Santosha (Contentment) as the second of the five Niyamas (Observances) is the root of joy; its opposite is the root of suffering. It is all about being content with one’s actions and with what one has, what one is, where one is and with what one has done or what one is doing. Our mental makeup & state of mind allow us to find contentment in any situation. Remaining focused in the face of adversity and practice of choosing love over fear is Santosha. When we let go of our narrow and shortsighted ideas of happiness and open ourselves to all experiences, we take the first step toward Santosha. Once we're in a state of Santosha, even our desires are quelled by the inner feeling of contentment. It is the key to all the Niyamas and an obligatory condition for enlightenment.
WHAT IS CONTENTMENT
Contentment is serenity, comfort, reconciliation, acknowledgment. When we're in a state of Santosha, we can feel inner peace. We begin to see things differently. We begin to enjoy the simple things in life- folding the laundry, listening to the rain, smiling at someone on the street. Contentment heightens our appreciation and experience of what exists and therefore enriches us deeply. We have lesser need to go out, get something new, and enjoy more of what we have. Being contented doesn't mean not to have goals in mind, things we want to strive for. The difference is that when we're in a state of Santosha, we're unattached to the results and there's no comparison to anyone or anything else. We retain our inner balance. We feel grateful for the experience and open to what the universe has in store next. We become open to outcome, rather than fixed on one particular result. It actually opens us up to explore and experience more in life. We become whole and complete for who we are in the moment. That is a feeling of contentment.
CONTENTMENT & CONSOLATION
There is a big difference between contentment and consolation. The difficulty arises when we just try to adopt the attitude of contentment. Often it is used as an excuse that I did my best & I'm happy with this. Consolation is a state of mind whereby one accepts the outcome without having put up the best effort. It's easy to say that that's my karma or it's not my destiny. There is an old saying “You can wake up a sleeping person but you cannot awaken someone who is pretending to sleep.” The Bhagavad Gita offers the teaching that our duty is to give our fullest and best effort to what is in front of us. Behind this self-consolatory attitude is a lack of effort and a deep hidden disappointment that could even lead to resentment and surface as anger later on. Hence it becomes clear that contentment arises out of full effort, engaged and devoted work with an attitude to accept whatever may come from it. Without the effort, there is a void energetically and the result is misdirected Prana, which will cause doubt, uncertainty and fear. To make progress on this inner growth, spiritual path requires a level of contentment within. This is essentially a decreased dependence to everything of this world and a greater attitude of acceptance within. The more natural we are and take better care of ourself, the more would be this acceptance.
HOW TO CULTIVATE CONTENTMENT
There are several ways to cultivate contentment. Sincere introspection, regular prayer, meditation, repetition of the lord’s name, reading of the scriptures, selfless service, love towards humanity, generosity will all lead you towards contentment. Experiencing Santosha requires practice and one way we can work towards the same is through a mindful and openhearted approach to the eightfold path of Patanjali. Practice of yoga keeps our energies balanced and our mind serene. The deepest contentment comes at those moments when we feel we are in the flow of life, when we are communing with nature, when our energies are positive and when we have no desires. By being conscious of these moments, we can strengthen, expand and sustain the feeling of contentment for longer periods. When we consciously practice Santosha, we spend more time in contentment and less time in agitation, more time in consciousness awareness and less time in the emotionality of anger or depression or other negativities. Contentment offers a doorway into another avenue to experience the world. There is elegance to how it shapes power in lives and allows for greater service to the world. Even when we are surrounded by chaos and disharmony, we can return to this feeling and find ourselves back in a place of peace and calm. The state of contentment becomes a familiar place when we observe it throughout the day. The key is to bring our attention fully to it when it occurs and not hurry on to the next activity. In addition, by affirming our place in the cosmos and our connection to others, it is easier to find inner peace.
FURTHER SUGGESTIONS
Develop an attitude of contentment (Santosha).
Gratitude is an important aspect of Santosha.
Be grateful for all the good things you have in life.
Look around you and be thankful for the good relationships, your ability to reason, your health and your position in life.
There is always someone in a worse situation. There is an old saying-A man was complaining that he had no shoes till he came across a man who had no feet. Don't complain about what you don't possess.
Write a list of all the blessed gifts you have.
Understand the nature of your desire.
Realize your weaknesses or those aspects of life that are holding you back in some way.
Be thankful for sunshine, fresh air, food and the sounds of life.
