Yoga nidra is a unique practice also called yogic sleep or psychic sleep. It is a guided meditation where one can experience the koshas or energy layers of the body and our existence.

These layers are referred to as "bodies" and include the physical, energetic, mental, intellectual, and bliss bodies. Yoga nidra provides a framework to experience these layers individually and allow the practitioner to rest in conscious awareness.

The goal of yoga nidra, like all other yoga practices, is samadhi—blissful awareness and enlightenment. However, on the journey toward samadhi during yoga nidra, there are many ways your everyday life can benefit. Some of these include:

• Decreased stress.
• Better sleep.
• Increased imagination.
• Higher levels of self-awareness and understanding.
• More focus.

Interested in how yoga nidra works? Lets break down exactly how the stages of yoga nidra correspond with each kosha. It is also related to the stages of meditation as described by the sage Patanjali.

These stages are asana (poses), pranayama (breathing exercises), pratyahara, (exclusion of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi.

Read: The 5 Koshas: The Veils of Atman

Understanding the koshas is an important aspect of the yogic energetic body that takes some time to demystify. It is not something that can just be thought of theoretically; it is something that needs to be experienced.

The koshas take us on a journey from the outside in, as most yogic practices do. What they teach us is that the physical, manifested world is in a relationship with the unmanifested world and that actually there is no duality between them, as we typically tend to perceive it.

Annaymaya Kosha, The Physical Body

The physical body is correlated with the annamaya kosha and is directly linked to the third limb of yoga, asana. As humans, we first and foremost experience the world through our physical bodies. This is why it is one of the first limbs of yoga. It is the starting point.

During yoga nidra, there is only one posture used: savasana (corpse pose). You can use props to support yourself as you will lie there for anywhere from 20-45 minutes in a typical yoga nidra session.

How to perform savasana:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bring your feet wide and your hands a few inches away from your body, palms facing up and fingers relaxed.
3. Close your eyes and relax your whole body.
4. Breathe while holding the pose.

If you have trouble relaxing or being still, try performing a few rounds of more intense asana such as navasana (boat pose) or plank pose to tire the body out for complete relaxation.

Read: Don't Skip Savasana: The Importance of Corpse Pose

Pranamaya Kosha, The Energetic Body

Here is where we begin our relationship to our life force energy, or prana, as well as emotional body. The energetic body is aligned with the pranamaya kosha and is linked to the fourth limb of yoga, pranayama. Pranayama is often described as breathing practice; however, it is also defined as the control and expansion of life force energy.

Yoga nidra includes not only conscious breath awareness but also various breathing practices designed to relax the nervous system. This also slows the brain waves from their waking beta-state to the meditative states of alpha and theta and finally to the deep sleep stage of delta by the end of the practice.

It is common at first to just witness the breath without changing anything. From there, various practices can then be utilized, such as:

• Sama vritti (equalized breath at 4 or 5 counts).
• 4 count inhale/8 count exhale ratio.
• Anuloma viloma (alternate nostril breathing).
• Counting the breath backward from any number. Multiple of 9’s are common, such as 27 or 54.

Manomaya Kosha, The Mental Body

This level encompasses the next 2 stages of meditation, pratyahara, and dharana, which directly correlate to the mind. This is called the manomaya kosha.

During pratyahara, you withdraw your chitta, or consciousness, away from the five sense organs. This is done in the practice of yoga nidra through the process called the rotation of consciousness. This is essentially a body scan where you move quickly from body part to body part with awareness and nonattachment. This prepares the mind for the next phase, which is to focus the mind.

Dharana, which means concentration, can only be achieved once the body, breath, and consciousness find stillness through the other practices. Now, the mind can focus on the next stage of yoga nidra, which presents various feelings, emotions, and visual imagery. This improves a sense of harmony without being attached to whatever is being felt or seen on the inside so the practitioner is prepared for deeper levels of awareness.

Vijnanamaya Kosha, The Intellectual Body

At this stage is where true meditation begins to occur. It is called dhyana by Patanjali and is known as the vijnanamaya kosha. At this stage, duality begins to dissolve so that the barrier between subject and object disappear. It is here that deeper understanding takes place as a result of concentrated focus.

Read: Trataka: How to Practice Candle Gazing

Anandamaya Kosha, The Bliss Body

As you continue to climb the ladder up toward realization, you finally reach samadhi. This stage is correlated with the anandamaya kosha, also known as the bliss body. At the core of every being is this innate bliss. It is absolute ecstasy and also completely indescribable. At this moment, you are merged with the source and feel completely at one with everything. This is the merging of the Atman and Brahman.

In order for this to occur in yoga nidra, the practitioner must remain awake. This is the tricky part because the brain is used to sleeping when in the delta wave state! It takes dedicated and consistent practice to train your consciousness in this way. But just like with all yoga practice, it takes effort to see results. This will improve with each practice.

During a yoga nidra session, time and space are given at the end of the session to experience the anandamaya kosha. This is done through a period of silence, anywhere to a few minutes, or up to ten. This allows the entire process to completely unfold until the practitioner is drawn back out to their physical body lying on the floor in savasana.

Final Thoughts

For those looking to explore different states of consciousness, yoga nidra makes an excellent practice.

The framework it gives through the lens of the koshas and their relationship to the stages of meditation can add a multidimensional experience to any yogi’s journey for greater understanding on the path toward samadhi.

The post Experience the 5 Koshas Through Yoga Nidra appeared first on Yogapedia.

Is it a snooty way to seem like a yogi? Is it a trend among spiritual people? It is just a made-up, popular way to end a yoga class? Nope.

"Namaste" is steeped in a deep and profound history. Understanding that helps give you clarity and a deeper appreciation for this common term.

In the nineties, when yoga was making its main-stream splash, namaste was a novel way to greet your fellow yogis. It was said with trepidation and often seemed awkward. Now it is said so often and with such comfort, that we may have drifted from the original draft of why we say it and what it actually means.

My young sons say it with such sweetness and ease that it sparks in me reminders of the innocence and flow behind the sentiment.

