry about interruptions
Meditation is all about letting go and learning to go with the flow. So, don’t get flustered if you experience interruptions and have to get back to your meditative mindset several times. 

3. Don’t look upon meditation as a quick-fix for your problems
Considered to be an effective treatment for stress and worries, meditation should not be taken up with the thinking that your problems would be resolved in no time. The effects of meditation may not show up for months to come. Patience is the key when it comes to meditation. 

The Do’s of Meditation

4. Do meditate in a quiet spot
Whether you’re doing it alone, at home or in a group, it is always good to meditate in a place where you will not be distracted by your surroundings. Your meditation can break even at the slightest noise, so pick the quietest spot possible. 


5. Do meditate in a group
For a beginner, meditating alone can be difficult and discouraging. You require a great deal of mental effort and determination to just sit still and not do anything. So, it’s good to go at it with the help of others who have been practicing it for sometime as their struggles and experiences may teach you a lot.

6. Do take the help of technology to improve your meditation
Apart from books, even technological tools like podcasts and apps can aid in improving your meditation knowledge and skills. While podcasts on meditation can be downloaded and viewed anytime, anywhere; apps can be used to time your meditation or even to divert any calls or messages that you may receive while you’re meditating, thus, preventing any form of distraction.

7. Do experiment and vary your practice        
In order to stave off boredom that might arise from pursuing just one kind of meditation style, you could vary your practice with a myriad of meditation styles, ranging from a body targeted meditation to a breath focused one.

8. Always opt for the sitting position
It’s extremely important to get your body to differentiate between sleep and meditation. The body of a beginner can easily mistake meditation for sleep. For this reason, it is best to be always in a seated position when meditating. You could use blankets or pillows to increase your comfort level. 

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

8 Do’s and Don’ts of Meditation for Beginners

It is often said that Ayurveda is a science and Yoga is an implementation of that science. In treatment, both these connected branches speak for the consistent practice of breathing techniques and medication along with indulging in body purification processes, use of medicinal herbs, well regulated dieting as well as chanting of mantras for uplifting the mind and body. In Yoga, the physical purification processes are known as 'Satkriyas' whereas the same in Ayurveda is called as 'Panchakarma'.

Understanding Yoga and Ayurveda
Yoga and Ayurveda are two interrelated branches of Vedic knowledge that encircles the whole universe.

1. The formation of Ayurveda: Ayurveda is one of the four secondary Vedic teachings called the Upavedas that constitute Gandharva Veda, Dhanur Veda and Sthapatya Veda as well. Each of these Ayurvedas is directed towards specific walks and aims at the Vedic quest for liberation. Ayurveda is by far the most important of all four as it addresses all the disciplines of healing as well as holistic well-being of the mind and body.

2. The birth of Yoga: Ever since its formation through the Yoga, it has been widely accepted as one of the six branches of Vedic preaching. It advocates the authority of the Vedas and aims at systematizing the true meaning of the Vedic preaching.

In this classical Vedic system, Ayurveda is specifically developed for healing purposes and there is no other branch of the Vedic system that can offer such comprehensive healing benefits.

Integral relationship between Yoga and Ayurveda
The term Yoga means combining, harmonizing and above all uniting. Thus a Yogic approach is an inherently integrative approach that harmonizes the body, mind and senses, and is not involved in implementation of sideline techniques but incorporates a synthesis of all aspects of the healing processes. This is the reason why Yoga originally has an eight-fold path directed towards bettering the quality of lives. Otherwise, it is caught in similar variants of physical reductionism that are often addressed in modern medicinal therapies.

Asana is referred to as the internal medicine of Yoga as it brings the vital energy directly into the body. It is aimed at alleviating the nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems of the human body. It is crucial to integrate Ayurveda and Yoga for bringing out the total spiritual and healing potential of the human body as well as each of these vast branches of Vedic knowledge.

The Connection of Yoga and Ayurveda

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