Yoga Mastery Box Set #2: Yoga With a Purpose, Chakras for Beginners and Yin Yoga

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Yoga Mastery Series Box Set #2 Yoga With a Purpose, Chakras for Beginners & Yin Yoga Olivia Summers

Copyright © 2016 by Olivia Summers All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. Disclaimer: Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Table of Contents Book #1: Yoga With a Purpose Book #2: Chakras for Beginners Book #3: Yin Yoga

Yoga With a Purpose How to Unlock Your True Potential & Build a Life of Meaning Through Yoga Olivia Summers

INTRODUCTION I’m so happy that you decided to pick up this book and start reading it. By doing so, you must inherently know that there’s something just slightly off about modern yoga practice—that something is missing. If you’re just starting out on your yoga journey and you’re reading this, then I’m impressed. It took me much longer to realize that something was missing in my yoga practice and that it wasn’t just about postures and the food groups you do or don’t eat. I admit, in my early days of yoga (over 10 years ago!) I was mostly in it for vanity’s sake. I mean, who doesn’t want to be effortlessly sexy, look younger and feel the best they ever have? I know I wanted that. Especially after gaining the Freshman 15 I was warned about by my mother. So, when the opportunity came for me to take my first yoga class my freshman year of college, I jumped at the chance. But I must admit: it wasn’t the magical pill I thought it was going to be. Don’t get me wrong: I loved yoga from the start—it was just for all the wrong reasons. I wasn’t so much interested in the spiritual side of the practice or becoming a better person. I wanted to be flexible and look hot in a bikini again. Now, I’m not saying that you can’t have ulterior motives when you first start out on your yoga journey. Most of us do and that’s okay. As long as you start I don’t think there’s any wrong way to find your true path.

But the funny thing about yoga is, it becomes what you need it to be most. Obviously that’s going to look different for different people—that’s the beauty of it and what I love most about yoga. And if you stick with your journey long enough, eventually you’ll start to realize that it’s more than you ever thought it could be. I mean that in the most un-cliché way possible. But it’s true! My love for yoga has grown and evolved in ways that I never dreamed of—it has molded me into a better person than I would be otherwise a million times over. I’ll say it again, though: yoga is no magic pill. To find your true calling and wisdom along your path to enlightenment it takes a commitment to look deep within yourself and the ability to be honest about who you are and who you want to really be. So was my 19-year-old self completely and utterly ridiculous for choosing to practice yoga for vanity’s sake? Yes. And no. I’m so inherently thankful to the Universe for pulling me in the direction it did when I was just a naïve freshman (is that redundant?). See, I believe in cosmic destiny. That things that are meant to happen do—even if that means we have to be tricked into doing them. Eventually everything gets sorted out and we end up where we’re supposed to be. So even if you just started yoga a week ago, haven’t started at all, or have been practicing for a decade, don’t be too hard on yourself. I think we’re all right where we were meant to be. Remember: it’s not a race and there really is no end point. As long as you keep the fire within you alive and are committed to becoming a better version of yourself then you’ll undoubtedly discover your true potential and purpose in this life and beyond.

Keep reading to find out how yoga can help you unlock the door to the path of enlightenment.

WHO THE HECK WAS PATANJALI AND WHY SHOULD I CARE? Whether you’ve been practicing yoga for a month or 5 years—there are some things we need to go over. You may or may not be familiar with the history of yoga, but I’m sure you’ve heard of Patanjali. He wrote the Yoga Sutras. You know, basically the Bible of yoga. Patanjali himself wasn’t the inventor of yoga per se. He just put it all into words—very detailed ones, I might add. His Sutras (which means, ‘thread’) brought together all of the major practices and philosophies of yoga that we know and love today and is thought to have been composed around 400 CE. Ancient yogic texts might not seem that relevant or important to you, but they hold the secrets to the foundation for a life of meaning and purpose. Patanjali (and most Hindus for that matter) believed that yoga was much more than just a bunch of postures. In fact, Patanjali laid out a whole system to follow for enlightenment—known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga, or ashtanga (which translates to ‘eight limb’).

The Eight-Limbed Path Yamas: how you treat the world Niyamas: how you treat yourself Asanas: yoga postures Pranayama: breathing techniques Pratyhara: focusing inward, withdrawing all your senses

Dharana: concentration Dhyana: meditation Samadhi: enlightenment Clearly, Patanjali was incredibly wise because the concepts he laid out in his Yoga Sutras over 5,000 years ago are still quite relevant and important to our lives today. Think of them as a personal code of ethics—not commandments. It’s important to understand that these eight limbs are guidelines to help you connect with your inner self and the more you put each facet into practice the closer you’ll be to finding your life’s purpose. Let’s look at each of the limbs in more depth.

Limb 1: Yamas The first limb is based on our ethics and is often guided by our moral compass. In other words: “Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you.” The 5 Yamas: Ahimsa—non-violence. This is probably the most well-known yama, as it’s the reason that most yogis become vegan or vegetarian. The practice of ‘ahimsa’ means that we do not harm (physically, emotionally, mentally) any other living thing. Yes, including animals. One of the keys to practicing ahimsa is learning to be more compassionate to others and ourselves. Satya—truthfulness. The practice of satya means living and speaking the truth. However, it’s much more difficult than it may seem— especially if you’re following ahimsa. However, be mindful when speaking the truth so that you don’t intentionally cause harm to another.

Asteya—non-stealing. When you look at the definition of asteya it might seem relatively simple to follow. However it’s much more complex than just not stealing someone else’s stuff. Asteya not only means that you shouldn’t take what isn’t given to you, but also that you shouldn’t condone the behavior in others. In society this might mean being against oppression, injustices or exploitation in any way.

Brahmacharya—continence. This yama states that we should learn to separate ourselves from addictions and excess. Brahmacharya says that we should exercise control over our physical impulses and by doing so we become much healthier, wiser and stronger. By practicing moderation we learn to conserve our energy for what’s most important —finding our true purpose in life. Aparigraha—non-covetousness. When we look at the practice of Aparigraha it states that we should only keep what’s necessary. This yama promotes minimalism and love for our true self. When we are constantly focused on attaining the newest and best material possession we lose sight of what’s most important—enlightenment and purpose. Practicing the five Yamas is in no way easy. It takes hard work and vigilance —especially in this day and age. However, it’s not about being perfect and never making a mistake, but rather that you’re striving to be the best version of yourself possible. By engaging in these practices you will strengthen your fortitude and character and inspire others to do the same.

Limb 2: Niyamas Patanjali’s second limb of yoga is referred to as the ‘Niyamas.’ Basically, this limb offers guidance on how you treat yourself. Hint: it’s all about respect. The 5 Niyamas: Saucha—purification. In reference to the body it’s fairly easy to see what Patanjali is talking about here. The practice of saucha refers to keeping our minds, bodies and environment as clean as possible. Why? In ancient yogic culture they discovered that when our internal environment (bodies) and external environment are cluttered, dirty, impure—then it’s hard for us to reach enlightenment and inner peace. This goes for what we eat & drink, the company we keep, what we choose to entertain ourselves with, the music we listen to, etc. The goal is to not fill our bodies or minds with any form of impurities or uncleanliness. Santosha—contentment. When we practice santosha, essentially we are teaching ourselves to be happy with what we’ve got. Think about the possibilities: if we were happy with what we have, right now—the economy would collapse and we’d all be truly happy. I know it doesn’t seem possible, but when we seek happiness through possessions we will always be disappointed. Every single time. If you practice being content then you have freed yourself from unneeded suffering and pain and will experience an influx of gratitude for the life that we do have.

Tapas—asceticism. No, I’m not talking about the Spanish cuisine. This kind of ‘tapas’ actually refers to the practice of self-discipline and doing things you don’t want to do right now that will ultimately have a positive effect on your life in the future. Ancient yogis believed that by practicing this form of will power an internal “fire” is ignited within us. In turn it causes us to release dormant kundalini energy that ultimately helps us gain control over our unconscious impulses and behaviors. Svadhyaya—self-study. The fourth niyama in Patanjali’s Sutra is the ability to look deep within ourselves to assess our true nature through all the information we’ve gathered throughout our lives up until now. The practice of svadhyaya allows us to examine and learn from our mistakes and weaknesses because we are always growing and changing. When we practice the art of self-study it allows us to see beyond the current moment and connect with the divine. Ishvara Pranidhana—devotion. This niyama is the practice of giving up our egocentric identities and realizing that we are not our body—we just live in it. Ishvara can be seen as a sort of offering of the best things about ourselves to a higher power through which we grow in peace, grace and love. Are you feeling overwhelmed yet? Yeah, I thought so. I realize this can be a lot of information to take in and it’s kind of suffocating. But the good news is: again, these are guidelines. No one’s expecting you to master all of these at once within a week. It takes a lifetime of practice to attain true spiritual enlightenment, but as long as you’re trying that’s half the battle.

To make things simple try practicing one of the niyamas each week and focus just on that one task. I’m sure the results that you get from doing this experiment will inspire you to keep growing and striving for something better.

Limb 3: Asanas The third limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is the practice of the postures and poses. It is also the most widely known aspect of yoga—at least in Western culture. When you think ‘yoga’ you think ‘poses,’ right? This is what the focus of most yoga studio classes are in the West. As a yogi it’s easy to focus on just this one limb of Patanjali’s Sutra. Oftentimes, it’s the only one beginners know. But there’s so much more to it than just contorting oneself into bendy positions. How many times have you been reminded that you aren’t enough? It happens multiple times every single day with the media and society’s standards dictating what is and isn’t beautiful and who is or isn’t good enough. With yoga, the beautiful thing is that you’re enough. Right now. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone to achieve greatness and attain beauty. It’s within you at this very moment and the asanas give us a way to unlock this beauty and greatness. By doing asanas on a regular basis it challenges us to focus our minds and emotions on one common goal: coming together and uniting as one entity. This becomes a metaphor for how we relate to the Universe and all other living this. Yoga gives us a vehicle for connecting with something greater than ourselves.

Limb 4: Pranayama This limb of the Yoga Sutras focuses on breath control and breathing techniques. It might not seem like a very important facet of yoga, but it’s actually (in my opinion) the single most important factor in your yoga practice. Breath control leads to mind control and this is evident when we look at our actions when we get angry or frustrated or scared. What happens to your breathing? Most likely your breathing got very shallow and erratic and at times it can even feel restricted. If we breathed this way all the time we wouldn’t be very healthy or feel very calm. We would be in a constant state of anxiety—all because of our breath. Are you convinced of its importance now? Good. Even more importantly, when we learn to properly control our breath we are also able to control our prana (or life energy). By doing this we actually begin to restore and keep up with our health. In other words, we create balance in our bodies, which is vital to our happiness and overall well-being. And just to illustrate how intelligent Patanjali was when he created the Yoga Sutras let’s take a look at the pranayama and the asanas. They go hand in hand, right? It isn’t considered a proper yoga asana if you aren’t also incorporating the proper breathing techniques at the same time. But did you know that by performing the two together it creates ‘tapas’ within us—or internal heat—that helps to purify our bodies and minds? It’s amazing how all of this fits together so well, isn’t it? Patanjali was definitely a wise dude

and knew what he was talking about.

Limb 5: Pratyahara Pratyahara is sometimes one of the most confusing limbs of the ashtanga yoga practice. There are a lot of differing opinions as to what it actually refers to and how you can incorporate it into your yoga practice. For me, the definition of pratyahara—which means focusing inward and suppressing your senses—isn’t meant to be utilized in each moment of everyday life. I believe that Patanjali’s original intentions for pratyahara was to disengage our senses when we’re meditating or when we’re practicing mindfulness. In other words, if you’re sweeping the floor—focus on just sweeping the floor. Or if you’re talking to your significant other, focus on just talking to your significant other. It’s easy for us to get distracted. Especially in this day and age, what with our smart phones, wi-fi everywhere, apps for everything, advertisements trying to steal our attention and a multitude of other attention stealers. In relation to your yoga practice it’s easier to think of it in terms of each pose. When you’re doing a specific asana (for instance, savasana) the importance is to focus on only that pose and the movements or lack thereof it’s comprised of. The challenge in savasana is shutting our minds off and focusing on relaxing every minute little muscle and tense part of our bodies. Think of it as a form of meditation if that makes it easier. So the ultimate take-away from the practice of pratyahara is this: keep a

buffer between your actions and the rest of the world. By putting pratyahara into effect it helps us avoid the knee-jerk reactions that we often use out of anger or assumption and instead gives us time to choose how to respond. Focusing on our ability to choose instead of letting our emotions dictate how we react—that’s pratyahara.

Limb 6: Dharana Although it’s often overlooked, the practice of dharana is actually quite vital to a successful yoga journey. But what is it? Well, in layman’s terms it simply means ‘concentration.’ Basically the goal here is to focus your mind and attention on one single object or thought. If you’re just starting out it’s much easier to pick an object to practice on rather than a thought. However, “easy” is a misleading word for this particular exercise. As simple as the idea of dharana sounds it’s actually quite difficult to be able to shut your mind off and focus on this one object. The best way to start is by setting a timer for 10 minutes or so. Even 5 if you feel like 10 minutes is too much. Once your timer is set and you have your object of focus, get to work. Or rather, let your mind concentrate on the facets of the object you’ve chosen. You might find that, in the beginning, your thoughts are going to wander. A lot. But don’t worry: this is normal. Each time a random thought pops into your head, steering you away from the chosen object, gently guide your mind back to the original desired thought. At first this will happen constantly. However, over time you’ll begin to notice that the more you practice the art of concentration, the better you’ll become. Once you’ve learned to purify your mind through the practice of concentration you will have mastered a skill that most people won’t even

come close to and you’ll have the power to heal yourself in ways you never thought were possible. Not to mention, if you’re the kind of person who feels like their thoughts are constantly scattered and focused on multiple different ideas and tasks at once you’ll start to appreciate the tranquility of being able to focus on one thing at a time.

