How simple can meditation get? Meditation for the modern human “The simplest Meditation technique for everyone anywhere! “ Nothing is more important than our breath, without which we would die in a matter of minutes. Even though nothing is more important to our life than breath, at least 99% of the time we are not even aware of our breath. We are not aware that we are breathing in this essential vital energy. The breaths we take mindfully, as the three we just now took together, have a way of calming us down and cooling down the feverishness of our life and our thoughts. Just to become fully aware of the breath, though very simple, does wonders in terms of grounding us, centering us, and straightening out our priorities in life. Mindfully meditating on our breath is the simplest and the most immediately accessible form of meditation. This mindful breathing is always available to us at any time of day or night. At any time, we can pause for one or two minutes and breathe mindfully. Breathing, in English, is referred to as “respiration,” which implies two complementary movements: inspiration and expiration. During the inspiration, we are filled up and during expiration (or exhalation) we are emptying. This two-way alternation is very important to notice and very instructive. This is like the yin-yang of Chinese philosophy, where the yin is receptivity, and the yang is creativity. During our inhalation we are receptive, we receive inspiration. During the exhalation we breathe out, we become creative, and in the process, we empty ourselves, in, and through our creativity. Breathing in and out, inspiration and expiration, receptivity and creativity. This is the defining dynamic of life. The nature Even the plants and greenery we see outside are breathing in and breathing out. This is not a poetic fancy, but a scientific fact. To live, plants need to absorb carbon dioxide. And these same plants take in the CO2, then breathe out oxygen. We breathe in Oxygen and breathe out CO2. Is this mutual and life-giving complementarity not wonderful? What they breathe in is what we breathe out. And what they breathe out is what we require to breathe in. Should we not be more mindful in our everyday association with the natural world of the reciprocity by which we give each other life? I am suggesting that sometime during this week, while you are here at the convention, you find time in some
Abhyanga - The Art Of Touch And Healing! The world around you is constantly changing. Science, technology, places, seasons, human emotions, relationships - everything seems to take a course of deviation with time, showing change is inevitable. But there is something that even the greatest and most sophisticated technology could not replace - the soothing power of human touch. A delicate touch carries quite an amount of warmth and emotions that can heal both the body and mind. Ayurveda is the first to acknowledge the amazing power of human touch in healing, thousands of years back and put into use in the finest manner. A subtle artful technique where you can appreciate every inch of your body for how it is, Abhyanga or oil massage in Ayurveda remains one of the most sought after techniques adopted by healers all over the world. The history of massage technique must be as old as the human race. But its importance in healing and the science behind it is more skilfully explained and performed in Ayurvedic science than any other. That is why it is recommended to be done everyday as a part of your daily healthy routine in Ayurveda. Doing a self massage daily can invigorate your mind & body, enabling you to face the toughest of challenges life throws at you. But, it is also important to understand how to do it traditionally and scientifically as mentioned by the ancient sages, to gain the exact benefits. Who can do Abhyanga? Ayurveda considers upto 16 years as Baalya or paediatric age. They are considered as having less satwa bala due to their delicate growing age and thus many therapies are specifically contraindicated for them. But Abhyanga is an exception - it can be done right from birth and is considered ideal for the symmetrical physical development of the baby. Being the most dependent beings, babies and kids always need assistance while doing massage and it should be done in a gentle comfortable manner. A healthy adult may do Abhyanga everyday before taking a bath. This self-massage is quite different from the kind of massage done by a masseur and has its own advantages. You know your body best and have full freedom to decide the kind of pressure and time you want to spend, pampering your body. You can be at the comfort of your home, at your convenience and look forward to a productive self love
Post Covid Rejuvenation and Recovery: The Ayurveda Way Dealing with a less known type of disease and that too a pandemic is indeed difficult. It is a truth that Covid -19 has affected human lives in a clumsy, uncomfortable way. But the good news is, the majority can recover pretty quickly without any complications if proper care and attention are given right from the beginning. Testing negative for Covid-19 is not the end of the recovery phase. It marks the beginning of a post-covid rejuvenation period when the body and the mind heal gradually and get back to normalcy. Epidemics and pandemics are explained in Ayurveda as “Janapadodwamsa”. A large population, irrespective of their Bala (strength), diet, behavior, and psychological state, is affected by the same disease, at the same time, which may destroy the community, is called ‘Janapadodhwamsa’. Covid-19 pandemic fits this category and has already affected a huge part of the population worldwide. The Covid-19 virus affects people differently. It could be asymptomatic or more often present with varied symptoms ranging from mild to moderate and severe. Often people complain of persistent fatigue, respiratory distress, body pain, loss of taste, smell, and poor appetite for weeks after the infection. The occurrence of allied medical conditions like skin diseases is also not uncommon these days. Irrespective of the strength with which the virus affected your body, a holistic natural, and systematic approach is essential to regain the lost strength and immunity. Covid-19 due to the peculiarity of the symptoms often involves all the three doshas with specific Kapha dosha aggravation. Most common symptoms such as fever, loss of taste, loss of appetite, extreme lethargy, and upper respiratory discomfort point to the diminution of the first formed dhatu after digestion - Rasa dhatu. Rasa dhatu kshaya (diminution) along with the aggravation of Kapha can further affect the Agni (biological fire) and impact the entire metabolism of the body. The presence of Ama (toxic outcome of improper digestion) accumulated in the body due to the ongoing disease process can significantly influence the general body’s immunity and strength. Ayurveda always approaches in a preventive, curative, and rehabilitative approach in any kind of illness*. In covid-19 as well, a systematic outlook to restore the lost strength and immunity by balancing the doshas and stabilizing the dhatu formation is what Ayurveda adopts. A diet involving Ayurveda herbs and spices and various lifestyle modalities that gradually improve the strength and
It is like watching a science fiction serial☣️, one episode lasts 24 hours since end December still continuing novel coronavirus covid-19 not on television screen but in real life. In December 2019 the Chinese authorities notified the rest of the worls that a virus was spreading through their communities. In the following months it spread to other countries with cases doubling within days. This virus was similar to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and subsequently named Coronavirus 2 or COVID 19. What is a virus and why is COVID 19 a bigger deal than SARS or Seasonal flu virus? It has to do with RNA sequencing, ie. Genetics. Seasonal flu is an all human virus. The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognised by the human immune system. This means that human body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year. Immunity is acquired in two ways; through exposure to a virus or by getting a flu shot. In contrast to SARS virus, COVID 19 viruses come from animals. These viruses usually transfer only from animal to animal (pigs in the case of H1N1 and birds in the case of Spanish flu.) But once, one of the animal viruses mutates and starts to transfer from animals to humans, it becomes problematic – because we have no natural or acquired immunity. The RNA sequencing of the genes inside the is not human, and the human immune system does not recognise it. So we cannot fight it off. The mutation sometimes allows transfer from animal to human. This mutation might take years to happen; usually it happens from an infected animal to a human. When this final happens we have a new contagion phase. How contagious or how deadly is the new contagion can be depends on the fashion of the new virus. H1N1 was deadly, but not as deadly as the Spanish flu. Its RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently. In December 2019 came the Coronavirus – nobody knows how long it existed in animals only; but one day at an animal market in Wuhan, China, it mutated and made a jump from animal to people. To start with, only animals could give it to people; but in just two weeks it mutated again and gained ability to jump from human to human. Scientists call this quick ability “Slippery”🧼. COVID 19 not being a “human” virus