Month: November 2011

What Does All This Yoga Jargon Mean?

Yoga , , ,

Article by Andi Jackson

You may feel a bit like you have jumped in at the deep end. There are a lot of technical words in Yoga, many of which originate from Sanskrit so it can be difficult to understand and follow instructions as a beginner. This is a quick but detailed explanation of some of the more common Yoga terminologies to help you getting started.

AsanasNo doubt you will hear and read this word many times when researching Yoga or attending Yoga sessions. Asana means pose or posture and is the name given to all Yoga postures. This is why all of the yoga postures you will encounter end in asana. For example, Tadasana means Mountain Pose. When someone refers to a Yoga Asana, they are really just saying Yoga Pose. Yoga texts mention around 840,000 Yoga postures and up until recently only around 20-30 of these used in daily practice. Now over 200 Yoga postures are being used by Yoga students across the globe.

PatanjaliPatanjali is the legendary founder of Yoga teachings. Patanjali is said to have to lower body of a serpant and be the bringer of philosophy, language and medicine to India. Although mythological in appearance it is accepted that Patanjali was in fact a historical figure and it is estimated he lived around 220 BC. Patanjali developed the Yoga Sutras.

Yoga SutrasThe Yoga Sutras (otherwise known as the Yoga Aphorisms), is an authoritative work developed by Patanjali in which Yoga is said to consist of eight limbs. These eight aspects are all equally important and inter-related with each other.

1. Yama – Five Universal Commandments of not harming anyone, truth, non-stealing, godly, chaste life, greedless. 2. Niyama – Five Personal Disciplines of cleanliness, contentedness, self discipline, study, study of the scriptures and dedication to God.3. Asana – Devoted practice of the Yoga Postures.4. Pranayama – Practice of breathing control.5. Pratyahara – Detachment of worldly activities.6. Dharana – Concentration.7. Dhyana – Meditation.8. Samadhi – Trance or state of bliss.

IyegnarAlthough you may hear Iyegnar Yoga mentioned a lot with regards to Yoga, Iyegnar is not a terminology. B.K.S. Iyegnar was a revolutionary pioneer of Yoga who developed a series of Yoga techniques based on the traditional works of Patanjali with the added bonus of accessibility for people of all levels of Yoga. Iyegnar Yoga refers to Yoga postures that have been influenced or taken directly from Iyegnar’s works and are generally an indication that they are beginner friendly or have beginner friendly variations.

PranayamaPranayama is the advanced stages of Yoga mastery where Yoga postures are practices to control breathing. Pranayama is not to be attempted without first mastering the Yoga postures and many insist that it should only be carried out under expert supervision. Pranayama incorporates breathing techniques and exercises into your Yoga regime.

Yoga ToolsNo, you don’t need a spanner before you start to learn Yoga. Yoga tools are certain household props that may be required to help you complete certain postures. Thanks to the work of Iyegnar, many Yoga postures were developed with variations that use tools to help beginners complete the posture.

About the Author

Yoga can be integral part of the healing process. Make the decision to learn more about how you can do to improve your health and wellbeing today.

Everyday Zen

Zen Meditation

Article by The Health Spa Guru

Zen can be a difficult concept to understand. Translated by many as meaning “meditation” or “a state of mind”, Zen can be perceived as a new understanding on how to live one’s life. Demanding persistence, patience and discipline, living a life of Zen everyday is not an easy process but can ultimately prove to be extremely meaningful and worthwhile.

Zen is not a religion. Zen does not tell you what to do. Zen is an approach that has been refined through many years that can be practiced everyday by anyone. The main aim of Zen is to develop self-awareness and an understanding of everything around you. Through the course of one’s life, people are conditioned into believing things without thinking about them too deeply. Zen encourages you to release lifelong conditioning and preconceptions and enables you to find a deeper understanding of yourself and reality. Zen frees your mind to live a life of heightened awareness which in turn enriches and improves your daily life experiences.