Limb 7: Dhyana Dhyana, or meditation, is the seventh limb of ashtanga yoga and is also quite commonly known in our culture. However, probably not in the sense that Patanjali envisioned it. Dhyana and dharana tend to go hand in hand. You can’t really have one without the other. So although these practices are learned separately, in daily use generally they’re going to be combined together. The practice of meditation is the ability to completely shut your mind off from any distractions or thoughts—to be utterly at peace. And it’s definitely no simple task. If you thought dharana was difficult then be prepared for lots of practice with meditation. When we learn to fine-tune our mind’s concentration we also become aware of the divine and our fears begin to vanish. Later on in the book we’ll talk more about how to actually utilize meditation and some easy(ish) strategies for developing a strong concentration and meditation habit.

Limb 8: Samadhi The eighth and final limb is the sate of Samadhi, or enlightenment. I would say that this is the most intimidating practice outlined by Patanjali in his Sutra’s—at least for me in the beginning. And with good reason. I mean, after all, it’s the ultimate goal of yoga—to experience enlightenment and super-consciousness. That’s not intimidating at all, right? When we actively achieve samadhi, all of our body’s senses are at rest—as if we’re asleep, yet our minds are awake and alert. This experience is truly divine and it awakens our unconscious mind in a way that was never achievable up until now. We no longer feel tied to worldly concerns or material possessions—we have progressed beyond that to a realm of spiritual elation and liberation. When we’re in the state of enlightenment we no longer distinguish between our self and non-self—it all becomes one elative experience. Because samadhi is a difficult undertaking, it’s best to start with proper preparation of your mind and body to get yourself in a peak state. There’s a reason Patanjali laid the eight limbs out in the order that he did—it’s a symbol of progression. If you’re going to attempt to reach enlightenment it’s a good idea to start out with asanas and pranayama first and then move on to dharana, dhyana and

finally samadhi. By following Patanjali’s progression through the eight-fold path it’s much easier to attain a physical, emotional, ethical and spiritual state of being.

THE MODERN YOGIC BODY So now that you’ve been primed on what exactly Patanjali’s definition of yoga is—what does it all mean for you? I mean, it was written over 5,000 years ago. How relevant can it be to your life today? I think if you’ve read over the Eight Limbs of Yoga it’s pretty obvious when you apply it to your modern day yoga journey it still fits scarily well. The tradition of yoga kind of reminds me of a kite, lazily drifting on the breeze. It doesn’t try to fight the wind or go in a different direction—yet somehow it always gets where it was meant to all along. That’s what the tradition of yoga has done over all these years and throughout so many different cultures; it has presented itself exactly as it is, but it’s been perceived and received in exactly the right ways and at exactly the right times. This all might sound a little confusing, but really I’m just saying all this to get the point across that yoga is whatever you need it to be. And the modern yogi can be whatever she or he wants to be—on and off the mat. The beauty of yoga is that there are no “rules.” You have the freedom to be who you truly are and yoga helps you discover that person without asking for anything in return. Okay, so we’ve covered the philosophy of yoga, but what about the physical body in regards to yoga? In this chapter we’re going to go over our Koshas, Doshas and Chakras and what role they play in helping us unlock our purpose and potential on our yoga journey. Hint: it goes much deeper than looking

good in a bikini.

5 Koshas, 5 Layers of Being We’ll start with our Koshas. The word ‘kosha’ actually translates to sheath. So when we talk about the koshas it’s easiest to envision them each as a layer, or a sort of cloak of energy that we wear that transitions from our deep spiritual core to our outermost layer of skin—all of which to say it’s basically a way for us to easily conceptualize ourselves. If we desire to live a completely balanced and healthy life (as most of us do) then we need to look at each of our bodies (or koshas) as their own entities and take care of them accordingly to ensure that things are running smoothly. Annamaya kosha (Physical Body)—This is the body, or kosha, that we tend to spend the most time in. The translation translates literally to ‘made of food.’ This layer represents our physical body and is made up of our skin, tissues, fat, muscles and bones. This is where we engage with our physical senses—sight, smell, touch, taste and sound. The annamaya kosha is the only sheath that is made up of matter—the four others are states of energy and can’t be detected with the human eye. Pranamaya kosha (Energy Body)—The second layer of our koshas—the pranamaya refers to our prana, or life force. In traditional Chinese medicine this energy is referred to as chi. When we participate in certain homeopathy treatments like acupuncture we are actually targeting our energy body and aren’t directly affecting our physical body. In regards to yoga, this layer is what holds our physical body together—it regulates all of our biological processes like circulation, digestion and even

breathing. The pranamaya kosha is what dictates our state of health and being. Without it we couldn’t survive for more than a few minutes. There is a whole school of yoga devoted to replenishing our energy body—it’s called pranayama and it focuses on diaphragmatic breathing exercises and alternate nostril breath techniques. To keep your prana in good working order you must get lots of sunshine and fresh air, which can also be found in fresh and organic whole foods. Manomaya kosha (Emotional Body)—The third layer of our mental body is in charge of our reflexive and sensory functions. Basically, the manomaya kosha (which translates to ‘body made of thought processes’) handles the information we get from our five senses and responds for us without us even having to think about it—it’s all automatic. When we’re responding to our environment instead of making specific life choices we are aware of our emotional body. In yogic culture, the brain and nervous system are viewed as the command center through the manomaya kosha and it dictates how our physical body responds to a given situation. If you want to strengthen your manomaya kosha then practice mantra meditation on a regular basis, as this helps to soothe and balance this layer of our koshas by getting rid of negative energy pockets that prevent us from being at peace. Also, because our mental body is supplied by our senses, if we constantly bombard our third kosha with negative or violent forms of entertainment then we will create mental agitation within ourselves that leaves us unbalanced, which is why the regular practice of pratyahara (the 5th limb of yoga) is very important.

Vijnanamaya kosha (Wisdom Body)—Our fourth layer is made up of our wisdom body, or vijnanamaya kosha (which means ‘the power of judgment or discernment’). This sheath is responsible for controlling our will and conscience. For instance, if you are lacking power in your wisdom body you may find that you lack strong values or morals or that you are easily swayed by temptation when it comes to benefitting yourself and taking advantage of others. You may also feel like you have no control over your life or the decisions that you’re making—you feel like someone else is making up your mind for you. As humans, this is the differentiating layer that separates us from being merely animals. We are the only species on Earth that has the ability to be in control of our own lives without relying solely on instinct. When you practice the yamas and niyamas in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, you are actively strengthening your wisdom body. Another way to strengthen the fourth kosha is through the practice of Jnana yoga. Anandamaya kosha (Bliss Body)—The fifth and final layer of our koshas refers to our spiritual body. For most of us, we are never able to develop the anandamaya kosha, but it should always remain the ultimate goal. In yoga, it is the final step to reaching awareness of our highest Self. When people talk about having near-death experiences and reference a bright white light and a huge outpouring of unconditional love and wisdom, the anandamaya kosha is what they are experiencing.

If you want to try and awaken your bliss body then you can practice acts of service (this helps to open our hearts to others), bhakti yoga (this helps to open our hearts to the divine) and samadhi (this helps to open our hearts to our own spiritual being). Just as a heads up, in a lot of the ancient yogic texts the five koshas are lumped into three parts: the gross body, the astral body and the causal body. If you see these three mentioned it’s safe to assume that they’re simply talking about your five koshas.

The 3 Doshas So now that we have a better understanding of our physical and energetic bodies, let’s talk about our doshas—or our mind-body type. In Ayurveda (the traditional healing system of India), it is believed that there are five elements that flow throughout nature and are present in every cell of our bodies. These elements are space, air, fire, water and earth. When they are combined in different ways they make up the three doshas—or energies that make up our specific constitutions. The doshas are responsible for the individual characteristics that make up our mind, body and soul. Through the proper practice of yoga we ensure that they stay balanced. Each of us has a varying degree of each dosha, however there will usually be a more predominant dosha present. To get the most benefit from yoga, it’s important to remember that you should focus your practice on catering to your specific mind-body dosha. I’m sure you’re curious as to what exactly they are and how you can use yoga to develop your predominate dosha, right? Well, let’s take a look. Vata Dosha (Space & Air)—The Vata dosha is responsible for movement and is made up of space and air elements. This dosha promotes flexibility and creativity. But be careful, because if you’re mind-body type is predominantly vata dosha, then you will be prone to overexertion, anxiety and fatigue and should avoid the more fast-paced forms of yoga (like vinyasa or flow) as it tends to aggravate Vata. If you’re going to practice these types of yoga then move slowly and carefully and feel free to extend the amount of time that you hold the poses.

Grounding and calming poses are ideal for someone who is Vata, as these tend to reduce stress and anxiety. These types of poses include: Mountain, Tree, Warriors I & II as these are grounding and help you to build strength. Also, all types of forward bends that target the pelvis are beneficial to Vata dosha. The same goes for poses that focus on your thighs and lower back. If you’re predominately Vata dosha it’s especially important for you to take your time when in Savasana. Plan to spend at least 20 minutes resting and recharging here in this pose. You’ll also benefit from a structured routine. Pitta Dosha (Fire & Water)—The pitta dosha is responsible for our metabolism and digestion and is made up of fire and water elements. If your Pitta is in balance then it helps to promote understanding and intelligence. However, if you’re predominantly Pitta dosha then you have a tendency to overheat. It’s best for you to avoid any form of yoga that causes lots of sweating—like Bikram. Keep in mind that inversions generate a rush of heat to your head and Pitta doshas should avoid doing them for extended periods of time. Focus your attention, instead, on relaxing poses that help release heat from your body. Examples of cooling poses would be anything that opens your chest or compresses your solar plexus (i.e., Bridge, Bow, Fish, Cobra, Camel, Pigeon). If you’re looking for good standing poses then Pitta’s benefit from poses that open up their hips—try Warrior, Half Moon or Tree poses.

Anything that’s going to promote a calming, relaxing state of mind toward your yoga practice will be beneficial. Remember to be kind to yourself and avoid comparing yourself to others. Kapha Dosha (Water & Earth)—The kapha dosha is responsible for our stability and structure and is made up of water and earth elements. If you’re predominantly Kapha dosha then you have a lot of stamina and strength, however try to keep your doshas balanced because you’ll start suffering from excessive weight or lethargy when you’re not in balance. You benefit most from an energizing and fast-pace yoga practice. You’ll want to focus on challenging yourself and create lots of heat within your body—otherwise you tend to feel sluggish or cold. To counteract this, do flow sequences early in the morning (around 6-10 am), which will help to energize you for the rest of the day. It’s also a good idea for you to practice bellows breath to help cleanse and energize your body. For predominant Kaphas, standing poses are beneficial. Especially if you maintain each pose for an extended period of time—up to 20 breaths. You also do well with backbends and anything that helps open the chest and increase the prana in your body. As I said before, remember that everyone has a different degree of each of the three doshas and they will continue to change and fluctuate during your lifetime. It’s important to keep in mind that they can and will become imbalanced by the different factors of your yogic lifestyle—whether it be your diet, health or illness and even your environment.

By utilizing and prescribing yourself the correct yoga practice based on your predominant dosha type then you’re much more likely to create a deep level of connection between your mind, body and spirit.

The 7 Chakras The final element of our modern yogic body is comprised of our chakras. So what in the world are chakras? Well, in traditional Sanskrit, the word chakra translates to ‘disk’ or ‘wheel.’ When we look at chakras in terms of Ayurvedic yoga and meditation they represent wheels of energy in our body. Basically, chakras are thought to be spinning, vortex-like energy centers at various points in our body. There are seven major ones that most people know about and these are the ones we’ll talk about below. They start at the base of the spine and go in a line all the way up to the top of the head. Although most people are somewhat familiar with our seven main chakras, most aren’t aware that we actually have many minor chakras all throughout our body. Each of our chakras contains invisible forces of energy (or prana) that help to keep our life force healthy and vibrant. Each chakra corresponds to specific nerve centers in our body that is composed of major organs, nerves and emotional, psychological and spiritual states of being. It’s easier to visualize our chakras if you think of them as rechargeable batteries that we can revitalize through cosmic energy in our atmosphere. When they’re running smoothly, our chakras provide a flow of energy throughout our physical body. However, sometimes they can become blocked due to health issues, emotional problems or simply stress. As you can imagine, when any of our chakras become blocked this can cause lots of problems because our life force (or prana) is always in motion and would be

hindered to flow properly. Keeping our chakras open and aligned is essential to the health and wellbeing of our modern yogic body. It might seem complicated right now, but as long as you practice awareness of each element of your body, mind, spirit and soul then you can keep things balanced and flowing properly.

A diagram depicting the alignment of our 7 chakras.

The Root Chakra (Red)—Our root (or base) chakra is located at the base of our spine, encompassing our colon, bladder and first three vertebrae. This is also where our Kundalini energy is stored. This chakra is our most physical and because of this our energy tends to be rooted here. When this chakra is out of balance you’ll become greedy, almost voraciously so, fearful and overly emotional. However, when it’s balanced you’ll feel

secure, calm and connected to the Earth. Imbalances Cause: anemia, low back pain, sciatica, fatigue and depression. Also causes cold hands and feet. Promotes Balance: restful sleep, physical exercise, working with your hands (i.e., building things, gardening, working with pottery), red foods & drinks, red clothing & gemstones, red oils (sandalwood, ylang ylang). The Sacral Chakra (Orange)—The sacral (or spleen) chakra is our sexual and creativity center. It’s located just above the pubic bone and below the navel. This chakra is connected to our emotions and how they relate to intimacy and social issues. Imbalances Cause: anger, jealousy, codependency, eating disorders, depression, candida infections, UTIs, sexual impotence and drug and alcohol abuse. Promotes Balance: massage, water aerobics, hot aromatherapy baths, focusing on pleasant sensations, orange foods & drinks, orange clothing & gemstones, orange oils (orange peel, melissa). The Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow)—The solar plexus chakra is the third chakra and is located just above our navel. It holds our source of personal power is where the center of our identity is kept and is how we relate to our higher selves. The third chakra is in charge of our muscles, pancreas, adrenals and digestive

system and is the seat of our emotional life. When this chakra is in balance we have a very strong sense of self-esteem, responsibility, power and trust. Imbalances Cause: emotional dysfunction (guilt, fear), constipation, toxicity, parasites, faulty memory, anxiety, ulcers, colitis, digestive problems, hypoglycemia and diabetes. Promotes Balance: learning (reading, taking classes), doing brain teasers, sunshine, detox programs, yellow foods & drinks, yellow clothing & gemstones, yellow oils (rosemary, lemon). The Heart Chakra (Green)—The heart chakra is located in, yep, you guessed it: the center of the chest over the heart. As is evident by its name, this chakra is responsible for our feelings of compassion, love, peace and harmony. Because it’s the exact center and connection point for all of our chakras it bridges our mind, body, spirit and emotions—it’s our source of connection and love. When the fourth chakra is in balance you become at peace with your environment, others and yourself. Imbalances Cause: loneliness, resentment, heart & breast cancer, heart & breathing disorders, high blood pressure, chest pain, immune system issues, muscular tension and passivity.

