1. Bali, Indonesia

Bali pairs lush landscapes with a devotional rhythm you can feel in everyday life. Mornings often begin with mantra or meditation, followed by classes set among rice terraces or near the sea. Cafes serve nourishing bowls and herbal tonics, which makes it easier to keep your energy balanced during intensive study. The island’s creative scene also invites you to explore sound healing, ecstatic dance, and traditional ceremonies, which can deepen your understanding of yoga beyond asana.

Why is Bali great for Yoga Teacher Training

• Inspiring nature from jungle ridgelines to coastline sunsets
• Wellness services that support recovery and nervous system care
• Programs ranging from Hatha and Ashtanga to creative vinyasa and yin

From early breathwork to soft sunsets, Bali holds a calm routine that supports the best yoga teacher training in Bali. You get space for study, recovery, and reflection, plus a culture that welcomes devotion and daily practice. The result is steady progress that feels both focused and humane.

2. Mexico

Mexico offers simple beachfront living and a grounded, heart-centered pace. Training schedules often weave in sunrise practice, anatomy, and teaching labs, then leave time for journaling or an ocean swim. Smaller campuses in Baja or along the Pacific Coast keep things quiet and focused, while larger hubs make travel logistics simple. Food is usually fresh and satisfying, and many schools offer all inclusive setups that reduce decision fatigue during an intensive month.

Why  Mexico is great for Yoga Teacher Training

• Nature integrated shalas with sea breezes and mountain views
• Supportive campus communities that make immersion feel safe
• Flexible formats across the calendar for 200 and 300 hour tracks

Quiet surf towns make it easy to stay present: mornings with the tide, afternoons to review notes, and simple, nourishing meals that keep your energy steady. If you want straightforward travel and a gentle routine you can actually sustain, Mexico makes the work of training feel doable and grounded.

3. Costa Rica

Costa Rica invites you into presence with jungle greens, warm rain, and an easy pura vida mindset. Most retreat centers run on solar or serve farm to table meals that help you build a clean routine as you study. Training days often incorporate mindful walks, beach time, or restorative sessions in the evenings, allowing you to integrate content instead of rushing through it. The community culture is friendly and eco aware, which makes connecting with peers more natural and organic.

Why Costa Rica is great for YTT

• Immersive outdoor living that keeps you close to nature
• Emphasis on mindfulness, sustainability, and community care
• Balanced schedules that pair study blocks with rest and play

The Caribbean beach areas feel quieter, and more rustic, while the Pacific coast has more infrastructure while still  having a wild feel to it.

4. Thailand

Thailand blends sacred tradition with island calm. The cost of living is often friendlier, so you can invest more in quality instruction or extend your stay to practice teaching. You will find everything from classic Ashtanga lineages to modern vinyasa, yin, and embodiment methods. Off the mat, temples and everyday kindness reinforce meditation, metta, and mindful communication, which feeds directly into your teaching voice.

Why Thailand is great for YTT

• Accessible travel and budget friendly accommodations
• Cultural context that supports meditation and compassion practices
• Wide spectrum of styles and program lengths

Island days move at a kind pace. You’ll study hard, then reset with temple visits, sea swims, or sunset markets that remind you to smile and soften. If you’re after solid instruction without losing that light, friendly feeling, Thailand helps you keep both discipline and ease.

5. India

India brings you to the roots of yoga. In Rishikesh you can practice along the Ganges and attend evening aarti that fills the banks with sound and light. In Mysore you can explore traditional rooms where Ashtanga students gather before dawn, learning to value breath, discipline, and humility. Many schools weave in philosophy, chanting, Sanskrit basics, and pranayama so you leave with a fuller picture of yoga as a way of life rather than a workout.

Why India is great for Yoga Teacher Training

• Spiritual heritage and direct connection to authentic lineages
• Ashram and semi ashram settings that support full immersion
• Strong emphasis on philosophy, ethics, pranayama, and meditation

Life simplifies quickly here. With fewer distractions, you’ll lean into practice, philosophy, and the humility that comes with starting at the source. If you want depth over polish and a training that reshapes how you see yoga, India gives you the container to do the inner work.

6. Portugal

Portugal is a growing favorite for European and North American travelers. Golden light, friendly locals, and a relaxed coastal lifestyle create a supportive backdrop for study. Many programs take place near the Algarve or in quiet countryside venues where you can rest well between modules. Expect a mix of vinyasa, yin, and trauma informed education, with modern anatomy that helps you teach safely and inclusively.

Why Portugal is great for YTT

• Easy access from major airports and simple on the ground travel
• Picture perfect towns and rural retreats that support real rest
• Inclusive values and a community that welcomes diverse students

Expect clear ocean light, good rest, and modern curricula taught in welcoming spaces. You can study with focus, then recover on a coastal walk or in a small café that slows time down. If you want European ease with up-to-date anatomy and inclusive teaching, Portugal strikes a beautiful balance.

