Yoga Archives

March 3, 2021 By Pradnya Shinde Leave a Comment

5 Powerful Ways Of Meditation

We know that meditation is very very good for health, especially mental health. But sometimes, we get confused about what exactly to do. So here’s a guide to help you begin. Try these powerful ways of meditation to improve your health and wellbeing!

Powerful Ways Of Meditation

1. Concentrative Meditation
As the word suggests, you are supposed to concentrate on one point so you won’t think about other things. When thoughts are scattered, it creates no impact, but sharp attention is a powerful tool. One way to do it is to focus on your own breathing cycle. See how you inhale through the nose, how you feel inside the body and how you exhale. Another way is to focus on sounds like any word or phrase or the sound of a bell. You can also focus on a candle’s flame. Sit in front of the candle, look at the flame and close your eyes. Behold the picture of the flame in front of your mind. When the picture fades, open your eyes and repeat the process.

2. Contemplative Meditation
Instead of trying to stop thinking, contemplative meditation includes focusing on a single thought. Instead of too many different thoughts, it’s thinking about one subject and one thought with complete awareness of the thought. For this, you can contemplate any sentence from a religious scripture or contemplate objects like a flower or a tree. Think about the shape of a particular flower.

Another way is asking a question to yourself, believing in your inner instinct and waiting for an answer to come up. The questions can be:

What am I looking for?
What is it I am resisting?
Knowing I will die, how should I live?
What is my greatest mission?
What do I love?
What do I have fear of?
Who am I?

3. Witness Meditation
Watch your thoughts as if it’s a movie. Let the thoughts come, simply observe them, but do not react or try to reject. Be neutral. This is called being the witness of your thoughts. What does it do? It reduces your attachment from your thoughts. You no longer feel pain with those repetitive thoughts. This is a great technique to let go of resentment from the past.

4. Chanting Mantra
Chanting mantras repeatedly is one way of meditation. Mantra is a sanskrit word. Man means mind and Tra means release. Mantra is supposed to be a set of words which releases your mind from all it’s anxieties. It has been said that chanting mantras provides spiritual growth. But make sure you are paying attention, because that is all what we want. You can chant OM or Gayatri Mantra.

5. Movement Meditation
If you think you can’t sit at one place and focus, practice meditation through body movements. Self defense practices like Tai chi and Qigong are used as a form of meditation for a very long time. Yoga is one excellent example of movement meditation. Yoga involves being fully aware of your breathing and understanding the basic nature of self. But not only this, we can also practice meditation through simply walking or dancing. Just be attentive, pay close attention to your steps, body movements and surroundings.

Next time, when you sit to meditate, you can try something new. Keep it mind, sometimes we might get a little restless but be patient. Don’t get frustrated. Slowly get back to your point of concentration.

We hope these 5 powerful ways of meditation help you! Do leave your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. For more on meditation and yoga, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by our yoga and meditation specialists on GOQii Play.

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February 15, 2021 By Falguni Bhojak 1 Comment

5 Yoga Asanas To Relieve Bloating and Gas

Most of us feel bloated after a heavy meal or when we have some digestive problems or when we are stressed out. There is a feeling of fullness and tightness in the abdomen which may cause abdominal pain. Practising yoga improves digestion by increasing blood flow to your digestive tract and twisting poses compress and massage your internal organs, which help relieve bloating and gas.

Poses To Aid Digestion and Relieve Bloating

Try the yoga asanas below to help improve digestion and relieve bloating:

1. Apanasana
This asana is also known as the ‘wind relieving pose’. It not only helps to release the build-up of gas and improve digestion but also helps in detoxifying the entire system.

Lie down on your back and place your hands on the knees
As you exhale, hug your knees to your chest
Rock your knees from side to side to maximize stretch
Do this for five to ten breaths and release your knees
When you inhale, loosen your grip to allow your legs to move away from your stomach

2. Supta Matsyendrasana
Also known as the Spinal Twist, this pose is great for digestion as it helps your blood flow through your body, especially your gut.

Lying on your back, bring your arms out to the sides with the palms facing down in a T position. Bend the right knee and place the right foot on the left knee
Exhale and drop the right knee over to the left side of your body, twisting the spine and lower back
Gently push your right knee using your left hand to touch the ground
Make sure your right arm is extended out to the side at shoulder height
Breathe and hold for 6-10 breaths
To release, inhale and roll the hips back to the floor, and exhale the leg back down to the floor. Repeat the same process on the other side.

