9 Tips to Practice Yoga at Home

  Sahil Jagtiani embarked on his journey of music in high school, when he would write lyrics for his rock band and learn varied styles of lead and rhythm guitar. Music was his heart’s calling and he chose it as a career. It was only in college, when he turned to spirituality, that his music found a new definition. Touring the world, and India, he has brought Sanskrit chants and devotional music to the youth in its most contemporary form, which was an instant hit with them. He is seen as the youth icon, transforming young lives through music and workshops that gives them a "clean" high, without alcohol or drugs. In conversation with  Sahil Jagtiani When it comes to music and meditation, youth tend to believe that—first, you cannot meditate while listening to music, and second, you can be mindful only with relaxing music. Is this true? The first statement isn’t true. Music helps to balance our chakras. There are seven chakras, or energy centres, in our body. Every chakra has a ...

  Every athlete would agree that energy is a key ingredient to success in sport. Food, restful sleep, breath and meditation are the four sources of energy. The amount of energy gained from meditation is greater than that from sleep with 20 minutes of meditation equal to 8 hours of deep sleep. Meditation is probably the most powerful technique known to relieve stress and anxiety and restore health. Here are 8 steps to get you started on a meditation program that can support your sport and your life. #1 Yogic Stretching Yogic stretching is different from the western concept of exercise and is essential to beginning your meditation because it frees excess energy, allowing the mind to relax with ease. Take IMPACT Action: Perform 5-10 rounds of posture sequences (learned under the guidance of a trained yoga teacher ) such as  Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)  in which each posture is synchronized with the breath. #2 Pranayam (Yogic Breath) Pranayam is breath control ...

  Leaving the past behind in every sense, Patricia (Patti) Montella moved on from a successful 20-year corporate career to an even more adventurous ride that changed her life—forever! For the last two decades, she has been practicing meditation and teaching the science of yoga around the world, through The Art of Living ( www.artofliving.org ). In an interview with Anamika Khosla, Patti shares a glimpse of the extraordinary life she has been living since she first became an Art of Living teacher in 1995. The Beginning of a New Adventure Patti enjoyed her life – traveling the world, a successful career in sales and marketing, a good family, friends, social life, and financial stability. In spite of all that, she suffered frequent migraine headaches. Patti shares, "The allopathic doctors filled me up with all kinds of medicines for years and nothing worked. I knew I had to find another solution. That's when I began noticing that whenever I felt a migraine coming on, if I got qui...

  You chance upon this poster in the mall during the weekend. Or maybe your manager recommends you for a program, or a friend enrolls you on this course. Your partner practicing this regularly stokes your interest for it. Whatever the exact cause, your various trysts with meditation techniques and practices create a wonderful excitement about the meditation-space. Fancy books, brisk videos on YouTube, some intellectual discussions over dinner and coffee finally land you in a meditation program somewhere. You must have realized by now that there is this intimate space inside you which is longing to experience this transcendence. Here are some simple guideposts to help you embark on this great journey: # If You Want to stay Happy, Sudarshan Kriya is the First Step The SKY – Sudarshan Kriya Yoga – is a simple but very effective technique that uses natural rhythmic breathing patterns that harmonize the body, mind and emotions. The principle behind it is a no-brainer: different emotions...

  And it is well known that meditation brings more love in people’s lives. While counter terrorism operations and other security enforcement measures will continue at one level, the benefits of meditation should certainly be given more serious consideration, as a part of peace building in tackling the challenges we are facing today – from violence, crime, and corruption to trafficking and other ghastly issues. The recent series of barbaric attacks, from Pakistan to Australia to Europe to North Africa, confirm that “mindless” violence remains the staple of most groups. With greater social hostilities between different ethnic, religious and linguistic groups, political terror and gross human rights abuse, the danger of terrorism is emerging around the world.  Africa too has emerged as a terror haven and is witnessing resurgence in jihadi-linked violence. The continent is especially vulnerable because terrorism is not limited to attacks but includes the use of African territories...

  We are made up of both, matter and spirit. This means that our skin, more than just being the visible outer layer, is full of life and activity. It is an organ, like any other part of our body, and needs to be kept healthy and nourished. However, beauty is an inner phenomenon. As said popularly,  beauty  lies in the heart of every person and it reflects naturally as radiance on a person’s face. The definition of beauty goes beyond the skin yet, our skin is one of the most visible expressions of this beauty. The modern-day beauty treatments address the physical needs but do not reveal the secrets of how you can make each cell of your skin glow from within and pulsate with energy and radiance. Common causes of skin problem are age, stress, unhealthy lifestyle practices such as smoking, alcohol, drug addiction, wrong food habits, hormonal changes in the body and improper digestion. There are many natural beauty tips for glowing skin which also help in cleans...

  In the ancient Indian Vedic times, for any spiritual practice, a single person of a couple was not allowed because it would create an imbalance. If married, both the individuals had to be a part of such practices. The belief was that one would grow while the other would not, but when both the husband and wife would participate together, they move forward in union. Otherwise, if one is fulfilled and the other is not fulfilled, there would be conflict in the marital life and hence a rule was made that both of them should be take part together. The beauty of this rule has not only found an extension in rituals or ceremonies but also in everyday prayers and ceremonies. Many couples have now taken the practice of  meditation  as their ‘together’ time and swear by the benefits. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “ There’s a natural tendency for each soul to look for a joy that doesn’t diminish, a love that does not distort. This is possible via meditation.” Together we medita...

You are bound to go through a roller coaster of emotions. Acne, obesity, hypertension, facial hair, irregular periods, sluggishness, and hair loss make a regular appearance in your life. And let’s not talk about the rising craving for sweets. It is true that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) puts you through a lot more than you can handle. Worrying is a futile exercise here. What needs to be done immediately is resorting to natural tips. Try a few natural means for PCOS treatment and find yourself in the right spirit to take on your life with a smile. Some of us might mistake the symptoms of PCOS with PCOS itself. You might want to consult an Ayurvedic doctor, who’ll diagnose if you have PCOS or not. 9 natural ways for PCOS treatment 1. Choose a healthy lifestyle Did you know that fine-tuning your lifestyle to suit your health can totally reverse the effects of PCOS? For instance, you can adjust your work timings in such a way that you get a minimum of 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Do...

  I began this new year with an incredible treat. I had the chance to be a part of a one week intensive advanced program of deep meditations, profound knowledge & breathing/yogic techniques of the Art of Living Foundation. Over 700 people from over 60 countries came together in Berlin- CEOs, artists, sports people, entrepreneurs young & old, engineers, senior citizens, young parents, students and more. Some young couples came with babies a few months old and one of the eldest members of the program was above 85 years of age. The group was as diverse as you could get. The purpose was ONE- to slow down, cool down and dive deep. Personally guided by  Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar  every day was spent in practising age old yoga techniques ( known to clear and enliven the 7 chakras in our body, thereby having healing impact at the subtlest levels), doing self reflection guided by ancient vedic texts ( swadhyaya   - self study is the best mirror one can show oneself...