Promotes Balance: socialization with family & friends, walks in nature, green foods & green drinks, green clothing & gemstones, green oils (pine, eucalyptus). The Throat Chakra (Blue)—The throat chakra is quite fittingly located within your throat and it is considered the chakra of creativity, selfexpression, communication and judgment. This fifth chakra includes your neck, jaw, mouth, tongue, thyroid and parathyroid glands of your body. When the throat chakra is balanced there is purity of expression, speech and choice. Imbalances Cause: addiction, criticism, bitterness, swollen glands, thyroid imbalances, infections, flu & fever, mouth/tongue/jaw/neck problems, hormone disorders, mood swings, hyperactivity, menopause and bloating. Promotes Balance: poetry/writing, art collecting, singing in the shower, deep conversations, blue foods & drinks, blue clothing & gemstones, blue oils (geranium, chamomile). The Brow Chakra (Indigo)—The brow chakra is often referred to as our third eye chakra. It is located right between our eyebrows and it’s the center of our intuition. Many times we tend to ignore our intuition and focusing on opening your third eye will help you hone your ability to follow and “hear” your intuition more easily. When there is balance in our sixth chakra the relationship that we have with

our highest and spirit self are heightened. Imbalances Cause: untruthfulness, depression, coordination problems, learning disabilities and sleep disorders. Promotes Balance: meditation, stargazing, indigo foods & drinks, indigo clothing & gemstones, indigo oils (frankincense, patchouli). The Crown Chakra (Violet)—The crown chakra is found at the very top of your head and is associated with our central nervous system, pituitary gland and also our cerebral cortex. It is seen as the charka of spiritual connection and enlightenment—through this chakra we are able to connect with our higher selves and also to the divine. When the crown chakra is in balance you’ll feel alive (physically and spiritually) and connected to the Universe. This is one of the most important chakras when you’re trying to fulfill your life’s purpose or destiny. Imbalances Cause: selfishness, genetic disorders, psychological problems, headaches, neuralgia, coordination problems, epilepsy, senility, skin rashes, varicose veins and photosensitivity. Promotes Balance: writing down goals and intentions, dream building, violet foods & drinks, violet clothing & gemstones, violet oils (jasmine, lavender).

Connecting All the Pieces By utilizing all three parts of our yogic body—the Koshas, Doshas and Chakras— we can attain true spiritual awareness and become the healthiest version of ourselves possible. Please keep in mind that, just like the 8 Limbs of Yoga, these are merely guidelines and sources of inspiration on your journey to betterment. You’re never going to master every single practice or tap into each and every kosha and chakra all at once. No one expects you to be able to do that, either. The point is merely that you are trying to attain enlightenment and are focused on becoming a better person than you were yesterday. If you’re making progress then that’s all you need to worry about. The yogic lifestyle is incredibly flexible and open-minded to your interpretations of each practice and you absolutely should make them your own. If your personal third eye is guiding you to avoid a certain practice, listen to it! That’s part of the process: figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t. Just like when you’re talking about your predominant dosha—it’s not going to be a one-size fits all experience. In fact, you might have two equally dominant doshas and that’s perfectly okay. It happens. Go with the flow and don’t stress. The modern yogic body is comprised of many different elements that all

work in harmony to enrich our lives in one way or another. As long as you’re honoring your temple (your body) you’ll get where you were meant to be.

THE MODERN YOGIC MIND Now that we’ve covered the need of our modern yogic body, it’s time to focus on our modern yogic mind. The idea might sound somewhat intimidating, but I promise it’s not all that bad and is quite accessible—even if you’re a beginner. When I refer to the yogic mind, I simply mean the practice of meditation and mindfulness as it relates to yoga. When the yogic mind, body and spirit are all interconnected properly you will be able to live without fear or anxiety of the unknown and will be free from pain and suffering. So for this chapter we’ll be looking at meditation and mindfulness and the how we can incorporate these practices into our yoga routine to help develop our higher selves. If you think that meditation is in-accessible and unnecessary in this day and age and that you’re simply just too busy to partake then I hate to break it to you, but you probably need it the most. Isn’t that always how it works? Hopefully by the end of this chapter you’ll see that it’s actually quite easy to do and you’ll be able to find the perfect style of meditation that’s right for you.

What is Meditation?

Well, for starters, Patanjali thought it was such an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and yoga journey that he assigned it as one of the eight limbs of yoga (Dhyana). Generally speaking, I think that most of us make meditation way too complicated. After all, it’s simply the act of sitting in silence and clearing your mind. Now, I hear you, at first it can be quite difficult to do and I’m probably making it out to be much easier than it actually is as a beginner. But I promise once you’ve practiced it enough, the habit will transform your mind and help to cultivate positivity and peace within you.

Benefits of Meditation I’m sure you’ve heard many of the numerous reasons to practice meditation so I’ll be brief, but I do think it’s something that’s worth repeating. Here are some things you can expect from making meditation a habit in your life. Increases your social connection and decreases feelings of loneliness Helps to develop laser sharp focus and attention Greater memory capabilities Gives you a higher level of self-esteem Decreases pain and inflammation in the body Improves your compassion and empathy toward others Reduces anxiety and depression Boosts gray matter and brain volume Increases feelings of gratitude So basically…there’s no reason not to start making meditation a daily part of your life. Right now. If you need help choosing which type of meditation will

work best for you, then keep reading.

Finding Your Om Meditation Style When most people think of meditation they simply think of mindfulness meditation, since that’s what most beginners start out practicing. But did you know that there are many different styles of meditation and each one is as unique as you are? In this chapter we’re going to look at the eight main types of meditation and from there you can decide which one would work best for you. The good news is you don’t have to stick to just one—you can pick and choose what works or doesn’t depending on the day of the week. Have fun with it and don’t be too stressed about making a choice. After all, that kinda defeats the purpose, right? If it’s helpful, try listening to your third eye chakra and let it guide you to a decision.

Popular Forms of Meditation Mindfulness Meditation—As I stated before, this is probably one of the most common types of meditation practiced by beginners. It was first introduced in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn and has since grown in popularity because it’s so accessible in our everyday lives. There are two techniques used here: breath awareness and body scan. For the first, you simply keep your attention on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath. For body scan, you focus your attention on your physical body—

starting at your toes as you work your way up to your head. This creates a higher state of awareness and ensures of the release of tension in all areas of your body. Try it if… you are new to meditation.

Guided Meditation—This type of meditation is, as the name suggest, led by someone else. Generally it’s a teacher or instructor and you would be part of a class. Usually there’s a greater purpose to each class (i.e., relationship improvement, cultivating prosperity, awakening the chakras) but not always. Many of the techniques used in guided meditation tend to vary between classes and teachers because most guided meditations will somewhat reflect the life experiences your “guide” has been influenced by. I personally enjoy guided meditation, because it feels much easier for me to get in a state of serenity and peace when I don’t have to do the thinking— someone else is calling the shots for me. Try it if… you just want to sit back and relax.

Focused Meditation—This is a somewhat generalized form of meditation that simply refers to the act of focusing on one object or idea while turning your mind off to any other patterns of thinking that distract you from your focus. Some people actually find this form of meditation easier than the practice of mindfulness since you’re allowed to focus on anything you want that

involves your senses. Try it if… you want to break the multi-tasking habit.

Mantra Meditation—This type of meditation refers to the repetitive use of a single sound or set of sounds. By doing this you’re able to go into and stay in a meditative state. This form of meditation has become popularized in movies and on television by the characteristic repetition of the ‘om’ sound. Mantra meditation can help sharpen your focus and can be performed in various ways. Most of the time the sounds are chanted or whispered quietly. However, it’s perfectly fine to say the phrase loudly if that’s what feels best to you. Try it if… you have a hard time sitting in silence.

Transcendental Meditation—The practice of transcendental meditation was popularized by certain celebrities, including the Beatles, Jennifer Aniston and supermodel Gisele Bundchen—just to name a few. As of today transcendental meditation is one of the most widely practiced forms of meditation (boasting over 6 million practitioners) and also one of the most frequently studied forms of meditation in research labs. What is it? Well, it’s simply the act of sitting comfortable with your eyes closed twenty minutes, twice a day. By doing so you learn to quiet your mind and experience a pure consciousness that was unattainable before.

Try it if… you like to go with the flow.

Kundalini Meditation—When most people hear ‘kundalini’ they think yoga. And yes, it’s true that kundalini is a type of yoga. However, it’s also an ancient yogic philosophy and name for a specific type of energy. Remember our chakras? Kundalini is said to lie coiled at our base (or root) chakra and becomes awakened as we tap into it—slowly rising up through each chakra, activating new waves of energy as it does. When you practice kundalini meditation you use focus, mantras, mudras and your breath all in combination to push the coiled energy upward and by doing so you’re able to change your state of mind to that of ecstasy. This type of meditation, since it’s so specific is best practiced with a teacher. Try it if… you are interested in activating your chakras.

Zen (or Zazen)—The translation of Zazen means ‘seated meditation,’ which is fitting for the practice. Zen tends to focus on the philosophies that stem from Buddhist teachings. The emphasis here is on attaining enlightenment through your breath techniques and mind and also from interaction with a teacher. Try it if… you like guidelines and rules.

Primordial Sound Meditation—PSM is a type of silent meditation that focuses on the use of a mantra. It’s believed to be a healing form of meditation that helps us to achieve deep relaxation and inner calm. The mantra that is used in PSM is the specific vibration of the universe at the time and place you were born. It’s actually calculated just for you using traditional Vedic math formulas. By repeating this personal mantra that is yours only, it helps you to grow deeper within yourself to focus on comfort and better self-awareness. This form of meditation was actually developed by Dr. Deepak Chopra and is the forms of meditation that they teach the Chopra Center. Try it if… you like for things to be more personalized.

Sun Salutations But what if you don’t want to practice meditation and you simply just can’t bring yourself to do it? Well, I still think you should try it, but if you need to ease yourself into it then I recommend starting each morning with sun salutations, preferably outdoors facing the rising sun. If you’re not familiar with what a sun salutation is, it’s simply a series of yoga poses that are performed in a flowtype sequence.

Here’s an example of a more challenging sun salutation variation.

Generally speaking, each sun salutation (although they can vary) will have eight basic postures included: Mountain Pose Upward Salute Standing Forward Bend Lunge Plank Pose Four-Limbed Staff Upward-Facing Dog

Downward-Facing Dog The significance of performing sun salutations at a moderate or slow pace is that it helps to put you in a meditative and relaxed state. By beginning each day with a set of sun salutations you are easing your body into the chaos of life and giving your mind a chance to set the pace for your day.

Putting It Together That wasn’t so bad, now was it? You should now understand the inner workings of the modern yogic mind and what it takes to cultivate a life of harmony between your conscious and subconscious mind. I also hope that you’ve found a form of meditation that sounds interesting to you and, more importantly, that you put it into practice. If you still feel a little stuck on how to get started with your meditation habit, take baby steps. You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) start out with the goal of practicing Primordial Sound Meditation for 30 minutes every single day. Start with just 2 minutes a day of a simple form of mindful meditation and you can work your way up after a week or two. The goal here is to simply take action—otherwise we tend to get wrapped up in the do’s and don’ts and never get started. The same is true for your sun salutations—just do them. It could be a round of three or even just one. The key is that you can go at your own pace without feeling any pressure or guilt about doing so. Remember: the key to any aspect of a well-rounded yoga lifestyle is

regularity and commitment. Without consistent discipline and practice you won’t get very far.

Detoxifying Your Yogic Body Remember how in the Yoga Sutras one of the five Niyamas was actually ‘saucha’—or purification? Well, in this chapter that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about. In order to keep our bodies and minds running at a peak state, it’s extremely important that we also do our part to keep every aspect of our body as clean as possible. Literally and figuratively speaking. There are quite a few ways that we can do this. For starters, we will look at the Shat Karmas, or six purifications.

The 6 Purifications These six practices are thought to be one of the oldest rituals for selfcleansing and detoxification that exists. In ancient yogic culture, both physical and mental health were of utmost importance and by following these six steps of purification you would be able to heal virtually anything. 1. Neti: This is the process of cleaning out your nasal passages by using a small pot called a Neti pot. You can still find these in health food stores today and many people practice cleansing their nasal cavities with salt water to relieve sinusitis, headaches and allergies. The other form of this practice is called Sutra Neti in which a threaded

is inserted into one nostril, pulled out the throat and out of the mouth. You then use a gentle flossing sort of motion to clean your nasal passage. Repeat for the other side. 2. Dhauti: This is the practice of cleaning one’s stomach and is performed on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. The process involves drinking 1 liter of saline water and then vomiting everything out. The purpose is remove undigested food that is still sitting in the stomach that will eventually cause digestion problems. 3. Bhasti: This practice refers to cleaning the bowels. In modern times we do this by inserting an enema tube into our anus to manually stimulate the cleansing of our colon. You can also get a colonic performed by a professional if you don’t feel comfortable administering an enema.

4. Nauli: Practicing Nauli means churning your abdominal muscles repeatedly to the right and then left. By doing this you rotate your muscles and tone up all your organs preventing digestive disorders. This is one of the more difficult purifications to master. 5. Kapalabhati: This process is often referred to as a type of pranayama. It’s a breathing technique that cleans the lungs by forcefully expelling the air and getting rid of any accumulated carbon dioxide left in our lungs. You repeat this process several times, forcefully expelling the air, while breathing in normally.

6. Trataka: When one practices Trataka it helps to develop concentration and get rid of anxiety. The mechanics of it are fairly simple: you focus on a single point without blinking your eyes, which is thought to improve eyesight and promote clarity of the mind. Although these practices are somewhat outdated now, there is still some truth to following a ritual like this on a weekly, monthly or seasonal basis. The good news is, though, that there are many more easily accessible ways of cleansing our bodies without having to induce vomiting or thread a string through your nasal passages.

