The Skill of Stilling the Mind

The Art of Living

Yoga: The Skill of Stilling the Mind

by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

"There is a new icebreaker in the international diplomatic circuit. The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call at the UN General Assembly for declaring an International Yoga Day has gained support from several quarters -- many representatives from Congress and President Obama as well have shown keen interest in yoga.

From being an ancient spiritual pursuit for those seeking enlightenment, yoga has been absorbed into mainstream lifestyle by people from all cultures and backgrounds across the globe. And now it has also arrived in the global political arena. Good governance and administration require multi-faceted skills and yoga brings skill in action. In fact, it was called Raja Yoga because it was practiced by kings and princes in the ancient days.

Yoga became popular in the West as a solution to lose weight or as a physical exercise and people also found relief from many ills such as stress, anxiety, professional burnout, addictions and insomnia. In additions to its remedial properties, yoga is also a path to realize and harness your deepest potential.

It has a profound impact on multiple levels of our existence. While stretches and postures make the body supple, pranayama and meditation take the mind deep within. An unknown dimension opens up within our being that enriches the experience of life in many ways. There are several benefits of yoga -- it enhances health, improves memory and concentration, sharpens the intellect, de-stresses the system and increases energy levels. It also unveils an intuitive ability within us, which is much needed for creative pursuits and in overcoming obstacles like the writers' block.

According to Maharishi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the oldest known text on the subject, yoga is freedom from all the distortions of the mind. If we observe the mind, we will realize that it is always engaged in one of five things:

1. Seeking proof or answers
2. Forming conclusions
3. Imagining or fantasising
4. Remembering past events or memories
5. Dreaming

Yoga or union with the Higher Self happens when the mind is not engaged in any of the above. You usually identify with the activity in the mind. In the waking state, you are caught up in all that you see, smell, hear, touch, taste. If not, you return to sleep or to the state of dreaming where you are completely cut off from the world. None of these really give that deep rest that the system needs to totally recover from the stress that it gathers.

In the physical realm, it takes effort to get results. In the realm of the mind, what is needed is effortlessness. For instance, you cannot relax or go to sleep by putting effort; in fact, putting effort is counterproductive. It takes a certain kind of skill to become effortless. The ability to deeply relax renews your ability to be dynamic in action. Passion is like the in-breath but you cannot just breath in; you need to breath out as well and that is dispassion. Life becomes a harmony when we have all three -- passion, dispassion and compassion.

Often one has to sacrifice personal freedom to some degree to observe discipline. But yoga is a discipline that opens the door to inner freedom, contradictory as it seems. With practice, you acquire the knack of switching between different modes of the mind, from engaging with the outside world to withdrawing from it and going within; between passion and dispassion. This skill of moving outward or inward at will makes you the master of your own mind, and when you win over the mind, you win over the world."

https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfLivingGlobal/posts/763542037034140:0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/yoga-the-skill-of-stillin_b_6101874.html

Surya Namaskar (sun salutation)

In Hindu mythology, Surya represents the Sun God. Surya is depicted as a red man with three eyes and four arms, riding in a chariot drawn by seven mares. Surya holds water lilies with two of his hands. With his third hand he encourages his worshipers whom he blesses with his fourth hand. India, Surya is believed to be a benevolent deity capable of healing sick people. 

There are numerous references of praising the Sun for the purpose of good health and prosperity, in Vedas. Some of these Vedic hymns were incorporated into Nitya Vidhi (Daily mandatory routine for a Hindu) for the well being of an individual, through salutations to the Sun. These daily procedures were termed as Surya Namaskara (literally translates as "sun salutations"). Physical prostration to Sun, showing complete surrender of oneself to God, is the main aspect of these procedures. 

Surya Namaskara, or the Salutation of the Sun, which is very commonly practiced in most forms of yoga, originally evolved as a type of worship of Surya, the Vedic solar deity, by concentrating on the Sun for vitalization.

