Despite this, most participants find that the stringent requirements for silence and solitude are not as challenging as they appear from the outside. However, a little planning and preparation is highly recommended for first-timers, as I discovered myself.

The following tips will go a long way in preparing you physically and mentally before you begin your 10-day silent Vipassana retreat.

10-day Vipassana Meditation Retreat: 4 tips for First-Timers

Tip 1: Prepare to sit for long hours

Right from the first day, you’re required to sit cross-legged on the floor. Although you can use a meditation cushion or folded blanket for support, this can still be quite challenging if you’re not used to the practice. On most days, you will be seated for up to 10 – 11 hours [with breaks in between], and certain meditation sessions also restrict any bodily movement until the session concludes.

But don’t let this put you off or give you second thoughts. If your concerns stem from an underlying ailment, simply make sure to mention your health condition in the application form. At the Markal centre, Pune, where I did my Vipassana course, chairs were made available to all participants who had done so. The rest of us had to sit on the floor, no matter how much we griped about the pain to our teachers.

The human body is more resilient than we realise and you will adapt fairly quickly to the practice. Yes, some aches and pains may surface if you have no prior practise, but Vipassana retreats wouldn’t be popular if they were as easy as checking into a Holiday Inn. Aside from having to stay in that seated position, you won’t be sleeping on a soft comfy bed, but on a thin mattress on a hard surface. This can be a hard shift for most of us, but the challenge can still be rewarding if you prepare mentally and physically for it.

So, how exactly do you prepare to sit for long hours?

Practice—that’s the long and the short of it. In order to prepare your body for all the sitting, start practising cross-legged sitting at least a month before your course begins. Use cushions and blankets and try different sitting positions like vajrasana or sukhasana to figure which one works best for you—in terms of both comfort and duration. If you have a meditation chair or cushions, check with the centre whether it’s okay for you to carry them along to use during your course.

Related » Tools and props to facilitate meditation

Tip 2: Start having lighter dinners

From personal experience, this one’s harder to endure than any physical challenge—but only if you don’t prepare for it. During the course, you are served breakfast at 6.30am, lunch at 11am and tea at 5pm, along with a light snack [rice puffs in my case]. Here’s the shocker—there’s no dinner.

If you’re used to having heavy dinners, it’s imperative that you start eating light at least a week before your course, if not earlier. As someone who has always enjoyed a hearty dinner, this could have been a challenge. Fortunately for me, I had already made the transition to eating lighter dinners a couple of months before the course. If not for that preparation, I would have struggled to adapt to the ‘no dinner’ schedule.

If you simply can’t skip dinner or are on medications that require you to have dinner, make it clear in the application form and the centre will make special provisions for your meals.

You will be expected to go to bed by about 9.30-10pm, which again can be tough if you’re not used to it. If you don’t make an effort to sleep early, you’ll regret it later as those hunger pangs invariably start to surface.

These timings are actually part of a healthy daily routine and the disciplined structure also extends to other practices in the day.

Tip 3: Read the rules and stick to them

The 10-day course is well-structured and practical. Although some rules may seem extreme to you, they’re all there for good reason. If you can accept and respect the rules, you’ll reap plenty of rewards. As the course progresses, you will gradually settle into the routine, making each successive day easier than the last. With approachable instructors, you don’t just learn more, but can also get help in addressing any concerns or doubts that you might have.

Mind you, the retreat is not at Guantanamo Bay, so don’t expect enforcement authorities to coerce you into complying with the rules. You need to do so out of your own discretion because it’s for your good.

During my course I noticed some people talking to each other, slipping fruit into their pockets to snack on later, and keeping cell phones with them to use in private. If you’re already planning on breaking the rules, perhaps a 10-day silent vipassana retreat is not for you.

Tip 4: What to pack and bring to the Vipassana retreat

As with any travel, clothing is your most essential requirement. Carry comfortable and modest clothing, as most vipassana centres have restrictions on shorts or sleeveless attire. The Markal centre that I visited had a laundry service, but that’s not necessarily the case everywhere. Find out before you head to the retreat and if necessary be prepared to do your own laundry or make sure to carry enough clothing for the 10 days.

Footwear isn’t really a big concern, but for your convenience carry slip-ons to make it easier to remove footwear before entering the dhamma hall and dining areas.

In addition to clothing, remember to carry a water bottle or flask, as drinking water may not be available in all accommodations and you’ll have to walk back to the dining hall [which is usually located at some distance from the residence quarters] every time you need water.

Medications and toiletries may not be available in the vicinity of the retreat, so make sure to carry them too. It would be a good idea to pack a pillow or pillow covers and some bed sheets or blankets if required. As you will have to deposit your phone at the registration office of the centre, it would be wise to carry a small alarm clock with you.

Summing Up — It’s Challenging, But It’s Worth It

The 10-day Vipassana retreat may seem demanding but it’s all a matter of giving up on a few habitual conveniences and enduring the silence. Staying with your thoughts for hours together and observing your body’s reactions can be tough. But such heightened awareness brings with it the wonderful reward of connecting you with your “self”. Take my word for it: the challenge is worth it!

This is an updated version of the article. It was first published on 10^th September 2019.

The post First Time on the 10-Day Vipassana Meditation Retreat? These Tips Will Help appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

“Today, each of us individually generates more information than ever before in human history. Our world is now awash in an unprecedented volume of data. The trouble is, our brains haven’t evolved to be able to process it all.”