Achieving complete Zen is known as the process of enlightenment. As mentioned above, it is the process of discovering a new viewpoint on life and discovering ones inner truth. Discovering this complete inner truth comes from persistent practice and getting to know the true you. This can be achieved through daily meditation as well as through trying to live a life of deep respect and compassion for all things around you.

Zen meditation is one of the techniques that have assisted many in the Zen path. Setting time aside daily to meditate aids in allowing one to focus and receive clarity on the world and oneself. This clarity comes with practice and patience and there are numerous meditation techniques that can be used to assist you in this process. It has been mentioned countless times by many how the way one sees the world is often very similar to how one see’s oneself. (Read Meditation For a Better Life to find out more about meditation).

Consequently, Zen living is to live a life with respect for all living things and can be utilized in every aspect of one’s life. Zen deals with the present and things that have practical relevance in one’s life and ignores concepts of things that do not have an effect on ones daily experiences. Zen encourages one to live for the moment and to look at things in different ways in order to make them take on more meaning and in turn provide greater enjoyment.

Practiced for thousands of years and an approach that is available to everyone. Zen can either be practiced daily or its ideas can be incorporated into one’s lifestyle, to assist in encouraging a more fulfilled and pleasure filled life.

About the Author

Wellness Writer for: Health Spa Guru

Music To Meditate By

Meditation Music ,

Article by Trevor John

Some people prefer to meditate silently without any music but there are others who prefer to meditate with music. Different people like different music to meditate by. Some like to have music playing in the background while they meditate while others like the form of meditation that involves making music to meditate by.

Meditation is a simple and easy art and even children can easily practice it. With music to meditate by meditation can be made even more interesting for children. You get a choice of meditation music that is especially meant for children.

Whatever form of meditation you choose, it is important to remember that music to meditate by should be simple, calm, soothing and peaceful. It should induce feelings of inner peace and help you to focus. Loud music to meditate by is destructive and unproductive. It is distracting and creates feelings of chaos. The most popular musical instruments associated with meditation include the sitar, flute, Tibetan singing bow and the tambora.

While some people use music to meditate by, there are many musicians who use meditation to calm themselves and to stay focused before any major performance. If you are using music as a means of meditation, you should try and stop doing everything else and just focus on the music in order to get the full benefits of the music. It also helps you to enjoy the music more.

If you are looking for music to meditate by, there are plenty on online websites that offer different kinds of meditation music that you can buy. Some websites allow you to listen to a sample of the music so you can decide if that is what you are looking for. There are even a few websites that offer free mp3 downloads of music to meditate by. Just do an internet search on meditation music and you are sure to find something that is just right for you.

About the Author

Find out more about meditation music and lots of other resources to help you learn how to meditate

Three Reasons Buddhist Practice Centres Should Buy Wholesale Mediation Shawls From Tibet Arts

Buddhist Meditation , , , , , , , , , , ,

Article by Seo5 Consulting

Buddhist practice centers can buy shawls for their students at wholesale prices, to help their followers enhance and improve their mediation, and to create a profit for the center. A mediation shawl is the perfect way for students to comfortably meditate all year around because they provide just the right amount of warmth and comfort to feel at ease without the distraction of nature’s elements. A mediation shawl that is offered at a wholesale rate, supplies the practice center with a discounted price on multiple shawls, which can be sold to the students, or be used as gifts for new students and visitors.

The Benefits of Wholesale Mediation Supplies

1. Savings for the Practice Center

Many practice centers run on the donations that they receive and the fundraising efforts of the handmade items that they create and sell. It’s likely that any center does not have the funding for a large investment. Wholesale rates allow any practice center or shop the ability to buy the supplies that they require for mediation at a discounted rate. This is beneficial as the center will still receive a high quality product but because they are purchasing the item in bulk numbers, the wholesale distributor will be able to offer a discount on the merchandise.