Related » Yoga Beyond Asanas: The Five Principles of Yama That Will Transform Your Life

How to Choose the Best Location for Your YTT

Beside being a travel choice, picking a location is also a learning strategy. Your environment affects your energy, your focus, and the teachers and peers who will shape your voice. A good fit makes it easier to show up with consistency and joy.

• Clarify your intention: Are you seeking spiritual depth, a career path in teaching, or a container for personal growth. Write a few lines about what you want to feel on graduation day. Let that vision guide your shortlist.
• Match style to your body and goals: Hatha builds strong foundations and clear alignment. Ashtanga and Rocket build discipline, heat, and resilience. Vinyasa and creative flows build expression and sequencing skill. Yin supports nervous system regulation and introspection.
• Consider climate and setting: Ocean breezes, mountain air, or a cultural center each shape how you rest and recharge. If heat drains you, pick a cooler season or higher elevation. If you love the sea, place your training near a swimmable coast and plan recovery time there.
• Consider culture and language: Select a location where you feel comfort and support. Language, food choices, and cultural practices are all important during a month of intense learning.
• Check logistics and budgeting: Review and note tuition, flights, visas, transfers, insurance, accommodations, meals, manuals, exams, and certifications or registration fees. The more transparent the costs are, the less stress you will encounter, allowing you to focus on study and practice.

Of course, there is no single perfect formula. The best location aligns with your intention, supports your body, and fits your real life constraints. When you feel a clear “Yes!” in your gut and your plan looks sustainable on paper, you have likely found your place.

Related » 18 Travel Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Foreign Holiday

Still Not Sure? Match by Vibe

If you crave devotional depth and classic study, India, especially Rishikesh or Mysore, will feel like a homecoming. For island ease and a warm, close-knit community, look to Thailand or Bali. If you’re drawn to nature and eco-minded living, Costa Rica fits beautifully. Prefer simplicity and flexible dates with minimal logistics? Mexico is an easy yes. If you want coastal Europe with anatomy-forward, modern curricula, Portugal is a graceful, grounded choice.

The post Best Places for Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) Worldwide appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Even though millions worldwide have embraced yoga, many don’t know how to move beyond surface-level practice to establish a genuine, transformative connection with their practice. Whether you’re stepping onto the mat for the first time or seeking to deepen years of practice, specific strategies can transform your yoga practice and unlock its full potential.

How to Deepen Your Yoga Practice

1. Set Clear, Meaningful Intentions

Rushing through poses without purpose limits your growth. Instead of mechanically following sequences, bring conscious intention to every session. Define specific goals before you begin — perhaps improving hip flexibility, cultivating mental stillness, or developing patience through challenging holds.

Your intention serves as both compass and anchor. When your mind wanders or your body resists, returning to your stated purpose refocuses your energy and maintains forward momentum. This deliberate approach transforms routine movement into purposeful practice.

Also read » How Intentions and Sankalpa Strengthen Your Yoga Practice

2. Explore Diverse Yoga Styles and Traditions

Limiting yourself to one yoga style restricts your understanding of this vast discipline. Each tradition offers unique benefits and perspectives that can illuminate different aspects of your practice.

Yin Yoga emphasizes passive, long-held poses that target deep connective tissues while promoting introspection and patience. Sessions typically involve floor-based postures held for three to seven minutes, teaching you to find comfort in stillness.

Ashtanga Yoga follows a precise, athletic sequence that builds strength, flexibility, and mental discipline through consistent repetition. This dynamic practice creates heat in the body while demanding focused concentration.

Kundalini Yoga integrates movement, breathwork, meditation, and chanting to awaken dormant energy. Sessions often include repetitive movements combined with specific breathing patterns and mantras.

Restorative Yoga uses props to support complete relaxation, allowing your nervous system to reset and repair. This gentle approach provides crucial balance to more vigorous practices.

Vinyasa Flow links breath with movement in creative sequences that vary from session to session, developing coordination while maintaining interest through variety.

Experimenting with different styles reveals which approaches serve your current needs while expanding your overall understanding of yoga’s diverse offerings.

Master the Foundation: Breathwork Techniques

Breath control forms the cornerstone of yoga, yet many practitioners neglect this fundamental element. Your breathing pattern directly influences your nervous system, emotional state, and ability to access deeper poses.

Ujjayi Pranayama (Ocean Breath) involves breathing through the nose with a slight constriction in the throat, creating a soft ocean-like sound. This technique maintains steady rhythm during challenging sequences while calming the mind.

Three-Part Breath teaches you to breathe into your belly, ribs, and chest sequentially, maximizing oxygen intake while promoting full-body awareness.

Box Breathing uses equal counts for inhalation, retention, exhalation, and pause, training your nervous system for stability and focus.

Practice these techniques separately from your physical practice initially. Spend five to ten minutes daily focusing solely on breath awareness. This dedicated time helps deepen your yoga practice by developing the skill and sensitivity needed to integrate conscious breathing with movement effectively.