In Ayurveda, we would say that our tejas, or the fire of our subtle bodies, cannot efficiently process all of the information we take in. To dig deeper into the functioning of tejas, let’s first explore the symbolism and usages of fire.

Fire as symbol

In Ayurvedic philosophy, there are Five Great Elements [Pancha Mahabhuta] that make up our world. They are Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. They all have their purposes. Fire is the element responsible for burning, clearing, cleansing, transforming, and illuminating. Metaphorically speaking, fire stands for intelligence, wit, clarity, truth, presence, and light. The element of fire lives in the physical body, keeping us “burning” at about 98.6 degrees. This fire [pitta dosha] directs the release of hormones via the endocrine system and oversees the digestive, metabolic, and regulatory functions.

Fire also resides in an even more subtle place: our minds. In our minds, fire provides clarity, illumination, and truth. This subtle aspect of fire is called tejas in Ayurvedic philosophy, and it directs all mental, emotional, and spiritual activity, including the crucial mental actions of discernment and discipline.

Tejas and discernment

Tejas is responsible for distinguishing falseness from truth, reality from imagination, or even genuine healers from snake oil salespeople. This is the activity of discernment and good discrimination.

Discernment is a power of inquiry that comes to supported, thorough resolutions. But it is a unicorn in our world today. Many people live off knee-jerk reactions and impulses. They are quick to judge and divide. They think they know the truth and are unwilling to challenge or question. Others choose to avoid any situation that asks them to stand their ground or speak their truth. They become passive and gullible. Neither group dives into nuance or subtlety. In Ayurvedic language, we would say that the first group has too much tejas, and the second group doesn’t have enough. When tejas is just right, you can easily discriminate between junk food and nourishing food.

Tejas and personal discipline

There’s a fundamental difference between discipline resulting from strong tejas and the kind of discipline fed by the ego. It would be valid to think of the ego’s discipline as more like force or immobile resolution, whereas tejas discipline is intention and mindful commitment. With tejas, you’re converting the fire’s energy into action, like spending money from your checking account. In the second situation, without a sufficient internal fire to draw from, you’re digging into reserves, like borrowing from a credit card. One day, that bill will come due.

When your discipline is fed by the fire of tejas, you have focus and clarity. You bring your entire being—body, mind, and soul—to your work. You are not deluded in your thinking, and you have no contradictions within yourself or between your words and your actions. A person with good tejas and high personal discipline has integrity, is honest, and shines like a beacon of truth in our world.

When to tend to your fire

Just like a fire in the real world, you must tend to your tejas regularly. Fire needs fuel and oxygen to burn. You have to use good judgment to know when to add fuel to the fire and when to sit back and let the tejas digest what you’ve already given it. Tejas in the mind can be sufficient, too high, or too low. Like Goldilocks and her porridge, you are seeking to build and maintain a “just right” level of tejas. Here is what each of those looks like:

When tejas is deficient, it manifests as:

• Intolerance to cold
• Lackluster, cloudy eyes
• Confusing speech
• Gullible and confused
• Lack of discrimination, clarity, and focus
• Disingenuity

When tejas gets too high, it presents as:

• Being overly critical/judgmental
• Headaches
• Negativity
• Anger
• Manipulative behavior
• Lack of empathy
• Aggressiveness

When tejas works best

A high [but not excessive] level of tejas leaves you feeling clear-headed, radiant, and filled with aspirations. When tejas is burning well within you, it results in a mind that is clear about what it wants and why. Tejas transforms the experiences of your life into wisdom and intelligence.

When the fire of your mind burns brightly and cleanly, the results are:

• Clear thinking
• High intelligence
• Luster in the eyes
• Clear speech
• Radiance
• Discernment
• Ability to endure cold
• Self-reliant and courageous
• Energy of discipline toward your pursuits, both spiritual and worldly

Here are seven ways to tend to your tejas

1. Be mindful about how much and what kind of information you ingest

You’re not a computer, and you’re not designed to simply store information. Instead, you’re supposed to ingest information the same way you take in food—in proper quantities, at designated times, and with the right intention.

2. Surround yourself by inspiring people/places

You learn from your environment. The more you surround yourself with people who have tejas [and you know it when you see it], the more you cultivate it from within.

3. Focus on strengthening your physical digestion

There is a parallel, supportive relationship between the fire of the body [pitta] and the fire of the mind [tejas]. Where one goes, the other follows. However, since it is easier to see the progress of our physical digestion than it is to notice movement in our mental digestion [at least initially], start with what you can observe. Focus on sustaining a bright, healthy digestive fire [agni], and this will, over time, build a glowing mental fire.

4. Get organized

Your external world reflects your inner world and vice versa. Clear the clutter and confusion in your life. Get specific about goals and intentions. Write things down. Speak clearly about them. By doing these things, you will start to feed your mental fire with the oxygen it needs to thrive, and before you know it, organization and clarity will feel like second nature.

[If you’ve determined your tejas is too high, allow more flexibility in your schedule. Let go of some of your fierce determination and practice spontaneity!]

5. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is not only a style of meditation; it’s a way of life. Drop into your five senses and explore your world through what you see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. As you raise your awareness and concentration, you will stoke and steady the fire of your mind.

