Try Yoga, Elevate your mind.

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The mind and the body are not separate entities although we tend to think so. The gross form of the mind is the body and its subtle form is the mind. They both harbour tensions or knots. Every mental knot has a corresponding physical and muscular knot. The aim of yoga is to release the knots. Suppression of feelings and emotional tensions can tighten up and block the smooth functioning of the lungs, diaphragm and the process of breathing, resulting in debilitating diseases like asthma. Muscular knots occur all over the body. Tightness of the neck is cervical Spondylitis and that of the face is neuralgia etc.

A well chosen set of asanas along with shatkarmas, pranayama and meditation is very effective in removing these knots both on the physical and the mental level. The result is the release of dormant energy. The mind becomes light, joyful, balanced and creative,’’ says Swami Satyananda Saraswathi. At the physical level, Ida and pingala (left and right) nadis The author is yoga consultant in Chennai correspond to the two aspects of the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the stimulation and acceleration of activities concerned with the external environment and the deceleration of the organs, which utilise a lot of energy internally.

The sympathetic nerves speed up the heart, dilate the blood vessels, increase the respiration rate and intensify the efficiency of the eyes, ears and other sense organs.

The parasympathetic nerves reduce the heartbeat, constrict the blood vessels and slow respiration. This results in introversion. The main purpose of yoga is to balance the chakras and nadis so that the kundalini sakthi can awaken. To obtain this experience, one has to practice yoga regularly for a long time. Asanas that elevate the mind: 1) Sirasasana: It is considered the greatest of all asanas. It awakens Sahasrarachakra. It increases the blood flow to the brain and pituitary gland, revitalising the entire body and mind. It relieves anxiety and other psychological disorders. In yoga therapy, it is effective for prevention of asthma, hay fever, diabetes and menopausal imbalance. It also helps to rectify many forms of glandular and nervous disorders.

This asana reverses the effect of gravity on the spine. It ensures tissue regeneration. Large amounts of CO2, toxins and bacterial are removed from the lungs. 2) Vrichikasana 3) Mayurasana: These two are difficult to practice but once we learn them, we can perform with ease. 4) Matysyasana: apart from curing bleeding piles, it helps to fight the aging process 5) Nadhishodhana Pranayama nourishes the body with extra supply of oxygen 6) Sheetali pranayama: It removes anxiety and depression Insomnia and energy blocks While the hours spent in sleep might vary from individual to individual, an exercised body not only conks out after hitting the bed but also becomes content with less than the conventional 8 hours norm. It is said that those who meditate get away with 3 hours of sleep. They may not have rosy cheeks but they lead a tranquil existence. Now let us look at the sides of the brain. The right side calms, becomes intuitive and holistic. It is inner-directed. The left is aggressive, logical, sequential and analytical. It is rational and objective. Hypothalamyus is the control center for the nervous system. It receives inputs from the external environment. Certain thoughts and reaction to events trigger the aggressive side and it takes a long time for it to regain status quo. Energy blocks are caused by stiffening of the ligaments, bad postures and a mindset that is vulnerable to the shifting nature of outrageous fortune. Conclusion Yoga brings about the awakening of psychic sensitivity to the channels, cells and the brain center. It has an edge over other forms of exercise because of these additional benefits: 1. Yoga lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension 2. It reduces aches and pains and in particular low backache, arthritis and spondylitis 3. Anxiety worry and anger manifest in hypertension. Yoga targets this area.

S Janakiraman

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