Health Benefits of Hatha Yoga

benefits of doing Hatha yoga.

From increased flexibility, toned body, healthy heart to a relaxed mind, here are some key to hatha yoga adn many things you do daily life…

A collective phrase which refers to any type of Yoga that teaches Physical postures is known as Hatha Yoga. All the basic Yoga postures are introduced in Hatha Yoga. Hatha means ‘Force” in Sanskrit- the ancient Indian language which is the origin of many Yoga related term.

Customarily the desired intention has been the same as of various other types of Yoga. The mastery of Hatha yoga is worldwide favored in the form of physical exercise. Now a day it is simply termed as ‘Yoga’.

The practice of Hatha highlights the actual diet concept for the refinement of the body, proper breathing and its precept during the Yoga practice. Surya Namaskar or Saluting the Sun is composed of many asanas which are performed with a rapid sequence methodology in this yoga format.

Hatha yoga is one of the branches of yoga. Hatha is a Sanskrit word which means forceful or being obstinate.

However, in a practical sense, it doesn’t mean that the yoga is done forcefully or when you are not willing to do it. Rather, the sense of “hatha” is positive in this Yoga form. It means to stay dedicated and focused while doing the asana.

Hatha yoga is the practice of yoga poses or asana for achieving self-transformation. These yoga poses involve twisting, bending, balancing or squeezing your body.

It is designed to promote calmness of the mind, spirit, and body. The yoga requires you to focus on breathing and channeling your energy as well.

Like other yoga forms, Hatha yoga is beneficial for overall health.

Breathing Techniques:

Pranayam means breath stretching exercise. Hatha yoga teaches various forms of breathing techniques. Proper breathing and the right use of breathing technique is of vital importance in the Hatha practice. During the exhalation and inhalation, three things that move are air, prana and yogi’s thoughts. And all these three are intimately connected with each others.

Proper Diet:

Moderate eating practice is highlighted in Hatha. The benefits obtained from the practice of Hatha Yoga is linked to the food which one eats and ones eating habits. The Hatha yoga practice suggests that one should not over eat food. It recommendations include; eat food only when hungry, rather to completely fill the capacity of one’s stomach leave a quarter portion empty and fill three quarters with quality food and fresh water. According to Hatha Yoga classic, eating a controlled diet is one of the important parts of a complete and successful practice.

Correct Postures:

Before starting up with the Hatha yoga practice, one must establish a suitable location. Suitable in the sense, it should be away from all the distractions. A place where you get peace and silence all around. Once such a place is found, yogi commences with the Hatha yoga moves. It is said that ‘Practice makes a man perfect’ so with these yoga moves practicing daily, one gets the right move with the time.

Meditation:

In the Hatha Yoga texts, Meditation is the ultimate goal of all the preparatory cleansing, asanas, pranayama and other steps. The aim of this meditation is to realize the complete absorption and union with the Brahman through inner mystic sound.

Hatha yoga can be introduced to a yogi beginner, but it should not be mistaken as an easy task. As it might prove challenging both physically and mentally for some. Hatha yoga classes provide an opportunity to stretch, unwind, and release tension. Studies state that a regular and proper yoga practice yields health benefits. Yoga’s combined focus on mindfulness, breathing and physical movements brings health benefits with regular participation.

Here are some of the striking benefits of

doing Hatha yoga.

1. Core Strength:

The core is the center of your body, including the spine, hips, and abs.

Strong core muscles are important for performing routine activities, from getting out of bed, bending over to tie your shoelace and lifting the things up. Their role is more important if you are an athlete. Weak core muscles affect your endurance and restrict your ability to bend or stretch your body. Even worse, they lead to lower back pain and muscle injuries

Hatha yoga is a great way to improve your core strength. Some of the effective poses like Boat, Plank and Downward Facing Dog target the sides of your abdominal. Chair and Warrior I pose work over your buttocks. Half Lift and Chair increase the strength of your spine and improve your ability to twist and bend as well.

2. Bone Density:

Low bone density or osteopenia can cause bone fractures or minimal trauma. Sometimes, it leads to osteoporosis disease being marked by weak and fragile bones.

While taking the right diet is important to make your bone stronger, hatha yoga is beneficial in treating the bone loss as it promotes bone density.

According to one , yoga can increase balance and coordination, thereby protecting against falling, that is a major cause of osteoporotic fractures. One study published in Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation concludes that yoga can reverse bone loss.

These studies shouldn’t be surprising as several Hatha yoga poses like Warrior Pose, Triangle Pose, and Tree Pose can promote bone density.

In such poses, you use one group of muscles another, like the quad against the hamstrings or the gluteal muscles against the shoulder muscles. It creates an impact that physically triggers osteoblasts, which are the bone making cells that are initially found on the outside of the bone and turn into osteocytes. These cells then start incorporating within your bone. This phenomenon will develop new bone.

3. Healthy Heart:

Certain yoga poses improve cardiovascular health; enhance lung capacity; and strengthen respiratory function. It also promotes calmness and relief, thereby reducing the occurrence of hypertension, which is one of the leading causes of heart problems. Moreover, they improve blood circulation and minimize inflammation as well.

Yoga poses also stretch muscles, making them more sensitive to the insulin that is important for checking blood sugar. Then, yoga poses involve deep breathing to calm down blood pressure. Mind-calming meditation is another important part of yoga to ease the nervous system and stress as well. All these activities can help prevent disease.

Some of the best hatha yoga poses for the heart are Mountain Pose, Big Toe Pose, Downward Dog, and Lion’s Breath.

4. Healthy and Glowing Skin:

Here’s how the Hatha yoga keeps your skin healthy and glowing.

It releases stress, which is a key cause of premature wrinkling, loss of elasticity, breakouts and tired appearance.
It improves skin tone as it boosts blood flow to the nerves underneath the face. The improved blood circulation also removes dull and tired complexion.
It prevents pimples and acne breakouts as it flushes out the toxins.
It strengthens the facial muscles and promotes the blood flow to the skin, thereby delaying wrinkles and sagginess.
Finally, it improves your glow as it boosts blood circulation as well as provides essential nutrients to the skin.

5. Stronger Immunity:

Poor diet, lack of sleep, high stress, toxins, and several medications take a heavy toll on the immune system. With a weaker immune system, we are prone to certain infections and diseases.

Hatha yoga helps strengthen the immune system.

It supports the lymphatic system that protects the body from disease and infection. Besides, it lowers stress that negatively affects the immune system. Yoga also keeps the inflammatory level in check to prevent immune system disorders.

Some of the best yoga poses for boosting your immune system are Wide-Legged Forward Fold, Headstand, Handstand, Plow Pose and Upward Facing Bow.

6. Weight Loss:

Hatha Yoga also helps you burn calories and get toned muscles with improved flexibility. According to a study conducted by the American Council on Exercise, the average person burns nearly 3-6 calories per minute doing yoga, accounting to 180 calories burned during one hour class. Some yoga poses put a strain on the muscles. This causes muscles to get ripped, but in a good way. Once the muscles get ripped, they require energy to rebuild themselves. They utilized the energy from the stored fat in your body.

A 185-pound person can burn up to 400 calories with one hour Hatha yoga while a 155-pound person will shed up to 300 calories.

Yoga also promotes mindfulness, making you more aware of your eating habits and feelings of fullness. This can help suppress overeating and weight gain; it may even lead to weight loss. Some of the best hatha yoga poses for losing weight are Seated Forward Bend, Shoulder Stand, Warrior Pose, and Half Moon Pose, reverse plank poses and mnay more do regular and stay fit stay calm stay relax…

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Imagine Our Future

Featured by mjsing19

Imagine. Barren lands covering the face of the earth. No water source in sight and the harsh sunlight burning off the skin on your body. There is nowhere to hide, no shade to take cover under. People dying due to hunger and thirst. And every day, we are hit with a new disaster at our home.

Feels scary? Well, that is our earth 50 – 70 years from now if we continue producing greenhouse gases at the current rate. Climate change is real. And for anyone who still doesn’t believe in global warming, all you have to do is check the recent news. You will see freaky and erratic weather behavior all over the world. Hailstorms falling over different regions unexpectedly while so many regions suffer from droughts.

droughts all over the world — Our Future

Africa has been suffering through this climate change effects for years now. But most of us have a turned a blind eye to its suffering. Well, that cannot be done anymore because you can see the effects in your own city now. We all have read in the news that the polar caps are melting and the sea temperature and level are rising day by day.

But still, it all seemed so far off right? The end of the world? However, as we turned more selfish, the environmental degradation accelerated and we have no one but ourselves to blame now. Cities experience higher temperatures and it is said that, by the end of this century, the global temperature will rise by almost 2 degrees. It is not a joke anymore and if we don’t take a step, it won’t be far before earth starts crumbling at last.

The earth’s atmosphere has always acted like a greenhouse to capture the sun’s heat, ensuring that the earth has enjoyed temperatures that permitted the emergence of life forms as we know them, including humans.

Without our atmospheric greenhouse the earth would be very cold. Global warming, however, is the equivalent of a greenhouse with high efficiency reflective glass installed the wrong way around.

Rising Sea Levels
Climate change impacts rising sea levels. Average sea level around the world rose about 8 inches (20 cm) in the past 100 years; climate scientists expect it to rise more and more rapidly in the next 100 years as part of climate change impacts.

Coastal cities such as New York are already seeing an increased number of flooding events and by 2050 many such cities may require seawalls to survive. Estimates vary, but conservatively sea levels are expected to rise 1 to 4 feet (30 to 100 cm), enough to flood many small Pacific island states (Vanatu), famous beach resorts (Hilton Head) and coastal cities (Bangkok, Boston).

If the Greenland ice cap and/or the Antarctic ice shelf collapses, sea levels could rise by as much as 20 ft (6 m), inundating, for example, large parts of Florida, the Gulf Coast, New Orleans and Houston.

Melting Ice

Projections suggest climate change impacts within the next 100 years, if not sooner, the world’s glaciers will have disappeared, as will the Polar ice cap, and the huge Antarctic ice shelf, Greenland may be green again, and snow will have become a rare phenomenon at what are now the world’s most popular ski resorts.

will increase in power, and flooding will become more common. and hurricanes and typhoons

Anyone in the United States who has tried to buy storm and flood insurance in the past few years knows that the insurance industry is completely convinced that climate change is raising sea levels and increasing the number of major storms and floods. (To understand the insurance industry’s thinking on the subject, consider the chart below compiled by Munich Re-Insurance.)

