Ayurveda

Gokarna

My goal was to retreat at a small and isolated place on the south face of Gokarna. I booked a small room in a very simple homestay at Belekan Beach, and after arriving at Om beach, I took a walk through Half-moon Beach, and Paradise Beach (also known as Full moon) to my destination.

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Life

Arm Balance – this is a Workshop or a…

Arm balance postures fascinate lots of people, this shows arm strength and above all the grace of standing in the arms and hands and not in the feet and legs as usual. The idea of an arm balance posture is connected the most to a handstand, in which the body is in an upside-down vertical position.

In this class, we gonna see the different sides of this practice and what could be used to help a fast improvement to get to stay in their own hands. How to protect the hand joins, how to improve the strength of the arms, how to manage to lift the legs up, the use of different supports, and of course, may asanas with variations of arm balance category, like Kakasana (Crow), Ekapada Galavasana (Flying Pigeon), Tittibhasana (Firefly Pose), Astavakrasana (Eight Angle Pose) and many others.

Is important for me to say that, once Asanas are part of Yoga practice, and Yoga has a holistic approach to life, the work on arm balance postures also requires the whole body and mind to work together. After starting, it will not take too long to see the arm balance postures targeting other body parts as just hands and arms, the core, back or lower back, legs, and shoulders will be requested to be well developed for many of us.

Beginners and non-beginners can attend this class, and at least the blocks gonna be used, if you are those who prefer to use props, I hope you have greater strength and flexibility, if that is not the case, be open to using props, they are in the Studios to help your development.

The Challenge in this class is to perform the postures as it is thought, don’t get hurt thanks to your enthusiasm with the arm balance postures, and above all, develop the necessary skills to master at least five of them.

Hindu

Yog Vashista

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/yoga-vasistha-english

Vashist is also the name of a village located in Manali, India. The village is famous for its natural hot springs, which are believed to have healing properties, and is home to a temple dedicated to Yogi Vashist.

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Blog

Samadhi

Samadhi can mean simply “single-pointed concentration.” However, once it becomes mystified, it can open the door to a much wider way of seeing reality, or even “another reality” in itself.

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Audio

Music is more than just music

It’s important to be mindful of the type of music we listen to. Melancholic songs may not be beneficial for everyone. According to the laws of correspondence and resonance, music, like everything else, can attract vibrations that may or may not be good for us. It’s important to incorporate positive elements into our lives to enhance our joy, strength, and willpower.

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Breath

Pranayama and breathwork

As you breathe in, cherish yourself.
As you breathe out, cherish all Beings.

Dalai Lama

We all have heard about the importance of the air we breathe, we are most already conformed with the levels of pollution we are inhaling and producing, but there is more related to the air we breathe we should be aware of which is not only about the quality of the air, but the quality of our breath.

Breathing is what connects us with our main energy source, Air or Oxygen! This is what holds us alive and nurtures our bodies, minds, and all kinds of activities we perform as long we have life force.

Let’s do a small observation and reflection:
just take a moment to consider how long a person can be thirsty or hungry? Now ask what about being without oxygen? How long can you stay without breathing, how long you can survive without air?
This is precisely what makes breath a very powerful tool. If on the one hand, this is the most ordinary of all body functions, in another hand, by doing it with awareness you are increasing the quality of your life. By adding a set of Pranayama Technics ti it, you will experience not only of high life quality but also lots of powers.

The Time to Breathwork is practice divided into two parts, the Pranayama part (breathing control), and the meditation. Both set up the mind to focus on one single object, the breath! 

For that, you will  get guided practices of:

  • Adham Pranayama, Yogic breath, or complete breathing
  • Kaphalabhati Pranayama
  • Anuloma Viloma
  • Agni Sara Kriya
  • Bhastrika Pranama

Breathwork and Pranayama can be done by sitting or lying down. In case you have any injury in the lower back, knee, or spine, please let me know before the class start, so we can set up what is necessary for your being able to follow the class. Of course, all propose would be arranged, if available at the Yoga Studio. Preparation for executing the postures, and guidance to build it in a safe way, and as well alternatives for your personal case if necessary.

For a 2h to 2h30 Workshop format, Brahmari, Shikale / Shitkali, and others are added, as well as breath count control, the 4 stages of the breath, and attention to retention (Kumbhaka). 

All the technics are transmitted to the attendants in a very simple and clear form. This is for everyone who wanna understand the breadth, take control over the breath, experience breath as an element of calmness and stillness. And use it on the daily basis to make life better. If you are new to Yoga or experienced will not play any role in this, all are welcome and this practice is indicated to everyone.