Be happy, smile and uplift others.
By putting Santosha into practice, you can get rid of cravings and attain great happiness to progress on the spiritual ladder, path, journey or whatever you want to call it. Begin by accepting yourself completely and joyously, and then extend that gift to all those you pass and meet on the sacred journey of your life.
If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna's Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.
Mobile: + 919849772485 Ph:-9140-65173344 Email: yogashaastra@gmail.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
PRANA… THE VITAL LIFE FORCE ENERGY
According to human physiology, the human body is comprised of five bodies or Sheaths. The Sheaths are called ‘Kosha’, which means layers of existence. These five Sheaths are known as Annamaya Kosha / Physical / gross body, Pranamaya Kosha / Pranic / vital air body, Manomaya Kosha / mental body, Vijnanamaya Kosha / intellect body and Anandamaya Kosha / bliss body. The Pranas constitute the second sheath (The Pranamaya Kosha).
THE FIVE VAYUS
There are five principle elements of nature; these are Earth, Air, Water, Ether & Fire. Air is the principle element & one of the minute forms of cosmic energy. This energy is also present in the human body as well. When you breathe in slowly, deeply & consciously you can feel this cosmic energy circulating in each cell, each tissue, each muscle, each nerve, each organ & each part of your body. It gives us light, a life, strength, courage, vigour & power. Although Prana is one, it has five subdivisions based on its location in the human body & called Punch Prana. They are Prana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Udana Vayu &Vyana Vayu. Each govern specific areas of the body, not just physical, but govern emotional qualities and mental energies fundamental to physical, mental and emotional well being. All five flows have to be working well for a person to be completely healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. Regular breathing exercise can keep Pranamaya Kosha healthy & balanced
PRANA VAYU
The breath is the key action for Prana & can be experienced strongly as it moves within the head in practices of Pranayama and Meditation. It circulates in the area around the heart and throat. It gathers at the navel and from there is distributed throughout the body. The Prana Vayu is the energy of the Anahata / Heart Chakra. It governs the intake of energy via food, drink, breath, impressions, emotions, thoughts and consciousness. Its element is air. It maintains the life system by filtering & warming up the air taken in through the nose. When Prana is sufficient, no disease can affect us. It brings right receptivity, love & compassion. When Prana is not sufficient, we start feeling weaknesses, stiffness & negativity in the body & mind. Diseases like asthma, anxiety, insomnia, headache, high or low BP and ringing of the ears can affect us. The awareness of Prana-Vayu creates a focus to lift, lengthen and open the upper body
APANA VAYU
Apana Vayu circulates in the lower region of the abdomen between the navel and the rectum including the large intestine & reproductive organs. The healthy functioning of the Apana Vayu is as vital as that of the Prana Vayu. It controls excretory functions (urine, faeces, toxins & waste materials). It is also responsible for bleeding, labour pain, childbirth, stomachache, the semen and the elimination of carbon dioxide through the breath. Its element is Earth. It is related to Mooladhara / Root Chakra. When Apana Vayu is in balance, it brings stability, security, abundance & values. But when in an imbalanced state, it can lead to instability, insecurity, scarcity, egoistic, biased feeling, complaints, rejection, demands & mental weaknesses. Diseases like constipation, anemia, diarrhea, body pain, jaundice, piles, vomiting & gas can affect us.The awareness of Apana Vayu creates a focus to ground and stabilize the lower body.
SAMANA VAYU
Samana Vayu is a circular flow of breath around the waist. The main function of the Samana is to maintain the balance between Prana & Apana. It circulates between the heart and navel center including the small intestine & the umbilical region. It stimulates the digestive juices, thus facilitating digestion. Developing Samana Vayu properly nourishes all parts of your body and the energy supplied by food is evenly distributed because it separates nutrients and waste from food & separates useful and not useful thoughts. Its element is Fire. It is related to Manipur / Solar Chakra. When Samana Vayu is in balance, it brings peace, balance, harmony, equilibrium strong will power, wit, wisdom, brilliance, bravery, courage, generosity, forgiving within ourselves and with our natural environment. But when in an imbalanced state, it can lead to attachment, greed, passiveness, not God fearing, revengeful, pervertion & lust. Diseases like Indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, gas problem, skin, blood related, TB, chicken pox, cancer, acidity can affect us. The awareness of Samana Vayu creates a focus to open and relax the body.
