Pilgrimage to the spa, temples of repose (2)

Within this spa renaissance, that draws much of its knowledge from ancient cultures… we can dissolve into a renewed sense of being that reforms us, generating an easy living response…The Times of Indian

The spa environment is essentially rooted in the harmonious orchestration of natural elements that awaken our senses, allowing our bodies to let go of resistance, of strife on every level…

The welcome shift in our perception of what amounts to ‘being beautiful’ continues to evolve as our awareness grows. The integration of more ethnic beauty regimes from different cultures has introduced all of us to a more universal account of what equates to beauty and how we quantify it.

With people being born from parents whose origins may come from opposite sides of the globe we now see extraordinary and exotic human beings with perhaps a mix of Turkish and Scandinavian or African and Indian that break through the conceptual moorings of traditional looks… Ancient principles of wellness are rising to the fore once again, as Ayurvedic wisdom from India or Mayan wellness rituals from South America are studied and brought into a universal experience.

Being seen as beautiful, now stems from a deeper understanding of how being healthy and happy are visible factors in the overall vision of how we appear to others, as well as to ourselves. As our inner perceptions change so does our outer vision. The realisation that beauty is more than skin deep has now developed into an active pursuit of generating an inner harmony that is free from stress, tension and toxicity…

An experience of inner peace and serenity resolves issues of psychological conflict with the inevitable changes that occur through hormonal elements, creating a sense of ‘growing old gracefully’. Qualities of inner peace create space to let go of the past and embrace the present with renewed understanding and poise. A holistic approach can connect to the heart of the seeker also relieving emotional anxiety and therefore uplifting the spirit. –

(The writer, a wellness expert, has authored The Definitive Spa & Body Handbook: Five keys to energy, balance & bliss.)

Breeeeeeathe

Good morning friends.  Reading is one of my hobbies. It’s good to always read because from that you will learn many things in real and even you can apply what you have read.  I read one article in one magazine.  I’d like to share it with you.  I’m sure it will help you a lot and even with me.  I tried to do it and it gives me positive result.

 

We all know to breath, but are we really getting the most from each breath we take?

 

Many of us inhale too shallowly, particularly when we’re stressed or tired.  These high, fluttery breaths only make us feel more anxious.  Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., author of Conscious Breathing advice to many people to take a moment and look at their abdomen.  If the belly doesn’t move, expanding in and out, then you’re not doing it right.  Sure enough the belly was hardly moving.

 

Slow yourself down to four seconds of breathing in and four seconds of breathing out, Hendricks said.  All it takes is three of those nice, slow breaths, and your stress quiets down.  To calm down even more, the reset button or doing four-second in-and-out breaths, but then pausing when the breath is out of your body until you need to breathe again.

 

Taking four seconds to breathe in and four-seconds to breathe out meant that you needed to stop what you was doing and concentrate, which was difficult at first.  You sill feel a glowing sense of refreshment that eased the tension and anxiety.  This is so easy to do and unobtrusive enough that you can do it anywhere. - Sandi Khan Shelton

Vision Quest – 5

The Ability to Hear

 

“I think an essential step [in this progression is developing sensitivity to the subtle promptings of one’s soul,” says Dubitsky.  “Sometimes, the promptings can be felt viscerally in the form of illnesses of one kind or another.  Everything from tension headaches to backaches to stomachaches, to stress and colds or accidents can be signals that something is saying stop!  Getting sick allows for rest—and rest allows for reflection.”

 

The quest, says Andrews, is really no more that a search to re-establish our own connection with spirit—a return to the spiritual presence out of which we are born and to which we eventually return.  This connection, he adds, is one that may feel extremely distant within the context of daily life and the intricacies of responsibilities and relationships.  Approaching this search by setting an intention, suggest Rann and Arrott, can aid in the process.

 

“Intention is the first harbinger of our acceptance of a change in our lives or the expression of a new dream,”  explain Rann and Arrott.  “It is the wisp of the idea that we say ‘yes’ to.  The wisdom and power of the universe is always prepared to fully support and provide everything necessary for the unfoldment of the dream, and intention is the key that calls forth this universal wisdom and power.   Next, we make the decision to accept this dream or goal in our lives, and this decision sets the action.  Our commitment to the dream while it is unfolding—whether we see it happening or not—releases the full wisdom and power of spirit into action to bring this manifestation into existence for the greatest and highest good for all concerned.  And, so often, this manifestation will turn out to be so much better than we ever could have thought.”

 

In the beginning of any spiritual search, I think it’s important to have a support group or a guide or teacher.  Embracing spiritual truth in a way is like traveling to a new country.  Old coping mechanism will no longer work, so being with people who’ve traveled the same road is very helpful, as is reading books or listening to CDs that are both inspirational and instructional.

 

Ref: fityoga

The Body-Mind Connection – 2

A friend of my cousin just told me one story and I want to relay it with you.  Hilary Lindsay experienced this firsthand.  “I woke up one morning with my body completely distorted”, se remembers.  “ I went to see a chiropractor, who told me plainly, “there’s nothing wrong with you physically.” “The doctor suggested she try a Phoenix Rising session, which she did.  The practitioner put Lindsay into some supported yoga like positions on the floor.  “He did not focus on anything more than, “Here’s this pose and how does it feel?”  I would say something; he would repeat my word and say, “ What else?” until I would say there was finally nothing else.” The therapist never analyzed or discussed what Lindsay said, but still, she felt he helped her to see her problem.

 

“When I drove off on my own, I realized my words had just painted a clear picture of my approach to life,”  she says.  “I saw a power-driven maniac who was probably in the process of driving herself nuts.”

 

As the day went on, she felt physcally healed, and attributes that to the emotional outcome of the session, which the asanas helped her access.  In other words, she was able to release the distortion in her body only by releasing her inner tension.

 

“I did not have any repeat of the symptoms,” Lindsay adds, “and I felt the calm that comes with knowing yourself a little more than you did before.  The awareness does not occur like the lightbulb over the cartoon guy’s head.  It doesn’t come ahead of its time.  The student has to be ready to receive it.”

ref: yogajournal

The Body-Mind Connection – 1

In yogic terms, however, there is no separation between mind, body and spirit.  The three exist as a union (one definition of the word yoga); what happens to the mind also happens to the body and spirit, and so on.  In other words, if something is bothering you spiritually, emotionally, or mentally, it is likely to show up in your body.  And as you work deeply with your body in yoga, emotional issues will likely come to the fore.

 

In the yogic view, we all hold within our bodies emotions and misguided thoughts that keep us from reaching Samadhi, defined by some as “conscious enlightenment.”  Any sense of unease or dis-ease in the body keeps us from reaching and experiencing this state.  Asanas are one path to blissful contentment, working to bring us closer by focusing our minds and releasing any emotional or inner tension in our bodies.

 

Though the ancient yogis understood that emotional turmoil is carried in the mind, the body, and the spirit.  Western medicine has been slow to accept this.  But new research has verified that mental and emotional condition can affect the state of the physical body, and that the mind-body connections is real.

 

Many doctors, psychotherapists, and chiropractors are embracing these findings, and are now recommending yoga to help patients deal with problems that only a few years ago would have been viewed and treated solely in biomechanical terms.

ref: yogajournal