Reduced food security

One of the most striking impacts of rising temperatures is felt in although these impacts global warming are felt very differently in the largely temperate developed world and in the more tropical developing world.

Different crops grow best at quite specific temperatures and when those temperatures change, their productivity changes significantly.

In North America, for example, rising temperatures may reduce corn and wheat productivity in the US mid-west, but expand production and productivity north of the border in Canada.

The productivity of rice, the staple food of more than one third of the world’s population, declines 10% with every 1⁰ C increase in temperature.

Past climate induced problems have been offset by major advances in rice technology and ever larger applications of fertilizer; expectations are that in Thailand, the world’s largest exporter of rice, however, future increases in temperatures may reduce production 25% by 2050.

At the same time, global population models suggest that developing world will add 3 billion people by 2050 and that developing world food producers must double staple food crop production by then simply to maintain current levels of food consumption.

Climate Change And Infectious Diseases Today, worldwide, there is an apparent increase in many infectious diseases, including some newly-circulating ones (HIV/AIDS, hantavirus, hepatitis C, SARS, etc.). This reflects the combined impacts of rapid demographic, environmental, social, technological and other changes in our waysof-living.

Climate change will also affect infectious disease occurrence. CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN HEALTH – RISK AND RESPONSES Humans have known that climatic conditions affect epidemic diseases from long before the role of infectious agents was discovered, late in the nineteenth century. Roman aristocrats retreated to hill resorts each summer to avoid malaria.

South Asians learnt early that, in high summer, strongly curried foods were less likely to cause diarrhoea. Infectious agents vary greatly in size, type and mode of transmission. There are viruses, bacteria, protozoa and multicellular parasites. Those microbes that cause “anthroponoses” have adapted, via evolution, to the human species as their primary, usually exclusive, host. In contrast, non-human species are the natural reservoir for those infectious agents that cause “zoonoses” . There are directly transmitted anthroponoses (such as TB, HIV/AIDS, and measles) and zoonoses (e.g., rabies). There are also indirectly-transmitted, vectorborne, anthroponoses (e.g., malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever) and zoonoses (e.g. bubonic plague and Lyme disease). zika virus and the most common flu are effect the humans.

What have we done to manage climate change?

To date, the effort to manage climate change has been a matter of high level diplomatic negotiations involving states and international organizations with a loud, but largely excluded fringe of NGOs, business groups, and minor political actors.

The logic for this is that global climate change affects us all, but individual countries can manage only the activities that take place within their borders; to confront a global problem, we need a global solution.

“Climate change is a global challenge and requires a global solution. Greenhouse gas emissions have the same impact on the atmosphere whether they originate in Washington, London or Beijing. Consequently, action by one country to reduce emissions will do little to slow global warming unless other countries act as well. Ultimately, an effective strategy will require commitments and action by all the major emitting countries.”

The global effort to manage climate change has been organized through what is called the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC was launched at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to achieve GHG concentrations.

“at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.

It also set voluntary GHG emissions reductions that countries did not meet.

With the failure of the Rio initiatives, the then 191 signatories to the UNFCCC agreed to meet in Kyoto in 1997 to establish a more stringent regime. The resulting Kyoto Protocol created a global trading system for carbon credits and binding GHG reductions for ratifying countries. (The US did not sign; China and India were exempt as developing countries.) So-called Conferences of the Parties (COPs) were held almost annually thereafter in places such as The Hague, Cancun and Doha without progress being made. (Following the failure of the 2012 Doha meetings, the unrenewed Kyoto carbon trading system collapsed.)

Climate change difficulties – Why are climate change difficulties so hard to manage?

Managing climate change difficulties arise from two, related reasons: climate change management is viewed as expensive and it poses what we call a collective action problem.

Why managing climate change difficulties seems so expensive

When business and politicians talk about climate change, the first thing they mention is cost. If you start from the status quo today, adding CO2 removing equipment to a coal power plant is expensive – but only if you do not value the environment. When you buy coal for a power plant, you pay for a limited resource and the cost of supplying it to you.Today, when you dump the GHGs and black carbon from burning coal into the air, you pay nothing. But a clean atmosphere is a limited resource; the atmosphere will absorb only so much GHGs and black carbon before it is not clean, at which point it is costly to clean it.Logically, there is no reason why businesses that pay for a scarce resource like coal as an input should not pay for a scarce resource like the environment as a disposal site.This is called “costing” or “accounting” the environment. If the environment is included among the basic costs of doing business that all businesses plan into their profit and loss statements, then “managing climate change” would no longer be an expensive extra. It would be a standard cost of doing business.Today, however, no one values the environment and, therefore, environmental expenses are considered “extras” and so expensive, not expenses.

Climate Change – can we do more? What more can we do to manage climate change?

Can we do more? It is clear that even if the international community manages to make further progress, it has a long way to go before it has exhausted its current agenda of negotiated restrictions on carbon emissions. It should also be clear that even with unimaginably successful negotiations, restrictions on carbon emissions will not do the job.

To be blunt: there is too much carbon in the atmosphere and existing technology – cars, factories, airplanes, ships, buildings – will continue to emit huge amounts more into the foreseeable future.

The only thing to do is to reduce the amount of atmospheric carbon.

There are many experiments underway to find ways to do this. So far, only a few processes show promise. While different in many ways, these processes are similar in one critical way: they all remove carbon from the atmosphere by converting it into an inert form that can be sequestered permanently, that is, returned to a form where, like the fossil carbon forms, it is truly out of sight, out of mind and out of the atmosphere – forever.

New techniques for doing this are remarkably simple chemically, but the innovations in business modeling to make them work are complex. In Iceland, for example, scientists have demonstrated that CO2 pumped underground into porous basalt formations will quickly turn to stone. (Ten percent of continental land and the entire seabed are basalt; the technology already costs less than one half as much as current (and unreliable) underground sequestration techniques.)

passes air across a huge surface of flowing alkali bath to capture CO2 so that it can then be converted to pellets. (Unfortunately, because CO2 is just 0.04% of the air, meaningful systems will have to be huge and much more efficient.) In each case, and in those of many other possible technologies, the issues are not scientific, but how to scale production cost-effectively.

Can we do more?

The second method of sequestration is at least 4,000 years old. The “pyrolysis” of biomass, or heating it to high temperatures (450⁰-750⁰ C) in the absence of oxygen produces a pure form of carbon known as “biochar.”

From a global climate change point of view, biochar production has great potential as it eliminates all of the black carbon and long-term GHGs from biomass burning, and is carbon negative.

Estimates of sequestration rates vary, but by atomic weight, the production of 1 ton of biochar permanently removes 3 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, as well as 6 kilograms of particulates and large amounts of NOx and SO2.

Widespread biochar production in the developing world where most agricultural waste is field burned would annually remove millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, and eliminate millions of tons of black carbon and GHGs.

Educate. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the importance and value of our natural resources.
Conserve water. The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually end up in the ocean.
Choose sustainable. Learn how to make smart seafood choices yours at do what you want.
Shop wisely. Buy less plastic and bring a reusable shopping bag.
Use long-lasting light bulbs. Energy efficient light bulbs reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also flip the light switch off when you leave the room!
Plant a tree. Trees provide food and oxygen. They help save energy, clean the air, and help combat climate change.
Don’t send chemicals into our waterways. Choose non-toxic chemicals in the home and office.
Bike more. Drive less.
Life is easy without all this but our nature our planet safety its very very important so please feel happy and share this wonderful blog to everyone thanks ….

What is Kriya Yoga?

Featured by mjsing19

Kriya Yoga is an ancient meditation technique of energy and breath control, or pranayama. It is part of a comprehensive spiritual path, which includes additional meditation practices along with right living.

The Kriya technique was hidden in secrecy for many centuries. It was revived in 1861, when the great yogi Mahavatar Babaji taught the technique to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya. Lahiri then taught the technique to his disciple Sri Yukteswar, who taught it to his disciples, including Paramhansa Yogananda.

Yogananda then popularized Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a Yogi, and through his public teaching in the West. Kriya has been taught in an unbroken link of spiritual succession to this day.

How Does Kriya Work?

According to Yogananda, Kriya Yoga is the most effective technique available to mankind today for reaching the goal of Yoga: union with the Divine. Kriya Yoga is so effective because it works directly with the source of growth — the spiritual energy deep in our spines.

All yoga techniques work with this energy, usually indirectly. Yoga postures, for example, can help open up the spinal channels, and balance the energy in the spine. Yoga breathing exercises or pranayama, can help to awaken that energy.

However, Kriya Yoga is more direct. It helps the practitioner to control the life force by mentally drawing that life force up and down the spine, with awareness and will. According to Yogananda, one Kriya, which takes about a half a minute, is equivalent to one year of natural spiritual growth.

Kriya is also very practical in its effectiveness. Kriya Yogis find that it enhances their ability to concentrate, to become more effective in business and in family life, and to become better people in every way.

Kriya Yoga Changes Your Brain Cells.

Your greatest enemies are your bad habits. They will follow you from one incarnation to another until you overcome them. In order to free yourself from fate, you must cure yourself of bad habits. How? Good company is one of the best medicines. If you have a tendency to drink, mix with people who do not. If you are suffering from ill health, be with people who have positive minds, who don’t think about sickness. If you have the consciousness of failure, associate with those who have the consciousness of success. Then you will begin to change.

Each of your habits creates a specific “groove,” or pathway, in the brain. These patterns make you behave in a certain way, often against your wish. Your life follows those grooves that you yourself have created in the brain. In that sense you are not a free person; you are more or less a victim of the habits you have formed. Depending on how set those patterns are, to that degree you are a puppet. But you can neutralize the dictates of those bad habits. How? By creating brain patterns of opposite good habits. And you can completely erase the grooves of bad habits by meditation. There is no other way. However, you can’t cultivate good habits without good company and good environment. And you can’t free yourself from bad habits without good company and meditation.