Modern Day Detox So what does a modern day detox ritual look like? Well, it’s really going to depend on the person and his or her specific needs. However, there are some basic habits that most of us can all benefit from at some point or another. Here are some ideas to get you started… Juicing—Incorporating juicing should be a daily practice in your life already. If you haven’t gotten on the juice train yet, you should start now. However, when I say juice I don’t mean pure fruit juice. I’m referring to mostly green veggie juice. It’s actually pretty tasty and it’s the fastest way to get a superconcentrated amount of nutrients into your blood stream. Fasting—This form of detox has many different variations and is really up to your own personal discretion. You can choose to either do a juice fast or a

water fast, but if you’re just starting out I recommend sustaining yourself with juice as you’ll be able to function much easier. Fasting can be done twice a year for two weeks at a time. Or, you can do it with each change of the seasons for a week at a time. You could even simply dedicate one day a week to refrain from eating. This is known as intermittent fasting and it has major health benefits—the main one being an increase in the longevity of your life. Raw Food Diet—This is a somewhat easy way to detox from all the fast food and processed stuff that we eat on a regular basis. If you’re finding it hard to break free from food addiction, then a raw food diet would be a great way to heal your body and detox from the inside out. A good starting point would be trying one raw meal a day or if you’re feeling adventurous, commit to one month of raw eating. Dry Brushing—This is one of the easiest ways to cleanse your body and stimulate your lymph system. At any health food store purchase a dry brush and simply use it once a day, or at least weekly, to remove dead skin cells and stimulate re-growth before showering. Colon Cleansing—Generally we refer to this detox practice as an enema, but you can also schedule an appointment with a professional to get a colonic in which they irrigate your colon for you in a less intimidating manner. There are many amazing health benefits to cleansing your colon regularly, but the main one is that it aids in the removal of toxins and waste products that have built up in your body and can’t find a way out. Just remember if you perform an enema or get a colonic to take probiotics to help restore the healthy gut flora.

Epsom Salt Baths—This one is really easy as well! Simply fill up your bathtub with as-hot-as-you-can-stand-it water and dump in a few cups of epsom salts before getting in. Soak in the water for around 20 minutes or so. Not only is it just nice for your body and mind to get to relax for a while, but it also promotes the relief of inflammation and muscle cramps as well as the removal of heavy metals and toxins from our cells—along with lots of other benefits. Just be careful not to stay in too long because the combination of the rush of magnesium into your body and hot water can cause dizziness and fatigue. Parasite Cleansing—Surprisingly, not many of us do this and unfortunately it’s one of the most important methods of detoxification and cleansing we can experience. This paragraph isn’t big enough for me to go on about the dangers and negative health affects caused by parasites (I really need to write a book about it!), but I can assure you every single one of us has them and could live with far less. They rob us of our vital life nutrients and even take our brains hostage. If you haven’t performed a parasite cleanse in the last 6 months you need to do one now! Restorative Yoga—Here’s an easy one. Restorative yoga is incredibly beneficial for assisting in the process of detoxification of our minds and bodies. If you’re not familiar with this type of yoga, I’ll break it down for you: it’s basically the most relaxing style of yoga there is and it promotes quieting of the mind and overall stress reduction. If you’re feeling burnt out with your yoga practice or current exercise routine, I recommend giving restorative yoga a try—it’s basically adult naptime.

Massage Therapy—I’m sure we all know how great getting a massage feels but did you know it actually has major health benefits? It’s true. So the next time your husband says you can’t afford to get a massage, rattle off how healing and detoxifying it can be for your entire body and mind. Once you know how healthy it is for you, it goes from a luxury to a necessity. Acupuncture—This practice originated in China and involves the Acupuncturist inserting extremely thin needles into specific points in a patient’s skin. I know it doesn’t sound very pleasant, but it’s actually quite invigorating and if you haven’t tried it you should give it a go. Remember when we talked about the five koshas? Acupuncture actually helps you to target and focus in on your pranayama kosha and can even get rid of chronic pain. If you’ve been curious about it, but just haven’t given it a chance I urge you to take the leap and experience the relief that it can provide. You definitely won’t regret it.

So from the six purifications all the way up to modern forms of detoxification, you should now be an expert on cleansing your body and mind. Again, as with all the information in this book these are just meant to provide inspiration and be a sort of guideline to push you forward along your journey. Maybe you aren’t quite ready to make colon cleansing part of your routine—I get it. It can be scary and a little weird. Just take it at your own pace. Like anything, start out small and work your way up. Don’t get overwhelmed by the numbers of choices and remain stagnant. Any form of change is good, no matter how minute it might seem to you.

Now that you’ve got your yogic body and mind under control and are in the detox phase, let’s see how it all fits together and helps you to fulfill your life’s purpose.

Living Your Purpose The bigger picture of yoga is a lifestyle. There is no one path that’s right or no one path that’s wrong. That’s one of my favorite things about yoga: it gives you the freedom and ability to be who you truly are. There’s not much in life that you can say that about. Most things in our society try to shape us or make us up into who they think we should be. Fit us into their definition of pretty. And then if they can’t do that or we refuse, there’s something wrong with us. Well, I’m here to tell you that yoga can be your safe place. It can be all the things that you ever wanted or dreamed it could be. There’s just one catch: you have to be vulnerable and believe in the power of change. Your yoga journey isn’t going to be a smooth ride. There’s going to be bumps and roadblocks and crazy emotional outbursts—but guess what? That’s all normal. We’ve all been there. And if you are brave enough to keep pushing and come out on the other side, you’ll be rewarded with a sense of awareness and gratitude that most never get to experience. Why is all this important? Well, when we feel there’s no direction in our lives or it lacks meaning then we start to feel depressed and isolated from the rest of the world and our Creator. If there’s no connection or vibrancy or if we don’t feel enthusiastic about anything then we tend to ask ourselves ‘What’s the point?’ And for good reason: our higher Self knows that there’s more out there. Just like you knew there was more to yoga than just some challenging

poses—and the same reasons you picked up this book. Call it your third eye or your intuition—whatever you want to call it, there’s a reason you’re feeling the way that you are. If you find it extremely hard to get out of bed every morning and are depressed at the idea of going to a job you hate—there’s a reason for that as well. Maybe you simply don’t find your work rewarding or enriching to your life. If that’s the case, don’t keep making excuses for yourself—find something you love doing more than anything else. Maybe you know what that passion is at this very moment. Do you like to design t-shirts? Are you into drawing comics? Do you find it rewarding to serve others? Whatever it is that you love to do, more than anything—I’m talking love-it-so-much-I’d-do-it-forfree kind of love—then pursue that. Find a way to make that a career. No matter how silly your dream or passion may be to someone else or how crazy it seems to ditch a job making five times more money—deep down you know it’s the right thing to do. In the end, the amount of material possessions or monetary gains we’ve accomplished aren’t going to matter. We can’t take that stuff with us. What’s truly important? The level of happiness we experience on a daily basis, how we make others feel, whether or not we are inspiring change in the world and upholding our own personal morals. I’m sure you know most of this already—like I said, it’s intuitive. But the thing is: if we know this stuff, why don’t we take action on it?

Instead, we continue to do the things day in and day out that make us so incredibly unhappy. And for what—money? Status? Fear of change or the unknown? Maybe we feel like we don’t truly deserve to be happy. If that’s the case, then it just goes to show why it’s so important that our mind-body connection is in tune and working together. When things are off balance we tend to feel less-than and uninspired to do good things. Often times we feel incapable and doubt ourselves. This is just a friendly reminder that, even though it’s not easy, it’s definitely worth fighting and striving for a sense of purpose in the world. When you discover what it is and are brave enough to accept the journey that lies ahead of you, there is no doubt that you’ll harvest a lifetime of happiness and karma that will be repaid to you ten-fold for generations to come, and who knows, maybe you’ll even reach anandamaya kosha.

Conclusion This journey that we call life is a crazy one—especially in this modern age of technology. There are so many things that attempt to compromise our wellbeing and personal code of ethics. I think this is why a yogic lifestyle is so important—no matter who you are there’s great benefit to striving for more. Like I’ve said over and over again: this lifestyle is going to look different for everyone. There are going to be discrepancies, but it’s more about how it all makes you feel. Just like when you’re in an asana—your focus should be on the feeling you get, not how you look. The practice of yoga has given me, and so many others amazing insight into the roots of humanity and helped countless men and women discover a much greater divine purpose. Now, I’m not saying I’m religious and I’m not saying you need to be in order to live out a yogic lifestyle, but be prepared because it does change you for the better from the inside out into someone you never knew you could be. It gives you the empowerment that you may have lacked before to really free your body, mind and spirit of the societal constraints that we often face in these modern times. I know that I don’t have all the answers—I’m just a mere human like you are —but I do know that wherever you want to go in life, or whoever you want to be…yoga can take you there or shape you into that. You just have to give it the chance.

Chakras for Beginners How to Activate and Balance Your Chakras to Strengthen Your Character and Live a Better Life Olivia Summers

Introduction Our body is made up of matter that is animated by energy. Our mind emerges out of the electrochemical processes that take place in the brain. But neither our body nor our mind is the correct representation of who we truly are. At our deepest core we are the soul or the spirit.

Different cultures have tried to describe the soul in different ways. Vedic culture, out of which religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism developed, had a complex metaphysics that tried to describe the different planes of existence in which a human being can exist.

One such plane of existence is said to be the subtle plane in which our subtle body exists. The subtle body is not exactly the soul but rather one part of it. It exists right where our physical body exists in the physical plane but we can't observe the subtle body from the physical plane.

Chakras are points of intersection between the subtle body and the physical body. They are junctions through which we can interact with the subtle body. They are energy centers from where we can harness the subtle energy and use it to benefit our physical body and mind.

The concept of Chakras has been interpreted in different ways by different cultures over the years. It is a popular topic in today's New Age movement in the first world. But because of so many interpretations, it is hard to get an authoritative understanding of what it actually means. If you try to find information about Chakras online, you'll get so many versions and so many different theories that it will get overwhelming and confusing.

So in this book I'll try to talk about Chakras as they were understood by the Yogi's of the Vedic culture. Balancing your Chakras can be helpful in improving physical health and curing diseases but even more importantly it is helpful in curing the mind and you can use it to develop a strong character and a well balanced personality. This is the focus of this book as we all want to improve ourselves and develop our character so that we can face any situation that life throws at us and come out victorious. In fact, if you understand how Chakras work, you'll realize that they might be the secret tool necessary to achieve sustainable personal development and success in life.

In this book you'll learn about: Chakras and what they truly are. Kundalini and how it is related to Chakras.

The physical benefits of each Chakra. The mental benefits of each Chakra. How to open and balance each Chakra. And a quiz to find out which of your Chakras are closed.

If you are already aware of the concept of Chakras, I hope this book will help in removing any confusion about them and if you are completely new to them, I hope this book will help you realize how powerful they can be.

Chapter 1: Chakras 101 What are Chakras? The word Chakra has been translated as a circle or a wheel but the best way to think about it is to think of a vortex or an eddy. Imagine it as a whirlpool of energy.

There are thousands of Chakras that are located all over the body and even outside the body but we will be dealing with only 7 of the most important Chakras. These 7 Chakras are located in the subtle body on the Sushumna Nadi. This cord in the subtle body corresponds to the spinal cord in the physical body and so when concentrating on a Chakra, we focus our attention on the corresponding point on the spinal cord.

The Sushumna Nadi connects the bottommost Chakra to the top most Chakra and all the Chakras in between lie on this cord. A 'Nadi' can be thought of as a channel and it is in this channel that the Kundalini rises when awakened, and the Prana energy flows.

Chakras are important points on the Sushumna Nadi, which when open,

facilitate the flow of Prana through the body. This helps in healing the body of any diseases but also opens corresponding parts of the mind which helps in developing a strong character.

We are most interested in this part of Chakra theory. According to this theory the reason why people behave in certain ways, is dependent on their Chakras. For example, why is it that some people feel an inherent resistance to lying while others lie without any reservations? It all depends on which Chakras are open and which are closed.

The lower Chakras are related to the instincts and the animal nature while the higher Chakras are related to the intellectual and spiritual nature. There is a story about Buddha when he was still a young prince called Siddhartha. He and his cousin brother Devadatta were out hunting. Devadatta hit a pigeon with his arrow and it got injured and fell to the ground. He felt good about hitting his target and accomplishing his goal but didn't feel any guilt or compassion towards the pigeon. Siddhartha felt compassion for the injured bird and took it home to nurse it. This was because Siddhartha's higher Chakras were open from birth and he could feel compassion towards all life.

This doesn't mean that the lower Chakras are bad and are to be avoided. To

have a well balanced personality you need to have a balance among all the Chakras. When all Chakras are open they will automatically balance out. But when some Chakras are closed the other ones become overactive and out of balance in order to compensate. So we should try to open all our Chakras if we want to develop our character.

What is Kundalini? Kundalini is a concept closely related to Chakras and just as much misunderstood in modern spiritual circles. Many people believe that Kundalini awakening is the same thing as Chakra awakening. They believe that when the Kundalini awakens it passes through each Chakra and opens it. But this is not how the Vedic sages thought about Kundalini and Chakras.

Kundalini is a subtle energy that resides at the point of the Muladhara or the bottommost Chakra. Usually it lies dormant curled up in three and a half coils like a sleeping snake. When it awakens it rises through the Sushumna Nadi and passes through all the Chakras. In the Crown Chakra the Kundalini meets Shiva or the universal consciousness and results in the enlightenment of the person.

How is Kundalini Different from Chakras?

Kundalini awakening is a long and difficult process. I like to believe that it corresponds to the spiritual journey of the Yogi. As we grow spiritually, the Kundalini rises and the last stop for both is the enlightenment or Samadhi, when we become one with the universal consciousness. At that moment we can experience the true reality of the world. We can see that the universe is a single unit and everything is connected to each other. We can rise above the duality of the material world, where everything is 'me versus others' and we are forever stuck in the vicious cycle of suffering.

On the other hand, Chakras can be awakened with much more ease. Everyone already has at least a few Chakras open. But not all of our Chakras are open and to compensate for the closed ones, the open Chakras are overactive. To balance the Chakras we need to open all of them. This process results in the development of a strong character and a balanced personality. I think this is important as the first step in anyone's spiritual journey. So Chakra balancing can be said to be a prerequisite for Kundalini awakening. But the two are definitely not the same thing.