6. Engage your curiosity

Curiosity is the urge to collect the food [information] our minds need to keep the fire burning. Asking questions and not being too quick to formulate an answer lets the fire linger, rather than raging hot before quickly dying out. It’s important to do curiosity the right way, like a child does, without expectation or judgment. Stay open! No matter your age, there’s more for all of us to learn.

7. Work with a spiritual guide/coach

To help you sort through the clutter and rekindle your fire, it helps to work with someone—whether that person goes by the title of coach, counselor, teacher, or therapist. They can take you through the process of sifting and sorting and building a clear, bright, inviting fire.

Once you raise your tejas, you will know it. You’ll be decisive and direct, without insult or anger. You’ll have clarity and discipline about your future as well as imaginative ways to get you there. You’ll be able to sort through the piles of information that come your way for what matters and what doesn’t. Finally, you’ll notice that people will be drawn to you, inspired by your passion and enthusiasm. From there, perhaps others will also find their own way to greater clarity and higher intellect through the power of tejas. It’s certainly one way to change the world.

The post Tejas: Is your inner fire fueling you or burning you out? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

While there are a multitude of mudras, there are three important ones that you can practise daily. These mudras are also helpful to yoga practitioners as they can be used along with various pranayama techniques.

Ganesha mudra

Named after the deity who removes all obstacles, Ganesha mudra can help overcome anxiety and relieve stress.

How to do Ganesha Mudra

1. Interlock your fingers in front of the chest such that right palm faces you and the left palm faces forward
2. Elbows should be pointing to either sides, forearms parallel to the floor
3. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale pull the hands apart keeping the grip tight
4. Relax the grip at the end of exhalation
5. Repeat a few times and then switch sides.

The alternate tension and relaxation of the muscles has a very relaxing effect on the body and mind. A similar method was discovered by a Dr Jacobson in the 1920s which allowed his patients to relax and overcome anxiety. Known as the Jacobson’s Relaxation Technique, his method involved first tightening and then relaxing specific muscle groups— something we also do in Ganesha mudra.

Jnana mudra

This is one of the most popular yogic hand gestures and is used in meditation and pranayama. Jnana means wisdom and this mudra is known to be quite conducive to spiritual practices; it is specifically recommended while doing kapalbhati.

How to do Jnana Mudra

1. With your palms facing up curl your index finger to the base of the thumb
2. The index finger creates a circle and the thumb points straight out
3. The other three fingers remain straight and facing up.

Take care not to let the tip of the thumb touch the index finger — that is done in another popular mudra called Chin mudra. Both Jnana and Chin mudra help in improving concentration and focus — that is why they are the popular hand gestures for meditation.

Nasika mudra

This is an important mudra as it used during anuloma viloma [alternate nostril breathing] or Nadi Shuddhi pranayama.

How to do Nasika Mudra

1. Raise your right hand up and fold the index and middle fingers to touch the palm
2. The thumb, little and ring finger stay up. The ring finger may bend slightly and that’s OK. Try to keep it as straight as possible without unnecessary strain
3. Now use the right thumb to close the right nostril and the ring and little finger to close the left nostril for alternate nostril breathing or anuloma viloma pranayama.

Ensure that the nasal septum is not pushed to one side while using this gesture. Also, the pressure of the thumb or ring finger on the nostril should be gentle. The breathing itself should never be forceful as that would negate the benefits of this practice.

Mudras are an integral part of yoga; it’s best if you practise them as a part of a holistic yoga routine rather than for their standalone benefits. There are multiple factors that impact the health of our body and mind. Maintaining a wholesome wellness routine would greatly enhance the benefits you receive from doing yoga mudras.

The post 3 Essential Yoga Mudras: Ganesha Mudra, Jnana Mudra, Nasika Mudra appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Trataka or tratak is a yogic kriya (exercise) where you fix your gaze on a set point and continue to focus on it for a short period of time. Hatha yoga considers Trataka to be a part of the Shat-Kriyas or Shat-karmas or Shuddhi-kriyas i.e. cleansing processes. You could think of it as meditation that is done with open eyes.

Before we learn how to do Trataka, let’s look at the different types of Trataka.

3 Types of Trataka

1. Bindu Trataka

Here, you gaze at a point on the wall in front of you. You could even draw a prominent dot on a plain white sheet of paper, using a marker and place that sheet in front of you, at eye level. Keep your eyes fixed on this dot.

2. Jyoti Trataka [candle gazing]

You may use a lamp or a candle for this and focus on the flame. The advantage of Jyoti Trataka is that you can do this in a dark room. Make sure that the flame is fairly steady—it shouldn’t waver or get extinguished due to wind.

3. Mirror Trataka

Sit in front of a mirror and just look into your own eyes, or at your third eye, between the eyebrows. There may be tendency to get distracted with your appearance. But just keep the focus and continue looking in a non-judgemental manner.

Guidelines for Practicing Trataka

• Whichever type you choose to do, take care that you are well rested before you start
• Choose a time and place such that you will not be disturbed for around 15 minutes and, if possible, can have the room to yourself
• You can also do it with a partner or as a group, but make sure that participants do not distract each other or disturb the environment of the room
• Avoid doing Trataka when you are feeling unwell, or have a headache, or if you are experiencing any other physical discomfort. You could do a simple breath awareness meditation instead
• You don’t need to do deep breathing during Trataka; your breathing should be natural and rhythmic.