Every time you meditate deeply on God, beneficial changes take place in the patterns of your brain. Suppose you are a financial failure or a moral failure or a spiritual failure. Through deep meditation, affirming, “I and my Father are one,” you will know that you are the child of God. Hold on to that ideal. Meditate until you feel a great joy. When joy strikes your heart, God has answered your broadcast to Him; He is responding to your prayers and positive thinking. This is a distinct and definite method:

First, meditate upon the thought, “I and my Father are one,” trying to feel a great peace, and then a great joy in your heart. When that joy comes, say, “Father, Thou art with me. I command Thy power within me to cauterize my brain cells of wrong habits and past seed tendencies.” The power of God in meditation will do it. Rid yourself of the limiting consciousness that you are a man or a woman; know that you are the child of God. Then mentally affirm and pray to God: “I command my brain cells to change, to destroy the grooves of bad habits that have made a puppet out of me. Lord, burn them up in Thy divine light.” And when you will practice the Self-Realization techniques of meditation, especially Kriya Yoga, you will actually see that light of God baptizing you.

I will tell you a true story of the effectiveness of this technique. In India, a man who had a bad temper came to me. He was a specialist in slapping his bosses when he lost his temper, so he also lost one job after another. He would become so uncontrollably irate that he would throw at whoever bothered him anything that was handy. He asked me for help. I told him, “The next time you get angry, count to one hundred before you act.” He tried it, but came back to me and said, “I get more angry when I do that. While I am counting, I am blind with rage for having to wait so long.” His case looked hopeless.

Then I told him to practice Kriya Yoga, with this further instruction: “After practicing your Kriya, think that the divine Light is going into your brain, soothing it, calming your nerves, calming your emotions, wiping away all anger. And one day your temper tantrums will be gone.” Not long after that, he came to me again, and this time he said, “I am free from the habit of anger. I am so thankful.”

I decided to test him. I arranged for some boys to pick a quarrel with him. I hid myself in the park along the route where he used to pass regularly, so that I could observe. The boys tried again and again to goad him into a fight, but he wouldn’t respond. He kept his calmness.

The Science of Kriya Yoga..

Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened. The ancient yogis discovered that the secret of cosmic consciousness is intimately linked with breath mastery. The life force, which is ordinarily absorbed in maintaining the heart-pump, must be freed for higher activities by a method of calming and stilling the ceaseless demands of the breath.

“One thousand Kriya practiced in eight hours gives the yogi, in one day, the equivalent of one thousand years of natural evolution: 365,000 years of evolution in one year.”

Preparation for Kriya Initiation

Before you can be initiated into Kriya Yoga, there is a process of preparation which includes study of Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings and practice of other meditation techniques.

Over the years, Ananda has helped thousands of truthseekers all over the world to prepare for initiation into Kriya Yoga. We’ve seen that the practice of Kriya is infinitely more effective after the proper preparation and study of the Kriya teachings.

Some people claim they have the “real” or original kriya — why?

had many disciples, and he taught Kriya to them with slight modifications depending on the needs of each individual. The essence of Kriya was taught the same, but you can see that there is no single original kriya, therefore. True spiritual Masters, like Lahiri Mahasaya and Paramhansa Yogananda, have the authority and understanding to teach Kriya in that way. Masters will also never claim to have the “only” true Kriya path, nor will they disparage others. Ananda teaches Kriya Yoga just as Yogananda taught it. He learned it from his Guru who was a direct disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya.

There are other groups that teach different “kriya” yogas — what’s the difference?

“Kriya” is a commonly used word in yoga. It literally means “action,” and is used to describe many different techniques. The Kriya that we teach at Ananda is specifically the Kriya Yoga of Lahiri Mahasaya.

Do You Need a Living Guru to Learn Kriya Yoga?

Paramhansa Yogananda personally authorized Swami Kriyananda to initiate others into Kriya Yoga, acting as Yogananda’s instrument. Swami Kriyananda has also authorized a number of Ananda teachers to initiate people into Kriya, acting as instruments for the Ananda line of Gurus.

Kriya is offered as an initiation because it is more than a technique. At Kriya initiations, the teacher offering the initiation acts as a channel for Yogananda’s magnetism and blessing. Many people have been transformed by the power of Kriya initiation through Ananda.

Can Kriya Yoga be dangerous?

Kriya, when practiced under the guidance of an experienced Kriya teacher, is completely safe.

Why do I have to practice the other techniques for a year before receiving Kriya?

The other techniques (Energization Exercises, Hong-Sau, AUM, and more) are part of the Path of Kriya Yoga. The Kriya Yogi continues to practice those techniques even after receiving the Kriya technique. Second, the Kriya technique is much more effective with the year of preparation. Finally, practicing Kriya requires a daily commitment to meditation. It can take up to a year to establish that practice.

Benefits of Twenty one Day Water Fast and its classified

Featured by mjsing19

21 Day (Three-Week) water fast is classified under long term fasts and should be attempted only by those who are familiar with shorter one week or a 10-day water fasts. To do a long term fast, one has to understand the science of fasting from the medical viewpoint.A 21 day water fast should be done only under the direct supervision of a qualified medical practitioner who can monitor your vital signs and other body conditions on a daily basis.

Who can do a 21 Day Water fast (Three Week Water Fast)?

A 21-day water fast can be done for various purposes ranging from therapy for chronic illnesses, detoxification of body, spiritual purposes, control over food cravings, weight loss, rejuvenation of body, etc. Whether you are attempting it for the innumerable benefits or for mere thrill of it, please consult a doctor before, during and after the fast.

Please note that breaking the fast is equally important. It may take roughly two to three weeks to come back to normal diet after the fast. So, be prepared to spend a total of around 40 days for the entire process.

Mental preparation for the fast is essential as each day during the fast can throw up physical and mental challenges. A proper scientific understanding of the fasting process is essential to give you the confidence to complete the fast. Consult those who have attempted it before and read up on testimonials. That will boost one’s confidence, to take up this practice. A healthy human being can go for weeks without food. Hence a 21-day fast should not be too difficult, if done carefully. Once you complete the fast, you will experience the great health benefits that accompany it. If you have a serious illness, consult your physician first, before you attempt fasting. Those with certain contraindications like tuberculosis and other deficiency diseases should not take up long term fasts. Also pregnant women and children should avoid long term fasts.

How to do a 21 day Water Fast?

In a 21 day water fast, you must drink only water for 21 full days. No solid food or other liquids that contain nutrition (like fruit juices, milk, etc.) are allowed. Simple pure mineral water is good. You can also use boiled and cooled water. One should drink enough plain water (an average of 2 or more liters) in one full day, according to one’s capacity. Slightly warm water is recommended to aid the cleansing process.

Continue this for 21 full days.

Preparation for a 21 day Water Fast

Before attempting a 21-day water fast, please consult a doctor and discuss any preexisting body conditions. Ideally it should be done in a naturopathy center under supervision of doctors and nutritionists

Body reactions and experiences during a 21 day Water Fast

A 21 day water fast can be an intense experience at the physical, mental and spiritual level. Our body is accustomed to consuming food at regular intervals during the day. Without the intake of food, one can feel dizziness, weakness, headaches, nausea, etc. which are quite common during any long term fast.

One can feel intense hunger during the first few days of the fast. If you feel a sudden bout of hunger, just drink a glass of water and lie down. The hunger should disappear in short time. If the hunger persists, consult your doctor for further attention.

This can continue for 3 – 5 days depending on the body condition. Those who have Pitta Nature (as per Ayurveda) may have bouts of hunger even beyond 3 days. After about 3 – 5 days, the body understands that there is no food intake and has its own mechanism to shut down the production of digestive juices to conserve energy. One may not feel hunger after that for some days. That is normal during a long term fast. If you feel occasional hunger, drink a glass of water and take rest. If you cannot bear the hunger, then consult your doctor.

After the first few days, hunger disappears and one may feel very energetic. You may feel like even playing some games or going for a jog. But at this stage, refrain from heavy activities and stick to light activities like walking in the woods, reading, watching television, watering the plants, shopping, etc.

Sometimes you may feel very energetic and the very next moment you may feel weak. Your blood pressure can drop and make you feel dizzy. Such fluctuations are common and there is nothing to worry about. Just keep your doctor posted about your body reactions.

Food craving is a very common reaction experienced by all those who do a 21 day water fast. We all have liking or even mental addiction for various types of food. During a fast, one starts day dreaming about tasty food that we have eaten in the past. You may experience this even if you are not feeling hungry. One may even day dream of going to various restaurants and eating one’s favorite dish. These are normal. Do not fight with these thoughts. Just let go and give some distraction to the mind, like watching a movie, television, music, etc.

Fasting is a time for intense cleansing at physical, mental and spiritual level. The body has a natural mechanism to heal itself. Toxins in the body are mostly thrown out through digestive system into the intestines. At this time, you will notice a thick white coating on the tongue. The coating may remain even after scrapping the tongue. This is a sign that the toxins are being eliminated. Scrapping the tongue with a tongue cleaner is recommended on all days, immediately after brushing your teeth.

An enema on alternate days, is advised during this time to speed up the removal of toxins which are accumulated in the large and small intestine.

The toxins may also get removed through the lungs. At that time one may experience foul breath which may last for a day or two.

In the first few days of fasting, one may feel nausea, which due to acidity in the stomach. Ayurveda and Naturopathy doctors recommend a simple way to remove this acidity. Just drink a liter or more of slightly warm salt water and vomit it all out. This is called Kunjal Kriya in or vaman kriya yoga and is a common practice in both Ayurveda and Naturopathy to cleanse the stomach.

During the 21 days, the mind can also throw up lot of impressions from the subconscious and unconscious mind. These impressions can bring up strong emotions. One has to take a witness attitude towards these thoughts and emotions. Remember, the mind is going through a cleansing process. Give the mind some healthy distraction during such times and it should be fine.

Please understand that these are normal reactions during long term fasts. Continue the 21-day water fast with courage. Always keep your doctor posted about your body reactions during the entire fast.

How to break a 21 day Water fast (Three week water fast)?

Breaking the fast is as important as the fast itself. When the body goes without food for long time, the digestive fire becomes weak. At that time, one cannot take normal food. It will be like a shock to the system, if you consume solid food. So one has to gradually increase the digestive fire and bring it back to normal. This is done by breaking the fast by drinking lemon juice or orange juice. Only lemon or orange juice should be taken about 3 – 5 times in a day. If one feels too much hunger, add half a spoon of pure honey to the juice, to get some calories.

Some experts say that coming back to normal food habits will take as much time as the fast itself. So you may take 21 days to come back to normal eating after breaking the fast. This is not 100% true for everyone. Some can come back faster depending on the digestive power. That is why you need a qualified nutritionist or a naturopathy doctor to help with your specific diet during the return process.