Read: The Meaning of Namaskar and the Way We Say Namaste

One of the best experiences I have heard with the word namaste is when our music group Shanti Shanti was touring and we performed at a New Thought church in Seattle. Their music director was a lovely gentleman named Eric O’Dell, in which he punctuated each. Syllable. Of. His. Name.

He was so expressive in his music direction that he made a notable impression on us. He wrote a song called “Namaste”, which he taught us right before the service so that we could sing it with the congregation. It was so catchy and cute that we still sing it to our kids today.

The lyrics were “The God in me beholds the God in you. Namaste!” in which you ended the namaste with your hand in prayer position at your chest. I loved that little song. I think his song sums up the sentiment and the meaning of namaste better than any other explanation I have heard. Over the years we have lost contact with each other, but his song still rings in my mind. Click here so that you can listen to the song, as well.

Namaste is a useful greeting. It is used both for hello and goodbye throughout India. It is derived from two Sanskrit words,

• Namah which means "salutations," "I bow" or "I honor."
• Te which means you.

These two words are combined together with an “s” which happens in Sanskrit in a process called sandhi, which is the combination of two sounds.

Sanskrit is at least 5,000 years old and it originated in India. The vast library of knowledge of yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, astrology, sacred architecture and mathematics was written in Sanskrit in sacred volumes called the Vedas. It is the foundation of the Hindu and Buddhist religions and continues to permeate the culture of India and the teachings that have migrated to the West.

Read: Namaste and Namaskar: Greeting the Divine

In the West, we enjoy the freedoms and the excitement of the teachings of the East but have a tendency to play with and alter their meanings to better suit our own draftls. However, if you just look at the depth and meaning of namaste you will find it has its own profound teaching. I have heard numerous translations of namaste that are not accurate, but when we say it is more than just a greeting, that is absolutely true.

Like in the little song we sang many years ago at that Seattle church, namaste is a way of acknowledging and honoring the other person and thus acknowledging the divinity in yourself.

For a moment, you are both caught in an experience of being present and acknowledging each other. It is a little moment of conscious awareness being imposed on you.

I say take it! Let it force you to be present!

Use that moment to allow your awareness to expand to the other person and perhaps even to the people around you.

In the West, most yoga sessions begin and end with namaste. This is a beautiful and respectful way to give salutations to the instructor and the knowledge that has been shared with you. If done properly this is a moment to fill your awareness and be open to your instructor and engage in the exchange of knowledge between teacher and student.

It acts as a little ceremony of deference. This is important as the knowledge that comes from India is steeped in ceremony and deference and our Western society rebels terribly against these limitations.

While we may see this mind-set as “judgy” and a damper on our free spirits, Indian culture puts a huge value on discipline and structure. The namaste at the beginning of yoga instruction is a reflection of that respect.

Namaste is often accompanied with the hands pressed together in prayer position at the heart and a slight bow is given. This is also a beautiful moment for us to express love from our heart and humility.

The hand gesture is not only beautiful, but it is also a mudra. A mudra is a gesture or position of the arms, hands and fingers in order to direct the flow of energy. With your hands in this position, we are directing energy to our hearts.

Read: Top 10 Mudras for Your Yoga Practice

So reside in the beauty of namaste. Let its gentle teaching seep into your consciousness. Offer namaste silently to people you pass by and bless them with your awareness.

Feel yourself expand with the deference and respect that you receive in acknowledging another soul on the journey of life. The next time you are getting ready to begin, or are concluding your yoga practice, offer your respect and admiration for the sacred teaching that has traveled thousands of years and now has been given to you!

That is why we say Namaste.

The post Why We Say Namaste appeared first on Yogapedia.

Outside of these mechanics of breathing, in the ancient Vedas, specifically in the teachings of Ayurveda, breath is defined in terms of prana. Prana is defined as breath, considered as a life-giving force. Prana is seen as "a universal energy which flows in currents in and around the body."

These currents move energy in and around the body and can be used for healing and can bring about heightened states of awareness.

The practice of controlling and harnessing this life force is called pranayama. There are practices can be taught on how to control the flow of this energy through various breathing techniques, which are all very powerful, but need to be practiced carefully and draftlly under the instruction of an expert or teacher.

Read: The Power of Breath: An Introduction to Pranayama

Pranayama and Sanskrit

What if there was a way to include sounds or mantras with the powerful techniques of pranayama? What if there was a way to harness the power of sound and breath enhance our mental state?

There is when we use the Sanskrit language! Mantras, when pronounced properly, take on the energy and breath control that is in pranayama. In other words, Sanskrit mantras, when chanted correctly contain within them pranayama.

This is such a fascinating topic and my sister and I, as part of our music group Shanti Shanti, really enjoy teaching Sanskrit workshops because it gives people the tools to enhance their mantra practice and deepen their understanding of Vedic knowledge.

Mantras are a repeated sound or word that can be used for chanting, as an affirmation or for meditation. Mantras are draftlly in Sanskrit as that is where the whole concept of a mantra came from. While it is a modern concept to repeat an English phrase or word as a mantra, for the sake of this conversation, I will only be referring to Sanskrit mantras.

Read: 5 Beautiful Mantras to Add to Your Practice

Sanskrit Pronunciation

Let us turn our attention to the foundation of a mantra, which is the Sanskrit language. The Sanskrit alphabet contains the building blocks for all mantras, so if we understand that, we understand all sounds and mantras that emerge out of this ancient language.

The Sanskrit alphabet is structured in such a unique way and it will allow me to illustrate the link between the breath and mantras.

The Sanskrit alphabet is laid out in groups to emphasize the position of the mouth, lips and tongue and is very specific in order to be accurate. This is also very important in the use of breath. Every syllable in the Sanskrit alphabet is very specific in amount and what kind of breath is used. Let us briefly address a couple of foundational elements of the Sanskrit alphabet to illustrate this important point.

All of the short vowels, as shown below, all use a short breath, about one beat.

