lah life

sensible strategies for dealing with stress

sensible strategies for dealing with stress

A Short Sweet Guided Meditation

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elefantGuided Meditations are soothing, energizing and healing.

Click Here – The Guided Practice

In this twenty minute experience I have absolutely channeled my favorite teacher, friend and yogi, Andrei Ram. His kriya meditations are so simple and elegant I can only hope to share with you all some small part of the magic of practicing with him.

Before you being find a comfortable seated position or lie flat on the ground.  If seated, straiten the spine without forcing, sitting bones grounding down and head reaching upward, elongating. If in a chair, make sure feet are resting flat in contact with the ground. You want to be relaxed and comfortable so the energy can move along with the breath as you imagine it flowing up and down the spinal column.  This recording employs some sanskrit terms.  Just listen, follow and enjoy.

When it calls for entering into meditation,  simply listen to and watch the breath as it moves in and out. When thoughts arise, notice them, even acknowledge them but do not connect with them.  Say to yourself, “ah! there a thought” then let it go by and return to listening for and watching the breath.  No matter how many times the mind comes up with something to attract your attention, let it go and come back to the breath:  a little itch?  scratch and return to the breath, a worry? notice it, label it even, and then return to the breath. Effortless.  Joyful….

Have fun!  Enjoy the play!

When, Where, How?

This is a practice that can be done daily, once in a while or whatever strikes your fancy.  Take a comfortable seat. Crossed legged on a cushion on the floor. On a chair feet planted.  Hands in lap, spine strait but nothing forced.

Imagination Required

Please put on your imaginative brain.  The breath is not literally flowing to the base of the spine or the top of the head but you can imagine that it is !

Chakras

This practice refers to the energy centers known as Chakras.

click here for Kriya 20 minute meditation

 

Contemplative practices should be fun, relaxing, rejuvenating and easy. Nothing forced.  Get rid of expectations.

Enjoy!!!

What the heck are Chakras?

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chakra_wheelChakras are energy centers

Energy, life force, prana Chi.  We need energy to be flowing smoothly in our bodies to function well, to digest, to feel calm, collected and balanced.  This is a pretty abstract concept but if you work with some simple principles and leave your critical, uber-practical mind out of it, you may find this short practice to be a helpful part of your stress-less routine!

Chakra Mantram Practice – Click Here

Chakras are fun to play with as a concept.

Don’t get put off by this sanskrit terminology or the abstract energetic nature of the chakras. Chakras are nothing more than main energy centers said to exist as centers of swirling energy at different points up and down the spine and which correspond to different glands organs and functions of the physical body.  It is important to keep these clear and flowing and this is what moving the flow of breath as in this practice does for you.

Chakra (sanskrit cakra – “wheel”) is thought to be an energy point or node in the subtle body.not the physical body, and as such, are the meeting points of the subtle (non-physical) energy channels called nadi. Nadi are believed to be channels that carry the the life force known as ‘prana’. There are seven chakras that are considered to be the most important ones.

The chakras to which this meditation refers are in the center of the body along what is know as Shushumna or central spinal column.  When I instruct breathing up or down, it is that central channel to which I refer and the chakra’s are stops along the way as follows.

First: Root Chakra at base of spine.  Color red. Sense of smell, fight or flight response, physical strength, stability.. Sound is Lam.

Second: Sacral Chakra below belly button. Orange color. Relating to water element, reproductive function, joy, desire, sexuality, creativity. Sound is Vam.

Third: Solar Plexus Chakra. Yellow color.  Power, professional success. Confidence and respect for others. Sound is Ram.

Fourth: Heart Chakra or Spiritual Heart center. Green Color. Relates to air, relationships, Trust and love. Sound is Yam

Fifth:  Throat Chakra.  Blue Color. Our true voice. Self expression and communication. Sound is Ham.

Sixth: Third Eye Chakra. Indigo Color. Relates to deep inner knowing, wisdom, intuition. connected to the pituitary gland and visualized as in the center of the skull between forehead and back of head, upper palate and top of skull.  Sound is Om.

Seventh Chakra: Crown Chakra. Violet color. Unifies energy of all previous six chakras and associated with nervous system, brain, higher forces and divine nature. Sound is Om.

Mindfulness Practices: cultivate overall health and well-being

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mindfulness works for me too!

Mindfulness Practices to Get more peace, tranquility and health into the fabric of your being.

Anxiety, pain, tension can become toast in the face of faithful practice with mindfulness.  This is meta-cognitive awareness of the present moment.

Easy ways to cultivate calm, responsive not reactive behavior. Thich Nhat Hanh gives us these 5 easy techniques.  Try them All!  READ HERE  5 Steps to Mindfulness