Related » 8 Types of Pranayama — Techniques and Benefits

Embrace Retreat Experiences

Yoga retreats provide unparalleled opportunities deepen your intensive yoga practice. Removing yourself from daily distractions and immersing in yoga’s full spectrum accelerates growth in ways regular classes cannot match.

Retreat environments offer extended practice sessions, breathwork training, workshops on philosophy and anatomy, meditation instruction, and community connection with fellow practitioners. Whether set on tropical beaches, mountain peaks, or countryside havens, these experiences combine multiple elements that deepen understanding.

Beyond the immediate benefits, retreats equip you with tools and perspectives that enhance your home practice long after returning. Many practitioners report breakthrough moments and renewed enthusiasm following retreat experiences.

If international retreats seem financially or logistically challenging, seek local intensive workshops or weekend programs that provide similar concentrated learning opportunities.

Develop Body Awareness and Intuitive Practice

Your body communicates constantly through sensations, energy levels, and comfort zones. Learning this internal language prevents injury while guiding you toward practices that serve your current needs.

Distinguish between beneficial challenge and harmful strain. Productive discomfort feels intense but manageable, often accompanied by steady breathing and mental calm. Pain signals potential injury through sharp, shooting, or overwhelming sensations that disrupt your breath and focus.

Pay attention to asymmetries, chronic tension patterns, and emotional responses to different poses. This awareness allows you to address imbalances proactively while using yoga therapeutically.

Deepen Your Practice With Consistency

Regular practice, even in small doses, surpasses sporadic intensive sessions for long-term development. Daily engagement creates neural pathways that integrate yoga’s benefits into your everyday experience.

Start with manageable commitments. 15 minutes of morning stretching or evening relaxation proves more sustainable than ambitious hour-long sessions you’ll eventually abandon. As consistency develops, naturally extend duration and complexity.

Create a dedicated practice space that supports regular engagement. This doesn’t require elaborate setups; all you need is a clean, quiet area that feels welcoming. Consistent location builds habit strength through environmental cues.

Integrate Philosophy and Meditation

Yoga’s physical practices represent just one branch of a comprehensive philosophical system designed to promote wellbeing and self-realization. Exploring yoga’s ethical guidelines, meditation techniques, and wisdom traditions enriches your understanding while providing practical tools for daily challenges.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga offer guidance for ethical living, physical practice, breathwork, meditation, and spiritual development. Study these concepts gradually, applying relevant teachings to your current circumstances.

Meditation practice complements physical yoga beautifully. Start with five-minute sessions focusing on breath awareness, gradually extending duration as concentration strengthens. Regular meditation enhances body awareness while developing mental stability that supports challenging poses.

Yoga philosophy addresses universal human experiences like suffering, attachment, and the search for meaning. These teachings provide context for physical practice while offering perspectives that reduce stress and increase resilience.

Study Anatomy and Alignment Principles

Understanding how your body moves and functions enhances safety while accelerating progress. Basic anatomical knowledge helps you recognize why certain poses feel difficult, how to modify positions appropriately, and when to seek professional guidance.

Learn about your spine’s natural curves, joint ranges of motion, and major muscle groups involved in common poses. This knowledge transforms random stretching into intelligent movement that addresses specific needs.

Proper alignment protects joints while maximizing poses’ intended benefits. However, alignment varies significantly between individuals based on bone structure, muscle development, and previous injuries. Use general guidelines as starting points while adapting to your unique anatomy.

Cultivate Community and Learning Relationships

While yoga can be practiced alone, learning accelerates through community engagement and mentorship. Connecting with other practitioners provides motivation, accountability, and diverse perspectives that enrich your understanding.

Attend workshops and retreats, find practice partners, or join online yoga communities where you can ask questions, share experiences, and learn from others’ journeys. These relationships often provide the encouragement needed to persist through challenging phases.

Seek teachers who inspire growth while respecting your individual needs and limitations. Good instructors offer clear guidance, demonstrate modifications, and create environments where students feel safe exploring their edges. The student-teacher relationship is sacred. Approach learning with humility and openness while maintaining discernment about which teachings serve your development.

Towards a More Conscious, Connected Life

True yoga extends far beyond the time you spend on your mat. The awareness, breath control, and mental stability developed through practice become tools for navigating daily challenges with greater ease and effectiveness.

Apply yogic breathing during stressful situations at work or in relationships. Use body awareness techniques to recognize tension or emotional reactions before they escalate. Integrate philosophical teachings about impermanence and non-attachment when facing difficult circumstances.

This integration represents yoga’s ultimate goal: not perfect poses or flexible bodies, but transformed ways of being that reduce suffering while increasing joy, compassion, and wisdom.

As you deepen your yoga practice, you’ll discover that its greatest gift isn’t what happens on your mat, but how those experiences ripple outward to enhance every aspect of your existence. The postures, breathing, and meditation serve as training grounds for a more conscious, connected, and fulfilling life.

This journey never truly ends. Each session offers opportunities for discovery, growth, and transformation. Embrace this ongoing exploration with patience, curiosity, and commitment. Your future self will thank you for the dedication you bring to this moment, this breath, and this practice.