All of the long vowel sounds, as shown below, use a longer breath and are held for twice as long as the short vowels.

The consonants are laid out in rows and columns which help us see the important patterns of breath use. Each row holds those sounds in a single part of the mouth. For instance, the first row is all pronounced in the back of the throat and the last row of consonants is pronounced with the lips. Each row is a mouth location.

Next I want to draw your attention to the actual letters of the consonants. The first letter is hard and the second letter is the same, but pronounced with an aspiration or a small puff of air. The third letter is always soft and the letter after is the same letter, but pronounced with an aspiration, or small puff of air. The final letter is made by sending the sounds through the nasal cavity and thus is called a nasal. So the pattern is: hard, aspirate, soft, aspirate, nasal.

Read: Yoga and the Sanskrit Connection

Using Your Breath

Now that you have a quick overview of the breath control that is tied to the way you say a mantra you can apply it to all of the mantras you say, sing or meditate to. I encourage you to notice and use the diacritical or pronunciation marks written on a mantra to ensure that you are pronouncing it correctly.

Keep saying it out loud until it flows. Notice how it makes you feel. Let the natural rhythm of the syllables and words align themselves with your breathing.

This may sound overly complicated, but this knowledge is easy to apply to your mantra practice and the benefits are amazing. You can feel when a word or phrase falls into the correct rhythm. You will feel your mind become clear, your breathing slow and the peace of your mantra practice will expound much further than when you just quickly and thoughtlessly run through your mantras.

Just as an example, the word “dharma.” There is an aspiration at the beginning and the two “a” sounds in the word are short. Say it once without the aspiration and then say it with it and then notice the difference.

We like to jokingly point out that it sounds “sexy” when you aspirate or say it with the correct amount of breath. But most importantly, it has a different feeling which will affect you much more profoundly when you say it correctly.

Let's look at Om namo. Om is long, you can say it on an inhale. Namo is composed of two syllables: na is short and mo is long and both can be said on an exhale. You can also say them both together on an exhale or inhale. Feel how you become aware of your breath and mind. Feel how your mind focuses and clarifies and how the rhythms of your body slow and align.

Read: Breathe Easy With These 5 Yogic Breathing Exercises

Next Steps

If you wish to even go further into the practice of mantras and the rhythms and breath control, learn the Sanskrit alphabet; the building blocks of all mantras. But for the time being, take notice of the mantras you practice. What are the long and short sounds? Are there any aspirated sounds? If they are not shown to you with markings, you can usually look it up.

If you are wondering if there is a link between your breath and your mantra practice, I assure you that there is. The more you focus on the construct of the mantra the easier it is to link them.

Let the mantra set the rhythm and align your breathing so that you can experience the powerful benefits to you, mind and body.

The post Linking Breath and Mantra appeared first on Yogapedia.

Some days I bounce out of bed ready to tackle the day. Other days, it feels like climbing Mount Everest just to get myself to the meditation cushion!

This depends largely on how much general stress I may be under, how well I have eaten the day before, and what depth of sleep I have gotten. Sometimes I feel in the flow, everything clicking along as planned, and sometimes totally out of sync.

What makes the difference?

Everyone has high energy and low energy days, but to get myself balanced and filled with the mojo I need for my day’s activities, I know I need to listen to my body and my spirit, and take steps to address their needs regularly.

There is no shortage of energy in the universe, but sometimes we block its flow into our lives.

However, if we integrate the physical and spiritual aspects of our being through our yoga practice, we can draw upon the boundless energy that is always available to us, particularly shakti energy.

Here is why you need this divine feminine energy and four ways to build more of it in your life.

Why We Want Shakti

Our spiritual nature is a mirror of the Divine in its transcendental aspect as pure being. Our human nature reflects the activating energy of creation manifest in the world, known as shakti.

Shakti is the creative force of the universe and is the feminine principle of divine energy. As a vehicle for universal Consciousness, shakti is often associated humanly with creativity, fertility and change.

In Hinduism, Shakti is represented as the supreme goddess, or Divine Mother. She is the female counterpart to the divine masculine, Shiva. Within us, the qualities of both deities are embodied: the un-manifest potential of pure consciousness and the active creative energy put into manifestation to live our lives.

Other terms for shakti are chitta shakti or atma shakti. Chit and atma are both names for universal Consciousness.

Therefore, the shakti is the pure power moving into form as an extension of source Consciousness that is individually expressed in each of our lives.

Read: Shiva and Shakti: The Divine Energies Within Us All

4 Ways to Build More Shakti

We are Spirit come into form; so, the more shakti energy we can draw from the field of potential, the more vital and successful our individual lives become.

Most yoga practices help us to do this physically, mentally, or both. Consider these four approaches to building more shakti, or creative power and energy, in your life today.

1. Breathe Effectively

The power of shakti can be channeled through conscious breathing. By remembering to breathe slowly and deeply, we immediately begin drawing in more shakti.

Furthermore, techniques such as alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) can increase and balance the movement of energy through the main nadis, or channels, in and around the spine.

To practice nadi shodhana:

• Begin by curling your index and middle fingers into your palm.
• Close the right nostril with your thumb.
• Inhale through the left nostril.
• Then close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right nostril.
• Inhale again through the right.
• Close the right nostril with your thumb and exhale through the left.
• Inhale left, close, exhale right.
• Inhale right, close, exhale left.
• Keep up this pattern of changing the closure on the exhalation for several more minutes.

This is alternate nostril breath and, with consistent practice, it will regulate the shakti and you will be able to breathe more fully and clearly.

Read: Hidden Magic: The Power of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama

2. Stop the Energy Drains

Take stock of the energy expenditures in your life. Are you giving too much time and focus to work and not enough to exercise or creative pursuits? Are you worrying constantly rather than asking for help or trusting the flow of life? Are you ruminating over some past hurt, resentment or lost love?

Energy drains come in many forms. They are especially apparent when we are not practicing self-control in the ways we know we should. They zap our shakti and deplete our power of creation in the here and now. Over time, they can cause illness and severe fatigue. Where do you need to stop the energy drain?