Step-By-Step Method to do Trataka Kriya

1. Be seated on the floor or a chair, facing the object/point you have chosen
2. Next to you, place a bowl of water and a small napkin or kerchief
3. You may sit in any asana such as sukhasana, padmasana, ardhpadmasana or vajrasana Select an asana that you will be comfortable in for the entire duration
4. You should be seated at least about an arm’s length away from your object or point of Trataka. If you feel you are squinting your eyes, you’re probably sitting too close to the object and need to move away from it
5. Once you are ready to start, fix your gaze on the object or chosen point without blinking your eyes too much. Your focus should be unwavering and such that, gradually, you feel there’s only you and the object of Trataka—you lose awareness of anything else in the surroundings.
6. If your mind wanders, and it likely will, just let the thoughts flow and then bring your awareness back to the point/object of focus
7. If your eyes start to water, or you feel you cannot keep them open any longer, gently close them and visualize the flame or the point you were focusing on. Continue this for a few minutes
8. Now, place your palm on one eye, open the other eye and again focus on the flame/point
9. Place a wet napkin on the closed eye—this helps to further relax your eyes. Wipe gently moving the wet napkin from the eye towards the ear
10. Repeat the same on the other eye. Then gently open both eyes and blink a few times
11. Your Trataka is complete.

You can also do Trataka by gazing at the moon, sun [Surya Trataka or sun yoga] or the stars at night, or even a photograph of a deity. Warning: While doing Surya Trataka, you must follow specific guidelines so that you avoid damaging your eyes; consult a competent yoga trainer for the same.

The Benefits of Doing Trataka

1. Fixing your vision on a set point or object immediately calms the mind and brings you the present moment, making you more mindful. When you keep your eyes still, it helps to make the mind still, too
2. It helps improve focus, memory and concentration
3. Doing Trataka while you are in any balancing yoga poses [e.g.: tree pose, dancer’s pose] helps to steady the body
4. It helps to slow down the breathing, which has many positive physical and mental effects
5. For those suffering from anxiety disorder or panic attacks, it helps ease the anxiety and brings down the frequency and severity of panic episode.

The post How to Do Trataka (Candle Meditation) appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been asking my gurus/teachers only one question: “What is happiness?” After what seemed like an awfully long search for an answer, I derived my understanding of happiness: For me happiness revolves around four aspects of life.

Health

Imagine a day when everything is going right for you but you are experiencing a splitting headache, would you feel happy? The answer is a definite NO. Our body is an extremely intelligent machine. It keeps giving us signals when something needs to be addressed. If the body is not healthy, we cannot function optimally. Life could become a burden for someone who constantly falls sick. Just like a machine that works all day, so does our body; so it is important to make sure that this machine gets high quality fuel, enough downtime and regular repair and maintenance i.e. good food, enough sleep and regular exercise.

I firmly believe that “Yoga is the only form of exercise that leaves you energised yet calm”. Even after doing 50 suryanamaskars [if done correctly], there is a sense of balance and calmness in the body and mind. So to me, physical wellbeing and freedom from illness is the foundation of happiness.

Relationships

Sharing great relationships with your loved ones is a beautiful space to be in. As humans we need to have connection in our lives, people we love and people who love us back. We are after all social animals. Have you noticed how an argument with someone can be so draining for us? It can change our mental state immediately and make us uncomfortable. On the other hand, healthy and peaceful relationships are so comforting. If the relationships that matter most are healthy, we experience happiness within.

Sense of purpose

We all need a sense of purpose to drive us. Having something to look forward to every morning is a great motivation. It should just be something that you love doing and wish to do more of. This need not be categorised as right or wrong or something lofty that will change the world; as long as it makes you feel good, it fits the bill.

Don’t you feel drained when you do things just because you have to do them? Take a moment and think of your favorite activity, and remember that day when you didn’t have to push yourself even to wake up at 4am to do what you love doing.

Journey

If the journey is not interesting, it doesn’t matter how good the destination is. Life becomes boring unknowingly. Let’s assume you are on a long plane journey to an exotic destination with your loved one, and you get into an argument on the flight. What a bummer! It can ruin the whole vacation no matter how exciting the destination may seem. Similarly in life, if we focus on enjoying our present moment, life can be a lot simpler and enjoyable. If you enjoy every moment of your journey, life is rocking.

In my opinion, striking a balance between these four pillars is what brings happiness. When all of these are in place, we don’t need to chase happiness. We just have to live our life and these work as magnets that will attract happiness to you.

Would love to hear from you. Do write to me your thoughts on what brings you happiness.

The post The four magnets that can attract happiness into your life appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

How does face yoga work?

Face yoga involves specific facial movements works that increase the blood flow and, as a result, bring a luminescent glow to your face. Each facial exercise listed below will give a chiseled look to your face along with many other internal benefits, which might not be evident immediately but will be there for all to see in the long run.