While Kundalini awakening is more powerful in terms of its effects, we will focus only on Chakra balancing in this book because we want to develop a stable and balanced mind and a strong character before we can move forward

in our spiritual journey. Even if you are not interested in Kundalini awakening and don't believe in all these spiritual theories, you can still benefit from Chakra balancing.

Introduction to the 7 Main Chakras The main series of Chakras represent the evolutionary journey of humans. The bottom most Chakra is called the Muladhara Chakra or the Root Chakra. Below it are Chakras known as Sub-Personal Chakras. These represent the evolutionary journey we had to go through to rise above animals and become human. For animals, the Muladhara Chakra is the highest Chakra while for us it is the bottommost one. This shows our relation to our animal past.

Above the top most Chakra we have Transpersonal Chakras which represent the evolutionary journey that humans are yet to undertake towards divine nature. Just as Muladhara is the top most Chakra for animals and bottom most for us humans, Sahasrara Chakra is our highest but the bottom most Chakra for divine nature that we still have to evolve into as a species.

The 7 Chakras that represent the connection between animal nature and divine nature are: 1. Muladhara Chakra

2. Svadhishthana Chakra 3. Manipura Chakra 4. Anahata Chakra 5. Vishuddha Chakra 6. Ajna Chakra 7. Sahasrara Chakra

What Benefits can be had by Opening and Balancing the Chakras? Chakras have an effect on our physical health, our emotions and feelings, how we think and perceive the world and our mental states. Each Chakra corresponds to a gland of the endocrinal system and the physical benefits of that Chakra are closely related to the functions of the corresponding gland.

For example, the Sahasrara Chakra corresponds to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secrets hormones that communicate with the rest of the glands in the endocrinal system and Sahasrara Chakra is also said to communicate and control the rest of the Chakras. The Vishuddha Chakra corresponds to the Thyroid gland which controls the growth and maturation hormones. In a similar way the Vishuddha Chakra controls the spiritual growth of the person.

Our thoughts and emotions are also controlled by our Chakras because each Chakra is connected to the brain and depending on the condition of the Chakra, that part of the brain can be under-active or over-active.

For example, people with overactive Ajna Chakra are bound to fantasize more, have visions and hallucinations, and are more intuitive. But if it is underactive, the person won't be able to trust their intuition or have the ability to envision their future.

As I'll show in the coming chapters, each Chakra relates to some specific character traits. If our Chakra is out of balance we can't develop those character traits no matter how hard we try. It might be a little surprising that our character is dependent on Chakras and can be changed by simply balancing them, but if you try this and experience it first hand, you'll begin to believe in it. When your closed Chakras open, you'll feel and know that you've changed deep down and become a better person.

So let's get started with the Chakras starting from the bottommost Chakra.

Chapter 2: Muladhara or Root Chakra Muladhara is made up of two Sanskrit words; Mula meaning root and Adhara meaning base or support. So Muladhara literally translates to 'root support'. It is the lowest and most basic of human Chakras. It forms the base of the Chakra system.

It is located near the end of the spinal column near the Coccyx. In a male it is somewhere between the scrotum and the anus while in a female it is located towards the backside of the cervix.

Three channels or Nadis begin out of Muladhara; Ida Nadi from the left, Pingala Nadi from the right and Sushumna from the center. The Kundalini rests coiled up at this Chakra and when it awakens it moves up the Sushumna channel.

The color associated with this Chakra is red. It is also related to the earth element. In the physical body it is related to the adrenal glands, particularly to the fight or flight response that is controlled by the adrenal glands. Physically, an out of balance Muladhara Chakra can cause problems such as

anorexia, obesity, auto immune disease, arthritis, fatigue, kidney problems etc.

Mentally, Muladhara Chakra is related to the emotions of fear and anxiety. If this Chakra is open you will feel grounded, stable and safe in most situations. If it is closed you can be too fearful and mistrusting of everyone. On the other hand if it is overactive you can be materialistic, greedy and resist all kinds of change.

Corresponding Character Traits Balancing Muladhara Chakra can help you develop the following character traits:

Courage Courage is an important character trait for anyone. When we are fearful, we can't achieve anything. We can't take risks as we are afraid of all change. This actually happens because our Root Chakra is closed. When this Chakra is overactive we still resist change because we crave stability. By balancing this Chakra we can become courageous and face the challenges of life head on.

Courage is not just about physical bravery but also about mental strength.

When you develop courage you will be able to take a stand for what you think is right. You will be able to follow your own heart instead of going with the popular opinion. You'll be able to pursue your passions without caring about what others might say. This is an important step in character development.

Vitality A balanced Root Chakra will give us vitality and enthusiasm for life. When we are afraid, we don't live life with enthusiasm, instead we live as if we are just trying to survive and get by. A lot of people think that this is the right attitude to have towards life because we live in such a hostile and scary world. But this attitude is dependent on the Root Chakra and can be turned on its head if we only open and balance it.

With a balanced Root Chakra you won't feel that the world is a scary place. You won't be afraid of every new situation and you won't feel anxiety for the future. You won't be so distrustful of people and will learn to embrace life with vigor and energy. You'll be a positive happy person who is full of zeal, even when life deals you a rough hand. We've all seen such people and the reason behind this attitude of theirs is that their Root Chakra is well balanced. You too can develop vitality by balancing this Chakra.

Self Confidence Self confidence is similar to courage but specifically talks about how you feel about yourself. When the Root Chakra is closed, we are always unsure and indecisive. We second guess ourselves at every step and doubts haunt us all the time. On the other hand, if the Root Chakra is overactive we might be too confident of ourselves. We might be rude and think too much of ourselves.

Balancing this Chakra will give you just the right amount of confidence that is required for a strong character. If you think of heroes, in stories or in real life, they are usually confident of themselves but this doesn't mean that they never have doubts. It's just that they have enough confidence to not be paralyzed by self doubt. This is the kind of self confidence you can build by balancing the Root Chakra.

How to Balance So now you know that there is a lot to gain in terms of character development by balancing the Muladhara Chakra, but how do we balance it?

As mentioned earlier, every interpretation of the Chakra theory has its own theories on how to balance the Chakras. Here I'll mention all the strategies

that might be helpful, even if to differing degrees. I must mention here that we only need to work on opening closed Chakras. The overactive Chakras are only trying to compensate for the closed Chakras so once all your Chakras are open, they will automatically balance out.

Meditation The method agreed by most systems of Chakra theory for opening closed Chakras is meditation. Sit in a comfortable position, cross-legged if possible, in Padmasana. Your hands should be resting over the knees, palms facing upwards and the index finger touching the tip of the thumb. This position helps in opening the Muladhara Chakra. Now breathe deeply and meditate on the position of the Muladhara Chakra.

You can also chant the seed syllable associated with this Chakra which is Yam (pronounced as Yum), while meditating. The color red can be used in meditation for concentrating on this Chakra. You can either imagine the color red or use a red object or even meditate in a room with red walls.

Asanas Another way of opening closed Chakras is by using Yoga postures or Asanas. All Asanas that work on the lower body such as calves, legs, feet etc. will

help in opening the Muladhara Chakra. The Standing Forward Bend or Uttanasana and the Janu Sirsasana or the Head to Knee Pose will stretch your hamstrings and help in opening the Muladhara Chakra.

Positive Feedback Another way to open closed Chakras is by starting a positive feedback loop. When your Muladhara Chakra begins to open you will start to feel a change in yourself and the character traits we talked about, i.e. courage, vitality and self confidence, will begin to show themselves. You will realize that you are becoming more courageous, more confident and more enthusiastic towards life. To speed the process along you can actively try to emulate these character traits. When you do this, a positive feedback loop is established where your Chakra increases your character traits and your character traits open your Chakra even more.

By doing these things you can open your Muladhara Chakra in just a few months. Let how you feel be the judge of whether your Chakra has opened or not.

Chapter 3: Svadhishthana or Sacral Chakra Svadhishthana means 'one's own abode' in Sanskrit. It is the second Chakra in the Human evolution and it's called our own abode because our Sanskaras are said to reside here. Sanskaras are the Karmic debt we have acquired through out our life and in past lives.

It is located on the Sushumna Nadi in the subtle body and the corresponding area in the physical body is on the spinal cord in the lower back. It is about midway between the Root Chakra and the Navel Chakra. Or you can say that it is about 2 to 3 inches below the navel.

The color associated with this Chakra is orange and the element is water. It is supposed to correspond to the gonads; testes in male and ovaries in female. Since these glands release testosterone and estrogen, this Chakra is closely related to the sexual and reproductive organs.

Physically speaking, a closed Sacral Chakra can cause diseases such as bladder problems, kidney stones, problems related to the reproductive organs, pelvic disease, diabetes etc.

Mentally this Chakra corresponds to sexual desire, pleasure seeking, expression of emotions etc. If the Chakra is closed you'll have trouble expressing your emotions clearly. People might find you closed off and distant. On the other hand an overactive Sacral Chakra can make you extra emotional and you'll find it hard to control your emotions and mood swings.

An underactive Chakra will lead to problems with your sexuality, low sexual desire etc. You will feel guilty while having pleasure in any form. While an overactive Chakra can cause you to be extremely sexual and you might find it okay to have sex just for procreation.

Corresponding Character Traits The character traits that you can develop by opening the Svadhishthana Chakra are:

Temperance Temperance is about self discipline and moderation. When the Sacral Chakra is out of balance it's hard to be disciplined. But if we balance this Chakra we can learn to practice moderation in everything we do. This is an important character trait as it helps us stay away from excess. Excess of anything can be

bad and practicing moderation is a good idea to maintain a balanced personality.

It also teaches us humility, a trait worth developing. When we conduct ourselves with moderation, it is easy to stay humble. If instead we get used to excess, we can become distraught when we don't get what we want.

Creativity The Sacral Chakra is the center of creativity as it is a form of self expression and is closely related to our sexual expression. Those who have this Chakra closed and aren't comfortable while expressing themselves sexually, will also not be able to express themselves creatively. Those who's Chakra is overactive might be overly sexual and also overly creative.

But why is creativity a good character trait? It's because creativity is important not just to make art or music but to live a good life as well. Creativity helps us in finding creative solutions to problems that come up in our life. Those who aren't creative, may get stuck or give up when a problem seems too big but creative people will always look for a way out of every problem.

Self Control Self control is closely related to self discipline. Since our strongest urges are sexual in nature, once we can learn to control these urges by balancing our Svadhishthana Chakra, we can also develop self control towards our other urges. A strong character has a lot of self control and always behaves logically and rationally. A strong character never loses control and never does something rash out of powerful emotions such as rage or passion. This is a worthwhile character trait to develop and it can be done by balancing the Sacral Chakra.

How to Balance The same methods will be used in balancing all the Chakras but with slight differences.

Meditation For balancing the Sacral Chakra you should meditate while concentrating on the position of this Chakra in the lower back. The hand position is different from the Muladhara Chakra meditation. For Sacral Chakra your hands should be resting in your lap in front of the pubic bone. The left hand is under the right hand with the fingers of the right hand resting in the palm of the left. The thumbs should be touching lightly and the hands should be slightly

curved.

The seed syllable for this Chakra is Vam (pronounced as Van with a nasal n). You can chant this syllable while meditating. You can also think of the color orange.

Asanas The Asanas that work for Sacral Chakra are all that are related to the pelvis and the hip region. So Asanas such as Cow Face Pose or Gomukhasana, Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, Baddha Konasana or Bound Angle Pose and Upavistha Konasana or Open Angle Pose. If you are new to Yoga, you can always find out about these Asanas from a local Yoga teacher.

Positive Feedback The final way is to create positive feedback for the Sacral Chakra. This is one of the best ways because what you need to do is simply enjoy yourself and relax and learn to accept yourself for who you are. Get a massage or take a break from work to relax and pamper yourself. Be okay with pleasure and try to be open about your sexuality.

In today's lopsided culture we give all the emphasis on work and not enough

on pleasure and relaxation. We think that in order to be successful we must work harder than everyone else but the truth is that such a lifestyle can never lead to lasting success. Sooner or later the imbalance of your life will lead to your downfall. The irony is that we tend to work so hard so that we can be successful and then finally earn some leisure time for ourselves. But the truth is that you can make time for yourself right now. It's just a matter of prioritizing.

And if you want lasting success you should work on your character development and a balanced and strong character comes from balancing all the Chakras. So pleasure and rest should always be an important part of your life.

Chapter 4: Manipura or Navel Chakra Manipura means 'jewel town' and it is so called because the element related with this Chakra is fire which shines bright like a city of jewels. It is called the Navel Chakra but is located slightly above the Navel or in line with the Solar Plexus. This Chakra is associated with the yellow color and in the endocrine system it is associated with the pancreas. The fire element relates to the digestion process which burns food to produce energy for the body. In the same way the Manipura Chakra distributes the Prana energy throughout the body.

An imbalanced Chakra can cause diseases such as diabetes, digestive problems, hypoglycemia, pancreatitis, liver disease, gall stones etc. On the mental side it relates to personal power, opinion formation, introversion and extroversion etc. If your Navel Chakra is closed, you won't be able to assert yourself in front of others. You'll be a shy and introverted character and won't be able to express yourself in a group situation. On the other hand if the Chakra is overactive, you'll be domineering and controlling and will try to control the entire group. It can also lead to perfectionism, anger, hatred, and too much emphasis on

power and status.

A closed Manipura Chakra also leads to passivity and a lack of will power to do what you have to do in order to get what you want. By opening it you can develop will power to take action on your thoughts.

Corresponding Character Traits The following character traits can be developed by balancing the Manipura or Navel Chakra:

Self Esteem A closed Navel Chakra leads to feelings of inferiority. This can lower your self esteem which is an important part of a strong character. If you want to be successful in life, the first person who has to believe in you has to be you yourself. And if your self esteem isn't high then you can't believe in yourself.

By opening your Navel Chakra you can develop self esteem and start to believe in yourself.

Leadership One trait that all strong characters have is leadership. Leadership means the

ability to inspire people to be their best. It also means the ability to bring people together and manage their differences and teach them to work together. Teamwork and fairness go hand in hand with leadership.