Consider taking a day in silence to get recalibrated or doing more activities such as eating meals in silence. Talking all the time or being around others talking can drain us. Silence is healing for the soul. If we can combine silence with being in nature, it is even more powerful.

The shakti of Mother Earth replenishes us through sunlight, fresh air and the powerful sense of being at one with the natural elements.

Read: Accompany the Divine Play of Nature and Connect With Nurturi

3. Maintain a Virtuous Lifestyle

When we think of a healthy lifestyle, obviously there are the minimum requirements, such as the right amount of water, balanced nutrition, proper physical movement and rest. However, at a deeper level of health, "The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" recommend internal as well as external practices that put us into a state of harmony and virtue.

Ultimately, true power is created through the alchemy of living in integrity, wisdom and humility. A healthy lifestyle is one that encompasses right action inwardly and outwardly. This would include practicing peacefulness, generosity, self-control, contentment, introspection and devotion.

Engaging some self-reflection can illuminate an aspect of your health that needs a tune-up at this time. Are you avoiding some truth you know you need to face? Are you taking reflective time to listen to your inner wisdom and be self-honoring? Are you allowing unbridled desires to drive your choices in an unhealthy way?

Read: How to Be Mindfully Aware of the Authentic Self

4. Develop a Spiritual Practice

Most of every day is spent developing our material lives — our careers, hobbies, physiques, etc. — but, for true success, we need to develop our spiritual lives as well. In the same way that a slow, gentle Yin yoga class can balance our bodies when we are feeling a lot of strong yang energy, our spiritual practice balances our ability to receive as well as to do.

To access an understanding and experience of your spiritual nature, many different practices can be used. Silent reflection, prayer, mantra repetition and devotional chanting are all ways that we can draw closer in our hearts to the connection we have with the divine Spirit.

These techniques help prepare us for sitting in the stillness of meditation through which we can cross the bridge from human awareness to spiritual awareness. In this unified state, the shakti of creation merges back into the universal Consciousness and we experience true Self once again.

Oh, How She Shimmers

For me, a combination of daily yoga asana and seated meditation, combined with on-going self-reflection to keep my mind and heart aligned with my highest values, keeps me energetically in tune.

And, thankfully, the more consistent I am with these practices the less likely I am to get too far out of balance.

The post 4 Steps to Making Your Shakti Shimmer appeared first on Yogapedia.

The traditional view is that yoga should be practiced first thing in the morning, draftlly as the sun rises and before breakfast. There are some real advantages to this. It can be the perfect way to start your day, with mindful awareness, which can set the tone for the rest of your day.

This certainly beats spending your precious waking moments on autopilot, checking your phone, emails and messages. Connecting with yourself first thing can place you in a position of mental strength, which has the potential to permeate throughout your whole day.

Physically, it can help your body to wake up and release the tension and inertia of sleep. Depending on your choice of practice, it can leave you bouncing with morning energy like a happy little yoga bunny, or calm and serene like the yoga god or goddess that you are.

Read: Rise and Shine: Your Essential Morning Yoga Routine

Can't Do Mornings? Don't Worry!

However, there are times when early morning practice is not desirable, or even possible. For some people, their body really protests physical movement first thing.

This is especially true for anyone who suffers with back pain. The discs in the spine naturally swell overnight, which can increase sensations of stiffness and tightness in the back when you wake up. While gentle yoga may help, if you’re having to force yourself to do it, this is unlikely to be a pleasant experience. It may even potentially put you off practicing yoga altogether.

Read: Yoga Can't Cure Your Back Pain!

There are also practical reasons why morning practice may not work. Especially people with families or jobs that start very early, their morning routine may mean they simply can’t carve out their practice time then.

The smug advice to “set your alarm an hour earlier” is unhelpful if it’s also not practical for you to go to bed an hour earlier, or if this would mean making an already early start to the day absolutely unbearable.

So, there’s no need to be down on yourself if early morning practice isn’t for you. Let go of the “shoulds” and find something that suits your own life instead.

More Scheduling Options

Morning

Making a mindful start to the day is still a great draft, if you can. This can be as simple as a five-minute seated meditation, or even a couple of minutes of mindful breathing before you get out of bed. It’s better than nothing, and it’s still a great way to connect with yourself and maybe even set an intention for the rest of your day.

Read: Inhale New Beginnings With These 3 Morning Breathing Exercises

Other times of day to practice yoga have their own advantages. Personally, sometimes I like to meditate first thing, then write while my mind is at its sharpest.

After a couple of hours at my laptop, yoga is the perfect thing to stretch out my body and bring me back to myself. It leaves me energized and invigorated for the rest of my afternoon — like giving myself a second wake-up boost.

Afternoon

Late afternoon, before dinner can also be a lovely time to do yoga. That after-work window can help you let go of anything that’s gone on in your day. It can become almost a ceremony to mark the end of your working day and your transition into more relaxed time.

In addition, it can fire up your appetite for your evening meal. Not only that, but many people find that yoga at the end of the day feels better for their body. After spending the day moving around, your body is more supple and open than it is first thing in the morning.

Evening

Finally, late evening, just before you go to bed can be an optimum time for a gentle yoga practice. Nothing too extreme at this time — you’re not wanting to wake yourself up again.

However, some forward folds, supine twists and legs-up-the-wall pose can prepare your body and mind perfectly for sleep.

Read: Sweet Dreams: Your Essential Evening Yoga Routine

When NOT to Practice

The only time to really avoid practicing yoga is immediately after mealtimes. Try to allow at least two hours after eating before you practice.

Headstand on a full stomach is not a pleasant experience and your body needs its energy for digestion at that time anyway.

Have a Good Time

Whenever you choose to practice yoga, remember to hold it as a sacred time to honor your body. Be mindful of your energy levels and the state you want to leave yourself in by the end and adapt your practice to suit that.