In the first one week after the fast, only fruits juices are recommended, 3 – 5 times a day. If one feels too hungry eat few oranges or tangerines, but do not eat the fiber. Spit out the fiber and just suck the juice.

After the first week, light vegetable soups and light fruits like watermelon, oranges, papaya, etc. which are easy to digest can be eaten. Chew your fruits fully and mix with saliva before swallowing.

From light fruits, you can move on to other fruits and boiled vegetables. Once you are comfortable with boiled vegetables and soups for few days, you can go for your first meal with grains. The first meal should be cooked well and taken in limited quantity, only once a day, preferably during noon time. On subsequent days, quantity can be increased.

Within few days, you will be able to consume regular food three times a day. But there is a word of caution. Avoid food that are hard to digest like meat, processed foods, fried items, etc. for few days, till your digestive system is fully recovered. Also, eat in moderation and never overload your stomach.

Benefits of a 21 day Water Fast

21 day water fast can solve chronic health problems like dyspepsia, loss of appetite, diarrhea, colic, gastritis, inflammation of bowels, sinusitis, allergies, skin problems, diabetes, migraine, joint pains, gas problem, constipation, etc. One should consult a qualified doctor or naturopath and discuss one’s health issues before attempting long term fasts.
Fasts give a much needed rest to the digestive system. It helps to repair and heal all the organs of the body. Toxins are removed and one feels improved energy and vigor.
Fasting can improve immunity and rejuvenates the body. It can improve the texture and glow of the skin.
Fasting is the easiest way to lose weight. One may lose anything from 8 – 12 kg during a 21-day fast. But you will gain back most of this weight once you return to normal food. Following a controlled diet after the fast can help in maintaining the reduced weight.
If you are wearing glasses, long term fasting can improve eye sight to some extent.
During the fast, one gets to observe the mind closely. It helps to understand of our food habits and cravings. This understanding helps to control the diet after the fast, thereby helping in weight loss.
Many practice long term fasts for spiritual reasons. Fasting is a time of introspection and emotional cleansing. One has to maintain the witness attitude and watch the various thoughts and emotions thrown out from the subconscious mind. By witnessing, the blocked energies are released and the negative mental impressions are erased.

Weight Loss Through Yoga.. 4 Asanas to Help cure and balance..so daily do all..

Featured by mjsing19

A few centuries after Patanjali, yoga masters created a system of practices designed to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment.

They developed with radical tantra yoga techniques to cleanse the body and mind to break the knots that bind us to our physical existence.

This exploration of these physical-spiritual connections and body centered practices led to the creation of what we primarily think of yoga in the West: Hatha Yoga.

Yoga was refined and developed by the Rishis and Brahmans who documented their training in the Upanishads. This practice was later developed over several years to what now is practised as Yoga. The discipline has 5 basic principles:

Exercise
Diet
Breathing
Relaxation
Meditation

Is Yoga good for Weight Loss?

The development of yoga has benefited many people in losing weight in a healthy way. Yoga for weight loss is a debatable topic. Many people believe that Yoga alone does not promote weight loss. Yoga, when combined with healthy eating, has proven beneficial as it helps to lose weight along with keeping your mind and body healthy. Yoga increases your mindfulness and how you relate to your body. You will start seeking out to food that is healthy instead of binging on food that can increase your fat accumulation.

Losing weight has two important aspects, healthy eating, and exercise. Yoga poses for weight loss demand these aspects. Yoga is not just about a few poses that strengthen you. It has more benefits to offer such as

Increased flexibility
Improved respiration
Improved energy and vitality
Balanced metabolism
Improved athletic health
Increased muscle tone
Improved cardio health
Weight reduction
Stress management

Stress can have a devastating effect on your body and mind. Stress can reveal itself in the form of pain, anxiety, insomnia, and the inability to concentrate. Most times, stress is the main cause of weight gain. Yoga can help you cope with stress . Physical benefits of Yoga, combined with stress management, helps a person to lose weight and maintain good physical and mental health.

Yoga Asanas for Weight Loss

Yoga does not always result in weight loss immediately as these poses are simple. This Yoga poses for focus mostly on building body flexibility, improving concentration and building your muscle tone. Once your body gets used to these asanas, you will begin to practice Yoga asanas for weight loss.

Some of the Yoga asanas and yoga tips for weight loss are as given below.

1. Chaturangadandasana – Plank pose

Chaturangadandasana is the best way to strengthen your core. As simple as it looks, its benefits are immense. It is only when you are in the pose that you start to feel its intensity on your abdominal muscles.

2. Virabhadrasana – Warrior pose

Toning your thighs and shoulders, as well as improving your concentration has become more accessible and interesting with the Warrior II pose. The more you hold that pose, the better the results you gain. With just a few minutes of Virabhadrasana, you will get tighter quads.

Warrior III pose is made to improve your balance along with toning your back end, legs, and arms. It also helps to tone your tummy and give you a flat belly if you contract your abdominal muscles while you hold the position.

3. Trikonasana – Triangle pose

The trikonasana helps to improve digestion as well as reduce the fat deposited in the belly & waist. It stimulates and improves blood circulation in the entire body. The lateral motion of this asana helps you burn more fat from the waist and build more muscles in the thighs and hamstrings. Though this pose does not make your muscles shake as others do, it does give you the benefit that other asanas do. It also improves balance & concentration.

4. Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana – Bridge pose

Yet another asana with multiple benefits is the Sethu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge pose. It is excellent for glutes, thyroid as well as weight loss. It improves muscle tone, digestion, regulates the hormones and improves the thyroid levels. It also strengthens your back muscles and reduces back pain.

you can do anything you want And Its all about Your Passion

Featured by mjsing19

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” — Zig Ziglar

According to Tony Robbins, it’s simple:

Ask.

But you have to ask effectively.

You have to ask with precision. You need to ask the right people. You need to ask the right way.

And, you need to keep changing your approach until you succeed.

Ask for Help More Effectively

One of the most powerful things I learned from Tony Robbins long ago was how to ask for help more effectively.

Sure, we get by with a little help from our friends, but we get by a whole lot better if we know how to leverage the world around us, by asking more effectively.

The big surprise for me early on was how hard it is to actually ask specifically.

It’s easy to have a want or a need.

It’s another thing to express that want or need with clarity and simplicity, both to yourself and others.

In fact, once you know how to ask with precision, you’ll start paying attention to how other people ask for what they want or what they need.

And guess what?

You’ll actually be surprised by how most people aren’t very good at this.

That’s why they have a hard time getting what they want.Tony Robbins shares the keys to getting whatever you want, by asking more effectively.

How To Ask More Effectively

According to Tony Robbins here are the steps get whatever you want:

Ask specifically
Ask someone who can help you
Create value for the person you’re asking
Ask with focused, congruent belief
Ask until you get what you want

1. Ask Specifically

To get what you want, you have to know what you want. In detail. You have to be specific.

Tony Robbins writes:

“You must describe what you want, both to yourself and someone else.

How high, how far, how much?

When, where, how, with whom?

If your business needs a loan, you’ll get it — if you know how to ask. You won’t get it if you say, ‘We need more money to expand into a new product line. Please lend us some.’

You need to define precisely what you need, why you need it, and when you need it. You need to be able to show what you’ll be able to produce with it. You need to be able to show what you’ll be able to produce with it.”

2. Ask Someone Who Can Help You

All too often, we ask the wrong person. To get what you want, you have to ask somebody who can actually help you.

Tony Robbins writes:

“It’s not enough to ask specifically, you must ask specifically of someone who has the resources — the knowledge, the capital, the sensitivity, or the business experience. Let’s say you’re having trouble with your spouse. Your relationship is falling apart. You can pour out your heart. You can be as specific and as honest as humanly possible. But if you seek help from someone who has as pitiful a relationship as you do, will you succeed? Of course not.

Finding the right person to ask brings us back to the importance of learning how to notice what works. Anything you want — a better relationship, a better job, a smarter program for investing your money — is something some already does. The trick is to find those people and figure out what they do right. Many of us gravitate toward barroom wisdom. We fine a sympathetic ear and expect that to translate to results. It won’t unless the sympathy is matched by expertise and knowledge.”

3. Create Value For the Person You’re Asking

People will be more likely to help you if you create value for them in some way, shape, or form.

Tony Robbins writes:

“Don’t just ask and expect someone to give you something. Figure out how you can help them first. If you’ve had a business idea and need money to pull it off, one way to do it is to find someone who can both help and benefit. Show them how your idea can make money for you and for them as well. Creating value directly doesn’t always have to that tangible.

The value you create may only be a feeling or a sensibility or a dream, but often that’s enough. If you came up to me and said you needed $10,000, I’d probably say, ‘So do a lot of other people.’ If you said you needed the money to make a difference in people’s lives, I might begin to listen. If you specifically showed me how you wanted to help others and create value for them and yourself, I might see how helping you could create value for me as well.”

4. Ask with Focused, Congruent Belief

You have to be convincing. If you don’t believe in what you’re asking for, why should anybody else.

Tony Robbins writes:

“The way to ensure failure is to convey ambivalence. If you aren’t convinced about what you’re asking for, how can anyone else be?

So when you ask, do it with absolute conviction. Express that in your words and your physiology.

Be able to show that you’re sure of what you want, you’re sure you’ll succeed, and you’re sure you will create value, not just for you but for the person you’re asking as well.”

5. Ask Until You Get What You Want

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. But change your approach, or who you’re asking.

Tony Robbins writes:

“That doesn’t mean asking the same person. It doesn’t mean asking in precisely the same way. Remember, the Ultimate Success Formula says you need to develop the sensory acuity to know what you’re getting, and you have to have the personal flexibility to change.

So when you ask, you have to change and adjust until you achieve what you want.

When you study the lives of successful people, you’ll find over and over again that they kept asking, kept trying, kept changing — because they knew that sooner or later they would find someone who could satisfy their needs.”

