9 Tips to Practice Yoga at Home

  Tailbone, or the coccyx, is something you probably didn’t give much thought to. Or perhaps, you thought of it as an unimportant part of the body, given that humans do not have tails. However,   research   shows that the tailbone is an important weight-bearing support to the body in sitting position. You will agree when you experience pain in the rear, and realize that the simple acts of sitting and standing are not as easy as they used to be but strenuous activities that require forethought!   Here’s what could have happened. You might have strained your tailbone or some of the surrounding muscles or/and ligaments, or there might be inflammation. It isn’t easy to carry on your daily schedule with that nagging pain in the rear region. So let’s find out more about tailbone pain and how you can get relief from it.  Where is the tailbone? The last bone in the spinal cord is called a tailbone. Animals can use these bones to move their tail, which helps them at...

  Whenever I became angry, my 4-year-old son would always comment that I looked like a rakshas (demon) 👿. This was so until I attended my first meditation program in Rishikesh. Then I became a regular meditation practitioner. One day, in a playful mood, he said, “Ma, the rakshas doesn't come in you anymore! If you happen to become mad at me, then you must go to Rishikesh and give up your rakshas there. OK?” Have you been called similar names by your kids? It is disheartening 😢 and 🤔 thought-provoking. It is disheartening because parents need to give children a friendly environment. But at times, we reflect on the stress around them. It is thought-provoking as we begin to earnestly lookout for a solution to this problem.  Before I share how meditation helped me as a parent, would you like to know my social, emotional and mental background, before I became a parent? Here you are! My background  My upbringing was in a broad-minded nuclear family with the freedom of speec...

Non-acceptance or non-accumulation of objects, or things from people, is  aparigraha .  When you practice  aparigraha  and refuse to take anything, whether things, compliments or insults, you acquire the ability to remember your previous lifetimes. The memory of previous lifetimes brings enormous strength in the present moment. It brings clarity, purposefulness to your actions and happiness. When a person wants more and more, then he is obsessed with fear. He does not know the eternal value of life. Life has been there for ages and will continue for ages to come. Non-accumulating simply means confidence in one's existence. Confidence is in one's ability. Knowledge of one's Self. If you know how to bake bread, then you will not go on baking and storing it for a year. It will become stale and inedible. You will bake fresh bread whenever you want to. In China, there is a proverb:  "What you give, you gain more. Whatever you scatter, you will have it all. You l...

  The lifestyle we lead today is synonymous with stressful life. We desire accomplishments, but before their time. We put too much on our plates even before finishing the already existing pile. All this and more affect us physically and emotionally.  Do you feel you are carrying a ton on your shoulders even when simply working in an air-conditioned room while being seated comfortably? Do you feel the need to be competitive to make your mark? Do you fear the troubles inside you could break you down at any point in your life? Do you feel the clutch of stress and anxiety to the point of being helpless? What do you do for stress relief?   What Causes Stress? Stress is an emotion felt by almost everyone at some point in their lives; the intensity keeps changing based on circumstances. Teachers, politicians, doctors, engineers, students, homemakers and almost everybody experience stress in their vocations. But that’s not the biggest concern. The biggest concern is how they deal...

  The mind never gets a day off. It’s either busy with ‘who-said-what’ or mulling on the past or the future. With yoga and meditation, train your mind to stay calm, happy and relaxed. Imagine going on a long drive to the countryside with a rundown car. Far from enjoying the scenery, you will be caught up with the car trouble. We don’t often realize but the same happens when the mind is too occupied with past events or future anxieties. We fail to enjoy the beauty in simple things – being with nature, enjoying a sunset. Is there nothing that can ‘quiet’ the mind and allow us to enjoy the moment? Yoga could provide the answer. How to Calm your mind? How does the mind work? What does yoga do? But first, is there really a need to quiet the mind’s chatter? Do you find your mind wandering off on a trip of thoughts about the past or future? Even with your eyes open and glued to a computer screen, your mind could be elsewhere. The result: low productivity and efficiency; unachieved deadlin...

Once you have learned yoga from a qualified teacher, and are comfortable, you can start practicing yoga on your own. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you prepare yourself for yoga at home: 9 Tips to Practice Yoga at Home 1. Choose a convenient time Practicing yoga in the morning is generally considered to be the best time as it keeps            energy levels high during the day. However, you can choose any time of your                          convenience to practice yoga. Practicing yoga in the evening can refresh the mind and          release stress collected during the day. 2. Choose a comfortable place It would be best to have a small, private room in your house for daily yoga practice. Over time, your practices will create positive vibrations in the room, thereby providing healing, strength, and comfort to you and others at home. Alternatively...