The physical aspect of the practice 'links together' twelve asanas in a dynamically expressed series. A full round of Surya namaskara is considered to be two sets of the twelve asanas, with a change in the second set where the opposing leg is moved first. 

Benefits

• Practicing Surya Namaskar is beneficial for the health of digestive system.  Yoga poses increase blood flow to your digestive tract and stimulate the intestinal action known as peristalsis so digestion is more efficient.

• Regular practice of sun salutation boosts endurance power. It gives vitality and strength. It also reduces the feeling of restlessness and anxiety.

• Tones up the digestive system by the alternate stretching and compression of abdominal organs. It activates digestion and gets rid of constipation and dyspepsia.Strengthens abdominal muscles.

• Thoroughly ventilates the lungs, and oxygenates the blood.

• Acts as detoxifying agent, by getting rid of enormous quantity of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.

• Promotes sleep and calms anxiety.

• Tones up the nervous system and improves memory.

• Normalizes the activity of the endocrine glands - especially the thyroid gland.

• Refreshes the skin. Prevents Skin disorders.

• Improves muscle flexibility.

• In women, stimulates the breasts to help firmness normally. Restores any lost elasticity, through stimulation of glands and the strengthening of pectoral muscles.

• Menstrual irregularity and assists in easy childbirth.

• Prevents loss of hair and graying.

• Helps reduce fat.

• Eliminates unpleasant smells from the body.

• Lends grace and ease of movements to the body.

• Revives and maintains the spirit of youthfulness.

• Broadens chest and beautifies arms.

• Makes the spine and waist flexible. Produces health, strength, efficiency and longevity.

• It helps combat insomnia as it relaxes the body and calms the mind.

• It is beneficial to practice Surya Namaskar early in the morning. The early morning sunrays are rich source of vitamin D that is necessary to get strong bones and clear vision.

Steps and tip of doing Surya Namaskar

tip 1: early morning after completing morning chores and in empty stomach

tip 2: drink a glass of Lukewarm water  

tip 3: start from right leg then left

tip 4: praise Suraya Dev (sun) by starting with 

         " om surya namaha" 

         in every half set.

          or 

12 steps and 12 mantra 

Sun Salutation Mantra

1. Om Mitraaya Namaha
2. Om Ravaye Namaha
3. Om Suryaya Namaha
4. Om Bhaanave Namaha
5. Om Khagaya Namaha
6. Om Pooshne Namaha
7. Om Hiranyagarbhaaya Namaha
8. Om Mareechaye Namaha
9. Om Aadityaaya Namaha
10. Om Savitre Namaha
11. Om Aarkaaya Namaha
12. Om Bhaaskaraya Namaha

tip 5:there is two set, each set has 12 steps. right to left (12 steps) and then left to                 right(12 steps).

tip 6:start with as much you can do, don't rush nor get slow keep  average rhythms.             try to do complete 9 - 12 sets each day. best do as much as you can do. and with span of time increase your  numbers.

( it is said during mahabarata time arjuna and his soldiers (team) use to do 108 time surya namaskar)

tip 7: after completing your Surya Namaskar don't rush to get busy in work. i advice at least sit in normal position with both eye closed and just relax for 10 mins. then start you daily work.

steps: 

follow the video

Hindi

English

Sun Salutation is said to be the complete body workout. Yoga experts say that doing 12 sets of Sun Salutation translates into doing 288 powerful yoga poses in a span of 12 to 15 minutes! Sun Salutation is another example of how good things come in small packages.

my experience

when i did it for first time it felt like its dance steps, and felt really good, my focus power increased, my flexibility increased, my weight reduced, i felt great. first few days felt tiring, felt little pain in my legs, arms. but with continuous practice everything got in control. i started with 10 round each day, highest set i have done is 22 rounds. 

i personally feel that doing only Surya Namaskar each day need no extra excersise. as it covers your entire body.  "best of best yoga"

jgd

all materials of this blog is taken from internet.