Your Passion = Your Success in Business

This part needs to be broken down into sub parts. When one is passionate about his/her – job, business or career many things happen

c: You need to work harder and in more passionate way to achieve success in Business.
Work in a Smarter way: Only hard work is not sufficient your need to work smartly too and need to have a creative mind for solving business related problems.
You need to be Better Focused: Studies are the proof that when you enjoy what you do, you will not be easily distracted. Thus, procrastinate is not an issue. You can stay focused for extended period of time when your work is according to your interest.
Tend To Set Bigger Goals: Start setting your business with small goals on monthly basis and after you achieve them successfully move towards bigger goals for year. Setting goals motivate you and makes you passionate to work hard in order to achieve them.
Your Business Attract People: When your business is going good. Many people find it attractive to join you and earn profit. You may get an angel investor for your business which can help you earn more profit.

you have a choice to sucssess in your way and better To make progress on your goals, try these three strategies to change your perception of your target.

Simple Ways to Find it in Your Life Of Happiness

Featured by mjsing19

STOP WAITING TO BE HAPPY.

The good news is there are always fresh opportunities to be happy. Imagine life is like Grand Central Station, where happy times arrive around the clock. Chances are the opportunity to be happy has already arrived. Sometimes it’s right in front of you. For whatever reason, you are unable to shift your focus to notice and appreciate it.

Regardless of what is going on around you, you can feel happier, be productive, attract success and enjoy yourself during the process. When you shift your focus and the way you think, your perspective changes. When shift happens, your life changes. So get your shift together.

2. ADD HAPPINESS TO YOUR LIFE, RIGHT NOW

Can you see it? You live on a tropical island. You get up when you like and you do what you want. Some guy named Jeeves brings breakfast. From a reclined position on your balcony, all you can see is the ocean and your feet. Ah, the life of the young and retired.

We all dream of being happy someday. Until then, we are overworked, overstressed and under-happy. The dream doesn’t seem possible without a lottery win or a call from a wealthy uncle in poor health. But what fun is life if we aren’t happy about it?

The good news is, you can add happiness to your life now.

3. STOP WORRYING.

Happiness works much like love, in mysterious ways. However, science and psychology tell us that brain chemistry alters emotion. But in order to activate those chemicals, we have to talk about habits first.

There is a formula to happiness, and it lies in changing thought patterns. Your patterns—what you do and think and say every day—determine how happy you are. It’s got nothing to do with what’s around you, but everything to do with how your brain works—that inner voice. Happiness is not within your grasp because it is, quite literally, within you.

4. GET IN A JOYFUL STATE OF MIND.

A joyful life is the best existence we can hope to achieve. It’s the kind of life that produces positive vibes and feel-good energy, and encourages us to look to the future with high hopes. Pure joy might seem like a fleeting emotion, but even if you only feel it for a moment in time, you can hold onto it. You can relish in it.

5. THE RULE OF SELF-CARE.

There are three key rules which can help you to establish your self-care strategy:

Self-care is different for everyone: We all have different interests and different activities that make us feel good, so it’s important to spend some time working out what’s right for you, whether it’s running a bath or going for a walk.
Be focused: Write a list of all the little rituals which make you feel good, then choose the top three which you know will be easiest to turn into habits. Focus on these.
Work out what you don’t like to do and create some boundaries: Really don’t like going out on Sunday nights? Hate checking your emails after hours? While writing a list of the things you like doing, also write down the things you don’t, and create some boundaries around these.

6. APPERECIATE THE SMALL THINGS.

We all have them; those small moments or things that often go unnoticed or unappreciated because we think they’re either insignificant or we take them for granted because we live in a culture that celebrates big accomplishments. But what if we made it a habit to embrace and celebrate the small things? Real life is happening all around us while we’re waiting for the big thing we hope is going to give us some sort of inner peace, contentment or joy. The truth is that often the things that matter most are the small ones.

7. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE.

One big mistake people make is not realizing that happiness is an individual choice. But every choice is influenced by the people in our lives. If you change your life influencers for the better, you can dramatically increase your chances for happiness and success.

In my research, I’ve found that positive social connection is the greatest predictor of long-term happiness. Welcoming a positive new influencer into your world can be one of the most important choices for happiness you make.

8. LAUGH MORE.

” Laughter is like touch – it is a way of communicating without words. It is often a more effective way of communicating, than with words. We have all heard the adage, ‘Laughter is the shortest distance between two people’.”

Breaking news: Laughing makes you feel good. OK, maybe this isn’t so surprising. But try to think about the last time you really laughed—chances are, it may have been some time ago. Preoccupied with all of our grownup responsibilities, we adults just don’t giggle as often as we did when we were kids.

We should, though! Laughing has been shown to reduce stress, enhance immunity, improve blood flow and strengthen relationships.

9. PLAN YOUR HAPPINESS.

Being in a positive and inspired state of mind most of the time is a skill. It requires focus, determination, work, persistence and above all the willingness to do whatever it takes no matter what.

Being inspired is a choice. Being unhappy is a choice. Being productive is a choice. Being miserable is a choice. If you do nothing, you get what most people get: a mixed bag of daily experience filled with inspiration, unhappiness, productivity and misery.

If you make a decision to be consistently inspired, consistently productive, consistently happy… and take it like any skill you have learned in life like driving, or cooking, or playing guitar… you can be a master of it. You don’t become a skilled guitar player by admiring Mark Knopfler once in a while, you don’t become a star employee by just hanging about in office, and you don’t achieve mental emotional mastery by just doing random things in life. You decide, make plans, work towards it each day, and eliminate all obstacles on the way.

Being happy is not complicated. But you have to realize the mind boggling obvious: it’s something you have to commit to. Happiness is not a state of mind that we catch from the ether, nor is it a lottery some people are born with. It is something we either earn through realization of our worthy goals, or something we feel when we focus on the right stimuli (a sunset, a laughing baby, great music), or something we experience when we are in presence of the right people. Being happy is not complicated but being consistently happy is what requires work and planning.

Plan your happiness. Do what needs to be done. Remember, only a happy person can make someone else happy. Don’t be so lazy that you can’t even be happy. You owe it to your friends, family, loved ones and above all else: yourself.

10. FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS

I think there are fundamental concepts that help with your happiness journey:

There are two questions for happiness: “How happy are you?”, and, “How happy are you with your life?”
Happiness is a personal thing. YOUR happiness WAY, is not the WAY of others.
Happiness is a verb. It’s not static.
Focus on the greater good. This is the sure-fire way to life yourself and others.
Act “as if” (How would you hold yourself if you felt happy …)
Grow happiness under your feet.
Change your questions to change your focus.
Change your thoughts to change your feelings.

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.” Take care of yourself..Love yourself..

MEDITATION VISUALIZATION :TECHNIQUES, TIPS, TYPES AND BENEFITS ABOUT MEDITATION

Featured by mjsing19

What do you see when you meditate? Perhaps your answer is a resounding “nothing!”–and this is perfectly okay. However, even though a state of meditation is often cultivated through the withdrawal of the senses, there are many practices that utilize your inner senses as the object or focus of your concentration. By practicing visualization, we can use our sense of inner-sight and imagination to help us go deeper into our meditation practice, connecting with both our subconscious and our daily lives.

types of visualization meditation

There are five main methods for visualization exercises. They can broadly be catergorized into two main types. Techniques that focus on visualizing something tangible outside of the body and those that encourage us to see from the mind’s eye within. To find a visualization practice that works for you, consider one or more of the following five types of meditations.

1. Yantra or Mandala

A yantra is a diagram made of geometric patterns that, I’ve explained to students, is kind of like a mantra for the eyes (In fact, most yantras are related to a mantra and deity). Commonly used in tantric practices, contemplating a yantra can be a powerful tool for focusing awareness. However, even without a specific meaning attached, any mandala can serve as an object of meditation. By visualizing symmetrical and repetitive patterns, either with our eyes open or internally, we form new pathways in the brain and stimulate a sense of balance, clarity, and relaxation.

2. Guru or Deity

Many spiritual traditions focus on visualizing either a spiritual teacher or a deity and calling upon its qualities. Keep in mind that in both Hinduism and Buddhism, gods and goddesses represent different virtues of the divine and of ourselves. By visualizing deities, we focus on embodying these qualities in our own lives, so before beginning, find a deity that you can relate to and whose traits you wish to embrace in your life.

3. Jap mala or symbol

Anything Else that has Meaning to You

If the objects above don’t resonate with your interest, experiment with visualizing a candle flame, thee imagine of a flower, the sun or moon, your favorite place, or the eyes or face of a loved one. Anything that brings you a feeling of tranquility or ease can help you to come into a place of higher self-awareness and is a suitable symbols for visualization.

5. Guided Journey

Typically scripted, journey-style visualization can be beneficial to those who have trouble keeping the mind focused or for those who are looking for insight into daily life. These meditations usually include a relaxation exercise followed by a walk through nature, suggested encounters of some sort, and symbolic objects or obstacles that you might find throughout your way.

These practices are usually created with the intention to connect you with different aspects of your subconscious mind.It can also be empowering to lead yourself through a journey of your choice, especially through a difficult situation in life, in order to see yourself choosing behaviors and actions that are beneficial to you.

Various theories suggest the idea that our thoughts control our realities, so visualizing real-life scenarios can serve as a powerful exercise in overcoming challenges and creating the behaviors that you want to actualize.

Benefits of Visualization

Different types of visualization exercises offer different benefits. However, for those with wandering minds, any kind of visualization practice can offer a specific attention-grabbing focal point, along with guidance, either vague or detailed, depending on your needs.

We can use visualization exercises to help relax our bodies and minds, to get in touch with our own energy, or to connect with something greater than ourselves. Visualization also helps us to develop both creativity and concentration as we train our mind’s eye to work in new ways in order to form detailed images. Visualization is also commonly used as part of reaching a state of yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, in the form of image recollection and release.

By getting to know and utilizing the space behind our forehead known as Chidakasha (which translates to “the space of consciousness”), we become attuned to different facets of our own awareness.Finally, the visualization process can be taken over to life outside of meditation as well. In essence, we can use visualization to facilitate healing, to overcome obstacles, and to envision leading our lives in the way that feels best.

Visualization Tips

While many of us are inclined to easily visualize objects, ideas, or energy, for many of us (myself included), visualization does not come naturally. If you fall into this latter category of people, worry not! Visualization, like all meditation practices and techniques, is something that can be learned through repetition, keeping a few tips in mind:

If you’re using an object of focus, become familiar with this image beforehand. Keep the image or object in a place where you see it often, and look at it throughout the day to memorize its details.

