Wellness Haven Yoga

Tag: Breathing

  • Declutter Your Mind With Yoga

    Declutter Your Mind With Yoga

    Declutter Your Mind With Yoga

    A relaxed mind is an uncluttered mind, and an uncluttered mind leads to an organized and productive life.

    1. Let deep breathing and meditation lead you to calm your mind.
    2. Let yoga asanas enable you to relax your body.
    3. Let silence and non-doing allow you to reflect and contemplate into finding out which part of your life remains in chaos.
    4. Let action steps lead you into organizing your life so that there is time and space for everything you want to do.
    5. Have a plan for each day from morning to night, including self-care and power-nap. Know that if something is not scheduled and planned there is a high risk that it will not get done.
    6. Have a TO DO LIST in one place so that the mind can be relaxed and not worry about forgetting what needs to get done.
    7. Declutter everyday so that you have to spend 10 minutes and not hours cleaning your mess.
      1. Paper Piles, Paper Bills, Reminder Notes
      2. Electronic Filing: Emails
      3. Clothes in your closet, and laundry
      4. Bathroom mess-up
      5. Bed
      6. Kitchen Counter, Sink, Dishwasher, Fridge

    Clean your physical space and mental space so that you can lead the life you desire. Le Yoga, breathing, meditation propel you into the right action. ~ Umang Goel

    We would love to read your comments below. And do not forget to share your joy with others.

  • Yoga Asanas For Being In The Present

    Yoga Asanas For Being In The Present

    Yoga Asanas For Being In The Present

    Yoga is such a beautiful way to be in the present moment.

    We are always rushing through life – doing this and running towards that! While we are doing one thing, our minds have already rushed into something else. Many thoughts run throughout the day as ‘doing’ continues to unfold.

    Never BEING in the moment depletes us in so many ways leading to many frustrations, restlessness and the inability to complete any one task thoroughly with peace in the heart.

    A wonderful way is to have a yoga asana practice each day. In an unrushed yoga asana practice the mind is engaged in self-discovery of both the body and the mind and even more so the breath. It urges us to relax in the moment, pay attention to the self and become mindful of the life-force that is keeping us alive. The frustrations of the day release, judgments disappear, stresses dissolve, the tight grip on life relaxes, and we become grounded and centered in our beings. We become keenly aware and fine-tuned with who we are, where we are and where we are headed  and pave our way to becoming the wholesome human we are at our core.

    Here are some yoga asanas that help us be in the present, to get grounded, especially when we are on our feet and rushing through life or waiting in frustration to get our turn!

    1. Being still and in correct alignment in Tadasana / Mountain Pose is very centering.
    2. Clasping hands behind our back as we wait our turn relaxes the shoulders and the tension in the back.
    3. Stretching the head sideways as we take a break in the middle of a task releases the stress in the neck.
    4. Standing and twisting our bodies slightly as we swivel our feet calms our nervous energy.

    Try these simple yoga asanas next time you feel frustration, impatience or tension well up within you and experience for yourself the relaxation these bring.

    Life is very precious. Do not let your moments pass you by. ~ Umang Goel

    We would love to read your comments below. And please remember to share your joy with others.

  • Finding Balance

    Finding Balance

    A well balanced life is the secret to joy and happiness.

    There are a few areas of life that we all need to be aware of to create that fine balance we all need in our lives:

    • Mental – This is a very important ingredient in the recipe for a joyful life. If the ‘head’ is together and finds its connection with  the heart, every other aspect of life flows beautifully, irrespective of what unfolds in front of us.
    • Emotional – Emotional well-being comes from understanding the basic life principles; emotional strengthening helps us create a life that is progressive and not stuck.
    • Spiritual – Spiritual growth helps us understand and accept life peacefully and joyfully.  It brings faith in your Higher Self enabling life to unfold without the tight controlling grip. Prayer and Gratitude are key ingredients.
    • Physical – Physical health enables us take full advantage of the opportunities life presents us with. Flexibility, strength, balance and stamina as well as the right nutrients not only helps our body to be healthy but also helps our minds to become flexible, strong and balanced, allowing us to be joyfully independent and self sufficient.
    • Financial – When mind is working at its optimal best and the body is fluid, balance comes in the financial part of our lives as well for we are able to work with our passions and empowered to achieve the life of our dreams.
    • Relationships – With a healthy mind, a healthy body and a secure financial future, relationships are also at their very best.

