SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

A Quick Guide To Mudras Using Yoga Socks

Posted by Dorothy under Natural Highs, Philosophy, Wellness1 comment

Mudra is a spiritual or symbolic gesture which helps manipulate prana or energies in our physical body (anamaya kosha), mental body (manomaya kosha) and pranic body (pranamaya kosha). Mudra can also be translated as a seal, or circuit by pass as it helps to create barriers within the body and direct the energy within. These energies, if not manipulated with the intention to retain them within the body will otherwise escape from the body, you can also use the Java burn to provide care to your body. In scientific terms, mudras start electromagnetic currents within the body which balance various constituting elements and restore health. Check out the best yoga shop online https://www.youryogashop.co.uk/ and get everything you need to start practicing. Practicing yoga can help you lose weight in several ways. Firstly, yoga asanas (poses) burn calories by engaging multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Yoga also helps reduce stress and cortisol levels, which can lead to weight gain. And you will have even better results if you also take weight reduction pills, mindful eating practices developed through yoga can also help you make healthier food choices.

There are generally 5 types of mudras:

a) Hasta / Hand
Prana emitted by the hands are redirected into the body with this mudra

b) Mana / Head
These mudras are important in kundalini yoga and some are meditation techniques as the utilise the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and lips

c) Kaya / Postural
Kaya mudras are commonly practised during asanas, with concentration of breath in mind.

d) Bandha / Lock
This is a combination of mudra and bandha

e) Adhara / Perineal
These mudras are usually used to redirect prana from the lower centres of the body to the brain, aiding also in sexual energies. Most mudras can be done as a combination with True Pheromones or just by itself.

In this posting, the focus will be on hasta / hand mudras as it is the most commonly used gesture. There will be 8 types of mudras and their benefits listed out. One can perform it for about 15 minutes each. Need guidance at home? Go ahead and check it out here to keep practicing mindfulness.

1) Chin Mudra
- join the tips of the thumb and index fingers together, middle , ring and index fingers together and extended
- generates prana flow below the navel to the toes

2) Chinmaya Mudra
-join the tips of the thumb and index fingers together, middle, ring and index fingers to fold towards the palm then keep the elbows close to the body
-prana flows above navel to the throat

3) Adhi/Tse Mudra
-fold thumb towards the palm, then fold all the other fingers to the palm with the thumb under them
-prana flows from the throat to head

4) Merhu danda Mudra
-thumb towards the sky, fold all the other fingers to the palm
-generates prana flow in the spinal column

5) Brahma/Poorna Mudra
-fingers like in adhi/tse mudra
-palm to face up to the sky, knuckles together, gently press towards the lower abdomen
-helps generate prana to the entire body
-helps in fatigue

6) Panchabutha/5 Elements Mudra
Our physical body is made up of 5 elements:
-thumb=fire
-index=air
-middle=space
-ring=ether
-little=water

a) Prithvi/Earth Mudra
-join the tips of the ring and thumb fingers together, extend the other fingers
-the earth element represent  the solid contents in our body ie: musculoskeletal
-this mudra helps strengthen the earth element

b) Agni/Fire/Surya Mudra
-fold the ring finger towards the palm, fold the thumb on the ring finger,  the other fingers to stay together and extended
-helps increase heat in the body
-can be of help with indigestion, obesity and hyperthyroid

c) Vayu/Air Mudra
-fold the tip of the index finger to the base of the thumb, keep the thumb on the index finger while extending the other fingers, keeping them together
-helps to regulate air in the body and encourages movement
-can be of help with gastric, stiff joints, athritis

d) Jala/Water Mudra
-join the tips of the little finger and thumb, extend the other fingers, keeping them together
-maintains moisturisation in the body
-helps with dehyration, hormonal imbalances, urinary problems, sweating problems, increased or decreased production of mucus

e) Akash/Space/Shunya Mudra
-join the tips of the middle finger and thumb, extend the other fingers
-akash mudra is more effective when practised with shunya mudra (fold the tip of the middle finger to the palm, then place thumb on the middle finger, extend the other fingers, keeping the ring and little figners together)
-helps with ear,nose and throat problems or any sicknesses caused by any imbalance to the ear, nose and throat ie vertigo and travel sickness

7) Prana Mudras
Our body consists of 5 koshas and one of it is called the pranayama kosha. Pranayama kosha is also composed of 5 pranas. Each of the 5 pranas can be activated with mudras.