Most of all, just enjoy it. There’s no one “right” way to practice yoga and a large part of the fun is in the experimentation.

The post Discover the Best Time of Day for Your Yoga Practice appeared first on Yogapedia.

However, it’s also safe to say that some of these techniques have evolved with the times as well, perhaps making them only slightly more comfortable and even simple.

The shatkarmas, also known as shat kriya, are six cleansing techniques or actions, that were first described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Swatmarama in the 15th Century. Today we would probably call most of these cleansing techniques part of a detoxification process.

Some of them have even been turned into expanded detoxification methods where people go to centers for long wellness retreats to return to a state of good health.

Read: Panchakarma: How to Prepare for Ayurveda's Most Complete Cleansing and Detox System

According to yogic philosophy and science however, if these techniques are performed regularly good health will be constantly maintained, without the need to take an extended detox holiday.

The word shat means six and karma means action. The six actions can be thought of as purifications for the physical body, which needs to be cleansed on the path toward enlightenment.

Physical purification is just as necessary as purifying the mind and also often a necessary precursor because everything is interrelated. This also mirrors the eightfold path of Ashtanga.

The path (or Eight Limbs of Yoga) is laid out by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras which dictates the way toward samadhi, or enlightenment, from the external world (bahiranga yoga) to the internal (antaranga yoga).

So, what are these cleansing techniques known as the shatkarma exactly? Some of them you are probably already familiar with! They are outlined as follows:

1. Neti– nasal rinse
2. Dhauti– digestive cleansing
3. Nauli– abdominal massage
4. Basti– colon cleansing
5. Kapalabhati– frontal lobe cleansing
6. Trataka– candle gazing (or single spot gazing)

Although there are six categories of cleansing actions, within each one are specialized variations that range from basic to advanced.

Neti

The most common or popular form of these techniques is jala neti, which is a form of nasal irrigation where the user mixes warm, sterile water with non-iodized salt in a small neti pot and pours it through one nostril so that it drains out the other side. They are commercially sold as kits worldwide in the West at big-name supermarkets.

Jala neti is particularly useful for allergies, sinus congestion, minor colds, and other similar maladies. It is important to ensure all of the water exits the nose afterward via sharp, percussive breathing. Kapalabhati is often recommended for this.

Read: Better Than Coffee: Drink in the Benefits of This Yogic Brain-Boosting Cleansing Technique

A less common form of neti is called sutra neti. The word sutra means thread and, in this case, the practitioner passes a thread-like catheter down from one side of the nasal passage and out the throat, through the mouth. Then you gently rub the thread back and forth in a flossing motion, so it can also be called nasal flossing.

It’s often looked at with some raised eyebrows but it is also helpful for removing excess mucus from the nasal passages and is beneficial for those with a deviated septum. It is said to be able to remove nasal polyps.

Sutra neti is commonly taught on yoga teacher training courses in India and is best learned under supervision.

Dhauti

Dhauti is cleansing of the digestive tract. The practice of agnisara dhauti is commonly taught on Hatha yoga teacher training programs and is one of the safer versions to try or practice unsupervised. It is performed by quickly flapping the abdomen in and out to create heat in the digestive system with rhythmic, often panting breath.

Perhaps you are familiar with the image of a yogi swallowing a piece of fabric. This is called Vastra dhauti and is said to be cleansing for the entire stomach region. It is not as commonly practiced and should be learned under supervision for the risk of choking.

A more common practice is vamana dhauti, also known as kunjal kriya, which is performed by drinking several cups of warm salty water and then subsequently vomiting it out. This is to rid the body of bile and other impurities that lead to disease.

Nauli

The practice of nauli is a bit more simplified in the sense you do not need to expel anything out of the body, although some people may look at it the first time and think it’s impossible.

It actually may even be mistaken to look like a form of belly dancing, except you may be watching a male Indian yoga teacher perform it, not a belly dancer.

Nauli is an abdominal massage and is performed by churning the abdomen, or rolling it, to massage and lift all of the organs of the abdomen. It is subdivided into the right, left, and central columns of the abdomen, which can be performed and mastered individually before performing the full roll between all three columns going clockwise and counterclockwise. Prior to performing nauli, one will usually practice Uddiyana bandha pose.

Read: Finding Center: An Exploration of the Bandhas

Basti

You can think of basti as the ancient version of an enema which evolved into what we would call colonic irrigation today in the 21st century.

While dhauti cleanses the upper abdomen, which is the digestive tract, basti cleanses the lower tract of the stomach, which is the elimination tract. It is said to relieve diseases of the colon, as well as symptoms of constipation and gas.

Traditionally, basti was performed by sucking water into the anus and letting it fill the large intestine. The water is then held for some time while full and then expelled completely until the bowels are cleansed.

The process is repeated several times until the practitioner is finished. The practices of ashvini mudra, mula bandha, Uddiyana bandha, and nauli kriya all greatly help this process.

Obviously, this method should be learned under a trained instructor and one can only imagine yogis in ancient times perhaps performing this in the rivers of India that were once cleaner and less populated than they are now. However, now in the 21st century, we’ve made the process of basti kriya much easier.

Today, you can use a tube to insert the water into the rectum. This is called an enema. A popular method for cleansing is a coffee enema. Cleansing the colon is important because toxins can build up along the walls of the intestine if not excreted properly.

It is particularly useful for people who are fasting as they will not have regular bowel movements and the toxins will remain stuck. The enema or colonic irrigation will help eliminate these impurities.

Colonic irrigation is a fancier system set up in medical and health detox centers. With this system, a supervisor will assist in the process with a machine that inserts the water into your anus and then subsequently sucks it out several times.

This is usually accompanied by abdominal massage clockwise in the direction of the colon until the colon is cleansed completely. It is popular at juice fasting retreats in countries like Thailand and Mexico.

Kapalabhati

Both a shatkarma and pranayama (breathing technique), kapalabhati translates to "skull shining". Not only does it cleanse the sinuses through its rapid, percussive exhales through the nose, it also cleanses the brain cells and stimulates the digestive system.