    Balancing life is a juggling act. Very few of us are completely balanced in every aspect of our lives. But awareness at all times allows us to take a deeper look at our life and evaluate every so often which parts of our life need a tune-up.

    Many may even be aware of which part of life is in chaos, but may not be mentally, or emotionally ready to act on it, leading to continued imbalance and chaos. This is where expert coaching becomes a necessity.

    Life is as simple as you want it to be but it can only be achieved by bringing awareness leading into action and ultimately into balance.

    It is the law of nature to be in balance. What falls out of balance has to come back in balance. How difficult the coming back to balance will be resides in our hands.

    We all are aware that:
    PREVENTION IS MANY TIMES BETTER THAN CURE – Why get into a broken state with scars before attempting balance? Why not take all necessary actions to prevent going out of balance?

    PREVENTION IS ALSO LESS EXPENSIVE THAN CURE – Why get into forced spending that is externally controlled after we are broken and when there is no other choice?

    You cannot be happy if you are not balanced.

    Here is a fine balanced recipe for a healthy, happy, joyful and balanced  life:

    1. Make a habit of  Joyful Mental practices EVERYDAY to keep the mind strong.

    2. Practice Breathing/Pranayama and Meditation EVERYDAY to stay in a relaxed and calm state of mind so that beauty can unfold naturally.

    3. Practice Therapeutic Yoga Asanas EVERYDAY to keep both your mental and physical body flexible, strong, and balanced.

    4. Put the Right Nutrients in your body EVERYDAY to keep both your mental and physical body functioning at its optimal best.

    5. Indulge in Spiritual practices like prayer and gratitude EVERYDAY to bring your mind and heart in sync and to keep your spirits soaring high.

    Evaluate yourself regularly so that you can keep bringing yourself into that fine balance that keep the elusive happiness very much a part of your daily life.

    ~ Umang Goel

    We would love to read your comments below. And do not forget to share your joy with others.

  • De-stress Yourself The Right Way

    De-stress Yourself The Right Way

    How do you de-stress yourself?

    When you are tired or frazzled or anxious or feeling low, what do you do?

    Do you reach out for salty, sugary and fatty food?

    Do you sit in front of  the television and eat salty, sugary and fatty food?

    Do you hide under the blanket?

    or

    Do you go for a walk in fresh air?

    Do you indulge in some deep breathing /pranayama exercises?

    Do you relax with yoga asanas?

     

    Deep Breathing / Pranayama, Meditation and Yoga Asanas are the best drug for frazzled nerves.

    Everything comes naturally once they become a habit. It takes not 21 days, but 3 months to form a habit. Know that you are worth the habit that .will keep you healthy for years to come. Everything starts with the first step. Begin with something small like sitting down in silence just for 5 minutes even before you get out of bed or before you go to sleep. Breathe deeply from your belly.  Then do this everyday for 90 days and see for yourself what happens!

    You will appreciate yourself more than ever before. This is one of the best ways to stay de-stressed on a daily basis.

    Try it out today! ~ Umang Goel

     

    We would love to read your comments below.

     

     

  • Breathing And Meditation

    Breathing And Meditation

    Breathing and Meditation

    “All of man’s difficulties are caused by his inability to sit, quietly, in a room by himself.” ~ Blaise Pascal

    Did you know that anxiety is one of the root causes why many feel “stuck?” Anxiety does not let you move forward with your life for it keeps you in a place of pain and stress. Incorporate a daily practice of Breathing / Pranayama and Meditation so that the mind gets to relax. In this relaxed state of aware mind, you will be able to actually see the “problems” as challenges and as opportunities for growth; you will be in the space of mind which is relaxed and able to let things unfold naturally. With this meditative and calm mind, you will be able to take corrective action steps without feeling burdened.

    Become more creative, more productive and stress free by practicing breathing and meditation regularly. ~ Umang Goel

  • Bedtime Yoga Keeps You Healthy and Happy

    Bedtime Yoga Keeps You Healthy and Happy

    Bedtime Yoga Keeps You Healthy and Happy

    Many people face sleeplessness; in fact I hear regularly from someone or another that they have trouble falling sleep. It is a problem faced by many and over a course of time becomes a health issue.