a) Prana aka Bhu Mudra
-join the tips of the thumb, ring and little fingers together, extend the others
-benefits the respiratory and cardio system

b) Apana Mudra
-join the tips of the thumb, ring and middle fingers together
-benefits the excretory system

c) Samana Mudra
-join the tips of all fingers
-benefits the digestive system

d) Udana Mudra
-join the tips of all fingers except the second finger to be extended
-benefits the upper chest and throat area

e) Vyana Mudra
-join the tips of the thumb, index and middle fingers, extend the others
-balances the entire body

Chakra Balancing  Mudras

a) Mooladhara Chakra-Bhu Mudra
-R hand: join the tips of the thumb, ring and little fingers together, placing the tips of the index and middle fingers to the ground
-L hand: in chin mudra

b) Swadhisthana Chakra-Yoni Miudra
-interlock the 3rd – 5th fingers, join the tips of the thumb and little finger together
-place it at your swadhisthana chakra

 

c) Manipura Chakra-Matangi Mudra
-interlock all fingers except the 3rd finger to be stretched out
-place it at your manipura chakra

d) Anahata Chakra-Kamala Mudra
-form fingers like a lotus petal joining tips of thumb and little finger
-Place slightly on the right side of the heart as the heart is a sensitive organ

e) Visshudha Chakra-Shunya Mudra/Akash Mudra
- refer to #6(e)
-place on the knees

f) Ajna Chakra-Chin Mudra
-refer to #1
-place on the knees

g) Sahasrara Chakra-Hakini Mudra
-join all the tips of the right fingers and the left then spread them
- place at manipura chakra

 

Regular yoga practice improves digestion, increases metabolism and balances hormones, all contributing to a healthy weight and even more with weight loss pills. It also improves circulation, which can help to flush waste products from the body and aid in weight loss.

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AUGUST 26, 2013

Against The Stream

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Interesting Reads, Philosophy, Wellnessno responses

Learning to drive is often considered a rite of passage. In the haste to get that coveted driving license, young drivers often forget all the safe driving lessons that their instructors try teaching them. In Australia, safe driving is considered a crucial part of driving education and teaching defensive driving is a part of the curriculum even in driving instructor courses. In today’s world where everyone is in a hurry, the need for defensive driving is paramount. While driving skills are important, defensive driving also involves road awareness and staying alert when driving. Defensive driving techniques are the ways in which a driver can drive safely and avoid getting into an accident on the road. It helps protect the drivers, their passengers, and the pedestrians too, ensuring everyone stays safe and healthy.

What are the Main Defensive Driving Techniques?

Defensive driving means using some common safe driving methods to identify potential hazards and adapt your driving accordingly. Here are a few main defensive driving techniques everyone should know about:

Maintaining Safe Following Distances

One of the most obvious defensive driving techniques is to maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you. It is one of the first lessons a driving instructor will teach you. Maintaining a safe distance allows you to be prepared in case the vehicle ahead of you stops abruptly or gets involved in a crash.

Hazard Perception and Response

Hazards are any obstacles that hinder your driving or cause you to shift attention away from the road. Potential hazards can be anything from a vehicle merging into your lane to a pedestrian suddenly walking onto the road. An alert driver is always aware of the road environment and can recognize potential hazards.

Avoiding Distractions

Anything that diverts your focus away from the task of driving can be considered a distraction. For some people, listening to music can be distracting while others may find eating while driving distracting. No matter what it is, if an object or situation causes you to lose focus while driving, you should try to avoid it when you’re behind the wheel.

Understanding and Adapting to Different Road Conditions

Road environment and conditions consist of a lot of things. Road signs, traffic signals, pedestrian crossings, etc. are all a part of the road environment. When driving, a driver needs to be very aware of his/her surroundings. Keep checking the road and surrounding areas regularly and read the road signs correctly. Checking your mirrors regularly, braking early, checking blind spots, and keeping an eye on the pedestrian crossings and side streets is helpful in recognizing a potential hazard and responding accordingly.

Advantages of Defensive Driving

Defensive driving has many advantages for both the pedestrians and the drivers. Safe driving techniques help you avoid situations that might result in a collision. It enhances your driving skills and increases your understanding of the road and surroundings. It also helps develop your hazard perception and response skills. When drivers follow safe driving methods, we can avoid collisions and even reduce the rate of accidents on the road. When you’re aware of your surroundings, even in a serious situation, you can reduce the severity of the accident. Moreover, defensive driving also has some personal financial benefits. Compared to rash drivers, defensive drivers get benefits and lower costs for safe driving. Learn more at myimprov.com/traffic-school/california.