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/yoga-poses/surya-namaskar-sun-salutation12-poses-leaner-you

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/health-and-wellness/sun-salutation-mantras

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/321771/20120330/surya-namaskar-boosting-health-power-lose-weight.htm#.VILTwl00FCo

thank you!

Please provide valuable comments and suggestions. 

Benefits of Sudharshan Kriya

The Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful rhythmic breathing technique that facilitates physical, mental, emotional and social well-being is an integral part of Art of Living program.

Sri Sri (Guruji) Explains Sudharshan Kriya 
“I was already teaching meditation and yoga. But I felt there was something that was lacking. Though people do their spiritual practices, their life is in a sort of a compartment. They do their prayers, meditation and spiritual practices but when they come out in life, they are very different people. So, I was thinking how we can bridge this gap - between inner silence and outer expression of life. During a period of silence, the Sudarshan Kriya came like an inspiration. After I came out of the silence, I started teaching whatever i knew and people had great experiences."

"After kriya, many people feel so pure and so clear, so complete, because the consciousness, which was stuck in the matter, material, which is foreign to itself, got released from that and came back to its home.That is the sense of purity, feeling of purity."

"We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer."

"Sudarshan Kriya is a breathing technique Combined with meditation.
See there is a rhythm in the nature, right? In the same way, there is a rhythm in the body. We have Physiological rhythm. Morning you have nature’s call, then you get hungry, then you feel sleepy. There is a particular bio rhythm we call. There’s a “chandasva”, what we call “chandha”. There is a rhythm in the mind also. Thought Pattern. And there is a rhythm in the emotional pattern. If you observe in one year, A particular time of the year, You feel differently. Anger, Interest or enthusiasm. They all come in certain patterns in life, in our spirit inside. Sudarshan kriya is harmonizing all these rhythms. So it brings that rhythm and takes about 6 days to learn, 2 hours each day." 

Sudarshan Kriya - Benefits

Reported benefits of regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya include:

Physical health benefits of Sudarshan Kriya

• Reduces stress
• Improves health and well-being
• More energy
• Strengthens immune system
• Reduces cholesterol levels

Mental health benefits of Sudarshan Kriya

• Greater creativity
• Greater clarity of mind
• Improves sleep
• Enhances brain function
• Improves ability to manage challenging situations

Improved interpersonal relations with Sudarshan Kriya

• More ease, joy and harmony in personal and work relationships
• A deeper sense of community
• Increases awareness both of self and surroundings
• Improves patience
• Increases confidence and self-esteem

Psychological benefits of Sudarshan Kriya

• Relieves depression and anxiety
• Relief from anxiety and depression (mild, moderate, and severe)

Spiritual benefits of Sudarshan Kriya

• Enhances yoga and meditation practices
• Experience a deep inner peace of mind

check out this video of

 Dr. Tina Fanning shares her Sudarshan Kriya experience

Sudarshan kriya experience of Khurshed Batliwala

something has to be learned in presence of teachers not by watching video or reading technique.

all the information are drawn from internet..  
thank you! 


http://sudarshankriyaa.blogspot.in/2010/02/origination-of-sudarshan-kriya.html
http://sudarshankriyaa.blogspot.in/2010/02/miraculous-effect-of-sudarshan-kriya.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3573542/

Introduction to Suadharsan Kriya

Art of Living

Breathing is the first act of life. Within the breath is the unexplored secret of life. Sudarshan Kriya is a powerful yet simple rhythmic breathing technique that incorporates specific natural rhythms of the breath, harmonizing the body, mind and emotions.

The technique eliminates stress, fatigue and negative emotions such as anger, frustration and depression, leaving the mind calm, focused and the body energized, completely relaxed.

Sudarshan Kriya brings a profound depth to life, unravelling its mysteries. It’s a spiritual breakthrough giving the experience of a glimpse of infinity. Sudarshan Kriya is the unrevealed secret to health, happiness, peace and an insight of life beyond!