Jaw drop

• Sit in a comfortable position with your spine in neutral position
• Look up, stretching the front of your neck and get your chin to face the ceiling
• The front part of the neck is stretched while the back part of your neck will be compressed; shoulders are relaxed and should not be pulled towards your ears
• Look at the ceiling, drop your lower jaw. Then start stretching your lower jaw, first to the front and then slowly and firmly lift it up, so that the lower lip overlaps your upper lip a bit. Hold for 10 counts; drop it down again and create as much gap as possible between your lips. Repeat this movement 10 times.
• To counter this stretch, perform Jalandhar Bandha [chin lock] by pressing the chin to the chest and lengthening the back of the neck.
• This helps to develop a beautiful jaw line, strengthen the neck muscles and also helps reduce double chin.
• It also helps lower high blood pressure, ease snoring, sleep apnoea and respiratory problems.

Jaw rotation

• Assume the position of jaw drop
• Rotate your lower jaw clockwise slowly; make as big a circle as possible; perform 10 rounds
• Rotate your lower jaw anti-clockwise; make is as big a circle as possible; perform 10 rounds
• Maintain the stretch throughout the rotations
• Relax
• Perform Jalandhar Bandha [chin lock] by pressing your chin to the chest so that you can neutralise the stress on your neck

Jivha mudra [The Tongue Lock]

 Jivha Mudra is performed by simply touching the tongue to the upper palate and keeping it there with slight pressure.

1. Sit comfortably in Sukhasana or any position you are comfortable in
2. Place your palms on the knees, lean forward a little
3. Place your tongue on the upper palate
4. The mouth is wide open and you feel a good stretch on the upper jaw and the throat region (stretch your lower jaw slightly down and back to feel optimal stretch)
5. Focus your gaze at the tip of the nose – Agochari  Mudra [nose tip gazing]. Also called Nasikaa Drishti [gazing at the nose tip], one of the oldest recorded yogic practices
6. Hold the mudra for 10-20 seconds with normal breathing [continue to breathe from the nostril and gradually increase the holding time] and release
7. Relax and close your eyes for few seconds
8. Get ready for Simha Mudra.

Your eyes might not be used to staring at the tip of your nose and hence may result in a slight headache initially. Closing your eyes will help dissipate the headache.

Caution

• Keep pressing the tongue as much as possible from the root and press it firmly against the upper palate to stretch the upper jaw.
• Do not throw your cheek bones wide apart in the process of stretching.
• This will create wrinkles below your nose which may become permanent with regular practice.

Simha mudra [Roaring Lion Pose]

 This is the posture the lion assumes just before attacking its prey.

1. Sit in a comfortable position, place your palms firmly on the knees
2. Pressing your palms on the knees, lean forward slightly; hold this position and inhale
3. As you exhale, open your mouth wide; stretch your tongue out from its root as if you are trying to touch the chin with the tongue
4. Also, while exhaling, stretch your fingers wide apart with your palms firmly pressed against the knees
5. Bring your gaze in-between your eyebrows – Shambhavi Mudra (eyebrow centre gazing) – and keep your gaze fixed until you are holding the posture.
6. The stretching out of the tongue can be accompanied with a roaring sound. Hold this for 20-30 seconds while breathing normally and then release.
7. You can breathe from the mouth as well as nostrils.

Caution

• Be careful not to bend only the neck while leaning forward; the whole upper body is bending forward as one unit
• Do not bend forward if suffering from any kind of backache
• Avoid in case of severe vertigo

Both the above mudras are to be performed alternatively at least in three sets. Practice up to three minutes a day. These should be performed on an empty stomach.

All these exercises increase blood circulation allowing more oxygen and nourishment to reach your facial skin. Regular practice of these can make you look healthier, more energised and younger within a span of 2 – 3 months.

The post Want to look and feel great? Try face yoga appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

When you’ve lain in bed for hours, tossed and turned until your body aches, glanced at the clock more times than you can count, tried every mantra, meditation, and visualisation you’ve ever learned to no avail, insomnia has you in its clutches.

Hopefully, it’s a passing phase prompted by external circumstances like an impending exam, a recent breakup, or financial problems. Most people go through periods of difficulty sleeping. But one in ten people struggle with sleeplessness night after night, month after month, sometimes for years, beset by chronic insomnia.

Sleep is fragile

Sleep is remarkably fragile, despite its persistence and universality. All manner of conditions can fray its fabric, and little works to restore the weave once it’s lost. Heat, cold, good food, bad food, solitude, company, noise, silence, new love, the loss of love—you name it—can banish sleep from the bedroom.

There are many things we can do to sleep better, or a little longer. We can cool and darken our bedrooms, establish a regular sleep schedule, avoid stimulants, alcohol, and electronics before bed, take calming teas, supplements, or medications, and learn to control our catastrophising thoughts. These are good things to do, but they rarely crack the nut of habitual insomnia.

Too awake to sleep

One of the most surprising discoveries to emerge from 21st century sleep research is that insomnia is not just a problem with sleep; it is a disorder of our waking lives as well. Scientists have learned that people who struggle with ongoing insomnia tend to live in a state of hyper-arousal characterised by higher body temperatures, faster heart rates, stronger high-frequency brain waves, increased levels of cortisol and adrenaline, and lower levels of melatonin 24 hours a day, whether they are awake or asleep. These folks are remarkably quick and sharp, but their nervous systems run on high alert as if living in a war-zone. Simply put, they are too awake to sleep. In fact, many are somewhat awake even when sleeping!