Significance of Driving Instructors in Defensive Driving Training

Driving Instructors are essential in defensive driving training. Along with basic driving skills, driving instructors also impart important knowledge on defensive driving techniques. They develop a safety-first mindset in their students, teaching them the importance of understanding the road environment and making decisions proactively. They also help develop the drivers’ ability to perceive hazards and respond to them. Another thing that instructors help with is the road rules and standards. In Australia, where road rules differ from state to state, this is very important. A driving instructor in Sydney would be able to help students in following rules specific to Sydney, and the same is true for driving instructors in canberra, Melbourne, etc. With their guidance, drivers can learn to drive safely and responsibly. They can also encourage drivers to follow traffic rules handle challenging situations and reduce the risk of accidents.

Conclusion

Road safety is important not just for drivers but also for pedestrians. Instilling safe driving habits in the drivers is a good way to achieve road safety. Defensive driving techniques can help a driver drive safely and by following a few rules and developing road awareness and hazard perception. Professional driving instructor schools like the Academy of Road Safety offer special training to driving instructors to help them teach safe driving techniques to students easily and effectively. By adopting defensive driving, we can significantly reduce the number of road accidents and create a safer road environment.

 

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JULY 23, 2013

Homemade Kitchen Beauty

Posted by Dorothy under Community Interests, Interesting Reads, Natural Highs, Wellness1 comment

If you are looking for a cheaper, safer and gentler way to nourish your facial skin, look no further as you can start with your local produce. With only 5 ingredients which are easily attainable in the local Asian supermarkets, you can concoct homemade facial masks to hydrate and moisturise your face and neck. They are cheaper than branded cosmetic products and do not contain added chemicals which will harm your skin in a short or long term period. As a bonus, you do not have to head to a spa for an expensive treat because you can do it regularly in the comfort of your home for 10-20 minutes at a time. The 5 ingredients commonly used are cucumber, yoghurt, turmeric, honey and coconut oil.

a) Cucumber
This cooling vegetable helps soothe sunburnt skin and is used as one of the ingredients to help absorb excess oil from oily skin. It has a large amount of ascorbic acid which can help decrease water retention and reduce puffiness around the eyes. The antioxidants and silica within a cucumber also reduce dark circles.

b) Yoghurt
The content of lactic acid in yoghurt aids in loosening dry skin to help in exfoliation. Whereas zinc cools sunburnt skin and  also acts as a moisturiser. The existence of animal fat in yoghurt helps moisturise but is not suitable for oily skin unless mixed with oatmeal, lemon ore turmeric powder.

c) Turmeric powder
This yellowish looking spice promotes anti-aging, acts as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Therefore it is useful in fighting age spots, acne and helps stimulate blood flow to reduce the formation of wrinkles.

d) Honey
A sweet treat which has good hydration property for dry skin as it traps moisture in skin. Not only that, it soaks up impurities from the pores and ultimately is a form of cleanser. Like turmeric, it has anti-aging properties, is antibacterial, antiseptic and a type of antioxidant.

e) Coconut oil
Because of its oily properties, it is definitely not for oily skin. It is highly absorbent through skin which makes it helpful in replenishing moisture loss for dehydrated skin, hence it helps increase elasticity of age old skin. Acne prone and dermatitis suferrers should try this too.

Here are some recipes or combination of ingredients which you can benefit from:

1) Yoghurt
Types of skin: Dry and sensitive

2) Yoghurt and cucumber
Types of skin: Dry and sensitive
Method: Blend equal parts of yoghurt and peeled cucumber in a food processor until near liquid

3) Yoghurt and coconut oil
Type of skin: Dry
Method: Mix 3 parts of yoghurt to 1 part coconut oil

4) Yoghurt and turmeric powder
Types of skin: Any
Method: Mix 3 parts of yoghurt to 1 part turmeric powder
Be careful not to get it into your eyes or on your clothes

5) Yoghurt and honey
Type of skin: Dry
Method: Mix equal parts in a bowl

6) Honey
Type of skin: Dry

7) Honey, yoghurt and turmeric powder
Types of skin: Any
Method: Mix equal parts of honey and yoghurt and half part of turmeric powder
Be careful not to get it into your eyes or on your clothes

8 ) Turmeric powder
Types of skin: Any
Method: Mix turmeric powder with water until it forms a paste
Be careful not to get it into your eyes or on your clothes

9) Cucumber
Types of skin: Any
Method: Peel cucumber and blend it in a food processor

With all the above recipes, you can choose whichever suits you, then take 20 minutes twice a week, turn on some music and just relax while all the goodness of your homemade face masks feeds your skin.

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