Most of my practices and classes are a combination of Sukshma Vyayama and Hatha-Yoga. We start practicing breathing work in standing. In the second block, we do some mix, Hatha Multslyle, no style, just prepare the body to sit quietly for a while and continue with the specific Pranayamas.

After the block of movements for preparation, we continue with the breathing program in sitting posture, this will increases our ability to sit and meditate, doing it frequently will increase the length of the practice session. You will get to sit calm like a Yogi if you have this motivation.

This Workshop has a more intermadiate without movement, for participants who wanna push themselves to the limit of siting at least for 60min for different Pranayama Technics in one single session, before going into any movement, meditation, or relaxation. This is a Special Class, and is more appropriate to those who alreary practice regularly, are Yoga-Teachers, or wanna join a Teacher Training Course, or in a similar level.

If you are interested in that one, get in touch, let me know, and let’s do it!

Now we dive into the time and we prepare to closure with a deep relaxation in Yoga Nidra. Again we set our focus on the body and breath. And to close the workshop, we use the Breath as an “Object for Meditation”.

With this in mind and a daily commitment, you will achieve the highest performance in many activities of daily life, in case you are familiarized with visualizations, you case use them in each pranayama practice. Self-healing, Sharping the focus, and faculties are just a few of the benefits to experience.

More energy for life and joy with small things will become features of your personality.

Practice to see it!
Namaste!

5 Elements

Hatha-Yoga for Strength, Vitality and Energy.

Namaste dear readers,

Hatha-Yoga for Strength, Vitalitat and Energy was initially a Yoga Special 90min class, extended to 2h and 2h30. I´ve been using to attend people with different needs since 2012 in Germany. This Class schema becomes a kind of manual I made to those who wanna workout for acquiring these features. This is “the base of all my experiences, made for all of you to experience”.

The concept is a mix of Sukshma Vyayama and Classic Hatha-Yoga, wich breath regulation in each posture and postures transitions, whats encreases the energy produced during the asana performance. Its take us to the level of using energy to concentration, meditation, and visualization.

Committed to transfer what I learn, pranayama becomes a must in all my classes, at least the more basic ones, any class will always start with Adham Pranayama or Yogic breath or the complete breathing, call how its call, its easy to do also for beginners. It`s can be done in sit or stand. Beginners and as well advanced practitioners, its 100% benefits warranty!

When questions coming out has to do with: How to apply those Yogic technics in daily life? We just need to observe and see that, the breath is within us all the time, breath happens without our effort, we just to observe it. Therefore the Pranayama is the easiest and fastest to apply in daily life, its means, as much as you can, remember you are breathing, do it mindfully, do it aware and awakened, do it consciously, better it’s quality. We just need to do it!

There is the reason I am so enthusiastic with Pranayama and Meditation, we just need to do it and we can do it all the time, any time, anywhere, no matter challenge the situation is, and of course, the benefits is there as well to be experienced by each practitioner.

In the more elaborated Pranayama Workshop, we do introduce participants to more pranayama technics like Anuloma-viloma, Agnisarakriya, Kaphalabhati and many others. But nor now we continue with just that one.

We will use that breath technic during the entire class and experience the presence in space, time and activity, entirely aware.

We expand our version of few rounds of Surya Namaskar including modifications and different Asana variations. Pranayama as the sessions begin, in Standing postures most recommended to squeeze mulabandha and when possible also uddhyanabandha. To get better benefits of the postures, we will hold for long periods of time while regulating the breath, we will practice from the basic to a wide variety of postures and transitions.

Inversions are part of this compendium, like long relaxation in between, abdominal as last hard work, and Yoga Nidra. Those who don´t do headstand, can do a shoulder stand, those who both, can do something different. Relaxations everyone needs and enjoy after a peak of 50% of the class time past, start all to be about create space for relaxation.

A combination of work, contraction, and relaxation or expansion, is a key point to use this classes framework as a method for self-development, here we are working to put things in balance. Sides, hemispheres, extremes, organs, glands, elements and energies, are going to get into balance, far that is our work and will be the motivation and dedication of time. More that kind of practice or schema is used, more that balance can be produced, experienced and enjoyed.