3. Malasana
Also known as the Garland Pose, it is good for digestion as it helps you release all the gas out of your system that is blocking your intestines from functioning normally.

Begin in the Mountain Pose (Tadasana), with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart
Bend your knees deeply, sinking down until your hips are lower than your knees, a few inches off the floor
Bring your palms together at heart center and wedge your elbows one at a time, to the inside of your knees
Push your elbows into your knees to open your hips and gently press the inside of your knees into your elbows
Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to a minute
To get out of the pose, either sit back onto your buttocks or push back up to standing

4. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Also known as the Bridge Pose, it will open up your gut, allowing blood to flow smoothly and subsequently, will help relieve bloating and pain.

Lying on your back, place your feet flat on the floor
Fold your knees and keep your feet hip distance apart on the floor, 10-12 inches from your pelvis, with knees and ankles in a straight line
Keep your arms beside your body, palms facing down
On inhalation, press the back of your shoulders and your feet into the floor and lift your hips up
Lengthen your tailbone, slide your shoulder blades down your back and keep your neck neutral
Keep your bottom firm up in this pose; Keep your thighs and feet parallel
Hold the pose at the top for 30 seconds each time before releasing
To come out of the pose, release the arms and roll your spine down while breathing out

5. Chakravakasana
This pose, also known as the Cat-Cow Stretch, helps relieve bloating by stretching and contracting the abdomen with each motion.

Keep your hands and knees in the table pose, and your spine neutral
First begin with the Cow Pose by inhaling as you drop your belly towards the mat. Lift your chin and chest, and look up towards the ceiling
As you exhale, come into the Cat Pose while rounding your spine outward, tucking in your tailbone, and drawing your pubic bone forward
Release your head toward the floor, but don’t force your chin to your chest
Inhale as you come back into the Cow Pose and exhale as you return to the Cat Pose
Hold each pose for a breath before moving into the other one. Do this for 15-20 breaths

We hope these yoga asanas help you relieve bloating, gas and any other associated pains. Before you begin any yoga practice, do consult your doctor, physician or personal trainer. Kindly ensure that you perform these asanas under proper guidance if you’re a beginner.

For more on yoga, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by yoga specialists on GOQii Play.

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December 2, 2020 By GOQii 70 Comments

Dos and Don’ts of Yoga: Rules to Practicing Yoga Safely

When we asked some of our new players what their interpretation of Yoga is, their response was on the lines of ‘People twisting and turning their bodies like pretzels while chanting and sitting like a statue’. Is that what it really is? We took this question as an opportunity to explain what yoga is and what are its basic dos and don’ts.

What is Yoga?

It is a system- a holistic system of refining the body, the mind and the spirit in unison. Ultimately, it is well-being, peace and bliss. Yogic postures help strengthen the endocrine system and also bring the emotions under control through concentration and relaxation.

The ability to remain in relaxed equilibrium has an important psychological effect. For the basics on yoga and what it is, you can check out this blog: Yoga for the beginners: some myths and benefits

Yogis, through their physical training, gradually learn to keep their psychological equilibrium unaltered to preserve a perfect psychological calmness in whatever environment they happen to find themselves in.

Yoga is the only way by which the highest objective in life can be attained. To decipher the great science and the benefits which it claims, it is essential to understand few basic dos and don’ts which we often tend to neglect.

What You Should Do

“Early to bed and early to rise makes man healthy, wealthy and wise,” is an universal adage. Yoga practitioners should go to bed early, sleep well and get up early in the morning. Next, attend to their morning routine of freshening up and begin yoga in fasting mode. It can also be practiced 1 hour after a liquid diet, 3 hours after refreshments or 5 hours after full meals.
One could practice it before bath but after practice one should wait for some time and then take a bath.
It should be practiced on a leveled floor in a room where doors and windows are kept open for air and light.
It is helpful in many ways to practice yoga in a place where you can receive the rays of the early morning sun.
One should not practice it directly on the ground, on cement or mortar floor. Instead, spread a carpet, a blanket or a clean cloth, sit on it and practice by facing east or north in the morning, west or south in the evening.
One should practice yoga calmly without any haste or exhaustion. If one is tired he or she should rest for a while in a comfortable posture.
One should try to practice it everyday, preferably at the same time.
While practicing yoga, one should concentrate on the practice alone and try to keep away from other thoughts.
During the practice of asanas, the dirt in the internal organs of the body is directed towards the urinary bladder. Soon after completion, one should pass out urine.
If you feel like attending nature’s call while practicing, go ahead and do it immediately. One should not hold it back forcefully for a long time. One should also not try to suppress sneezing, coughing, etc. If one feels thirsty one can drink a little water as well.
If one sweats during practice, he or she should slowly wipe it out either by a cloth or with the palms. It is better if it dries up automatically.
Pranayama should follow the asanas and meditation should follow Pranayama.
Always lay on your back after finishing postures. 2 to 5 minutes with relaxed breathing.
Movements should be slow in every case. Sudden movements should be avoided.