UDANA VAYU
Udana Vayu is in the opposite direction of Prana Vayu. It operates the region from the throat to the brain. It controls the entry points of food, air & governs the output of energy via our expression through speech, physical effort, emotional enthusiasm and mental judgment.
Its element is Ether / Sky. It is related to Vishudi / Throat Chakra. When UdanaVayu is in balance, it brings right aspiration in life, right values combination skills, gratitude, spiritual, philosophical, religious & chaste life. But when in an imbalanced state, it leads to person being overly proud, arrogant, sad, irritating & shouting. Diseases like belching, vomiting, sore throat, sinus, headache, earache, epilepsy & speech problems like stammering can affect us.
At death, it rises up from the body and directs us towards various subtle worlds according to the power of our will and karma that move through it. The awareness of Udana Vayu, creates a focus to maintain a long spine and a correct posture.
VYANA VAYU
Vyana Vayu circulates along the whole body distributing the energy from food & breath through lymphatic & nervous system. It controls all physical movements including the flow of breath, senses, emotions, thoughts, elimination of toxins and coordination between mind & body. It transports the absorbed Prana to the places where it can work and express itself. Its element is Water. It is related to Swadhisthana / Hara Chakra. When VyanaVayu is in balance, it brings mental peace, creativity, perfection, punctuality, luxury, wealth, patience, inner power, humbleness, knowledge, right action and action in harmony with our values, aspirations, including the free expansion of thought, emotion, perception and consciousness. But when in an imbalanced state, it leads to depression, frustration, disappointment, defeat, superstition, doubting, lack of coordination between mind and body and difficulty in movement particularly while walking.
Diseases like menstrual problems, gyne, menopause, leucorrhoea, prostrate glands, urinary, colitis, excess water accumulation in stomach, depression, frustration & snoring can affect us.
The awareness of Vyana-Vayu creates a focus of strength and fluid movement of body.
In short, Prana and Udana work opposite to Apana as the forces of energization versus those of elimination. Similarly, Vyana and Samana are opposites as expansion and contraction. This is much like the working of a machine. Prana brings in the fuel, Samana converts this fuel to energy, Vyana circulates the energy to the various work sites. Apana releases the waste materials or by products of the conversion process. Udana governs the positive energy created in the process and determines the work that the machine is able to do.
The key to health and well-being is to keep our Pranas in harmony through Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Proper Diet, & Positive Thinking. When one Prana becomes imbalanced, the others tend to become imbalanced as well because they are all linked together.
If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna's Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.
Mobile: 09849772485 Ph:-040-65173344 Email: yogashaastra@gmail.com
THE FIVE VAYUS
There are five principle elements of nature; these are Earth, Air, Water, Ether & Fire. Air is the principle element & one of the minute forms of cosmic energy. This energy is also present in the human body as well. When you breathe in slowly, deeply & consciously you can feel this cosmic energy circulating in each cell, each tissue, each muscle, each nerve, each organ & each part of your body. It gives us light, a life, strength, courage, vigour & power. Although Prana is one, it has five subdivisions based on its location in the human body & called Punch Prana. They are Prana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Udana Vayu &Vyana Vayu. Each govern specific areas of the body, not just physical, but govern emotional qualities and mental energies fundamental to physical, mental and emotional well being. All five flows have to be working well for a person to be completely healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. Regular breathing exercise can keep Pranamaya Kosha healthy & balanced
PRANA VAYU
The breath is the key action for Prana & can be experienced strongly as it moves within the head in practices of Pranayama and Meditation. It circulates in the area around the heart and throat. It gathers at the navel and from there is distributed throughout the body. The Prana Vayu is the energy of the Anahata / Heart Chakra. It governs the intake of energy via food, drink, breath, impressions, emotions, thoughts and consciousness. Its element is air. It maintains the life system by filtering & warming up the air taken in through the nose. When Prana is sufficient, no disease can affect us. It brings right receptivity, love & compassion. When Prana is not sufficient, we start feeling weaknesses, stiffness & negativity in the body & mind. Diseases like asthma, anxiety, insomnia, headache, high or low BP and ringing of the ears can affect us. The awareness of Prana-Vayu creates a focus to lift, lengthen and open the upper body
APANA VAYU
Apana Vayu circulates in the lower region of the abdomen between the navel and the rectum including the large intestine & reproductive organs. The healthy functioning of the Apana Vayu is as vital as that of the Prana Vayu. It controls excretory functions (urine, faeces, toxins & waste materials). It is also responsible for bleeding, labour pain, childbirth, stomachache, the semen and the elimination of carbon dioxide through the breath. Its element is Earth. It is related to Mooladhara / Root Chakra. When Apana Vayu is in balance, it brings stability, security, abundance & values. But when in an imbalanced state, it can lead to instability, insecurity, scarcity, egoistic, biased feeling, complaints, rejection, demands & mental weaknesses. Diseases like constipation, anemia, diarrhea, body pain, jaundice, piles, vomiting & gas can affect us.The awareness of Apana Vayu creates a focus to ground and stabilize the lower body.