With a physical object of meditation, it can also help to begin your meditation practice with open eyes and, if the image fades from your mind quickly, to take a quick glance at your object from time to time.

If it’s still hard to “see,” use your imagination and continue to practice.

Finally, keep in mind that in any meditation practice, it’s essential to find a position where you can remain both alert and relaxed in a place that feels nourishing to you.

Breathing Tips That Will Help You Train Harder

Featured by mjsing19

When you breathe ‘right’, you maximise the flow of oxygen around your body. This gives you more energy and helps prevent stitches. It also helps you keep calm as you train.

Keep these quick breathing tips in mind to get more from your workouts.

1. Actually do it

You do need to breathe! Not just in between, but during exercises. Holding your breath may be an instinctive reaction during a challenging movement, but this is counterproductive. It will make you tire faster and push up your heart rate.

If you find yourself constantly holding your breath, use your words. A bit of a roar, or counting out loud can force you to keep inhaling and exhaling. Just try to keep the swearing at a minimum!

Note: There is a method called the Valsalva Technique, which does recommend holding your breath.

2. Don’t overdo it

Now that you’re breathing don’t do it too much. Hyperventilating expels too much carbon dioxide from your body too quickly, causing you to become lightheaded.

Prevent this from happening by keeping your breathing on a happy medium as much as possible – no giant gulps for air and no rapid in/out breaths. Establish a rhythm and stick to it as much as possible.

3. Fill your diaphragm

‘Chest’ or ‘shoulder’ breathing is a no-no when working out because you are not filling your lungs with the good stuff (air). Taking shallow breaths uses the wrong muscles and can put unnecessary strain on your body.

Have a practice at breathing with your full diaphragm. You’ll notice you need to stand or sit up straight to do so, which is great because posture also makes a difference to your CrossFit workout.

Breathing correctly builds strength in your diaphragm, which in turn builds your cardio power.

How to breathe

Some exercise physiologists recommend breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Others say to always exhale as you lift a weight, inhaling as you place it back down.

Not every technique suits each individual, so have a chat to your trainer about what works best for you.

3 Exercises to Increase Your Lung Power.

Breathe Right

Here’s how Mindy Solkin, a New York City-based coach, teaches runners to engage their diaphragms.

Open Your Mouth

Your mouth is larger than your nostrils, so it’s more effective at taking in oxygen. Also, keeping your mouth open keeps your face more relaxed, which makes it easier to breathe deeply.

Breathe in Patterns

Coordinating your inhales and exhales with your footfalls develops diaphragmatic strength. Start with a 2-2 pattern-breathe in while stepping left, right; breathe out while stepping left, right. Advance to 3-3 (breathe in, step left, right, left; breathe out, step right, left, right), and then a 4-4 pattern.

Breath Enhancers

Cross-training exercises that reduce huffing and puffing

These three Pilates moves strengthen the diaphragm, stretch tight muscles, and improve posture-all of which help you run longer with less effort. Practice each exercise two or three times a week before you run.

1) The Hundred

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Keep your arms at your sides, palms down. Inhale and lift your head, neck, shoulders, and arms off the ground. Lift your knees and extend your feet so your legs are straight and at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out. While doing so, pump your arms, moving them in a controlled up and down manner. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths-each breath includes five inhales and five exhales. After you do 10 complete breaths, you will have completed 100 arm pumps.

The Payoff: Teaches controlled breathing, so that your inhales and exhales are balanced. Bonus: Builds strong abdominals.

2) The Swan

Lie face down with your palms flat under your shoulders (as if you were going to do a pushup). Look down so your neck is in line with your spine. Inhale and slowly lift your head, neck, shoulders, and chest as you press your hands into the ground. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. As you exhale, slowly lower yourself back down, chest first, then shoulders, neck, chin, and head. To avoid discomfort in your back, concentrate on pulling your shoulders back to open up your chest. Repeat 10 times.

The Payoff: Opens up the chest and deepens your lung capacity to correct shallow breathing.

3) Standing Chest Expansion

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your arms at your sides. Inhale and sweep your arms out and up so that your biceps are near your ears and your palms are facing each other. Exhale and lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat four times, concentrating on breathing deep and opening your chest.

The Payoff: Stretches the intercostal muscles (which lie between the ribs), relaxes the shoulders, engages the diaphragm and pelvic floor, and helps balance breathing between the left and right lungs.

Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress

Featured by mjsing19

Meditation can wipe away the day’s stress, bringing with it inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most.

If stress has you anxious, tense and worried, consider trying meditation. Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.

Anyone can practice meditation. It’s simple and inexpensive, and it doesn’t require any special equipment.

And you can practice meditation wherever you are — whether you’re out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor’s office or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.

Understanding meditation

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation originally was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction.

Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind.

During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.

Benefits of meditation

Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health.

And these benefits don’t end when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day and may help you manage symptoms of certain medical conditions.

Meditation and emotional well-being

When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress.

The emotional benefits of meditation can include:

Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
Building skills to manage your stress
Increasing self-awareness
Focusing on the present
Reducing negative emotions
Increasing imagination and creativity
Increasing patience and tolerance

Meditation and illness

Meditation might also be useful if you have a medical condition, especially one that may be worsened by stress.

While a growing body of scientific research supports the health benefits of meditation, some researchers believe it’s not yet possible to draw conclusions about the possible benefits of meditation.

With that in mind, some research suggests that meditation may help people manage symptoms of conditions such as:

Anxiety
Asthma
Cancer
Chronic pain
Depression
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Irritable bowel syndrome
Sleep problems
Tension headaches

Be sure to talk to your health care provider about the pros and cons of using meditation if you have any of these conditions or other health problems. In some cases, meditation can worsen symptoms associated with certain mental and physical health conditions.

Meditation isn’t a replacement for traditional medical treatment. But it may be a useful addition to your other treatment.

Types of meditation

Meditation is an umbrella term for the many ways to a relaxed state of being. There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have meditation components. All share the same goal of achieving inner peace.

Ways to meditate can include:

Guided meditation : Sometimes called guided imagery or visualization, with this method of meditation you form mental images of places or situations you find relaxing.You try to use as many senses as possible, such as smells, sights, sounds and textures. You may be led through this process by a guide or teacher.
Mantra meditation :In this type of meditation, you silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation :This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment.In mindfulness meditation, you broaden your conscious awareness. You focus on what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions, but let them pass without judgment.
Qi gong :This practice generally combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore and maintain balance. Qi gong (CHEE-gung) is part of traditional Chinese medicine.
Tai chi :This is a form of gentle Chinese martial arts. In tai chi (TIE-CHEE), you perform a self-paced series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.
Transcendental Meditation :Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural technique. In Transcendental Meditation, you silently repeat a personally assigned mantra, such as a word, sound or phrase, in a specific way.This form of meditation may allow your body to settle into a state of profound rest and relaxation and your mind to achieve a state of inner peace, without needing to use concentration or effort.
- Yoga : You perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. As you move through poses that require balance and concentration, you’re encouraged to focus less on your busy day and more on the moment.

Elements of meditation

Different types of meditation may include different features to help you meditate. These may vary depending on whose guidance you follow or who’s teaching a class. Some of the most common features in meditation include:

Focused attention. Focusing your attention is generally one of the most important elements of meditation.Focusing your attention is what helps free your mind from the many distractions that cause stress and worry. You can focus your attention on such things as a specific object, an image, a mantra, or even your breathing.
Relaxed breathing. This technique involves deep, even-paced breathing using the diaphragm muscle to expand your lungs. The purpose is to slow your breathing, take in more oxygen, and reduce the use of shoulder, neck and upper chest muscles while breathing so that you breathe more efficiently.
A quiet setting. If you’re a beginner, practicing meditation may be easier if you’re in a quiet spot with few distractions, including no television, radios or cellphones.As you get more skilled at meditation, you may be able to do it anywhere, especially in high-stress situations where you benefit the most from meditation, such as a traffic jam, a stressful work meeting or a long line at the grocery store.
A comfortable position. You can practice meditation whether you’re sitting, lying down, walking, or in other positions or activities. Just try to be comfortable so that you can get the most out of your meditation. Aim to keep good posture during meditation.
Open attitude. Let thoughts pass through your mind without judgment.

Everyday ways to practice meditation

Don’t let the thought of meditating the “right” way add to your stress. If you choose to, you can attend special meditation centers or group classes led by trained instructors. But you can also practice meditation easily on your own.

And you can make meditation as formal or informal as you like, however it suits your lifestyle and situation. Some people build meditation into their daily routine. For example, they may start and end each day with an hour of meditation. But all you really need is a few minutes of quality time for meditation.

Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, whenever you choose:

Breathe deeply. This technique is good for beginners because breathing is a natural function.Focus all your attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.
Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of your body’s various sensations, whether that’s pain, tension, warmth or relaxation.Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and out of different parts of your body.
Repeat a mantra. You can create your own mantra, whether it’s religious or secular. Examples of religious mantras include the Jesus Prayer in the Christian tradition, the holy name of God in Judaism, or the om mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions.
Walk and meditate. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you’re walking, such as in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall.When you use this method, slow down your walking pace so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don’t focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as “lifting,” “moving” and “placing” as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.
Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation. Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions.You can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others. Check the self-help section of your local bookstore for examples. Talk with your rabbi, priest, pastor or other spiritual leader about possible resources.
Read and reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on their meaning.You can also listen to sacred music, spoken words, or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader.
Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on a sacred image or being, weaving feelings of love, compassion and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the image.

Building your meditation skills

Don’t judge your meditation skills, which may only increase your stress. Meditation takes practice.

Keep in mind, for instance, that it’s common for your mind to wander during meditation, no matter how long you’ve been practicing meditation. If you’re meditating to calm your mind and your attention wanders, slowly return to the object, sensation or movement you’re focusing on.

Experiment, and you’ll likely find out what types of meditation work best for you and what you enjoy doing. Adapt meditation to your needs at the moment. Remember, there’s no right way or wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps you reduce your stress and feel better overall.

My First Blog Post

Featured by mjsing19

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

Stock Photos are Dead: Create These Blog Images Instead

January 2, 2021 by mjsing19

Images are an easy way to break up chunks of text, add context, or give your readers a more accessible medium through which to digest your content.

With the growth of written content online, it’s harder to have your content be unique from others. Writers need to adapt to the changing landscape.