Being a leader also means having a strong will power and the ability to envision a collective future. But if your Navel Chakra is closed and your self esteem is low, you can't be a leader. Also if your Navel Chakra is overactive and you are overly domineering, you won't be a good leader even though you might always want to lead everyone.

A good leader has a balanced Navel Chakra and is able to lead groups without being domineering.

Generosity Generosity comes when you learn to control your own power. If your Navel Chakra is closed then you are not capable of handling your power. You either feel powerless or like a victim who has been treated unjustly by the world. In both these situations, it's not easy to be generous.

If your Chakra is overactive then also you are not in control of your power. You are addicted to it and like to use it to dominate others. So there is no way

you can be generous in the real sense of the word. You might try to act like a generous person but if it feeds your feeling of being better than others then it's not right.

Real generosity lies in using your power for good and helping others to realize their own power. Dominating generosity likes to keep people in their place so that you can keep being generous to them and feel superior but real generosity wants to uplift them so that they too can become powerful.

As you can imagine, developing real generosity will do a ton of good for your character. People will look up to you and seek help from you because they will sense your true nature to genuinely help them.

Optimism Another great character trait to develop is optimism. Optimism is important for living a successful life. If you approach any task with pessimism and negativity, your failure will be ensured, but optimism will help you overcome even the biggest obstacles. The path to success is lined with a lot of failures and in order to keep moving forward after every failure, you need to have optimism.

A balanced Navel Chakra will help you to develop optimism. You will feel in control of your destiny even if the outside situation is completely against you. This sense of power comes from a balanced Manipura Chakra.

Will Power Lastly let's talk about will power. The Navel Chakra's element is fire and when your fire is burning you can achieve great things. The core is important in physical fitness as well. When your core is strong you can run faster, jump higher and be stronger. In the same way a balanced Navel Chakra makes you able to achieve anything you want to achieve by giving you will power.

Will power is the ability to control your actions and do what needs to be done even if it's painful or hard or even boring. If you want to lose weight, you need will power to get up in the morning and go to the gym. You need will power to eat healthy and control your diet. Without will power there isn't much you can achieve in life because to achieve anything you'll have to suffer and without will power you can't suffer for long without giving up.

Will power is definitely a character trait that you should go after if you are on a path of self fulfillment and success.

How to Balance Here's how to balance the Manipura or Navel Chakra:

Meditation To open Manipura Chakra you need to meditate while concentrating on the position of this Chakra. Think of the color yellow. Chant the seed syllable Ram (pronounced ran with a nasal n).

The hand gesture to use is to hold your hands before your stomach, slightly below the solar plexus. The fingers should all be pointing away from you and joined at the tips, almost forming a mountain on your stomach. The thumbs should be crossed with the left thumb below the right one. The fingers should be straight.

Asanas Any Asanas that work on the core muscle groups of the abdomen will help in opening the Manipura Chakra. Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is a great exercise for this. Other Asanas include Ardha Navasna or Half Boat Pose, Urdhava Prasarita Padasana or Leg Lifts etc. Bhastrika Pranayama or Bellows Breath is also good for opening this Chakra.

Other exercises that are not part of Yoga but stretch or work out the core muscles can also be helpful in opening the Manipura Chakra.

Positive Feedback To start a positive feedback loop you should work on the character traits described above. If you are an introvert and lack self esteem, it means your Chakra is closed so you should try to be more outgoing and open. Also try to look at yourself with neutral eyes. Don't over criticize yourself and try to be gentle while judging yourself.

A good way to open this Chakra is by taking small risks. When your self esteem is low you are denying your own power and are scared of taking action on anything. Forget about what others will say and take a tiny risk and go out and do what you want to do. Write that novel or share your videos or whatever it is that you have been holding back. Embrace your power and let the fire in your belly burn bright. Don't settle for what you have when you can easily get what you want.

If your Chakra is overactive and you are obsessive about power and status then try to practice real generosity. Try to watch yourself when you are being domineering in a social situation. As your Chakra opens, these things will get

easier and further open your Chakra.

Chapter 5: Anahata or Heart Chakra Anahata is formed from the word Ahata which means to strike or hit. 'An' is a prefix which inverts the meaning so Anahata means un-struck or 'that which is not hit'. This word is used to describe this Chakra because of the concept of Anahata Nad or Un-Struck Sound.

The vibration of the universe that is supposed to be present everywhere in the universe and is the most basic structure out of which all matter and energy is formed is called as the un-struck sound. It is a vibration that has always been and always will be. It is not like the sound you get by striking an instrument which rises and perishes. There is a story about a question asked by a Zen Teacher; 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?' I believe that that Zen Teacher was trying to get the student to think about this un-struck sound.

Since this is the original universal frequency, it is related to unconditional love and is said to reside deep within our hearts. By calling it the Anahata Chakra the Yogis of the Vedic times were trying to tell us that no matter how many times our heart may break the true nature of our heart is always unhurt and it corresponds to unconditional universal love.

This Chakra is located on the spine in the center of the chest just below the breasts. The color associated with this Chakra is green and the element is air. This is also the balancing point between the bottom 3 Chakras which are related to our instinctive and animal side and the top 3 Chakras which are related to the spiritual and intellectual side.

Physically the Heart Chakra is related to the Thymus gland which produces the T Cells that are important for the proper working of the immune system. It can cause diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, auto immune diseases, blood diseases, circulatory system diseases etc.

Mentally this Chakra is related to love and compassion. If it is underactive, you will be cold and distant and unable to express your love or to empathize with others. You might be depressed and sad about a heart break or failed relationship. If it is overactive, you will be codependent, jealous and suffocate others with your love which is a selfish form of love.

Corresponding Character Traits If you balance your Heart Chakra you can develop the following character traits:

Compassion Compassion means to feel love towards everyone including yourself. When you can feel love towards yourself, you will be kind to yourself and not be overly self critical. When you love others, you will try to help everyone and not want bad things for anyone. You'll show kindness towards other people and even animals and plants. Those who's Heart Chakra is overactive, will most probably be vegetarians as they can't get themselves to eat animals.

Balancing the Heart Chakra will help you develop compassion and it will develop your character as a kind and loving person.

Empathy Empathy is the ability to put yourself in other people's shoes and actually feel how they feel. It is completely different from sympathy because sympathy just means that you feel bad or sorry for someone but empathy means you can understand exactly how they feel.

The ability to empathize is very important to be successful in the world. When you can empathize with others you can think about how to help others and provide value to the world. Once you learn to do that, no one can stop you from being successful. Those who only want to take value from the

world and don't want to give back anything can never find lasting success.

A balanced Heart Chakra will allow you to develop empathy and this in turn will make you more compassionate because unless you can feel how others are feeling, you can't be genuinely compassionate.

Forgiveness An important character trait is forgiveness. It means to let go of the past and genuinely forgive people. A lot of us try to forgive and forget but we may tell that person that we have forgiven them but we don't usually forgive from within. This defeats the whole purpose of forgiveness which is to remove hatred, anger and pain from within yourself and become light and loving again.

When your Heart Chakra is balanced, you will be able to forgive and forget in the real sense. Not only will it benefit the other person but it will also benefit you tremendously.

Love The final character trait I want to talk about is love itself. Yes, love is a character trait as well. I'm not talking about romantic love here. Love is the

essence of the Heart Chakra. It is unconditional. It is the un-struck sound. It is the universal soul within you.

If you can learn to love in this way, you will become a very strong character. It is not easy to do this and only very few people have been able to do it in the history of mankind. These are saints and leaders who dedicated their life to the betterment of humanity. As far as character traits go, love is the highest you can aim for.

How to Balance Here's how you can balance your Heart Chakra:

Meditation The meditation for opening Heart Chakra involves a certain hand posture. Keep your left hand on the knee, palm facing down. The right hand's index finger should touch the tip of the thumb. Raise the right hand and place the finger and thumb just below the breasts in the center of the chest. Concentrate on the corresponding point on the spine and meditate. You can also think of the color green or chant the seed syllable which is Yam.

Asanas

Any Asanas that open up the chest, such as back bends etc. will help in opening the Heart Chakra. It should also be noted that all Pranayama exercises also help in opening the Heart Chakra because the element of this Chakra is air.

Positive Feedback To start a positive feedback loop for this Chakra is very simple. You just need to love yourself and everyone and everything. When you think about how many times you feel hatred and anger towards others and yourself in a day, you'll realize that this is easier said than done. But if you keep working at it and try to spread love and compassion you will open your Heart Chakra.

Chapter 6: Vishuddha or Throat Chakra Vishuddha comes from the word Shuddha which mean pure and the prefix 'vi' makes it 'extremely pure'. It is called so because this Chakra can purify our soul and differentiate the lies from the truth.

It is located on the spinal cord at the point in line with the bottom of the neck where the bones of the chest begin. It is related to the thyroid gland which controls growth hormones. It is related to the color blue or turquoise. The element related to it is space or ether.

If this Chakra is imbalanced it can lead to physical problems such as thyroid hypo/hyper function, neck problems, sore throat, cold, cough, vocal cord problems, mouth ulcers etc.

Mentally the Throat Chakra corresponds to communication of all kinds, through speech, writing, sound and the ability to express our thoughts. If your Throat Chakra is closed you'll be shy and quiet and won't talk much. If it is overactive you'll be talkative and a bad listener.

It also helps in creative expression if it is open. You might use excessive talking in an attempt to dominate or keep people at a distance.

Corresponding Character Traits By balancing the Throat Chakra you can develop the following character traits:

Honesty Honesty is an important character trait to have. If your Throat Chakra is closed you won't feel any guilt in telling lies. Such a person might be able to get by and even be successful in today's world but a real strong character is one who is completely honest.

Honesty is internal and external. Internal honesty means being honest and not fooling yourself. You can sometimes fool yourself into thinking that you are not good enough or at other times you might fool yourself into thinking that you are right when you are wrong. An open Throat Chakra will help you be honest with yourself.

External honesty is in being honest with others. The common sense today says that everyone lies and that it's even okay to tell little white lies. A more

pragmatic person will say that even black lies are sometimes necessary and beneficial. But the fact is that if you always tell the truth, people will trust you and you'll stand out as an honest person in the midst of liars.

Decisiveness The Throat Chakra can also help you become more decisive. This character trait comes with honesty because when you are honest to yourself you know what is right and what is wrong. You can make judgments about what you should do and what you should avoid. This will help you make quick decisions and stick to them.

Justice Another character trait related to honesty is justice. Justice means to do the right thing. A strong character always does the right thing. Haven't we seen so many movies and read books where the hero is a strong character who just can't get himself to take the law in his own hands or to do something that he knows is wrong. Yes, now-a-days the anti-hero has taken over from the classical hero but the character trait of justice is still an admirable quality to have.

By balancing your Throat Chakra you can develop this character trait. This

will help you become a just and fair person and people will trust and respect you even more.

How to Balance Here's how to balance the Vishuddha Chakra:

Meditation The posture for opening the Throat Chakra is to bring the hands in front of your stomach with fingers facing downwards and palms facing each other. Now interlock the fingers and slightly cup the hands so that the thumbs meet. Try to raise the thumbs upwards while still together.

Holding this hand position you should meditate while concentrating on the Throat Chakra. Think of the color blue or chant the seed syllable Ham.

Asanas Neck and shoulder Asanas work well for opening the Throat Chakra. You can try Asanas like Ustrasana or Camel Pose, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or Bridge Pose, Sarvangasana or Shoulder Stand and Halasana or Plow Pose.

Other exercises that stretch the neck will also help. Purifying your body by

purifying diet and detoxing will also help in opening the Vishuddha Chakra.

Positive Feedback The Throat Chakra is closely related to sound through the space or ether element. So singing, playing music, reading aloud etc. can all help in opening the Throat Chakra. When you listen or sing a rhythmical piece of music, the vibrations help in purifying your entire body and opening the Throat Chakra.

Other than this you should also try to be as honest as possible and it will start a positive feedback loop and help you to open the Throat Chakra.

Chapter 7: Ajna or Third Eye Chakra Ajna means 'to command' and it is used for this Chakra because the Ajna Chakra can be said to be the command center of all of the other Chakras. It is also known as the Third Eye Chakra because the position on the forehead, which is in line with this Chakra, corresponds to the third eye concept found in various religions. The two channels, Ida and Pingala merge back with the Sushumna at this Chakra. It corresponds to the pineal gland that regulates the various cycles of the body and in a way is a command center for the body.

It is associated with the ability to visualize the future and the past and also gain intuitive knowledge and insight. That's why it is also sometimes called the Jnana Chakshu (The Eye of Knowledge). The color associated with this Chakra is indigo and the seed syllable is Aum or Om. The element associated with this Chakra is light.

It is one of the most important Chakras and if you have this Chakra open, you can receive tremendous benefits. Physically this Chakra can influence diseases like tension, headaches, migraines, visual defects, nose problems,

ear problems etc.

If this Chakra is underactive you will find it hard to think for yourself or visualize ideas. You'll like to obey superiors and do what you are told, instead of thinking for yourself. You'll be rigid in your beliefs and won't like to think about new ideas. If the Chakra is overactive you can be prone to fantasizing and day dreaming and in extreme cases it can even cause hallucinations.

When this Chakra is open and balanced, you will be self responsible, intuitive, wise and idealistic and at the same time practical. You'll be driven to follow your path. You'll be able to see things from a higher viewpoint. You can take an integral look at the entire situation instead of just viewing it through your ego and taking a selfish point of view. You will also have vivid and powerful dreams.

Corresponding Character Traits By balancing the Ajna Chakra you can develop the following character traits:

Transcendence Transcendence means to experience things beyond what is normally experienced in the physical or material world. It means to be able to view

things from a universal point of view.

This is a character trait which will take you beyond personal development and into the world of spiritual evolution. To develop transcendence will mean to rise above the material goals you might have set for yourself. You will redefine what success means to you and you will not just want to pursue your individual success but rather want happiness for all humanity and all life.

You can do this by balancing your Ajna Chakra.

Perspective Perspective means to have the ability to clearly see things from different point of views. So much of the trouble in the world today is because people lack perspective. Everyone on our planet just wants to be happy. Most of us are not evil and don't want our happiness to come at the cost of others' happiness. And yet the world is evil and full of hatred, anger, war and misery. This is because people lack perspective. They can't see things from other people's point of view.