The post How To Deepen Your Yoga Practice: 9 Tips for Transformation appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

While millions practice yoga poses worldwide, few understand that asanas represent just one-eighth of yoga’s complete system. The ancient sage Patanjali outlined eight limbs of yoga in his sutras, creating a roadmap for human flourishing that extends far beyond physical postures. The first limb, called Yama, provides five ethical guidelines that can revolutionize how you navigate relationships, make decisions, and find inner peace.

These aren’t rigid commandments but practical principles that, when integrated into daily life, create the foundation for authentic wellbeing. Think of them as your internal compass, guiding you toward choices that align with your highest self while fostering harmony in your relationships and community.

Yama: The 5 Principles of Yoga off the Mat

Ahimsa: The Power of Non-Harming

The Principle: Ahimsa means cultivating non-violence in thought, word, and action. This extends beyond obvious physical harm to include emotional violence, harsh words, and even self-destructive behaviors.

Living It Daily: Traditional yoga texts advocate vegetarianism as an expression of ahimsa, recognizing that our food choices reflect our values. But ahimsa reaches deeper than diet. It asks you to examine the violence you might inflict on yourself through negative self-talk, overwork, or ignoring your body’s signals during yoga practice.

When your body whispers for rest during a challenging pose, listening represents ahimsa in action. When you choose encouragement over criticism in your inner dialogue, you practice non-violence toward yourself. This self-compassion naturally extends outward, transforming how you interact with others.

The ripple effect is profound: as you reduce harm to yourself, you naturally become more compassionate toward others, creating circles of peace that expand through your relationships and community.

Satya: Truth as Your Foundation

The Principle: Satya encompasses both, speaking truth and living with integrity. However, ancient texts emphasize discernment even in truth-telling, recognizing that truth without compassion can become another form of violence.

Living It Daily: Before speaking a difficult truth, yoga philosophy asks three questions: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If your truth fails any test, silence becomes the higher choice.

Self-honesty proves even more challenging. When you promise to eat healthier but reach for processed food, you break integrity with yourself. When you claim to value rest but stay up scrolling social media, you violate your own truth. Satya demands alignment between your values and actions.

This doesn’t mean perfection; it means honest acknowledgment of your patterns and gentle course corrections. The goal is integration, where your outer life reflects your inner values.

Asteya: Beyond Not Stealing

The Principle: While asteya obviously includes not taking what doesn’t belong to you, its deeper meaning encompasses all forms of theft, including stealing time, energy, credit, or opportunities.

Living It Daily: Consider the subtle ways stealing manifests: taking credit for a colleague’s idea, arriving late and stealing others’ time, or wasting your own talents and thereby depriving others of your unique contributions.

Asteya challenges you to live generously. When you show up fully present in conversations, you give the gift of attention. When you acknowledge others’ contributions, you practice energetic generosity. When you develop your talents and share them, you fulfill your obligation to the collective.

This principle transforms scarcity thinking into abundance consciousness. Instead of hoarding resources, time, or recognition, you begin sharing freely, trusting that generosity creates more for everyone.

Brahmacharya: Energy as Sacred Currency

The Principle: Often misunderstood as celibacy, brahmacharya actually means conscious use of energy, particularly sexual energy. It’s about moderation and directing your life force toward spiritual growth.

Living It Daily: Brahmacharya doesn’t demand abstinence; it asks for awareness. Whether enjoying food, entertainment, or physical pleasure, the practice lies in conscious engagement rather than mindless indulgence.

When you crave ice cream, brahmacharya means savoring one scoop mindfully rather than unconsciously consuming the entire container. When you feel sexual desire, it means honoring that energy while maintaining awareness of its sacred nature.

This principle extends to all energy expenditure. How you spend your time, attention, and emotional energy becomes a spiritual practice. Brahmacharya asks: Are you using your life force consciously, or are you leaking energy through scattered attention and unconscious habits?

Related » Spirituality and Sexuality: Two Sides of A Coin

Aparigraha: Freedom Through Non-Attachment

The Principle: Aparigraha means non-possessiveness or non-grasping. It’s not about owning nothing but about holding everything lightly, including thoughts, emotions, and relationships.

Living It Daily: When conflict arises with a family member, aparigraha means processing the emotions without clinging to resentment. You feel the anger, learn from it, then release it to prevent emotional poisoning.

With material possessions, this principle asks you to examine your relationship with stuff. Do you own your belongings, or do they own you? Aparigraha might mean donating clothes you never wear or releasing the need to acquire more than you need.

In relationships, non-attachment paradoxically creates deeper connection. When you love without possessing, trust without controlling, and support without enabling, you create space for authentic intimacy to flourish.

Related » The Story of the Fakir (Ascetic) and the King

Integrating Yama: Your Daily Practice

These five principles work together, creating a foundation for conscious living. I suggest you start small — choose one principle to focus on for a week. Notice how it shows up in your daily choices, relationships, and internal dialogue.