After a little bit of small abs challenge, we go into more deep relaxation in Yoga Nidra, where again, the breath will mark important presence as a tool to be used to be present as the breath is, and train our ability to visualize. We travel from the bottom till the lower parts of the body, start with toes, going into the legs, abs and organs, head and face, relaxing each detailed and letting go with the out-breath whats non-deserved and unnecessary.

We will close it with a short session breathing meditation.

Then open a time and space for gratitude, let it go! and say goodbye!

I will be happy to see you there.

Namaste jee!

 

5 Elements

Yin (Yang) Yoga, for longevity, mobility and recharging

In that workshop, we work with the passive Yin energy by holding postures for relaxation for 4 to 5 minutes, between posture, we perform some technics to improve the effectiveness of the asana, which is the Yang characteristic of this practice. By doing so, we are setup the body, to be more receptive in the passive state.

This is a classical 2h Workshop, starting with breath work (Pranayama), going into the flow of Asanas, letting go the body in a passive state. Relaxation (Yoga Nidra) before end the class, and a final closure with the practice of the Om mantra recitation, a short appreciation to the practice, and thankfulness.

Yin-Yang, is a practice for increases your blood flow, and lowering the risk of heart attack, better respiration, improvement of bones health, regulation of adrenal glands, and boost the immunity system.

We do a few rounds of Surya namaskar too, we meditate most of the time lying down on the mat, we use stillness for concentration purposes. Actions like bandhas and particular pranayamas done during these classes are also Yang practices form. According to the level of each participant, particular pranayama can be recommendable, classes schema can be adopted to a particular need, if so I see.

The body needs relaxations as actions is needed, muscles can only relax and contract, the entire body must to be used, diversity in movements, asanas, relaxation postures, and meditation is key to a balanced flow of energy. As much a body is balanced, more the elements are balanced, more that person is near his or her nature. More you use your body to relax and to be active, the more the body performs its natural function.

There is time for all in this classe, to just be and feel joy, as well to do some movement and feel yourself whats ever comes. Feelings are impermanent and whats ever is so, will change from moment to moment according our habitual tendencies. That changes, are our object of attention during this practice as well, to observe how things changes in ourselves, like our body, has been changing through all the years, from the beginning till the end of the practice.

In Yoga, the asana practice has as goal, setup the body in pliable condition, to support the mind be focused in a single object, to seek samadhi, the single point concrentration meditation. For that reason, one needs to perform a long period of time in a particular postures, because of that many benefits become fruits of those practices. We should consider more the practice if we want more results, we do wanna be flexible, youth, strong, for that we need to practice accordingly.

In Yin Yoga we choose the more relaxed and use to put the body static and stable, to perform the 5min of practice in each side or posture, we can use the same amount of time or shorter like 2 or 3min, to a particular postures which require some action, or some breath exercise which will be also done with body movement, after this relax again in on postures, totally passive and allow the body and mind get the benefits of the switch.

Yin Yoga allow us to solve tensions and increasing body ability, we give time to fascia the works to a gradually and deeper work in the deep tissues. This optimize the energy flow in our bodies and allow as well to access these energies, with visualization and imagination. Perfection and mastering the posture is the method we use to balance and self-development during this workshop.

Here we are going to plug into Telluric and Cosmic energy to recharging our being with all the best intentions and authentic motivations, to keep life in balance and continuously develop ourselves.

knowledge about the Chakras System or previous practices using the Chakras is not required, but useful for knows how to use it.

The meditation in this workshop

in that workshop very often I use breathing meditation, the reason for using the breath as the object of meditation, is because the breath is always there, present within all of us, all the time, everywhere. Focus on the breath has enormous benefits, like increase the breath capacity, calming the mind and establish a connection with the subtle energetical body.

The meditation in the 5 senses are done when this workshop can take longer than 2h, at least 30min is required for this purpose. Let me speak in advance with the participants and see if this is wished.

Abhyanga Massage Ayurveda

Abhyanga – The Ayurvedic Oil Massage

Ayurveda Massage has been being executed as a part of Ayurvedic Therapy since the primordial ages. These days, the more we are inclining towards the hectic way of life, the more lifeless we are getting.

I’m quite certain that you have always been seeking a coherent resolution to physical and mental alignment. I mean, who wouldn’t?

One of the most ancient and practical aids to this concern has been prevailing in our very own context as a very conventional configuration. That is the Abhyanga. People have been experiencing several accomplishments of this ancient therapy over the ages. That is why we are still talking about it so reliably and bringing it to your door. Abhyanga, The Oil Massage, is a form of Ayurvedic medicine which involves Doshas specific herbs infused into the oil.

