five elements
Yoga for Self Realization
Yog asana are a prerequisite for cleansing the mind, body and chakras. Asanas may be comprehended as exercise for the purpose of removal of toxins. The purpose of yoga however is different, it is self-realization. Asana is a preparatory exercise to condition the body for yoga, it is not yoga. Yoga is the art of returning back to the creation, which always bestows upon us. Yoga is the journey of getting rid of our inner wastes and facilitates a journey towards self.
To teach the art of excelling our inner being, Dhyan Foundation teaches ‘Sanatan Kriya’ which is assimilation of Vedic techniques encompassing all the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga as laid down by Sage Patanjali. Sanatan kriya brings closer to the deepest mysteries of creation, the magnanimous gyan of the Vedic seers, and the ancient secrets to health, beauty and glow for not just the physical body but also the external layers that comprise the being; layers which are invisible to the uninitiated but evident to the practitioners of Yog and Sanatan Kriya.
The easy steps of sanatan kriya fulfill different purposes in our hectic lives. The Ujjai pranayam purifies the body. The basic joint rotations regularize the flow of prana in the body. The chakra santulan pranayam redistributes this prana in the various chakras. The paanch mahaprana dhyan balances the five vayus that control the physical body and balances the five elements. Charity and service are also an integral part of the kriya and indispensable for purification of the self, as well as growth.
Yoga enhances the vitality, memory and productivity. It helps us to strengthen our senses and relieve us from anxiety. Yoga is a natural healer for chronic ailments and it imparts a sense of joy, peace and fulfillment within the people.
Happy International Yoga Day (21st June) to all!
Ray of Hope: Shankh or Conch
The beginning of propitious celebration is incomplete without the soothing tune of the conch or shankh. The trumpet sounds so peaceful to the ears and is purely a sign of brilliant and auspicious beginning. In Indian mythology, God Vishnu, the God of Preservation, is shown with a shankh in one hand and a chakra in the other. The shankh symbolizes positivity over negativity and it is blown as a ray of hope. During puja, shankh is also used as a container of holy water.
- Shankh is considered as one of the most auspicious objects that emerged from the sea during the Sagara Samudra Manthan.
- Whenever conch shell is blown, it is said to eliminate the evil effects and purify the environment.
- The natural vibration or cosmic energy of the Earth gets magnified on entering the conch shell, which can be heard as the gentle humming sound of ocean.
- When the conch is blown, the sound emanated from it is a symbol of creation, as it contains the five elements of nature
- The vibration from the conch has the power to heal the ozone hole in the ozone layer, a major cause of global warming.
- The positive vibrations enhance the positive feelings around like courage, willpower, determination, hope and love.
- By blowing the shankh the frequencies consisting raja–tama particles are destroyed and at the same time the saviour and destroyer principle of a deity is awakened.
- Shankh is a sign of good luck, wealth and prosperity for the inmates of the house as it keeps the negative energies away.
- While performing Lakshmi Puja, conch shell is filled with milk and then it is poured over the idol. Water collected in shankh is offered while worshipping sun.
Get dirty, stay healthy! Why should we eat with our hands?
Few of us burdened under the weighty words of westernization and globalization are many times compelled to follow few norms, which are against our will and acceptability. Remember those days when mom used to run behind us with a plate and trying to bluff their toddler for feeding them with their own hands. Those heavenly days were mostly cherished by every Indian kid, but here my intentions are to highlight the fact ‘Why were we fed with hands rather than classy cutlery’.
Today we have broken those natural essence and jumped on to the modern ways of society, yet for some ‘eating with hands’ is still in trend. Eating with cutlery is thought to be more modern, hygienic and convenient, however most people don’t realise that there is a rationale behind eating food with your hands.
- According to the Vedas, our hands are the representation of the five elements of nature.
Thumb: Fire
Index finger: Air
Middle finger: Heaven
Ring finger: Earth
Little finger: Water
So these elements work on your food by cleansing it and preparing us to eat and digest them well.
- A certain kind of bacteria resides in our hands, mouth, throat, intestine, gut and rest of the digestive system; that saves us from the outside harmful bacteria. So the pattern of bacteria is maintained when you eat through your hands.
- In our Indian culture, it is said that “eating food with your hands feeds not only the body but also the mind and the spirit”. Even our Vedas gives utmost importance to this pattern of eating.
- The satiety value of food enlarges when one eats with hands rather than spoon or fork.
- Even while we watch television and eat, our complete senses are involved in the process of eating through hands and we engage ourselves in feeling the texture, warmness and taste of the food.
- As soon as you touch your food with your hands, the brain signals your stomach that you are about to eat. This in turn, prepares the stomach to digest the food it will receive, aiding in better digestion.
- People who eat with their hands are more conscious about hygiene than others, thus it inculcate the habit of washing hands and staying clean. It also keeps you away from certain diseases.
- Eating with hands provides you with another level of awareness and your mind, body and soul are indulged in the entire process making you feel full.
So few of these points might encourage you to get back to the original avatar and get your hands dirty, off course when it’s healthy 🙂
Contributed By: Meenakshi Ahuja
Shubhpuja.com 