Eons ago, in our evolution as human beings, our bodies developed the capacity to mobilise in the face of danger, enabling us to respond quickly and forcefully when necessary. If your child runs out into traffic, you need that ability to charge out and grab him or her out of harm’s way immediately. It has an obvious evolutionary advantage. Once your child is safe, your heart will hopefully stop throbbing, your breathing will slow down, and the stress hormones coursing through your blood will return to normal levels.

However, if you are genetically inclined towards anxiety, have experienced long-term stress, repeated traumas, or life-threatening insecurities, your body may gradually lose the knack of calming down, even when resting. The brain simply stays busy and the heart keeps racing regardless of what is happening. When hyper-arousal becomes the norm, rather than the exception, it’s nearly impossible to get good sleep.

Even if you aren’t predisposed towards anxiety, and haven’t experienced major traumas, the pace, pressures and insecurities of contemporary life in the 24/7 global economy may be pushing you into hyper-arousal without your knowing. We are surrounded by bright lights and street noises throughout the night, encouraged to consume stimulating foods and drinks, rewarded for being alert, quick and aggressive, and often required to work longer hours.

No quick fix

How can our bodies remember how to relax enough to sleep under these conditions?

One thing is certain: there is no quick fix. We have to cultivate our abilities to calm down, let go, and go within to counteract the tendencies to gear up, grab on, and get ahead that are so encouraged in our society. Lowering arousal levels is a gradual process that requires many small shifts in the ways we go about our days and nights as we weed out old habits that interfere with sleep and develop new ones to restore calm.

The process is also very individual; there are no standard answers. What helps one person may not help another, or in some cases even make things worse. For example, a family pet may be soothing to one family member and stressful to another. Each of us needs to experiment with lifestyle changes, observe the results, and adapt accordingly.

Here’s what you can do

Here are some things that have helped others:

• Develop a meditative practice that you can do on a regular basis. That can be something as simple as walking to work, listening to music before bed, even closing your eyes and taking three deep breaths a few times a day. Or you could join a weekly meditation group, take a yoga or t’ai chi class, or sing in a choir. Many of these activities involve breathing more fully, which works to calm down the nervous system.
• Practise putting aside your worries, even if you plan to pick them up later. Anxiety is the enemy of sleep. Make a list of what you need to address later, fold it up, and tuck it away. Our unconscious minds mull over our problems while we sleep, and often pose solutions the next day that we couldn’t figure out on our own. A friend of mine likes to imagine that all her anxieties are written out on a large chalkboard; when she lies down to sleep, erasers wipe them away. Napoleon used fall asleep by seeing himself pushing away his concerns as if closing the drawers of a bureau, one by one. When I was a child, I was so anxious about taking tests that I often couldn’t sleep beforehand. Finally, one sleepless night, I had a fantasy that I was an eighty-five-year old grandmother looking back over my life. Did I care how well I did on that math class in third grade? No! Realising that the things that worried me at the time were insignificant in the big picture enabled me to relax and get some sleep.
• Make a point of spending time with people whose company you enjoy. You can comb and braid your children’s hair, or read them bedtime stories, join a soccer team, go out dancing or play cards with friends at the club. We need trust and a sense of safety to unwind. As social creatures, we derive that sense of safety from the people who care for us, look out for us, and have our backs. Money in the bank and locks on the doors can help, but there is nothing like the comfort of relationships.
• Finally, if you can’t sleep, get up and do something. Read, draw, email friends, water plants, have a cup of tulsi [basil] tea or warm milk, whatever. Abraham Lincoln and Charles Dickens used to take long walks when they couldn’t sleep. My grandmother typed Braille books. Doing something will distract you from the effort to sleep, and probably help you to fall asleep later. Besides, it is fine to sleep in stretches of a few hours at a time. Naps are efficient forms of sleep. The key is to remain calm and trust that the sleep you get, however little, is enough.

Remember: climbing back off the ledge of insomnia takes time. Every little step you take to calm your nerves, day after day, night after night, gradually restores the peace that enables sleep.

The post Is insomnia sucking the joy out of your life? appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Subtle triggers leading to postural misalignment

1. Long hours of sitting on a chair—not sitting upright, sitting in a way that one hip is constantly more stressed than the other, sitting for hours without movement, tilted sitting or sitting on a soft sofa
2. Driving for long—sitting far back from the wheel or stretching too much for reaching the pedal
3. Lifting heavy weights casually or with undue stress on the wrong muscles
4. Bending forward abruptly to pick up something from the floor
5. Poor posture while working on computers continuously
6. Sitting on a heavy wallet in the back pocket [though credit cards have taken care of this problem to some extent, constantly sitting on a wallet even without much stuff in it can lead to sciatica]
7. Sleeping on a very soft mattress as well as sleeping in a wrong position.

These triggers have made sciatica, which was not heard of a till few decades ago, a common problem today.

We need to approach this problem in two steps

Step 1: tackle the issue in its chronic state and then restore your body to normalcy

Step 2: work on strengthening the back and the core, as both are intricately and proportionally related

The following five postures can help correct postural misalignment and ease out this chronic condition:

Matsya Kridasana

1. Lie down on your tummy with your legs stretched out and your head turned to one side [look to the left side]. Place your palms over each other and rest the right cheek on your hands.
2. Bend your left knee; bring it as close to the chest as comfortably possible for you. Move the right side of your chest on the floor by sliding your right arm out of the way.