2. Selling at a Profit

Practice centers can increase their income by re-selling mediation items to their students. This works as an advantage to the students as well. When a new student joins, he or she may feel intimidated, and not know what he or she is supposed to have or bring to meditation. When their superiors tell them what is recommended, and inform the students that these supplies can be purchased on site, it makes the student’s integration into practice and mediation a seamless and fluid transition.

3. Gift Giving

A prayer item such as a shawl also makes a very fine gift for students or visitors. Mediation shawls can be made thick, completely out of wool for a lot of warmth on very cold nights, or a poly cotton blend for cooler summer mornings. These shawls can be provided to important visitors, or students that have achieved something for the practice center, or has done something honorable that has made he or she stand out amongst the other students. Whatever the case may be, having shawls on hand that are superior quality, is always recommended for practice centers.

Buying wholesale is a great way to still receive quality items and to purchase them at a discounted rate. Wholesale savings can improve Buddhist practice centers by offering students a convenient place to purchase their supplies, and provides students and visitors with the accessories that they need for a comfortable and enlightening meditation. Wholesale rates can be applied to any mediation requirement including alter cloths, mediation belts and bell and vajra sets.

Tibet Arts has been offering their Buddhist meditation shawl and other practice items since 1992. For a list of their wholesale products visit, Tibetarts.

About the Author

Tibet Arts supply a fine range of Tibetan jewelry and Tibetan singing bowls. They are located in Cambridge. Our Store also sells meditation shawl, supplies and manadala earrings. For more information, please visit www.tibetarts.com.

Music That You Can Listen To While Meditating

Meditation Music , ,

Article by Willie Greg

For people who are into meditation, one of the most crucial factors for them to do the practice properly is to hear some meditation music. Depending on the form of meditation you are practicing, meditation music plays a very big role in achieving the success in any meditation session.

What is meditation music should be

People who have been practicing meditation for so long would definitely agree that the hardest thing to fight off during meditation is chatters or babblers. This is because this tiny sound can penetrate the mind and distract it from whatever it has been doing.

To be able to avoid the distraction brought by this simple sound, they have found a way to fight it off using meditation music. Of all the many kinds of music out there, people-specially those who are just beginning are having a hard time choosing which one would suit the practice.

Here are some guidelines in choosing the meditation music for you:

1. Make sure that it doesn’t have lyrics. In choosing meditation music, it is always best to choose music that has no lyrics because it can only distract your concentration. If you find plain rhythm boring, try to play something that has lyrics that your don’t understand so you don’t have to think what the song is saying. Aside from distracting your thoughts through the words you understand, music with lyrics will also encourage you to sing along which will totally shatter your concentration.

2. Relaxing music with soft rhythm is always advisable. For starters, this type of music will do you good because it will help you clear your mind and focus on something. But, if you are already in a higher level of meditation, you can choose music that have faster rhythm and beats or anything that your truly enjoy because this can no longer distract you.

3. Try to experiment. Although soft and relaxing music is always advisable, try to play other types of music. Who knows? You might find better concentration of you play something that you truly enjoy.

4. Simple and soothing music is sure to focus your attention. If you don’t have the luxury of time to experiment on types of music to be played during meditation, then try surefire hits, which are simple and soothing music. Some of these may include classical sounds, sounds from the nature such as clapping of thunder, sounds of big waves, sounds of insects, and the wind. Other alternative options may also include simple instruments including tibetan singing bowl, flute, sitar, and tamboura which are known to have meditative inducing qualities.

When choosing meditation music, it is very important to keep in mind that the type you should play must induce you to deep concentration and not into deep sleep. If you are the type who practices mediation in just one place, then it is best if you play the same meditation music all over again. But if you are the type who changes places, then it is best to bring along several types of medication music to help you adjust to the place.

You can download the meditation music that you like from various meditation sites in the Internet and burn in a CD. But if you burn have a portable MP3 player, it is best to upload the music there so you can listen to it anytime you want to practice meditation.

About the Author

Willie Greg is an expert in Internet marketing. He writes articles about internet business and other related topics.For the listing of corporate events visits corporate events and trade shows calendar.