    Invariably, as I dig into the daily routine of how people live their lives during the many life coaching sessions, a few things rear their heads very strongly: sometimes all of the following apply to one person and sometimes just one.

    1. People wake up in a stress mode and go to bed in a stress mode.
    2. They have let joy seep out of their lives as they busy themselves with things that do not keep them intrinsically happy.
    3. They pay too much attention to things that are not in their control.
    4. They are surrounded with people who are generally negative.
    5. They keep eating until late at night.
    6. They do not exercise their bodies or their minds.

    If you are someone facing sleeplessness, look at your daily routine and see for yourself what could be the culprit, and then work towards eradicating them.

    Here are some other suggestions:

    –       In preparation for bed time, empty out your mind completely of any pending work/chaotic thoughts on a piece of paper or your journal or any other way of your choice.
    –        Before going to bed, wash your feet and massage them with your favorite lotion/oil.
    –       Indulge in a few minutes of restorative, gentle yogic twists on the bed, followed by knee bends on the chest, and gentle half rolls of the neck- all  these goes a long way towards relaxing the body.
    –       Gentle, controlled breathing techniques calm the mind.
    –       After this all that is needed is a prayer of gratitude before you fall into a peaceful slumber with a smile on your lips.

    Sweet dreams. ~ Umang Goel

  • Yogic Breathing

    Yogic Breathing

    Yogic breathing expands our lung capacity inviting a healthier body

    Breath is the prana or the life force. As long as we have breath, we are alive.
    In general as we go around our daily life, many of us use less than 30% capacity of our lungs and no wonder we feel tired and lethargic. With a sound yoga practice we are able to increase our lung capacity immensely with the help of simple postures, movements and even more so through controlled breathing techniques or pranayama practices.

    It is very important that we learn to breathe correctly.

    In our yoga classes students are often in doubt about when to inhale and when to exhale. We also see students incorrectly moving the belly in during inhale and moving out during exhale.

    With inhalation we breathe oxygen into our body and through exhalation we release carbon dioxide out. During inhalation, the diaphragm (serving as buffer between the organs in the abdomen and the organs in the chest cavity) contracts or moves down to bring air in and relaxes or moves up during exhalation pushing air out. During shallow breathing, the diaphragm stays in a raised position.

    During normal breathing the lungs expand as we inhale and contract as we exhale.

    During belly breathing, also called diaphragm breathing, we use our diaphragm to push as much air out of the lungs as possible during exhalation so that we can completely fill our lungs with more oxygen as we breathe in. Our belly pushes out during inhale and moves in towards the spine during exhale. The chest stays more or less still. We do belly breathing when we want to breathe in and out deeply.

    Confusion also exists around how to breathe when we crunch our belly in the various yoga asanas. We are still breathing just not through expansion of our belly! ~ Umang Goel

  • Yoga Asanas Help Deal With Sinusitis

    Yoga Asanas Help Deal With Sinusitis

    Yoga and Neti Pot help with Sinusitis

    Millions of people suffer from the common sinusitis which is primarily due to inflammation of the nasal passage, caused by atmospheric irritants like dust and pollen, resulting in pressure on the sinus wall and difficulty in breathing.

    The first thing to do is to get consultation from your doctor to make sure there is no infection.

    Yoga asanas helps one deal with sinusitis like many other physical ailments, since it is a natural healing practice without the outside use of chemicals.

    Yoga asanas that have been proven to be effective in sinus problems are those that involve a form of inversion or forward bend that are effective in clearing out nasal passages, as they act as natural flushing mechanism.

    Some effective asanas are:
    Forward bend, downward facing dog, plough pose, shoulder stand, plough Pose.

    Kapalbhati/breath of fire are also effective – quick exhalations that emanate from the abdominal muscles rather than the chest and cleanses the lungs and the nasal passages.

    Neti pot is also an effective tool for clearing nasal passages.

    A regular, consistent yoga practice that includes all asanas and breathing techniques is a wonderful prevention method for physical and mental ailments. Get yourself into a healthy practice. 

    If there is joyous health, there is everything else!!  ~ Umang

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