3. Be in the posture for 3 – 5 minutes with normal breathing; change the side and follow the same sequence.

Marjarasana

1. Get down on your fours [the palms and knees on the floor]; palms in line with the shoulders; knees in line with the thighs; toes stretching out or curled in.
2. Inhale and start stretching your spine downwards, your neck will be outstretched and your chin will point upwards.
3. Exhale and get your chin to the chest, drop your hips down towards the floor and push your upper back as high as possible.
4. Continue to perform the movements alternatively for 5 – 10 rounds.
5. Relax.

Vyagrasana

1. Get down on your fours; stretch your left leg behind so that it is parallel to the floor; bend your left knee and take the foot up in the air; tilt your head behind. You are trying to get your head and toes close to each other.
2. Exhale and bring your head and left knee close to your chest.
3. Repeat five rounds and change to the other side.

Pawanmuktasana

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Bend your right knee and place your right thigh on the chest.
3. Wrap your arms around your bent leg.

4. Hold the position for 20 – 30 seconds with normal breathing.
5. Release and repeat on the other side.

You can choose to bend your other knee and place your foot on the floor in case of discomfort.

Supta Padanghusthasana variation

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Raise your left leg up towards the ceiling and move it to the right side.

1. Turn your head to the left.
2. You can hold your left leg with the right hand or can use a belt or scarf to keep your leg in place.
3. Repeat on the other side for the same length of time.

Note

Slowly keep flexing your toes in and stretch your heel out to optimise the stretch at the back of the leg.

It is important to assess the severity of the problem first. If you are able to perform these postures without much discomfort, practice 3 – 5 rounds of these 2 – 3 times a day for 15 days. This should help settle the pain.

Once you are healed from the chronic pain of sciatica, it is advisable to work on preventing the recurrence of the same. Asanas like Ardha Shalbhasana, Bhujangasana, Ushtrasana, Dhanurasana could help prevent relapse.

You can watch videos of all these asanas on Shammi’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/homeyoga123

This article was first published in the May 2016 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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Practising Yoga in your career

Would it be appropriate for a Yoga practitioner to be a hired overseas enforcer for an international corporation, a factory farmer, a casino manager or a lobbyist for a cut-throat pharmaceutical company? We think not. All these jobs involve unsavoury practices or goals that definitely compromise a Yoga practitioner’s moral integrity. We actually had a student who, attracted by a handsome salary, took on a job at a casino. Before very long, he found that the atmosphere in the casino was so disagreeable that at the end of the day he felt filthy and didn’t even want to continue with his practice of Yoga. In the end, he resigned and has never regretted his decision.

It is important for a Yoga practitioner to pursue a proper livelihood. That means earning one’s living in a decent and respectable way that does not violate any of Yoga’s many moral virtues

Your beliefs are not part-time

We cannot practise integrity part-time, or in one aspect of our life and not others. Integrity cannot be compartmentalised; it is an all-or-nothing matter. We regard integrity as an aspect of truthfulness, which is considered a major virtue in Patanjali’s Yoga and, of course, in other branches of Yoga as well. He tells us that when a practitioner is firmly established in truthfulness, whatever he or she affirms comes true. We personally would limit this ability to spiritual matters, because in worldly affairs a master often relies, like everyone else, primarily on information that may or may not be entirely correct. As a rule, however, a master does not indulge in chitchat or unconsidered opinions.

The splintering of Yoga

Regretfully, the contemporary Yoga movement in the West lacks integrity in several respects. The first is that many Yoga teachers give the wrong impression that Yoga is no more than a postural practice. This is unfair to traditional Yoga, which is obviously much more. It is also unfair to newcomers to Yoga, who don’t know any better, but should be given an opportunity to explore the spirituality of Yoga and the full range of its practices.

Most deplorable is the absence of traditional Yoga’s moral disciplines from many of the teachings offered at modern centres.

This is like offering a person a chair with only three legs to sit on, which is an accident in the making. What good, one may ask, will it do for a student to know the headstand if, when he or she has a car accident, they do not know how to manage life afterward? Or, of what advantage is mastering the Warrior III pose when the mind is worrying about death?

It is irresponsible for a Yoga teacher to tell his or her students that the moral disciplines are unimportant

Not only is modern Yoga by and large not grounded in the moral precepts, it is also shot through with the moral apathy and shallowness that characterises our mainstream culture.

Yoga is a way of life

It is irresponsible for a Yoga teacher to tell his or her students [as we have heard] that the moral disciplines are unimportant. In fact, without them there can be no attainment of mental health, never mind inner freedom. And it is negligent for a Yoga teacher to publicly dismiss the spiritual orientation of Yoga, because this is precisely what is missing from our troubled culture. Integrity, among other things, means to present and practise Yoga as the spiritual tradition that it is. Anything less is dishonest.

Excerpted from Yoga: A Beginner’s Guide by Georg and Brenda Feuerstein.
Published by Jaico. Used with permission.

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Now after a long sabbatical he’s back to acting but with a renewed perspective on life. We caught up with Bijay Anand for a quick chat on his journey so far.

Many years ago, you suddenly quit films and TV. Tell us what happened?