Remember, these aren’t perfectionist standards but gentle guidelines. The goal isn’t flawless execution but increased awareness and gradual integration. Each time you choose compassion over criticism, truth over convenience, or generosity over hoarding, you practice yoga off the mat.

Yama represents the first step on the eight-limbed path, yet mastering these principles could transform your entire life. As you integrate these ancient wisdoms into modern living, you discover that the most powerful yoga practice doesn’t happen in a studio but in the countless moments of daily choice.

A version of this article first appeared in the February 2011 issue of Complete Wellbeing magazine (print edition).

Updated on 12^th July 2025

The post Yoga Beyond Asanas: The Five Principles of Yama That Will Transform Your Life appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

While the Chandra Namaskar or moon salutation may not enjoy the popularity of the Surya Namaskara [sun salutation], it does offer powerful benefits of its own. A sequence of 17 yoga asanas, the moon salutation sequence is a good warm up before your yoga practice or a cool down for your evening restorative yoga session.

What is Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation)?

Chandra Namaskar, literally meaning “moon salutation” in Sanskrit, is a sequence of 17 yoga poses that honors the moon’s cooling, calming energy. Unlike the dynamic sun salutations, this traditional practice moves at a slower pace, embodying the gentle, introspective nature of lunar energy.

In Hatha yoga, ‘ha’ stands for the sun or yang or fiery energies. ‘Tha’ symbolizes the moon or yin or cooling energies. The moon salutation balances these opposing forces, creating harmony within the body and mind.

Traditional Chandra Namaskar: 17-Step Sequence Guide

There are several variations of the moon salutation, each very different from the other. What I am sharing below is a traditional form of the Chandra Namaskar or the classical moon salutation, with the poses and their sanskrit names.

Read the steps listed below and see the accompanying pose in the illustration, before trying it:

Steps 1 – 4: Opening Sequence

Step 1: Tadasana [Mountain pose]

Stand with your feet together, body aligned with breath. Bring the palms into namaskara position, stretch the hands above the head and lengthen the spine. Stay in this position and take a few breaths before you move to the next asana.

Step 2: Chandrasana [Side stretch pose]

Inhale deeply and as you exhale bend to the left side. Appreciate the gentle stretch you will feel on the right side. Be careful to not tilt forward or back, only sideways.

Step 3: Utkata konasana [Victory squat]

Return to the centre, step the feet apart and turned slightly out. Inhale and as you exhale bend your knees, bringing the thighs parallel to the ground. Keep the forearm at 90 degrees to the arms and palms facing you. This is also called the Goddess pose, but that shouldn’t deter the guys from trying it out. It helps strengthen the back and the thighs.

Step 4: Utthita tadasana [Five pointed star]

For this, simply raise yourself from the squatting position and straighten the elbows. Hands parallel to the ground. Relax the shoulders and chest.

Steps 5 – 8: Left Side Flow

Step 5: Trikonasana: [Triangle pose]

Step the left foot out and slide down to the left side. Extend the right hand up. This helps improve flexibility of the spine and corrects mis-alignment of the shoulders.

Step 6: Parsvottanasana: [Head to knee pose]

Now, bring the head to touch the left knee. Relax both the hands down on the left foot. This asana helps improve posture and balance. It also improves digestion and lengthens the muscles on the back of the leg.

Step 7: Left side lunge

Bend both the knees and move into lunge on the left side. Keep looking to your left.

Step 8: Forward facing lunge

Straighten the right knee and do a forward facing lunge. Bring both the hands in front on the floor.

Steps 9 – 12: Center and Right Side Flow

Step 9: Malasana

Squat with the feet firmly on the floor and the palms joined in front of you. Maintaining your balance with the feet down and the spine extended may be a bit challenging for some. This pose is often erroneously referred to as the ‘garland pose’. ‘Mal’ in sanskrit means impurity. Since regular practice of this asana helps to improve bowel movement, hence the name. However, some people pronounce it wrongly as ‘Maalasana’ and since ‘maala’ refers to a garland hence the confusion. That is the wrong translation of the name.

Step 10: Forward facing lunge

Now do a forward facing lunge, just as you did in step 8, but bend the right knee and straighten the left. Keep the palms on the floor.

Step 11: Right side lunge

Lunge to the right side, keep looking to your right.

Step 12: Parsvottanasana [Head to knee pose]

Straighten both the knees and bring your head to rest on the right knee, both hands near the right foot.

Steps 13 – 17: Completing the Sequence

Step 13: Trikonasana

Move up into the triangle pose

Step 14: Utthita tadasana [Five pointed star]

Straighten your knees and elbows.

Step 15: Utkata konasana [Victory squat]

Return to the centre, step the feet apart and turned slightly out. Inhale and as you exhale bend your knees, bringing the thighs parallel to the ground. Keep the forearm at 90 degrees to the arms and palms facing you. This is also called the Goddess pose, but that shouldn’t deter the guys from trying it out. It helps strengthen the back and the thighs.

Step 16: Tiryaka tadasana

Hands in namaskara position, extended overhead, bend to your right side.