SAMANA VAYU
Samana Vayu is a circular flow of breath around the waist. The main function of the Samana is to maintain the balance between Prana & Apana. It circulates between the heart and navel center including the small intestine & the umbilical region. It stimulates the digestive juices, thus facilitating digestion. Developing Samana Vayu properly nourishes all parts of your body and the energy supplied by food is evenly distributed because it separates nutrients and waste from food & separates useful and not useful thoughts. Its element is Fire. It is related to Manipur / Solar Chakra. When Samana Vayu is in balance, it brings peace, balance, harmony, equilibrium strong will power, wit, wisdom, brilliance, bravery, courage, generosity, forgiving within ourselves and with our natural environment. But when in an imbalanced state, it can lead to attachment, greed, passiveness, not God fearing, revengeful, pervertion & lust. Diseases like Indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, gas problem, skin, blood related, TB, chicken pox, cancer, acidity can affect us. The awareness of Samana Vayu creates a focus to open and relax the body.
UDANA VAYU
Udana Vayu is in the opposite direction of Prana Vayu. It operates the region from the throat to the brain. It controls the entry points of food, air & governs the output of energy via our expression through speech, physical effort, emotional enthusiasm and mental judgment.
Its element is Ether / Sky. It is related to Vishudi / Throat Chakra. When UdanaVayu is in balance, it brings right aspiration in life, right values combination skills, gratitude, spiritual, philosophical, religious & chaste life. But when in an imbalanced state, it leads to person being overly proud, arrogant, sad, irritating & shouting. Diseases like belching, vomiting, sore throat, sinus, headache, earache, epilepsy & speech problems like stammering can affect us.
At death, it rises up from the body and directs us towards various subtle worlds according to the power of our will and karma that move through it. The awareness of Udana Vayu, creates a focus to maintain a long spine and a correct posture.
VYANA VAYU
Vyana Vayu circulates along the whole body distributing the energy from food & breath through lymphatic & nervous system. It controls all physical movements including the flow of breath, senses, emotions, thoughts, elimination of toxins and coordination between mind & body. It transports the absorbed Prana to the places where it can work and express itself. Its element is Water. It is related to Swadhisthana / Hara Chakra. When VyanaVayu is in balance, it brings mental peace, creativity, perfection, punctuality, luxury, wealth, patience, inner power, humbleness, knowledge, right action and action in harmony with our values, aspirations, including the free expansion of thought, emotion, perception and consciousness. But when in an imbalanced state, it leads to depression, frustration, disappointment, defeat, superstition, doubting, lack of coordination between mind and body and difficulty in movement particularly while walking.
Diseases like menstrual problems, gyne, menopause, leucorrhoea, prostrate glands, urinary, colitis, excess water accumulation in stomach, depression, frustration & snoring can affect us.
The awareness of Vyana-Vayu creates a focus of strength and fluid movement of body.
In short, Prana and Udana work opposite to Apana as the forces of energization versus those of elimination. Similarly, Vyana and Samana are opposites as expansion and contraction. This is much like the working of a machine. Prana brings in the fuel, Samana converts this fuel to energy, Vyana circulates the energy to the various work sites. Apana releases the waste materials or by products of the conversion process. Udana governs the positive energy created in the process and determines the work that the machine is able to do.
The key to health and well-being is to keep our Pranas in harmony through Yoga, Pranayama, Meditation, Proper Diet, & Positive Thinking. When one Prana becomes imbalanced, the others tend to become imbalanced as well because they are all linked together.
If you feel inspired by this article, feel free to publish it in your Newsletter or on your Website. Our humble request is to please include the Resource as follows: Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna's Yogashaastra Studio. A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health and detoxification.
Mobile: 09849772485 Ph:-040-65173344 Email: yogashaastra@gmail.com
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