How can you continue to engage your audience when so many bloggers have written on the same topics—and will continue to do so?

The answer is original imagery.

Blog Image Trends: Why Stock Photos Are Dead

With more content available on the web every day, it’s more important than ever to stand out.

While finding ways to is critical, there are only so many angles on one subject. You need other types of content, such as photographs and illustrations, to make your mark.

Blog Image Trends: Why Stock Photos Are Dead

With more content available on the web every day, it’s more important than ever to stand out.

While finding ways to is critical, there are only so many angles on one subject. You need other types of content, such as photographs and illustrations, to make your mark.

Unfortunately, stock photos just don’t cut it anymore

This reason is in part because blog images don’t only live on your blog. They make the rounds on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest whenever your posts are shared.

Chances are, your users have seen similar stock photos many times already, and they’re bored with them.

With so many articles to read, videos to watch, and social media news to ingest, the average reader won’t spend hours looking for the best article on your topic. They’ll choose the most visually appealing option nearly every time.

So before you use stock photography in your next blog post, ask yourself:

Will my readers interact with the same stale image they’ve seen numerous times when researching this topic? Or will they choose to interact with an original image that more perfectly captures the content?

Why You Should Use Interactive and Original Images on Your Blog

Your goal as a digital marketer is to increase congratulations

So how do you do this even better than you already are, given the changing online landscape?

There are plenty of drive traffic to your websiteBut what’s more important is driving the right traffic—the users who will engage with your content.

Images can help. According to BlogTyrant, images 300% conversation

But keep in mind the kinds of images you use can have an impact on your conversions, too.

For years, stock imagery was the norm. But, it’s time to move away from those pictures.

Original images offer authenticity stock ones can’t provide. They offer your readers a peek behind the curtain, allowing them to see a deeper side of your content.

Unique blog image content can offer other benefits, including increased customer trust and brand recognition.

According to a slogan alone only sticks in the minds of 10% of people. When related imagery is added, though, retention rises to 65%. That’s an increase you can’t ignore if increasing brand recognition is on your radar.

Original image content has an often-overlooked SEO benefit, too, and that’s the improvement of The E-A-T score lets Google assess content quality based on these three standards:

Expertise
Authoritativeness
Trustworthiness

How can original imagery improve your E-A-T rating?

Illustration by Laetro

Whether you shoot and edit photography on your own or you work with a digital illustrator, your unique imagery will have a personal spin. If done right, this will become a vital part of your personal brand strategy.

You show expertise by including images that clearly demonstrate you understand your content.

You show authoritativeness by having consistent, unique branding people recognize immediately.

You show trustworthiness by providing information through images that are accurate and increase user’s knowledge.

A strong personal brand will bump all three elements of an E-A-T rating.

Placing Images on Your Blog

Images, just like text, can also be perceived as “fluff.” Because of this, you need to know when to use pictures on your blog to optimize user experience and benefit your SEO.

You should use images to do three very specific things.

Break Up Large Chunks of Text

Illustration by Laetro

According to a study by Microsoft, the average attention span of heavy screen users is a mere eight seconds.

That means you have eight seconds to captivate your audience—and large blocks of text may make them click away pretty quickly.

However, you don’t have to write two sentence posts to make them take fewer than eight seconds to read. Instead, employ clever tactics to keep your readers engaged.

One tactic is to introduce other media, such as photos or digital illustrations. This creates a less intimidating reading experience while also making the best and better.

Explain a Concept

Some concepts are too abstract or complex to explain effectively in writing, especially if your audience isn’t strictly experts in your topic.

Custom diagrams and visuals can help readers understand the material.

Enliven the Content

As much as you like to think your content is witty and engaging, some topics just won’t interest readers for very long. You can use original visuals to add some life to otherwise “dull” content in these cases.

When Should You Use Custom Illustrations or Photos?

The cost of custom graphics may be prohibitive for some bloggers, but it is possible to find some middle ground.

Use custom illustrations and photography sparingly. Ask yourself where they make the most sense and insert them accordingly.

If you’re creating landing page for a new product or service, for example, this would be the place to splurge. After all, you want this content to stand out from your competitors—what better way than with a custom graphic?

You can also utilize custom illustrations to drive a point home or explain data.

Whether a comic strip panel, a diagram, or a flow chart, you can use custom illustrations to share ideas with your readers in a way words simply can’t.

When Should You Create Interactive Graphics?

You can take your blog’s imagery one step further with interactive graphics.

Intresting graphic are custom graphics that support reader interactions like mouse pointer movement, clicks, or keyboard input.

This form of original imagery is commonly used in infographics, though other display types include side-by-side comparisons, flow charts, and graphs.

The most obvious use for interactive graphics is to catch the reader’s eye.

Perhaps more importantly, they can also be used to break complex information down into bite-sized chunks. For example, take a look at this is nifty graphic that shows users how Google search works without becoming overwhelmed.

Examples of Successful Blog Images

There are plenty of ways to use images on your blog.

Here’s one creative example from Oberlo:

Instead of one lengthy infographic, the content creators chose individual infographic “slides” to answer each question on their post about social media statistics.

This use of graphics achieves two things:It makes the information easy to digest.

1.It makes it simple for readers to share the information on social media.

As mentioned above, one of the benefits of original blog imagery is the personal branding aspect. When you use a particular style consistently, it becomes synonymous with your brand.

Their featured images consistently use quotes overlaid on eye-catching images. They work as a watermark of sorts, as anyone who sees their imagery elsewhere will be able to identify them as belonging to Copyblogger immediately.

And what about interactive content? Your options are only limited by your imagination.

As you scroll through the timeline, new images and text content can be seen. This example tells a complex story in a linear, non-intimidating format.

How to Get Original or Interactive Blog Images

It’s never been easier or more affordable to get original and interactive blog images.

When it comes to hiring a professional, you have options. You can easily find freelancers on sites like Fiverr or Upwork or use a service like who designed the custom images in this blog post.

If you know of a digital artist with a style you like, you may be able to commission them. They are often more expensive than the freelancers you’ll find on the websites mentioned above, but they’re great if you need a specific style.

For bloggers strapped for time, there are services you can hire to do the heavy lifting. The service may be a creative agency or a blog content. Either way, you provide details, and they’ll commission work on your behalf.

Do you have more time than money? You can also create blog images using tools like Canva, Pixlr, or PicMonkey. For a more professional finish, you can invest in a creative suite like Adobe Creative Cloud.

How Much Do Original Blog Images Cost?

As with most services, there are options for almost every budget.

If you hire a freelancer for a one-off gig, then the price varies based on the number of images, the complexity of the work, and how you plan to use the final product.

In some cases, you may be able to get a discount when you buy in bulk.

Commissioning a professional is likely to be the most expensive option. Unless you have money to burn, this should be reserved for high-impact projects, like illustrations for sales landing pages or campaign launches.

Tools to Create Blog Images

Whether you’re on a limited budget or just want to let the creative juices flow, you can opt to create your own images.

There are free and low-cost options, such as Canva and PicMonkey. These tools have limitations, including watermarks, if you don’t opt for premium memberships. You also need to be sure all assets used in your design are copyright-free.

For 100% original work, you may find creative suites like adobeto be the best bang for your buck. With access to tools like Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, you can create and edit various blog illustrations, diagrams, and original photography.

There are plenty of tutorials available online for creating graphics using Adobe Creative Cloud—so if you’re unable to pay a designer for their services, you don’t have to just guess about how to do this.

Conclusion

There’s no need to scroll through page after page of stock photos to find the right images for your blog post. You can create original blog images, whether by yourself or with the help of a professional.

Original blog imagery, including photography and graphics, can take your blog posts to the next level. It also helps build your overall brand and take your marketing to next level

With plenty of options at your fingertips, from free tools to freelance artists, there’s no reason not to use original images on your blog.

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This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC’s registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.

Say No to Stock Photography and Create Authentic Images

Here’s one of the first rules of your visual content strategy: Don’t use stock images on your branded website. Stock photos are cheap and easy, hence tempting. Do not be tempted by cheap and easy. (That’s advice that you can apply in other situations, as well.)

Visual content is a cornerstone of almost every branding campaign. And yet, we still see respectable brands using stock photographs that undermine the credibility of their hard-earned visual-branding standards.

Go authentic

Let me back up for a moment and give you an example of how you may be using stock photos and why you shouldn’t. Click on your customer service page. Is there a picture of a person wearing a headset who vaguely looks like someone who could work at your company but does not? If so, your company has committed one of the egregious sins of content Marketing.

You can fix this with relative ease, and I’m going to show you how. Let’s start with people. Do you work at a company that employs humans? Some work around the office, while others have remote offices or telecommute. And those people, most of them, I assume, have faces. Maybe not attractive faces, but generally they are recognizable as human.

Those are the faces that will replace the cheap-looking stock photos on your website and in your customer-facing materials. Immediately.

That goes for everything on your website, your print materials, your prospectus, and anything else that features humans. Your content tools are real and are designed to show your company in the best light. These tools must be as authentic and real as anything else you create for your customers.

Un-stock your photos

Before you start clicking wildly, it’s best to have some sort of plan. Typically, you’ll want to make sure that your photos both reflect the message you want to deliver about your company and make your employees look good.

If you go to work and someone jams a camera in your face, you probably will have mixed feelings about the way you look.

Start this process by talking with the people who will be photographed. Show them some respect by explaining your goals and why you want to feature them on the website. Let them know that you are proud of them and want to include them because they make contributions that are important to the customer.

An advanced discussion will help people feel more comfortable about how they look. I was once videotaped for a Q&A immediately after water had spilled down the front of my shirt. When I watched the playback, I asked them why they hadn’t told me that the water had spilled, and they said, quite honestly, they didn’t think it mattered … what I had to say mattered. Sure, maybe to them, but to me, I couldn’t even hear myself speaking. All I could take in was that water stain. It ruined the whole clip, and we ended up not using any of the footage.

Take the DIY approach

These days, the bar is low for creating original photography. Cameras on smartphones offer a nice balance between quality and convenience. It’s not exactly as easy as swiping an image from Google Images, but snapping a few photos from your iPhone isn’t difficult at all.

It will be slightly more work and the photos will not be as professional as the slick stock images, but they will be authentic. And these days, authenticity trumps slick.

Take photos of your people doing interesting things. If you have a product, consider ways they can interact with that product. (Note: Product can be almost anything these days. Fill in your own blanks.)