Step 17: Tadasana

Conclude one sequence, returning to where you began—hands in namaskara position and extended overhead.

When to Practice Chandra Namaskar

The Best Time to Do Chandra Namaskar

You can do moon salutation at any time of the day. But the best time is the evening, around sunset or when the moon is up. Just as mornings are a good time for sun salutations, evenings are considered best for moon salutations.

It’s known that the phases of the moon have an effect on earth and its inhabitants. The Siva Samhita, an ancient Indian text [almost 500 years old] mentions the moon as a source of immortality.

In fact, the moon phases affect everything on the earth that contains two elements—namely salt and water. That’s probably why people suffering from chronic diseases may experience an aggravation of their complaints during the full moon, especially those suffering from asthma. Though there is conflicting scientific research to support these observations, the number of people who experience this phenomenon are testimony to it.

Chandra Namaskar Benefits: Physical and Mental

The benefits of moon salutation are numerous and encompass both physical and mental wellbeing:

Physical Benefits of Moon Salutation

• Lower Body Strength: Stretching and strengthening of the muscles of the thighs, calves, pelvis and ankles. The focus here, mainly remains on the lower body.
• Improved Flexibility: Enhanced spine flexibility and hip mobility through the various poses
• Better Posture: Regular practice helps correct postural imbalances
• Enhanced Balance: The lunging sequences improve proprioception and stability

Mental and Emotional Benefits

• Stress Relief: Practising the moon salutation on days of the full moon can help balance fiery energies and calm you down if you’re feeling stressed or over-stimulated.
• Creative Energy: It also helps channel your creative energies. If you get an opportunity to practice the moon salutation outdoors on a moonlit night, don’t miss it.
• Chakra Activation: The sequence helps activate the root chakra, grounding your energy.
• Relaxation: The slower pace promotes relaxation and prepares the body for rest.

Moon Salutation vs Sun Salutation: Key Differences

Understanding the differences between Chandra Namaskar and Surya Namaskar helps practitioners choose the right practice for their needs:

Tempo and Energy

One of the key differences between Chandra Namaskar and Surya Namaskar is the tempo — the former is always done in a slow and relaxed manner, staying in each pose for one breath [1 inhale + 1 exhale= 1 breath]. While the Surya Namaskar is often done in several dozens sets and is a complete work-out by itself, one would not exceed more than 4 – 5 moon salutations at a time.

Starting Side

Also note that while doing Chandra Namaskar you begin on the left side and then continue on the right. That is because the left side represents the ida nadi, which is related to the moon whereas the pingala nadi or the right side represents the sun.

Purpose and Energy

While sun salutations energize and invigorate, moon salutations calm and center. This makes Chandra Namaskar ideal for evening practice or when you need to balance excess heat and activity in your life.

Chandra Namaskar Precautions and Contraindications

Who Should Avoid Moon Salutation

There aren’t any specific contraindications to doing the Chandra Namaskar. But it’s better to avoid it if you have any pain in the lower back or knees.

Modifications for Beginners

• Hold each pose for 2-3 breaths if you’re new to the practice
• Use props like blocks or straps to support difficult poses
• Skip or modify poses that cause discomfort

How to Practice Moon Salutation for Maximum Benefits

Creating the Right Environment

Try it on Full Moon night – Block your calendar on the next full moon night for a mini date with yourself. Bring out the scented candles and play some soothing music. Start off with a few minutes of candle-gazing [trataka] meditation, followed by the 4 – 5 rounds of the moon salutation and finish with yoga nidra… pure bliss!

Breathing Guidelines

• Coordinate each movement with your breath
• Hold each position for 1-2 breaths (1 breath = 1 inhalation + 1 exhalation)
• Focus on the breathing and time your asanas with the breath, rather than counting seconds or minutes

Practice Frequency

• Beginners: 2-3 rounds, 2-3 times per week
• Intermediate: 4-5 rounds, 4-5 times per week
• Advanced: 5-7 rounds, daily practice

Traditional Chandra Namaskar: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Life

This traditional 17-step sequence offers a perfect balance to our fast-paced modern lives. By incorporating the moon salutation into your regular yoga practice, you create space for introspection, calm, and connection with the natural rhythms of the universe.

Whether you’re looking to wind down after a stressful day, enhance your flexibility, or simply connect with the cooling energy of the moon, this ancient practice offers a pathway to peace and well-being. Start with just a few rounds and gradually build your practice as you become more comfortable with the sequence.

Remember, the journey of yoga is not about perfection but about presence. Allow yourself to move slowly, breathe deeply, and honor the wisdom of the moon with each graceful transition through this beautiful sequence.

Download the Chandra Namaskar sequence chart »

Click on the thumbnail to view/download a single image of all the Chandra Namaskar asanas together

The post Chandra Namaskar Guide: Traditional 17-Step Moon Salutation 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.