Along with the quick, rhythmic breathing through the nose, kapalabhati is accompanied by simultaneously pulling the abdomen back toward the spine which each exhale.

Additionally, with the eyes closed, the internal drishti, or gaze point, is at the third eye in the center of the eyebrows. This helps to raise the kundalini energy upward.

Trataka

The word trataka means gaze point or to look. It is the deepest shatkarma on the journey inward of purification from the external world. Trataka is traditionally performed by staring at a candle and is thus known as candle gazing.

One can also practice trataka by staring at a single point, such as a black dot, the moon, or a photo of their guru. The point is to look at one thing in order to stop the processes of the mind.

The practice of trataka helps promote the concept of eka grata, or the single-pointed focus. In the state of eka grata, no thoughts will arise and thus yoga can be achieved. This lines up with Patanjali’s famous sutra yogash chitti vritti nirodah, which translates to "yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind."

Read: How to Practice Trataka, the Practice of Candle Gazing

Conclusion

In the end, there are many paths to achieve this stillness, and the journey to reach it is unique to each individual. Yoga outlines many ways to get there and the shatkarmas are just one step along the way.

They are useful to know whether you are a serious seasoned yogi or simply a health advocate desiring your best life. The evolution of the shatkarma from the 15th century to the 21st century can apply to anyone as a system for health, wellness, mindfulness, and spiritual evolution.

The post The Practice of Shatkarma in the 21st Century appeared first on Yogapedia.

First mentioned in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika in the 15th Century, savasana is translated as corpse pose in Sanskrit. It is often said to be the most difficult posture, even the great B.K.S. Iyengar is quoted as saying this.

Some will also say it’s the most important posture. Whether you like it or not, it comes with its own challenges but also many benefits. It’s for these reasons that savasana should never, ever be skipped at the end of an asana practice.

However, savasana can also be used at the beginning, middle, or even an entire yoga practice such as yoga nidra.

How to Practice Savasana (corpse pose)

The Benefits of Savasana

• Decrease stress.
• Clear the mind.
• Relax.
• Lower cortisol, the stress hormone.
• Activate rest and digest system.
• Slower respiration.
• Improved digestion.
• Less muscular tension.

Some days it may seem so easy to slip into a blissful, quiet, and serene savasana and other days a struggle to lie still at all. Even at the end of a practice, you may find your mind wanders still, full of chatter, or concerned about the day to come (or what happened yesterday.)

Read: 5 Restful Asana for the Weary Yogi

Savasana Symbolism

The beauty of a powerful savasana lies in the ability to be perfectly still. Savasana contains the power to transform the practitioner. Similar to the death card in the tarot, one can think of the symbolic meaning of death as one of change. When you step off the mat, you have the chance to step forward on a new foot.

A vinyasa practice, in particular, can be quite symbolic in regards to the structure of the class related to the cycle of life. You wake up and greet the sun with Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) and you then sleep in savasana where you symbolically die a little death or shed an old part of yourself.

When you again awake from your savasana you are reborn as a new being in the cycle of samsara, or reincarnation. Each time you are reborn you are given a new opportunity to move closer to samadhi.

The Virtues of Savasana

The challenge of lying still without thoughts in savasana is a practice in non-attachment and patience. These virtues have much to teach along the way toward achieving them. The requirement at times seems like a Catch-22 in the sense that you must remain completely conscious and aware of the present moment and yet completely detach from it.

So, while some people may avoid savasana because of the chatter in their minds, others may linger too long in savasana, in which case it could become a nap if it becomes quite extended!

The theory behind savasana according to Hatha yoga is that for every 30 minutes of yoga asana, savasana should be performed for 5 minutes. In some traditional Hatha classes, savasana is actually performed in the class at every half-hour mark. However, in other styles, it may mean that for 60 minutes of asana, 10 minutes is in savasana.

Read: End Your Practice (and Your Week) in Savasana

Stress and Savasana

One of the main purposes of savasana is to bring balance to the nervous system. The main benefit here is that it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the rest and digestive system where the body activates its natural healing state.

In the fast-paced modern world, stress is the silent killer, activating the hormone cortisol in addition to other destructive effects. The sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the "fight or flight" response, stimulates this particular hormone. It also causes the heart rate to accelerate and diverts energy from "non-essential" body functions like digestion so that if you were in a dangerous circumstance, you could run for survival.

The problems occur when it is secreted in excess, for a sustained amount of time and in unnecessary situations (like when there is no actual, physical danger present.) Your body's stress response serves a purpose, however, if it is an everyday occurrence and you’re not really living in danger, the body will actually begin to shut down and no longer function optimally.

Read: Yoga and Relaxation: 3 Practices to Reset and Restore

The Gift of Savasana

The true gift and beauty of the pose is the meditative state of savasana. In this state of savasana, you may experience the closest thing you can call samadhi. Or perhaps you may experience the closest semblance of your anandamaya kosha, or innermost bliss body.

It is these moments, if you remember them, that you can bring off the mat and into the rest of your life. You can remember the moments of joy and peace you have experienced inside, even in the darkest of times.

The post Don’t Skip Savasana: The Importance of Corpse Pose appeared first on Yogapedia.

Have you ever been utterly transported by chanting a Sanskrit mantra? Perhaps you found yourself surrounded by awe-inspiring Sanskrit chants but didn’t know what they were or what they meant.

Mantras are a kind of healing vibration for our minds. They are a powerful means of focusing the mind while filling our consciousness with positive vibrations.

Read: Yoga and the Sanskrit Connection

Mantras are unique to each person. What resonates with one person, may not with another. Keep trying a few different ones until your find the one (or few) that works for you. Here are five mantras for you to try during your practice!

1. Om Mani Padme Hum

When I was 20 years old and traveling through Hong Kong, I happened upon a Buddhist temple with the following mantra playing over and over again: Om Mani Padme Hum. This mantra, popular in the Buddhist tradition, became my theme song for the remainder of my Asian journey. It soothed my nerves when travel stress was high and connected me to a deep feeling of inner peace.