10 learnings from corporate world – not commandments!

May 28, 2020 by mjsing19

Anything that ends with “ING” is a process be it marketing or learning! Having spent almost 17 years in the corporate world, gave me the opportunity to work with various leaders. My journey started as a medical rep followed by diverse positions across the country. In my voyage, I got influenced by all the leaders whom I worked with, however, some of them had far greater impact on my life both professional as well as personal than the others. I would not like to quote their names here however good or bad, I learnt from all of them and the learning still continues. Today I want to take this opportunity and share my 10 learnings from the corporate world. Here we go!

1. Clock is ticking: someone once observed that “Time is not the main thing, it’s the only thing”, many a times people working in the corporate world fail to realize the importance of time, let me put it in a simple way. Every second counts and if we fail to capitalize on available time then it’s gone forever. I learnt the hard way, in my past years, especially in the initial years of my career, I had wasted a lot of time and that time never came back. The leader who taught me this also taught me the second point which you will be reading soon. His message was pretty straightforward, Abhishek – Don’t waste time!

2. Choose your friends: while I was having a telephonic conversation with him almost 11 years ago sitting in my white colored Maruti estilo next to Manisha Lake at Bhopal, I still remember vividly what he said rather advised. Choose your friends wisely, it is as simple as that. Here is my interpretation, humans by nature are emotional. When you have friends you need to find time for them otherwise they will get emotional and the story continues. I guess what he meant was if you don’t choose your friends wisely, you will end up wasting your time.

3. Morning Practice: Working with multinationals is quite different than working with national companies. At that point in time I was working with Eli Lilly almost 15 years back. One thing I learnt there was morning practice, let me attempt to explain what I mean. Being in sales, our customers expect us to be up to date with science, and if you do not practice, you won’t be able to live up to the expectations of your customers. My trainers taught me to practice your message delivery every morning before you leave for work. I guess applying this can help anyone. What say?

4. I cannot leave my city but I want to grow: Probably the most absurd thing you would observe in the pharmaceutical or surgical industry that, one person is growing in the same head quarter YOY. If I were to calculate statistically the probability of this, I guess it would be one in a million times. Here is my take and suggestion, if you genuinely want to see yourself growing, you need to stop craving for your current head quarter. You need to be MOBILE.

5. Urgent & Important: Out of 100 + books in my library, at least 10% of them are from the same author. If you know me, you guessed it right. It’s Stephen R. Covey. Whilst I was based out of Gwalior HQ in year 2004-2005, one of the most inspirational leader in my life introduced me to Mr. Covey. Initially he gave me the photocopies of some of the pages from his book. Later on I bought the book and read it multiple times. The book was “The 7 habits of highly effective people”. This very book changed my life forever and I will remain indebted to him (can’t quote his name). So what’s the learning? Do your important tasks on time before they become urgent. If you delve through the “TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX” prescribed by Mr. Covey, you would realize how much time we waste in quadrant I, III & IV. You got to be in quadrant II always.

6. Bokeh: The visual quality of the out-of-focus areas of a photographic image, especially as rendered by a particular lens. What you just read, is the google definition of Bokeh, but, why am I talking about Bokeh here? Portrait photography is incomplete without shallowness of the depth of the background. However, when the same shallowness hits in your approach towards things in corporate world, the end result is not beautiful. This learning is not too old. Message here is don’t float on surface. Because when you do that in hurry, you miss the details. Sometimes missing out on details comes with a cataclysmic price. Message is – GO THROUGH THE DETAILS!

7. Pen Down on a Paper: When we pen down on a paper, we tend to remember. Many a times we presume that whatever we planned for the day or for the week we will not forget. Trust me we do forget. Learning – Plan on paper. Let me give you reasons to believe. Writing is a neuromotor activity. Therefore, whenever we write something we tend to remember more. That was a classical pharma learning. Haven’t you seen pharma reps with a pen and a spiral diary in their front pocket? Well they have all the details!

8. Precise & Concise: This is something which I learnt the hard way. Whenever you are presenting to top management (robust brand plans excluded), please be concise and precise. In my opinion this is a very important, rather pivotal learning from corporate world. Let me ask you a question. What are the traits of a great presenter? Well the answer is pretty simple. Great presenters are, to the point, precise, concise, they weave their stories inextricably and use lesser words, lesser slides and most importantly they rehearse! The message here is whilst presenting to the top management you cannot afford to have more than 10 slides. Lesser the better!

9. You are Under Observation: I don’t want to reveal here whether I learnt this easy way or hard way but the point here is I learnt. Let me come to the point. When you are with senior managers, leaders, top management, whatever you do, even your snap reactions, everything is under observation. The jokes you crack, the focus you lose, I mean everything. If your time is right you might get lucky and the management might just ignore your wrong doings. However, things can go the other way round. God forbid!! Learning – Be serious, Focus. Dont grin unnecessarily. Avoid cracking jokes.

10. We all love stories: Power point presentation is an integral part of corporate world. We all love stories right? Let me come to the point directly, whilst you are making slides try to bring the story. Story has an opening, it has a body and it has an ending. If your presentation is not coming out like a story, you might want to consider reworking on your presentation. Remember, we all love stories!

I hope you went through the details of my story, I also hope some of the point’s resonated within you. These 10 learnings have come from my experience and I value them a lot. I hope, you found my story useful.

6 ways to stress relief, Focus, Anxiety Cure, Mindful movement.

April 24, 2020 by mjsing19

Do daily distractions leave you feeling unfocused and stressed? Take a breath. Here are three great ways to start taking back control.

Succumbing to distraction over and over, though, can build stress, foster unhappiness and even lead to depression. So if you’re one of the many looking to figure out how to handle distractions and improve your ability to focus, take comfort in the fact that research has shown a way forward.

Does it seem like you can’t complete even the simplest task without being distracted? Texts, emails, social media alerts, noisy colleagues, ringing phones… Friends, you are not alone.

Stress is an unfortunate but often unavoidable side effect of our busy lives. Having on-hand methods for managing stress is a good way to combat its physical, mental, and emotional impact. You’ll find excellent advice to do just that on this year’s best stress relief blogs. They stand out for their active intention to educate, inspire, and empower people looking for stress relief.

Resilience means being able to adapt to life’s inevitable stresses and setbacks. In other words, you bounce back quickly when something goes wrong. If you frequently feel unhappy, or often wish you could take back the way you reacted to something, you may need to work on your resiliency.

Here are tactics you can use to raise your resiliency threshold and get more enjoyment from life.

mindfulness.

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-to-moment awareness of where you are and what you’re doing. At work, for instance, it means you’re focused on the project in front of you; walking with a friend, it gives you the ability to really focus on your surroundings and your conversation. Scientists have shown that you can actually train your brain to become more mindful. Like anything else, it just takes practice.

Ready to get started? These three practices have all proven useful in building mindfulness.

1. Mindful movement

The hallmarks of mindful movement, or yoga — structured breathing, controlled movement, mental focus — make it sound like the perfect antidote to stress and distracted thinking, but does science back that up? Yes, over and over again. Many studies have found that, after beginning a yoga program, people feel less stressed, more focused, even more optimistic. In fact, yoga’s been found to be even more beneficial to people who’re highly stressed.

In today’s so-called attention economy, the world is actually being designed to distract you. Everybody wants your attention, and they want it right now. But you can take back control of your focus, shed that stress, and wake up happier to meet your day.

2. Meditation

Meditation aims to increase your awareness of the present moment and help you develop a gentle, accepting attitude toward yourself. Regular meditation practice has been shown to actually alter the brain — in a good way. One study showed that the area of the brain dedicated to regulating your emotions was significantly larger in meditators. In other words, in a world determined to trip you up with distractions and unpleasant surprises, meditation can help you stay more positive and more focused.

3. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)

MBSR training has become a recognized way to help people learn to avoid distractions and increase their attention on the task in front of them. It can also help improve memory, motivation and autonomy — all things likely to make you (and your boss) happier. MBSR programs typically include breathing, stretching and awareness exercises.

4. Create awareness. Becoming more aware of your thoughts and actions can help you recognize patterns and areas where you can improve. Plus, it allows you to acknowledge what you’re already doing well. The next time you feel stressed, simply pause and notice your reaction. You might ask yourself, “Where is this coming from?” Once you’ve done that, you can choose another response or way of thinking.

Try these tips to strengthen your personal awareness:

Listen to your body. How does your body react to stressful situations? Do you clench your jaw or teeth? Do you notice your heart rate increasing? Are your thoughts racing, or are you repeatedly worrying about the same issue?
Write it down. Make a list of your signs and symptoms of stress. This gives you a moment to check in with yourself and pause before you respond.
Reflect. Take note of what your mind is telling you in the moment of stress. You can then question if what you’re telling yourself is true, real or rational. Stress often triggers irrational thoughts. By noticing them, you can step back and gain perspective.

5. Focus your attention.

A powerful technique for dealing with stressful situations is to cultivate your attention to focus on the present moment. Doing so reduces the mind’s tendency to wander and ruminate on the what-if thoughts that often add to stress. Focusing your attention takes practice, especially in a world that’s filled with text messages, social media and other distractions. To develop this skill, try focusing on the details in your everyday surroundings and experiences. Discover new aspects of old haunts and habits. Find the beauty in the mind.

Try these ideas:

Take a walk around your neighborhood and see it through fresh eyes. Pay attention to your route. Acknowledge the bark and branches of trees, the front doors you pass, the landscaping rocks, the neighbor’s dog barking. Be fully present and try to take in as many details as you can.
Once you’re home, reflect on how that walk was different than usual. How do you feel?
Look for points in your day where you can practice cultivating your attention, such as mindfully eating your dinner by engaging your senses to notice the taste, aromas and textures of each dish. Or try focusing on your breath, noticing the coolness of the air as you inhale and the warmth on your exhale. Can you feel the rise and fall of your chest with each breath? You’ll likely be surprised at what you notice when you simply take the time to pay attention.

6.Dont pass judgment.

for at least 3 minutes. Do you find yourself judging and assessing everything you experience? “This would be better if …” “They should have …” “I would have done it this way …” Combat this “righting reflex” by challenging yourself to simply experience someone or something for three minutes without trying to critique or improve. When you delay judgment, you create space for gratitude. You may find that what’s in front of you is good enough — or enjoyable as is.