Bijay Anand: I was in the glamour world for 16 long years. I started with modelling and worked in more than 300 commercials for brands like Raymonds, S Kumars, Chiclets and Vadilal ice-cream to name a few. I did 15 television serials after that stint and then my career peaked with the movie Yash and then Pyar to Hona Hi Tha, which went on to hit a silver jubilee. Being one of the lead actors in the film, I was offered around 26 films immediately after its release. Many of those offers were tempting and hard to refuse. But somehow, I had just switched off from the film industry, acting, glamour and fame that came my way. Art was my newfound love and an exciting adventure that I was eager to undertake. It was then that I decided I would not act anymore and I would only pursue art and took up my role as an art advisor/consultant.

When did you get into yoga?

Bijay Anand: As an art dealer, I had a lot of time to travel. Most of my work was via emails—that is how we bought paintings as well as sold them. With that kind of free time [and easy money], I took to travelling with a passion. A lot of my trips somehow drew me towards exotic spas and resorts and several others took me to destinations like Europe, Thailand, Bali and Rishikesh. These are hotspots for yoga and that is how yoga happened to me. It fell into my lap due to my nomadic, adventure seeking, hungry-for-knowledge quest.

Did you dabble in various other forms of yoga before you discovered Kundalini yoga?

Bijay Anand: Yes, I tried almost all forms of yoga before I accidentally stumbled upon Kundalini yoga at the week-long International Yoga Festival in Rishikesh. I was dazzled by this “gang of white angels” led by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa whose class I took on the last day of the festival just out of plain curiosity. First five minutes into the class and I knew I had finally come home.

What difference did Kundalini yoga make in your life?

Bijay Anand: The discovery of Kundalini yoga brought a new meaning into my life. It showed me clearly who I was and it changed me in ways that surprised and then amazed me. Then one day, during my meditation, I saw that my purpose in life was to spread the joy that this science had brought into my life. I felt that this is what I was meant to do for the rest of my life. So I taught Kundalini yoga for a little over two years and also founded my company Anahata Retreats, which organises yoga retreats. I do this because I don’t want people to go through what I went through in my life. The anger, pain, sorrow, addictions [smoking, gambling and alcohol] and also the diseases that I was struck with like arthritis, high cholesterol and depression… I don’t want others to go through the same. [Read Bijay’s first person account of how he quit smoking]

What brings you back to acting after a break of 17 years?

Bijay Anand: One day I received a call from Nikhil Sinha’s office inviting me to play the role of King Janaka, Sita’s father for his show Siya ke Ram. Since the past many years, I had refused several acting offers. So at first I refused this role as well, but still went along to meet the director. When I heard Janaka’s character and read the script, it was like an epiphany. Every word that I was teaching in my classes, workshops and courses around the world was repeated in those dialogues. As Nikhil Sinha put it, “You are not an actor playing Janaka’s role. You are Janaka.”

I realised then that whatever I was teaching 30, 40 or sometimes even 200 people, I could teach the same philosophy as Janaka and reach out to millions of people to spread my message of love, compassion and an organic way of living.

And that’s how I am now back to acting, after 17 years.

What’s special about the role you are playing?

Bijay Anand: Janaka is quiet, still, calm, strong, loving, compassionate, and not only wise and knowledgeable but also hungry for more wisdom and knowledge. Janaka is a ruler who believes in the Karma of loving unconditionally and without any expectations. He is a great ruler, the perfect husband and also the most doting and loving father to Sita.

For an actor, a role with such a range of emotions is a dream and I am so excited about playing it. Getting to play this Janaka is also special for another reason. Many years ago, when Ravi Chopra was casting for his new project, Ramayan, even before he decided who will play the character of Ram, he had made up his mind that I would play the role of Laxman. When asked what made him so sure he had a one-line answer, and, I quote, “Have you ever, ever in your entire life seen anyone as hot-tempered and aggressive as Bijay? End of discussion.” That was some 20 years ago, and today I am being cast for the role of Janaka.

I am grateful to Kundalini yoga for having changed me from being an actor always cast as an angry, aggressive and belligerent young man to being cast as a calm, wise and knowledgeable king who epitomises love and compassion.

How does it feel to face the camera after such a long gap?

Bijay Anand: I feel like it never left me all this while. It is an amazing feeling to be facing the camera again and I’m loving every minute of it.

How much has changed in the film industry since you left?

Bijay Anand: Not much and yet so much. What we see outside is only but a reflection of our own soul. In that sense I see so much has changed now but I guess it was always there before.

All the wisdom you have gained from yoga has evidently changed you as a person—has it also changed you as an actor?

Bijay Anand: Tremendously. 17 years later, I certainly know more about human emotions than I did back then. More importantly, I know today who I am. It is only when you know yourself does your ego finally break down and you see the light. It also helps you to internalise scenes, emotions and situations as an actor and play these roles with more authenticity.

Who do you consider as your gurus/idols… in yoga, in acting and in life?

Bijay Anand: My first guru is Osho. I had listened to only four tapes of his when I was around 15 and these four tapes [Love, Death, Compassion and Guilt] changed the course of my life. I’ve never heard any of his tapes hence or read any of his books but I believe him to be my guru and an original philosopher.

The are many teachers for who I have utmost reverence and respect. Some of them are Jehangir Palkhivala, Jawahar Bangera, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Gurushabd, the eminent lawyer Harish Salve and Kamal Choraria who have given me so much in terms of understanding the world and existence.

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