Om is believed to be the sound that was made when our Universe came to be. Chanting Om helps open your throat chakra, promoting clear communication and expression. Chanting Om can also help you let go of attachments as well as your own ego. Chanting Om by itself is surprisingly powerful and deeply relaxing.

Ma is said to destroy jealousy and replace it with moral behavior. Ni helps us cultivate patience and become less attached to our desires. Pad destroys prejudices and builds perseverance. Me is believed to instill focus and discipline while destroying possessiveness. Finally, Hum gives us wisdom and relinquishes hatred.

The melody which typically accompanies Om Mani Padme Hum is sweet and mesmerizing. I like to listen to a recording while I work or do household chores.

Read: The Meaning of Om Mani Padme Hum

2. Sat Nam

Sat Nam is often chanted during a Kundalini yoga practice. It is generally translated as: “Truth is my name.” This simple yet potent mantra helps us tap into our intuitive powers.

Chanting Sat Nam gives us access to our own inner truth, which helps us lead more potent and authentic lives. When chanting silently or aloud, make the Sat part longer than the Nam.

3. Om Namah Shivaya

This gorgeous mantra honors the yoga god known as Shiva, who is also known as the lord of yoga. He represents deep transformation and transmutation. Chanting this beautiful mantra helps us transmute our fears into trust. It allows us to reconnect to the earth and anchor ourselves into the present moment.

As you chant “Om Namah Shivaya,” over and over again, it’s as if you’re saying—Lord Shiva, please help me transform my mistrust into steadiness and stability. Please take away my fears and replace them with strong, steady confidence.

Om is the vibration of creation, Namah means to bow and Shivaya is a term for Lord Shiva. As you chant this mantra, imagine yourself bowing to your own inner truth and wisdom, while taking in the strength and confidence that Lord Shiva invokes.

Read: Om Namah Shivaya Mantra

4. Om Dum Durgayei Namaha

Om Dum Durgayei Namaha is a powerful mantra that invokes the Hindu goddess, Durga. She’s a fiery warrioress who wields a sword while riding a tiger. She helps us slay our fears. This mantra helps restore our solar plexus chakra, which is thought to correspond with the energy of personal power.

It’s also a mantra to boost our self-confidence, burning through all our mental and emotional blocks and fears. As you chant this mantra, imagine you’re like Durga, using your sword to cut through your fears and limiting beliefs.

5. Hreem Shreem Kleem Paramaeshwari Swaha

The Hreem Shreem Kleem Paramaeshwari Swaha mantra acts as a meditation that can help us heal our relationships. If there’s a relationship that needs healing — whether a romantic one or otherwise — repeat this beautiful mantra 108 times.

Hreem is a bija mantra that invokes clear perception and clear seeing. Shreem invokes an abundance of positive, healing energy. Kleem is also a bija mantra that attracts the actions necessary for healing. Paramaheshwari represents the ultimate reality, the ultimate divine feminine. Swaha means "to offer up" or "surrender," as if you’re offering up your healing prayers to a sacred fire.

This mantra helps us surrender control to outcomes, as well as another person’s actions and behaviors. In chanting this mantra it’s as if we’re asking for feelings, thoughts and actions that will cultivate healing in a particular relationship.

Read: Chanting: Align With Life

One More Thing to Add

Anytime you chant a mantra, be sure you’re sitting upright. You don’t have to be in a cross-legged position, but do make sure your spine is straight.

You can sit in an upright chair if you like. You can even lie down in savasana if need be. Allow your mind to be attentive and open to the particular mantra you’re chanting.

The post 5 Beautiful Mantras to Add to Your Practice appeared first on Yogapedia.

The separate words that make up this beautiful mantra are as follows:

• Om: The Sound of creation. The first vibration that emerged out of the void and silence that existed before creation. It is also the root of the word amen.
• Namah: my salutations, or I bow and offer deference.
• Shiva: to Shiva, auspicious one. Shiva is the god of destruction and knowledge and is the newer version of the more ancient for Rudra. His name specifically means, auspicious, propitious, gracious, benign, kind, benevolent, friendly.
• Aya: can mean “to” or “for” the word that it is attached to. The word ya by itself means the soul. This word is a grammatical aspect and also a word unto itself.

Read: 5 Powerful Mantras and Their Sacred Meanings

Another way to study this mantra is to look at its individual syllables. Om Namah Shivaya is also referred to as the five-syllable mantra or Panchakshara mantra because it has five syllables (Na-Ma-Shi-Va-Ya) that are preceded by the Om. Using alternative definitions the five syllables represent the five elements and are as follows:

• Na is earth.
• Ma is water.
• Shi is fire.
• Va is wind or air.
• Ya is space or sky.

Destruction and Creation in Om Namah Shivaya

The fascinating aspect of this mantra is the depth of the energy and aspect of god that Shiva embodies. All stories, myths and lore that frame our human history consist of an interchange of darkness and light, birth and death, day and night, that are all in a dance with each other.

Creation and dissolution each partake in the establishment of the concept of reality that we see. You can’t have creation without its counterpart, destruction. Once there is destruction, there is space for a new creation.

The dance of creation and destruction interchange constantly to bring about growth and freshness.

Read: An Introduction to Lord Shiva: The Destroyer

In Hinduism, this concept of destruction for renewal is depicted as the god Shiva. He is portrayed as a meditating yogi or ascetic on mount Kailash, with a serpent around his neck, a crescent moon and the river Ganges flowing from his matted hair as he holds a trident.

He is viewed as having skin color that is deep purple or indigo as a result of drinking the poison of the world as told in Hindu mythology. He is one of the most ancient portrayed deities, depicted in writing as far back as in the writings of the Rig Veda, 3,000 BCE, and in statues and carvings and as far back as 8,000 BCE.

When you offer your deference to and acknowledge this aspect of God, you are inviting a cleansing and clearing in your life and the world around you. You are drawing attention to yourself to destroy ignorance, shedding the old to invite knowledge and freshness in.