On a personal level also, most of our relationship problems occur when we fail to see things from other people's point of view. Our family members want

the best for us. It's just that their version of best is different from ours. If we develop perspective by balancing the Ajna Chakra we'll be one of the few people who can understand things from others' point of view. This will make us wise and trustworthy.

Spirituality The last character trait for this Chakra is spirituality. Spirituality is similar to transcendence and means to understand that the world is more than the mere matter and energy that we can see and observe. There is a definite connection between every being and every thing in the universe. In the end we are all just manifestations of the same universe which is trying to experience itself through us.

All of these character traits are spiritual in nature because they help us rise above our animal nature and become spiritual beings who can see and understand the unity of the universe. Developing spirituality will take you one step further towards being a wise person.

How to Balance I'm sure you must be eager to open this Chakra if it isn't already open. Here's how to do it:

Meditation The hand posture for this Chakra is to put the hands in front of your lower breasts, palms facing each other and fingers facing downwards. The middle fingers are to be kept straight and should touch each other at the tips. The rest of the fingers are to be folded so that they rest against the back sides of the fingers of the other hand. The thumbs will also touch each other and should be pointing upwards while the middle fingers are pointing downwards.

In this posture, you can meditate while concentrating on the third eye region in between the normal eyes and slightly above. You can chant the seed syllable Aum which is the most powerful sound to meditate on.

Asanas Pranayama helps in opening the Ajna Chakra. The practice called Trataka, in which you stare at the center of the brow above the eyes till tears roll out, also helps in opening the Ajna Chakra.

A good way to open Ajna Chakra is to do your normal yoga routine with your eyes closed or with a cloth tied on your eyes. Not being able to see will result in Pratyahara or an inward drawing of the senses. It will result in

experiencing your body in a completely unique way and will also help your Ajna Chakra to open.

Positive Feedback To form a positive feedback loop try to be spiritual in all your actions throughout the day. Try to take a bird's eye view of every situation. Control yourself when your ego and emotions try to create an immediate reaction to what someone says or does. Instead think about it from a spiritual point of view. The more you apply simple spiritual principles in your life, the more your Ajna Chakra will open and the easier it will get to be spiritual.

Chapter 8: Sahasrara or Crown Chakra Sahasrara translates as 'thousand petaled' and is so called because it is represented by a lotus with 1000 petals. The number 1000 is not to be taken literally as it represents infinity.

The Sahasrara Chakra is the highest Chakra in human evolution and is the point at which the rising Kundalini Shakti meets Shiva or the universal consciousness. It is located in the crown of the head or sometimes it is said to be located a few inches above the crown.

It is associated with the pituitary gland which is the master gland of the endocrinal system and controls all other glands. It is associated with the color violet or sometimes with the color white as white incorporates all the other colors in it. The element associated with this Chakra is thought.

This Chakra is related to diseases such as depression, epilepsy, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, confusion, exhaustion, dizziness and other mental diseases. Mentally it is related to wisdom, inspiration, creativity, appreciation of beauty, and humanitarian ideas.

When this Chakra is underactive you are not very spiritual and are rigid in your thinking. You are attached to materialism and probably mock all spiritual concepts.

When the Chakra is overactive it can cause you to get too attached to spirituality. You might be intellectualizing everything too much and think of yourself as part of an intellectual or spiritual elite.

When the Chakra is balanced you are unprejudiced even towards yourself. You are completely aware of the world and yourself. You understand the world deeply and you also understand yourself deeply.

This is the Chakra at which the divine evolution starts and the human evolution ends. It is not easy to raise your Kundalini to this level but if you can, it will lead to enlightenment. Opening the Chakra and balancing it is much easier than raising the Kundalini but still it is not so easy that everyone can do it.

Corresponding Character Traits The Crown Chakra is related to only one character trait but an important one

at that:

Wisdom Wisdom is more than mere intelligence. It means to be unprejudiced and fair and just and honest and compassionate and loving and kind and all the other character traits we've mentioned so far.

To develop wisdom is to finish your character development or self improvement journey. Once you become wise, you will understand yourself and the world in such a way that no success will be out of reach if you choose it. But being wise also means that your definition of success will change. It will now include the entire human race. Or you might choose to live a simple quiet life somewhere instead of going after fame and money.

The chances are that you'll only reach this level after having achieved success through the other character traits that you develop by opening the rest of the Chakras.

How to Balance It can be tempting to go straight for this Chakra because it seems to be the most important and highest Chakra but if you do this, then you won't be able

to open or balance it. Just like wisdom comes only after developing all the earlier character traits, this Chakra can only be opened after opening the rest of the Chakras.

It is important to do so because you need to have a proper base before you can balance the Crown Chakra. In order to do this you can do the following things:

Meditation Any form of meditation is meant to be thought control and since the element for this Chakra is thought, all forms of meditation are helpful in opening this Chakra.

The special hand posture for this Chakra involves bringing the hands together in front of the stomach, with the palms facing each other and the fingers facing downwards. The ring fingers are straight and touch each other at the tips. The rest of the fingers interlock with each other. The left thumb is under the right thumb.

Use this hand position and concentrate on the crown of the head while meditating.

Asanas Doing yoga will eventually be helpful in opening the Crown Chakra by helping open the lower Chakras. Any other form of exercise along with proper diet will also help in building a disease free and healthy body which is important for the spiritual evolution required to balance the Crown Chakra.

Positive Feedback As far as positive feedback goes, here too the only thing you can do is try to be as spiritual as possible in your daily life. The more spiritual principles you apply in your life, the more you'll be able to grow spiritually and the sooner you'll balance the Crown Chakra.

With this we have come to the end of the 7 Chakras. In the next chapter I'll talk about how to find out which of your chakras are closed and which are open.

Chapter 9: A Quiz to Find Your Closed Chakras By now you must already have a feeling about which of your Chakras are open and which ones are closed. By reading about the character traits and other emotions related to each Chakra you can get a feeling about which Chakras are predominant for you. But what if you want to understand it in more detail?

Well here's a quiz that you can use to find out more about your Chakras.

How to Use To use this quiz go through each statement one by one. The statements are divided according to each Chakra. You can respond to each statement in one of 5 ways; strongly disagree, disagree, not sure, agree and strongly agree. Give yourself points for each statement in this way: Strongly disagree = -2 Disagree = -1 Not sure = 0 Agree = 1

Strongly agree = 2

At the end of the quiz, you can add up your total for each Chakra and look at the solution given at the end of the quiz. To make all of this easy, take a sheet of paper and write down the name of the Chakra, the statement number, your response and the points you've scored. Then at the end you can do the total and match your score to the results. So here we go:

Root Chakra 1. You feel grounded and present most of the times. 2. You don't feel nervous all the time. 3. You feel at home everywhere. 4. You don't avoid particular situations because they might be awkward. 5. You always feel secure. 6. You feel safe about your financial situation. 7. You trust most people. 8. You are self confident.

Sacral Chakra

1. You are a creative person. 2. You feel one with your body. 3. You express your feelings freely. 4. You are a very emotional and passionate person. 5. You are not ashamed of your impulses. 6. You are good at applying self control. 7. You are good at expressing sexual feelings. 8. You don't feel the need to hide your emotions from others. 9. You are comfortable with your physical desires.

Navel Chakra 1. You can easily be assertive in a group situation. 2. You feel in control in a group situation. 3. You are a team player. 4. You are not passive or indecisive in social situations. 5. You generally feel free to act upon what you want. 6. You have a strong will and always dominate social situations.

Heart Chakra 1. While having a confrontation you are considerate of the other person's feelings. 2. You are not afraid of expressing your love for anyone. 3. You are a friendly person by nature. 4. You give so much love to others that you forget about yourself. 5. You are very attached to someone in your life. 6. You feel a strong need to be emotionally connected to people. 7. You are compassionate about yourself and others. 8. You try to make your relationships as harmonious as possible. 9. You love most people.

Throat Chakra 1. You are not at all confused about your likes and dislikes and have strong feelings about them. 2. You look at everything that happens to you, good or bad, as lessons you can learn from.

3. You express yourself through a creative art form such as music, painting dancing etc. 4. You talk a lot. 5. You are never withdrawn and lonely. 6. You are good at thinking in words, symbols and concepts. 7. You communicate well in writing. 8. Your voice is loud and clear.

Third Eye Chakra 1. You feel that there is some meaning behind coincidences and they are not random at all. 2. You fantasize a lot. 3. You are good at developing insight. 4. You rely a lot on your intuition. 5. You are good at visualizing things. 6. You don't need to rely on the insight of others to take action or make a decision about something. 7. You can easily recall your dreams.

8. You often have visions or premonitions.

Crown Chakra 1. You are good at coming up with original ideas. 2. You feel that you are a part of something much bigger than yourself. 3. You have a well developed sense of self awareness. 4. You are not spontaneous and try to plan out everything by thinking about it. 5. You feel connected to the universe and everything that is around you. 6. You accept everything that happens to you.

Solutions

Root Chakra -16 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 8 Chakra is balanced. 8 to 16 Chakra is overactive.

Sacral Chakra -18 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 9 Chakra is balanced. 9

to 18 Chakra is overactive.

Navel Chakra -12 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 6 Chakra is balanced. 6 to 12 Chakra is overactive.

Heart Chakra -18 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 9 Chakra is balanced. 9 to 18 Chakra is overactive.

Throat Chakra -16 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 8 Chakra is balanced. 8 to 16 Chakra is overactive.

Third Eye Chakra -16 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 8 Chakra is balanced. 8 to 16 Chakra is overactive.

Crown Chakra -12 to 0 Chakra is closed and needs to be opened. 0 to 6 Chakra is balanced. 6 to 12 Chakra is overactive.

Conclusion In the end, I'd just like to say that the Chakra system of the Vedic culture is nothing but another explanation of our human experience. The experience remains the same but over the years the explanations keep changing. I'm sure our modern medical and psychological explanations would sound a little strange to the Vedic Yogis as well.

So don't be too skeptical about the Chakra system. If you give it a try and work on your closed Chakras, you'll experience for yourself the truth behind this system that has been missed by our modern psychological systems. This system gives a strong explanation of the entire spectrum of human characters and personalities.

And if you work on your Chakras and balance them all, you can develop a very strong character and eventually become a wise and spiritual person who's in perfect harmony with the universe. If that isn't bliss then I don't know what is! Good luck and thanks for reading.

Yin Yoga How to Enhance Your Modern Yoga Practice with Yin Yoga to Achieve an Optimal Mind-Body Connection Olivia Summers

Introduction Thank you so much for purchasing my book “Yin Yoga.” My name is Olivia Summers and I’m a Certified Yoga Teacher and one of my many passions is the topic of Yin Yoga. So many students that I’m introduced to have not even heard of the practice of yin yoga and for that reason, I’ve decided to write a book on one of my favorite forms of yoga. The basis of the practice, however, does not stand alone. There could be no ‘yin’ without the ‘yang.’ Therefore it is fundamental that anyone wishing to practice yin yoga does so with the emotional, mental and physical intent to balance it with other “yang” forms of yoga such as hatha or ashtanga. Why is this the case? Well, yin yoga is the calming and soothing—whereas yang yoga recharges and invigorates us. Obviously both types of yoga are needed, but in our modern world the emphasis is placed on yang activities, without much regard for our body’s need for the yin side of things. This leaves us imbalanced and feeling off kilter. Yin yoga has the ability to retrain our minds and bodies to become better at dealing with chaos and distraction—especially when you’re having to hold certain poses for five minutes at a time. By cultivating a quiet mind and outer calm through yin yoga, you’ll be much better off when dealing with the stress that life throws your way. Not to

mention your joints and tissues will be much better off because of it. So if you’re curious as to how to make yin yoga a part of your daily yoga practice, then keep reading!

The Evolution of Yin Yoga How Did it Come to Be? Relatively speaking, yin yoga is not a new development. The yin side of yoga has always been around. However, it wasn’t until yoga teacher, Sarah Powers introduced her students to the idea of yin poses to counterbalance the more yang poses in their routine that the idea of “yin yoga” really took off in popularity. Sarah had come to know yin yoga through the teachings of Paul Grilley—a Taoist Yoga practitioner from California and helped him spread the knowledge to the rest of the Western culture. Hatha—the more “yang” style of yoga has been around in American culture since the early 1900’s. However, when it was first introduced, it was taught as a system of gentle, static stretches and was actually more yin in practice— which is probably why most people thought it was pretty boring back then. However, around the early 80’s the hatha and ashtanga styles of yoga became much more yang. The classes were fast paced and exciting— think Vinyasa Flow or PowerFlow yoga. So as you can see, what was once considered a ‘yin’ form of exercise, wasn’t any longer. I think this is where the need for a specific type of yoga that catered to the softer side of stretching arose. This is why Yin Yoga was born—out of necessity to balance out our yoga practice and ultimately the rest of our lives.

What is Yin Yoga, Exactly? The practice of yin yoga, as a whole, is similar to other forms of yoga in the sense that it does offer the same objectives and goals to stimulate and create growth within our minds, bodies and spirits. However, yin yoga has the ability to heal us on a deeper level than hatha or ashtanga forms of yoga. How? Yin yoga focuses on our ligaments, joints, bones and connective tissues, whereas hatha yoga tends to focus on stretching merely our muscles. Yin yoga is the perfect way to supplement your yoga practice—no matter your experience level. The reason for this is because it complements the more yang styles of yoga that lengthen and contract our muscles by targeting our connecting tissues in our lower spine, hips and pelvis.