‘Abhi’ denotes motion, and (y)’Anga’ indicates body parts, which means the particular movement of different body parts. Abhyanga massage is applied on the head and face along with the front and back part of the body, in the arms and hands, legs, and feet.

Before you get into this stuff, I want to address some basic terminologies regarding it. Incipiently, Tridosha refers to the three fundamental energies or principles that govern the functions of our body on the physical and emotional stages. The three energies are known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each individual has a unique balance of all three of these energies.

The combination of air and space is Vata. Fire and water combine Pitta. This way, earth, and water integrate Kapha. Those Three Doshas together are called Tridoshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha).

Doshas, the three biological “humours” in Ayurveda, are depicted as the combination of the five fundamental elements (Pancha Maha Bhuta) that assemble the human body. The combination of the components- earth (Prithvi), water (Jala), fire (Tejas), air (Vayu), and space (Akasha) results in the Tridoshas.

It is Vata that regulates movement and is responsible for the nervous system that combines Air and Space. Then comes Pitta that synchronizes biotransformation and dedicates all metabolic processes. Fire and Water are the integration of the elements of Kapha that modulate cohesion and functions of the body. Therefore, Dosha is responsible for all body fluids and amalgamates the Earth and Water element.

Tridoshas are the three “humours” or forces of the body, which bring health when in balance and produce diseases when out of balance. 

To stabilize all the three Doshas and the five elements, Ayurveda employs different kinds of therapies. Abhyanga – the oil massage, is the most practiced and admired nowadays. It harmonizes body and mind, provides relaxation, calms nerves down, and assists to deepen and soothe better sleep. That massage helps to reduce obesity, detoxify, increase flexibility and strength to the body. Because of the application of different oils, the skin becomes soft and smooth, thus, rejuvenates. Abhyanga improves blood circulation, stimulates internal organs, and supports self-healing. If you try to enlist the benefits of that massage technique, it will result in a tremendously extended list, better to give it a try initially and experience the outcomes. 😃

People usually tend to say that there are skills one is born with, and in the course of events, the interest towards the particular affair conveys it to a certain extent. On that note, I would accord that they are somehow correct. However, learning new things and acquiring new skills would be a pleasure for everyone. Later on, it could be proven advantageous and beneficial, and we can make it happen together.

Ayurveda and Abhyanga came into my life during my first Teachers Training Course at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh in 2011. After that experience and some more lectures, I started looking for accomplished therapists and teachers who could guide me to direct transmissions to apply that science in our daily standard of existence. Joining for my entire graduation in India was not my preference for several reasons. Usha Vaishnava from Ayurveda Nirvana in Rishikesh introduced me to the Panchakarma, the quinary Ayurvedic gesture of detoxication and replenishment of tissues where Abhyanga performs a massive part of it. Along with her assistant Gitaji, they taught me how to perform Panchakarma, the massage, and the other techniques.

Currently, I am not only able to treat you with Abhyanga massage but also capable of showing you the process of how to do it for others. If your motivation is substantially concrete to help others, this is an extraordinary service that you can offer and provide people who need it.

An Entire Body Massage usually takes up to two hours to complete effectively, and more time might be beneficial depending on the case and the circumstances. I generally use some specific oils for regular massage sessions. If you have a preference, I am gladly willing to use them according to your convenience. Several types of oil can be applied since they do not have a detrimental impact on the therapy. I can also conduct a massage partially just for the back or legs if you demand. Though to enhance the advantages of the massage, it is strongly recommended not to limit the procedure to particular body regions. It is preferable to take the necessary amount of time to perform the whole process accordingly.

The Abhyanga Basic Course – We will predominantly concentrate on the massage application to the entire body. The fundamental principles and concepts of Ayurveda are not a part of that, but we will keep talking about them. After that initial input, you will have more queries than before, and it will eventually encourage you to keep learning and practicing Ayurveda in your daily life. In this way, you might be able to possess this significant knowledge and appearance of Ayurveda as well as guide others to it. After this course, you will be able to understand and perform full and partial body Abhyanga Massage.

Moreover, who are absolutely new to this field and want to get involved from scratch, a complete Beginners’ Standard Course is coming through for you. If that is your case, let me know. Feel free to reach out to me about any query, an appointment, or a course. I will be glad to help you, this is my mission.

Make an effort to set aside some time for your physical and mental well-being. This is what will keep you affluent for the rest of your life!

Namaste ji