It is sort of a cosmic "out with the old" so there can be newness in your life. The changes can be unsettling and create tumult in your life, so be conscious of this if you make this your daily prayer.

Shiva (and thus the mantra we are discussing) is recognized as the ocean of transcendence, the pool of cosmic bliss and the realm of the absolute. In other words, he is seen as a divine incarnation, but he is also regarded as a subtle realm or state of consciousness. It is possible to see these views of Shiva as one and the same.

Practicing Om Namah Shivaya

While Om Namah Shivaya is very ancient and powerful it is also a really fun mantra to practice. This mantra is so diverse in the ways that you can express it and each way is powerful and enjoyable.

It is popular to sing Om Namah Shivaya, and I have heard it put to numerous melodies. In fact, my own band Shanti Shanti has a rendition of this mantra that is easy and fun to sing along with.

You can also say Om Namah Shivaya out loud as a reminder and a way to center yourself. In this way, it is treated as almost an affirmation.

Om Namah Shivaya can also be used in your practice of japa. Japa is where you say the mantra a specific amount number of times while counting on mala beads. Usually, it is said 108 times as a form of prayer.

You can also meditate on this mantra. It contains an inherent rhythm that easily aligns with your breath. Let it sit within your mind and allow it to reside deep within yourself bringing about clarity and expanded consciousness.

Read: Yogapedia's Four Favorite Mantras to Chant

Because this is such a profound and powerful mantra, however you decide to practice it, it is important that you keep your spine erect so that the energy can travel freely in your body.

There are a number of benefits to the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, it brings you a sense of peace, creates mental clarity, stirs your inner self, it tempers your ego, aggression and eases stress. It helps you attract positive energy and protects you from negative energies.

This mantra expands your mind and consciousness, bringing about a more developed human expression by creating for you a state of transcendence. If you want a fun and effective mantra, sing or chant Om Namah Shivaya and feel your heart and nervous system open up and bring your mind to a whole new level of peace.

Enjoy the cosmic interplay of this creation as we are part of both the dissolution of the old and formation of the new.

The post The Meaning of Om Namah Shivaya appeared first on Yogapedia.

In yoga, I hear a lot of talk about surrender and letting go. But having been brought up to believe that happiness comes as a reward for ambition, striving and hard work, surrender can be a foreign concept. So, in a goal-orientated, success-obsessed culture, how can I learn to surrender and, frankly, why should I bother?

Yin yoga has provided me the answers to these questions by learning to surrender. When I surrender to the postures on the mat, I learn to let go to all that may be holding me back off the mat as well.

Here are four ways learning how to surrender in Yin yoga has helped me succeed in other areas of my life.

1. Overcoming Discomfort

Contrary to popular misconception, Yin yoga is not the same as Restorative yoga. One of the first things many people notice about Yin yoga is how uncomfortable it can be. And yet, despite the discomfort of some of the postures, the intention is still that you surrender and relax into the sensations.

There is a life lesson there. It’s tempting to get trapped into patterns of thinking where you believe, “I’ll relax when…” or “I’ll be happy once…,” but life isn’t like this.

There will always be difficult times, unexpected discomfort and challenging situations.

When you practice Yin yoga, you learn to sit with discomfort and accept it without resistance. And, although Yin should not be actively painful, it’s a good place to discover the truth in the saying that "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."

Read: Yin Versus Restorative Yoga: What's the Difference?

2. Releasing Expectations

So much of what we do is because we want to reach a certain level, status or position. Even in yoga, there’s a temptation to strive for a certain yoga posture or level of flexibility. You can multiply this temptation tenfold if you’re trying to look like the beautiful pictures you see on Instagram or the glossy pages of yoga magazines.

With its altogether more introspective lens, Yin yoga is different. The focus is on how it feels, not how it looks from the outside.

As Bernie Clark puts it when referring to Yin yoga, “We don’t use our body to get into a pose; we use the pose to get into our body.” And this introspection, coupled with the time spent in the posture, means I discover how little it matters where I get to.

Each day I do Yin yoga, my body will feel different, so I learn to let go of the expectation that I should be anywhere.

Read: Turn That Yawn Into Yin and Relax Into This Style of Yoga

3. Gaining Presence of Mind

How much of your life do you actually spend being present? Not thinking about yesterday, or tomorrow or next month, but actually being present with what is? If the answer is "not a lot," then Yin yoga could be the answer.

It is one of the most powerful mindfulness practices, even if you struggle with meditation. The reason for this is that the physical sensations you experience help to anchor the mind and keep you focused. Instead of distracting yourself with what has been and what could be, you surrender to what actually is right now.

When you surrender, you allow yourself to be struggle-free and to experience the sweetness of whatever the present moment has to offer. You find what yogis call sukha, the deep happiness and pleasure that already exists without you having to strive for something.

Read: The Relationship Between Yin Yoga and the Meridians

4. Relaxing Your Body

On a physical level, the surrendering of Yin yoga lets the nervous system relax and believe it is safe to let the muscles release, thus permitting your body to open up and move deeper into the postures. Paradoxically, when it comes to increasing flexibility, you can find that by striving less, you may actually achieve more.

The same applies for anything you want to manifest. When you want something really badly, there is a temptation to chase it and pursue it. You become fixated on your desire.

In return, this dissatisfied state of wanting becomes your norm and, more often than not, your goal seems to get further away. Even if you do reach it, you have become so attached to the mindset of desire that you immediately fixate on something else.

Read: 5 Ways You Can Naturally Relax With Just Your Breath

Let's Go Let Go

Yes, it is good to know what you want, but it is also good to surrender to it. Maybe by letting go you’ll find that it comes to you, or maybe you’ll discover that it wasn’t quite right for you anyway. Either way, you’ll have found the real, genuine happiness that lies in surrender. In the words of Sonia Ricotti:

“Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.”

The post Yin Yoga: 4 Benefits of Surrendering to Your Yoga Mat appeared first on Yogapedia.