What You Should Avoid

Women should refrain from regular practice during their menses or pregnancy. However, for them there are specific set of asanas that can be performed.
Don’t have a full tummy while doing yoga, wait until 2 to 3 hours after large meals.
Don’t touch (shower) or drink water for 30 minutes after practice.
During illness, after operations, when there is a bandage either for sprains or fractures, one should refrain from practice. They can resume after consulting experts.
Don’t perform strenuous exercises after yoga.
One should avoid practice in unclean/smoky places and in areas with foul smell
Yoga should not be practiced in stormy winds either

Just knowing the asanas in its correct form along with the basic knowledge of Dos and Don’ts would add much more value to your yoga practice!

To read more about yoga, check out Healthy Reads. To practice yoga the right way, follow LIVE sessions conducted by our experts on GOQii Play.

Did you find this article helpful? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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November 5, 2020 By GOQii 10 Comments

How Yoga Can Affect Your Endocrine System

Yoga not only plays an important role in maintaining our health but also has a very good effect on our endocrine system. Due to a hectic lifestyle and the ongoing stress regarding the pandemic, people are experiencing a lot of hormonal problems. Some of the health issues faced by both men and women are hormonal changes, underactive or overactive thyroid and hormonal imbalance. Increase in cortisol levels, insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, early puberty and early menopause are few hormonal disorders that women face. It’s therefore good to know more about the endocrine system. The Endocrine system is a collection of glands that release hormones directly into the bloodstream to the targeted cells.

Why Is The Endocrine System Important For Us?

Endocrine system helps maintain the body’s homeostasis (balance). Metabolism, growth, sexual development, mental growth, mineral balance, heart rate regulation, setting our sleep cycle, muscular and skeletal growth are the functions of endocrine gland.

Role of the Hypothalamus: Hypothalamus is a part of the brain that is responsible for the direct control of the endocrine system through the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is also the center of emotions and is affected by strong emotions, odor, powerful thoughts, taste, stress, laughter, etc.

Pituitary gland is the master gland controlling the whole endocrine system including the pineal gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, thymus gland, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testes. The hypothalamus sends signals to pituitary gland, which then releases chemicals to stimulate the hormones from other endocrine glands. So this will work like Hypothalamus–pituitary-organ pathway.

The Role of Yoga in Controlling the Hormonal System

Pranayama: has a good effect on the endocrine system. Pranayama means stretching , modifying and lengthening the breath. Pranayama has dual benefits. In Pranayama, when you control your breath, it controls both your mind and your body. We supply more oxygen to the lungs which is transported to each and every cell of the body. The blood supply and the oxygen supply to the brain and hypothalamus increases, thereby, improving their functioning. One can control stress and emotions in a better way because stress can disturb the functioning of the hypothalamus. Pranayama improves the relationship between hypothalamus –pituitary and the other glands and thus, the entire endocrine system is balanced.
Yog Nidra or Yogic Sleep: is a great way to control stress and emotion. It is not about going to Shavasana and just sleeping but staying awake and controlling your thoughts and senses, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, relaxing and energizing your mind and body. Yog Nidra will improve the functioning of the brain, hypothalamus and the relationship between hypothalamus and pituitary and the other endocrine glands.
Yogic Poses: like Sirsasana, standing forward bend increases blood flow to brain and improves the functioning of the brain and hypothalamus along with improving the functioning of pituitary and pineal gland. Halasana and shoulder stand improve the functioning of thyroid and parathyroid gland. Ardh Matsyendrasana and Balasana will stimulate pancreas for the release of insulin and glucagon from pancreas. Setubandhasana and Bhujangasana will stimulate testes and ovaries.

We hope this article helps you improve the functioning of your endocrine system and bring balance to your mind and body! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on how yoga can help you, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions with our yoga specialists on GOQii Play.

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