Unfortunately, frontline treatments aren’t always effective in relieving panic attacks. Solutions such as benzodiazepines (known under brand names like Xanax and Valium) may relieve fear in the short term, but they have an extremely high potential for addiction, a notoriously difficult withdrawal and tend to treat the symptom but not the underlying cause.

Having panic attacks on a regular basis can have a severe impact on a person’s ability to enjoy life or even function normally, with some going on to develop co-morbidities such as agoraphobia (usually in an attempt to avoid anything that may trigger a panic attack or fear of not being close enough to “safe” people or areas) or substance misuse disorders.

What does a panic attack feel like?

Panic attacks are not dangerous (in the sense that they won’t cause bodily harm) and they are not the result of something “physically” wrong, but the symptoms can be so acute that people often assume they are having a heart attack, losing their mind, or even dying.

Common symptoms for panic attacks include:

• Shaking
• Sweating
• Intense chest or head pain
• A feeling of unreality
• A sense of impending doom
• Nausea and stomach cramping
• Feeling unable to breathe

It is important to understand that these symptoms aren’t imagined. What people experience in a panic attack is very real — it just isn’t going to cause them any physical harm. Activity in the brain and nervous system creates a physiological response that is indistinguishable from what a person would experience if they were in mortal danger, including a spike in blood pressure and a cascade of stress hormones.

What triggers panic attacks

Through observation and research, we now understand that panic attacks occur due to activity in three aspects of our being — our physical selves (a.k.a our physiology), our psychology and our respiratory system. We know that there is a physical cause as around 60% of panic attack sufferers respond to medication such as SSRI’s, and we can observe the panic response in their brain and nervous system.

The emotional aspect of panic attacks is more complex but no less powerful. Panic attacks can sometimes have emotional triggers, and our emotional response to feelings of panic can also serve to entrench patterns of worry and stress which make panic attacks more likely.

The third factor at the root of panic attacks is the way we breathe. The medical community is becoming more aware of the role our breath (and particularly, disturbed breathing patterns) have on our autonomic nervous system, and how conscious control of our breath may influence the way we feel for the better.

How yoga can help relieve panic attacks

There is a growing wealth of research to suggest that yoga can help people who experience panic attacks due to underlying mental health issues, particularly through the easing of symptoms associated with anxiety disorders and PTSD.  One notable example is a study published in the Frontiers of Psychology, which found “significant improvement in panic symptomatology following both the practice of yoga and the combination of yoga and psychotherapy.”

While there aren’t many studies that investigate panic attacks specifically, yoga therapy is increasingly viewed as a viable adjunct treatment for many of the conditions which include panic attacks in their symptoms. Unfortunately, around 40% of anxiety sufferers prove resistant to primary treatments for anxiety, creating a pressing need amongst health professionals and patients for other efficacious interventions.

The three aspects of yoga that support healing

Yoga therapy offers a sustainable treatment option that patients can continue long-term with their own private practice. Yoga addresses three parts of a person’s being (the breath, body and mind), which holistically supports healing across both the physical and psychological aspects of their illness, while also offering a spiritual framework for life should they wish to engage with it.

1. Breath

Breathing is often disordered in people with panic attacks, which can have a negative impact on their wider nervous system. They may “gulp” air, unconsciously hold their breath, over-breathe or breathe shallowly, and most especially when they begin to feel anxious.

Disordered breathing is something people develop unconsciously and it is often a reactive attempt to control their feelings. Unfortunately, however, it has the opposite effect, putting their nervous system into a state of high alert and culminating in periods of psychological crisis.

Pranayama (the yogic word for breathing exercises) is of increasing interest to anxiety researchers. The relationship between anxiety and our breathing is becoming ever more understood, and learning breath work with a yoga therapist can help people manage their anxiety in an effective and accessible way.

2. Body

A key component of panic attacks and anxiety are the distressing physical symptoms that accompany feelings of fear. People living with acute anxiety often display high levels of physical tension and are extremely sensitive to physical stimuli. For example, a person who regularly has panic attacks may notice and fixate on a passing headache that another person barely registers, and feel increasingly anxious about the pain.

This creates a feedback loop where the pain is amplified by the body’s physical stress response, which goes on to heighten psychological anxiety. This leads to hyper-vigilance and for some can develop into a sense of alienation from their own body.

Yoga asanas offer a gentle method of exercise that helps people connect with their bodies and feel less uncomfortable within themselves. With the help of a yoga therapist, highly anxious people can increase their “window of tolerance” for physical discomfort, learn to breathe correctly under physical strain and increase their resilience to stress.

3. Mind

The psychological aspect of panic attacks is powerful and can impact people’s lives in a profoundly negative way. They may stop taking part in activities they once enjoyed, become convinced they will suffer a heart attack or stroke, avoid spaces that aren’t perceived as safe to them, or become depressed.

Mindfulness and meditation are key components of yoga and can help people to become calmer and more able to cope with negative thoughts and emotions. With regular practice, mindfulness increases people’s capacity to recognise their own stress triggers and gently guide themselves away from detrimental thought patterns and behaviours.