Breath is the main source of prana - the vital life-force energy. Prana is the very basis of health and well-being for both, the body and mind. When the prana is high, one feels healthy, alert and energetic. Sudarshan Kriya elevates the prana by flushing out more than 90% toxins and accumulated stress, everyday.

Sudarshan Kriya practitioners have reported better immunity, increased stamina and sustained high-energy levels.

Daily dose of Sudarshan Kriya can considerably reduce visit to the doctor, keeping you on a healthy, happy note, lifelong!

Sri Sri on Sudarshan Kriya

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles - day follows night, night follows day, seasons come and go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms to our bodies, minds and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we feel a sense of harmony and well-being. When stress or illness throws them out of order, we experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

The Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of breath which harmonize the rhythms of the body and emotions and bring them in tune with the rhythms of nature. The breath connects the body and mind. Just as emotions affect our patterns of breathing, we can bring about changes in our mental and behavioral patterns by altering the rhythms of our breath. It flushes our anger, anxiety and worry; leaving the mind completely relaxed and energized.

This single technique has benefited thousands of people across all walks of life – corporate executives, trauma affected, underprivileged, children and homemakers.

“I was already teaching meditation and yoga. But I felt there was something that was lacking. Though people do their spiritual practices, their life is in compartments. They do their prayers, meditation and spiritual practices, but when they come out in life, they are very different people. So, I was thinking how we can bridge this gap - between inner silence and outer expression of life.

During a period of silence, the Sudarshan Kriya came like an inspiration. After I came out of the silence, I started teaching whatever I knew and people had great experiences."

"After Sudarshan kriya, many people feel so pure and so clear, so complete, because the consciousness, which was stuck in the matter, material, which is foreign to itself, got released from that and came back to its home. That is the sense of purity, feeling of purity."

"We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer."

 people reviews 

Preeti Thomas: The regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya has helped me maintain good health & stable state of mind. My meditation has become deeper, my speech precise & also softer. Sometimes, I'm surprised at my own self the way I respond to a difficult or uncomfortable situation.
To sum up, Sudarshan Kriya has worked wonders on my physical, mental & spiritual levels.
It is benefiting not only me but also others around me because it has enabled me to spread more happiness & be more useful to the society.

Yogendra Bhonsale

I had a big anger-management problem. Even small things would make me angry - either on others or on myself. Sudarshan Kriya brought that calmness in my life. From the day I have learnt Sudarshan Kriya, I am a completely different person. Sudarshan Kriya immediately brings me in this very moment. Additionally my health has improved a lot. I can now work for hours without getting tired! Thank you for giving me an opportunity to express my views.

Gunjan

Sudarshan Kriya has helped me to become useful from being a useless person before:-) I was always caught up in emotions, mood swings, anxieties, feverishness and attachments. Now I have my remote control, I am peaceful , calm, loving and ever smiling. This freshness of life is only due to continuous practice of Kriya.

divine instrument

Sudarshan kriya has really given me proper vision of my SELF. Today i really am in touch with that aspect of mine that is unchanging and eternal. Also since i started practicing Sudarshan Kriya Daily, i haven't got any fever or illness. 
I have come to experience LOVE as my very existence.
Now i can't even imagine my life without Sudarshan Kriya.
Jai Gurudev

Sumant Khadtare

More than 2 years back after doing part 1 cource and subsequently doing regular Sudarshan Kriya for about 4-5 months, i had quit smoking which i was not able to do from last 15 years.I have stayed a non smoker since last 2 years. Apart from that I donot have headaches which i used to have regularly before. Also i am very calm and in control of things in difficult times. Everyone should do Sudarshan Kriya and experience the change within.

Research on Sudarshan Kriya

Mental Depression & Sudarshan Kriya: Recent Research
by D.P. Agrawal

In India both National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi have been carrying out research on these practices and their effects. Clinical trials at NIMHANS, Bangalore, showed that regular practise of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) – a set of breathing techniques promoted by Sri Sri Ravishankar, founder of the Bangalore based Art of Living Foundation – reduces symptoms of mental depression. NIMHANS researchers claim that SKY is as effective as the established anti-depressant drug imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, (Depsonil, Antidep). All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has reported that SKYand Pranayam sessions reduced serum cortisol levels – an indicator of stress – in the blood more effectively than listening to classical music. They are also employing SKY to cure alcohol and tobacco addiction.

thank you !