Summary

Experiencing panic attacks can be life-changing for the sufferer, estranging them from the person they thought they were and the life they thought they’d lead. Managing panic attacks and the mental health issues that cause them requires holistic support which sustains people through acutely vulnerable periods of their life. When used alongside talking therapies and medication, yoga therapy can provide another pillar of care on the road to recovery.

The post The beneficial impact of yoga on panic attacks appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

However, if you have been feeling down for an extended period of time, with a persistent feeling of sadness and a loss of interest in daily living, you might be suffering from depression. Depression need to not be linked to an event and may include suicidal tendencies. A study suggested that if we eliminate depression, suicide rates would go down by as much as 80 per cent. In some cases, the mental health condition may be caused by one or more reasons.

If you are feeling depressed or suicidal, my first advice is to talk to someone who is kind, compassionate and empathetic and is willing to listen without judging you. Talking to a friend or a well-wisher often puts things in the appropriate perspective. If possible, see a trained counsellor. Seeking treatments for your condition may help alleviate it and prevent it from getting worse.

Next, I would suggest you kickstart your yoga practice right away. Participating in various activities may help you manage your condition better. Don’t underestimate the efficacy of yoga in managing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Indeed, my own journey is a testimony to its powerful benefits on one’s mental health, for had it not been for yoga [and my friends], I too may have been part of the terrible statistics.

Yoga and mental health

Various researches including the one by Journal of Affective Disorders have concluded that yoga-based interventions are “an attractive option for treatment of depression”. According to Harvard Medical School, a new research on yoga has yielded promising evidence that yoga could complement traditional treatment for depression. It was seen that a regular practice of yoga helped modulate stress response which, in turn, was beneficial for those with depression and anxiety.

My own journey into wellbeing started when I was on medication for depression and anxiety. Interestingly, one of the side-effects of the medication was suicidal feelings. [Yes, your anti-depressant could make you suicidal.]

For me, a few rounds of Surya Namaskar (sun-salutations), headstand and kapalbhati played a big role in dissolving the suicidal thoughts. While Ayurveda believes this has to do with yoga’s ability to balance and energise chakras in a therapeutic manner, we are yet to understand the intricacies from a modern research perspective. This is not due to lack of evidence but rather because we do not have methodologies to study the shift in suicidal tendencies.

4 ways yoga benefits your mental health

1. Regulates good and bad hormones

At the most basic level, any physical activity helps improve muscle tone and circulation and causes a surge in endorphins—the feel-good hormones. Yoga goes a few steps further. A well-designed yoga session not just works at a physical level but also helps increase the energy field by removing mental and emotional blocks and not just muscle knots. Ideally, after finishing a traditional yoga session, you would feel like you received an Abhyangam. Yoga helps reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol while increasing happy hormones like GABA, serotonin and dopamine, all critical neurotransmitters related to mood.

If you want to include a workout session into your daily routine to help your mood, it may be an excellent idea to consider enrolling in yoga classes.

2. Encourages slow, deep breathing

Gymnasts perform many postures that look similar to yoga asanas, but they do not get all the benefits of an asana. This is because yoga practice involves slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing which, in turn, helps the body and mind to relax. The yogic style of breathing is known to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and the vagal tone, both extremely important to help us move away from stress and towards relaxation. Learning proper breathing may help you outside your yoga sessions. For instance, you may try to calm your thoughts whenever you feel low by breathing slowly and practicing mindfulness.

3. Promotes mindfulness

Depression often leads us to replay our past whereas anxiety is related to the thoughts of the future. In yoga, you are encouraged to keep your attention on the breath and not let your mind wander. Some forms of yoga utilise the benefits of mindfulness to help improve a person’s overall well-being and health. An authentic yoga teacher reminds her students to keep bringing their attention back to the now. With regular practice, being centered and mindful comes easily.

4. Builds resilience

Yoga helps us face failure and build resilience by bringing us face to face with our vulnerabilities and strengths. On the mat we learn that we can’t always do a pose that looks easy for another person. We learn also that after months of practice, we are nowhere closer to touching our toes. But the principles of Abhyasa and Vairagya—practice incessantly, practice without expectation of results—keep us grounded and committed. Your improvements may also boost your mood and, therefore, may help alleviate your mental condition. We show up and try again, until we begin to surprise ourselves. When we are in a difficult pose on the mat, the teacher encourages us to observe, to breathe, embrace our limits and to know within that “this too shall pass”—an excellent learning for a difficult phase off the mat. This is how yoga builds our adversity quotient while teaching us to be kind to ourselves.

Final Thoughts

Practicing yoga can provide various benefits to your overall health. For one, it’s an effective workout to keep your body fit and healthy. It can also help improve your flexibility and mobility. In some cases, yoga may also help your mental well-being. Some people who suffer from mental health problems can take advantage of yoga to improve their mental state. So, if you’re looking for an activity to help your health condition, don’t hesitate to try yoga.

— This article was last updated on 7^th December 2021

The post How yoga can help strengthen your mental health 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.

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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.

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.

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