(all the information are copied from internet)

(if I am violating any copyright issue please let me know I will remove the article)

http://sudarshankriyaa.blogspot.in/2012/11/my-experience-of-doing-sudarshan-kriya.html

http://www.artofliving.org/how-do-sudarshan-kriya

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/what-sudarshan-kriya

http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/t_es/t_es_agraw_mental_frameset.htm

kriya...

Sri Sri -- When somebody is anxious, they are unaware of time, of every moment passing, isn’t it? This is because the whole focus is on the event, on the happening, rather than just on the time. When someone is waiting for the train to come, they are waiting. So the whole focus is on that object rather than on the time. Just a little shift in this, a little tilt in this, is when you are waiting for the doctor or waiting for something else, then you are just waiting for the moment. Are you getting what I am saying? Each moment is in the time. That is yoga. Mind is in the moment, waiting for nothing, but it is waiting. Are you getting this? It adds a different quality to the consciousness. This aspect sharpens the mind, the intellect, and the heart. This is yoga of action.

What is Kriya yoga? It comprises three parts. He says tapaha. Tapas is endurance, acceptance. Say, you are travelling in a plane; it is a long-distance flight. You are sitting and your legs are getting numb. You are tired but you keep sitting. You feel heavy but still you keep sitting. You cannot say, “Oh! I cannot sit now. I am going to get out of the plane”. No way! If the plane is delayed, held up in the air, you have to be there. There is no choice. Now, if you had a choice, then you would not sit for eight hours. Like that in one place. No way. But in a plane, you sit, accepting it willingly, without grumbling. That is tapaha.

If your are unhappy you better check if one or all of these are lacking: Tapa (penance), Vairagya (dispassion), Sharanagati (surrender).

• Tapas is agreeing with the moment, total acceptance of pleasant or unpleasant situations.
• Vairagya means I want nothing and I am nothing.
• Sharanagati is "I am here for You, for Your joy."

If you are grumbling then these are lacking, because when you accept the situation you cannot grumble; when you take it as Tapa you will not grumble; when you come from a state dispassion ("I don't want anything") you don't grumble; and if you are surrendered you will have no complaints.

All these three (Tapas, Vairagya and surrender) purify your mind and uplift you in joy.

If you don? do it willingly you will do it in desperation. First you say, "Nothing can be done." Then in anger and desperation you say, "I give up, I want nothing, I have no choice, to hell with it!"

"yogi and mystic, sadhguru, looks at what kriya yoga means, and what it takes to walk this path and explore the very mechanics of the life process"

Sadhguru: fundamentally, kriya means internal action. When you do inner action, it does not involve the body and the mind because both the body and the mind are still external to you. When you have a certain mastery to do action with your energy, then it is a kriya.

The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence and brought under his own control, attains tranquility.
~ bhagavad gita ii.64

 "once we start working with the energy in a certain way, it has a different kind of depth to life"

"if we want the kriya to be imprinted into your system in a certain way, then it needs discipline and dedication"

first process to yoga " disciplined and dedication" 

"with the path of kriya you are not only seeking realization, you also want to know the mechanics of life-making"

  

next time i will talk  about susharsan kriya which i am practicing, and my experience with it.. 

its really really powerful, but thing first is needed is dedication and discipline. 

http://www.yogananda-srf.org/kriya_yoga_path_of_meditation.aspx#.VFheHPmUcsw

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm

http://www.ishafoundation.org/blog/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/kriya-yoga/

 http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/yoga/patanjali-yogasutra/knowledge-sheet-47

(all the information are copied from internet)

(if I am violating any copyright issue please let me know I will remove the article)