Yin Vs. Restorative Yoga Many people, at first glance, might think that yin yoga and restorative yoga are one in the same. However, the only similarities that they have are that they’re both done on the floor and you can do them in cozy socks. Aside from that, they couldn’t be more different. The whole idea of restorative yoga is to coddle your body and help it ease out of any pain or discomfort you’ve experienced in the past or from injuries. When you’re in a restorative yoga class you’re being guided to relax and basically take a nap for the duration of the class. Sure you might feel a good

stretch here and there, but it’s very laid back and gentle. With yin yoga—it is not meant to be comfortable. The whole point is to invoke change in our bodies—from our joints to our tissues to our cells. For the duration of each pose (which can be up to 5 minutes or sometimes even longer) you’ll be experiencing some amount of discomfort. Each minute held in the poses will feel like an eternity and you’ll feel like you’ll never be able to walk again. However, by holding these static stretches for intense periods of time, you are giving your body a chance to re-mold and re-formulate the way your joints and tissues connect to one another. With yin yoga you are pushing your body past what it’s used to and taking it to “optimal.” Obviously, in order to do that, you have to put stress on the body to invoke change. Pay attention to your body and remember some discomfort is to be expected but if you experience true pain stop what you are doing and reassess. If you can’t tell the difference between “discomfort’ and “pain” I recommend finding an experienced instructor in your area. When we’ve spent years of our lives sitting and being dormant for the most part, we put a major toll on our body and its natural range of motion. The good news is, though, with yin yoga we can reverse the damage that we’ve done to our bodies and become better than we were before, even. It might feel a little intense at first, but I encourage you to give yin yoga at least 4 or 5 sessions before deciding whether or not you’re going to keep

practicing.

Yin Yoga Essentials The foundations of Yin Yoga, believe it or not, are rooted in Taoist beliefs. According to personaltao.com, the definition of Taoism is as follows: “A simple way to start learning the definition of Taoism is to start within yourself. Here are three easy starting steps to learning Taoism: 1. Don’t concentrate on the definition of the Tao (this will come later naturally). 2. Understand what Taoism really is. Taoism is more than just a “philosophy” or a “religion”. Taoism should be understood as being: A system of belief, attitudes and practices set towards the service and living to a person’s own nature. 3. The path of understanding Taoism is simply accepting yourself. Live life and discover who you are. Your nature is ever changing and is always the same. Don’t try to resolve the various contradictions in life, instead learn acceptance of your nature.” The concept of yin and yang originate in Taoism and is often referred to as ‘taijitu’—the yin and yang symbol has come to symbolize Taoism throughout the world. This is where the concept of yin and yang yoga comes from.

Taijitu Symbol

Differences in Yin & Yang Yin and yang, by definition, are two halves that come together to make a whole. So in this sense, you can see why both yin and yang forms of yoga are required to balancing out your practice. Translated, the word ‘yin’ means shady side and the word ‘yang’ is defined as sunny side. We see examples of yin and yang in our lives every day. The chart on the next page illustrates some of the more common forms of yin and yang.

Yin

Yang

Female

Male

Cold

Hot

Dark

Light

Inside

Outside

Slow

Fast

Downward

Upward

Dim

Bright

Moon

Sun

Earth

Heaven

Even

Odd

Plastic

Elastic

Water

Fire

Solid

Hollow

Mysterious

Obvious

As is evident in the chart, all aspects of our lives have a yin side and a yang side to them. Naturally, we must incorporate both of these aspects into our yoga practice as well. Otherwise, we’re left with imbalance and chaos within our bodies. Even if we don’t know it! When we practice both yin and yang forms of yoga we learn how to serve our bodies in the best way possible. And it’s not just all about the different types of poses either. In yin yoga, how you practice is the biggest difference that you’ll see and feel. When we practice the yin aspect of yoga we are nourishing, allowing and yielding—we become much more nurturing of our bodies. At first, you might be a bit bored with this type of yoga practice and feel that it’s not necessarily for you. However, I believe that if you give it a fair and open-minded chance, the way your body feels afterward will speak volumes to how much you truly need yin yoga in your life. If you look back at the symbol for yin and yang (the Taijitu) you’ll see that even within the darkness (or yin) there is a speck of light (yang)—and vice versa. You can’t have one without the other! Even while practicing more vinyasa flow type asanas you can spot yin qualities (i.e., breath control, mindfulness).

So even if you weren’t aware of it before this book, you have been practicing small portions of yin activities within your yang yoga practice. So even though the concept of ‘yin yoga’ has been newly coined, it doesn’t mean that it’s a new way to practice, by any means. However, the exercises in this book will take your yoga practice to a deeper level than you ever even knew was possible, but I bet your body (even if it was subconsciously), has been trying to tell you that there’s more to the whole art of yoga than fast paced flow sequences that have become so popular in our Western culture. Intuitively, though, I’m sure you knew there was more to it than that.

Physical, Mental & Energetic Benefits So now that you know what yin yoga is…maybe it’s time that I should explain how it can help you—physically, mentally and energetically. Keep reading to discover how yin yoga can improve all aspects of your life.

Physical Benefits Increase mobility of joints and hips Better lubrication and protection in joints More flexibility of connective tissues and joints Releases our fascia in our body TMJ and Migraine reduction Improves sitting ability Improves your other yoga practice Increases overall flexibility Better circulation throughout the body Balances internal organs

Mental Benefits Calms and balances the mind Lowers stress levels Deeper relaxation Helps coping with anxiety Increases clarity and focus

Develops willpower Can help heal those with addictions, eating disorders or who have experienced trauma in their lives

Energetic Benefits Regulates energy in our bodies Increases stamina Helps increase our flow of prana throughout our body by stimulating meridian lines Balances your yang practice As you can see, yin yoga provides many traditional and even more nontraditional improvements over your health than you would get by simply practicing ashtanga forms of yoga. If you lead a balanced and healthy lifestyle by utilizing the yin and yang of your yoga practice, you will develop a well-rounded and much more productive way of living. Not to mention you’ll experience all the amazing benefits that yin yoga has to offer.

Some Things to Keep in Mind There are three important principles to keep in mind when you practice yin yoga. They’re outlined below. Please read each carefully before proceeding to any of the poses.

Find Your Edge—When coming into each pose, do so slowly and deliberately. Speed is not your friend when it comes to getting into yin yoga poses. Even if you know that you “normally” should be able to go a certain depth into a pose, you should never start at the maximum. Take it easy to avoid injury. Learn to Be Still—Yin Yoga is a very meditative way of practicing yoga and should be viewed as such. Is it going to be comfortable? Not in the slightest. But the idea is to quiet and “listen” to your mind and your thoughts as each fly by, learning to live in the moment without letting yourself readjust or find a place that’s more “comfortable.” Hold it Here—The idea with yin yoga is to hold the majority of the poses for at least 3-5 minutes. By doing this we are able to retrain our joints and connective tissue to become more flexible and to lengthen and readjust themselves. Just face it: you’re not going to feel extremely comfortable here —that’s not what it’s about. Push through the discomfort and hold the poses to retrain your body. With that out of the way, you’re now ready to move on to the part you’ve probably been waiting for: the poses!

The Asanas The following chapter outlines each of the different asanas in the yin yoga practice. You might notice that some of the poses are the same as the ones you’ll find in regular ashtanga yoga practices, just with different names. The name distinction is very important. Just because a yin pose might look similar to its ashtanga counterpart, does not mean that it’s working your body in the same way. Each yin pose will work much deeper into your connective tissues, ligaments joints, organs and even meridian lines of your body to promote an all-over healing effect on your body.

Pose 1: Anahatasana Step 1: Start out on your hands and knees in tabletop position. Be sure to line your wrists up underneath both shoulders and both knees under each of your hips. Pull your shoulders inward and down the spine, then tuck all your toes under. Step 2: Keep both legs where they are and then carefully walk both hands forward, allowing your chest to lower to the mat. In this position, tilt the pelvic bone back through the front of the legs. Keep walking your hands forward until your chest is about half an inch off the mat.

Step 3: Rest your forehead on the floor and press into your palms and into your toes. Hold here for 3-5 minutes. Do not do this pose if you have neck injuries or neck pain. If you experience tingling in your hands or fingers, re-adjust or come out of the position, as this is a sign of nerve compression and we don’t want to damage it permanently! Adjustments: If you find you’re uncomfortable, you can put a folded blanket underneath your knees to alleviate pressure You can also rest your chest on a bolster to keep the body relaxed Joints Targeted: Shoulder Lower Spine Upper Back

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Stomach Spleen Heart Lung

Pose 2: Ankle Stretch Step 1: Start by sitting back on your heels and place both hands behind you on the floor, making sure to keep your chest pressed forward. Step 2: After a minute or so, bring both hands to the floor beside each leg, but again be conscious that you aren’t leaning away from your knees. Keep the chest pressed forward and arch your back slightly. Step 3: Lastly, hold onto both knees and carefully pull them in toward your chest, feeling a gentle stretch. Try to hold here for 1 minute. However, if there’s a lot of discomfort then come out of the pose. If you feel sharp pain in your ankles or you have knee issues that make it uncomfortable then do not prolong the pose. Joints Targeted: Ankle Meridians & Organs Targeted: Stomach Spleen Liver Gall bladder

Pose 3: Bananasana Step 1: Start by lying on your mat on your back. Keep both legs together, straight out in front of you on the mat. Slowly reach both arms overhead and clasp at your hands or elbows. Step 2: Now, with your butt planted firmly on the mat, move both your feet and upper part of your body to your right. Arch yourself to mimic the shape of a banana. However, be mindful not to roll or twist the hips up off the floor. Step 3: Once your body feels comfortable here, pull your body even further to the right. If you’re as far into the position as you can get, cross your ankles. Generally you’ll want to place the outside ankle over the top of the inner ankle to feel the best stretch. Hold for 3-5 minutes. If you feel tingling in your hands, simply place a bolter under your arms or bring your hands down at your sides. Also, be mindful of low back pain in this pose. Joints Targeted: Spine Rib cage

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Gall Bladder Heart Lung

Pose 4: Butterfly Step 1: Start out by sitting on the floor. Bring both feet together and press the soles into each other. Step 2: Slide your feet away from you, allowing the spine to round and fold forward. Step 3: Your hands should be resting lightly on your feet or on your mat in front of you. Hang your head down toward your heels. Hold for 3-5 minutes, but can be held for much longer periods if you desire. If you have sciatica, you might not feel very comfortable in this pose. If you feel any lower back pain, do not round your back—keep it straight. Adjustments: If your neck is stressed in this position you can support your head in your hands while resting your elbows on your thighs or a block. You can rest your chest on a bolster over your thighs to relax more. If your back hurts here, you can keep your legs in the butterfly position and simply lay back, flat on the floor. Joints Targeted: Hips

Lower Spine Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Gall Bladder Kidneys Liver

Pose 5: Half Butterfly Step 1: Start out sitting on the floor. Bring one foot inward (in a half crosslegged position) while stretching your other leg straight out to your side. Step 2: Now, fold forward and allow your spine to round out as you bring your torso forward between both legs. Step 3: If you want an even deeper stretch, fold yourself forward over your straightened leg to stretch your hamstring more. Hold here for 3-5 minutes. This is another pose that may aggravate sciatica, so practice with caution. If you have low back pain, avoid rounding the back. If you have sharp pains in your knees, engage the muscle in the top of your thigh or you can bring your legs closer to each other. Alternatively, you can put a folded towel or blanket under your bent knee for support or under the straight leg as well. Joints Targeted: Knees Spine Meridians & Organs Targeted:

Urinary Bladder Liver & Kidneys

Pose 6: Camel Step 1: Get on the floor with your knees hip width apart. Visualize yourself drawing your glutes up into your body, but keep your hips soft while you plant your shins and tops of the feet into the floor. Step 2: Place your hands on your hips as you rest your palms on your butt with your fingers pointing down. As you inhale, keep your shoulder blades pressed back and your head high. Ideally you want to keep your thighs perpendicular to the floor, but if you’re a beginner it’s perfectly okay to give yourself some slack. If you can’t go straight back to touch your feet you can turn slightly to one side and place your hand on your foot, then go back to the neutral position and place your other hand on your other foot. Step 3: Make sure to lift your pelvic bone upward and focus on lengthening your spine and releasing pressure. As you do so place your hands against your heels and your fingers pointing down to your toes. Don’t squeeze your shoulder blades together and don’t tighten your neck or throat area. Hold this pose for up to 3 minutes if it’s comfortable for you. Avoid this pose if you have back issues. Adjustments: If you have neck pain, do not lay your head back—keep your chin tucked into your chest.

If you feel less flexible, you can rest your hands on your heels or put a block between your feet for support. Joints Targeted: Spine Shoulders Ankles Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Kidneys Spleen Stomach Heart Lung Thyroid

Pose 7: Cat Pulling Its Tail There are two ways to get into this pose so choose which one would work best for you below. Option 1 Step 1: Start sitting on the floor with both your legs straight out in front of you. Step 2: Now, twist to your right and recline on the right elbow. Keep your right leg straight and bring the left leg forward to the side. Step 3: Then, bend your right leg back toward your butt. Reach back with your left hand and grab the right foot, pulling it out and away from you. Option 2 Step 1: Start by lying down in the floor. From this position, roll onto the right side of your body. Step 2: Keep your right leg extended and then bring the left leg out to the side. Step 3: Last, bend your right leg and bring your heel in to your butt. Reach back with your left hand and grab the right foot, pulling it out and away from you.

Hold this pose for up to 3 minutes. Avoid this pose if you have low back issues.

Joints Targeted: Sacrum Lumbar Rib Cage Meridians & Organs Targeted: Spleen Stomach Urinary Bladder Kidneys Gall Bladder

Pose 8: Caterpillar Step 1: Start by sitting on a cushion or thick mat with both of your legs extended out in front of your body. Step 2: Carefully and slowly fold your torso forward over your legs, letting your back round out. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes or longer if possible. Avoid this pose if you have sciatica and feel that this aggravates it. If you have low back pain keep your back straight. Adjustments: If hamstrings are too tight, add a bolster underneath your knees to help with support. You can also add more cushions underneath your butt. If you need to you can also rest your head in your hands. This pose can also be performed in legs-up-the-wall fashion. If your knees feel strained, add a folded towel or blanket underneath for support. Joints Targeted: Spine Meridians & Organs Targeted:

Urinary Bladder

Pose 9: Child’s Pose Step 1: Get into a kneeling position on the floor and sit back on your heels. Separate your knees hip width apart. Step 2: As you exhale, lay your torso down on the mat between your thighs. Once you’re settled in, lengthen the tailbone and neck. Step 3: Now you can position your hands either straight out in front of you, palms toward the ground or you can place them at your sides palms facing up. Whatever is most comfortable to you. After all, this is a resting pose. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes, or however long feels comfortable to you. Avoid this pose if you are pregnant, have diarrhea or you just ate a meal. Adjustments: If you need to, feel free to place arms out in front of you. If you’re not flexible enough to rest your butt on your heels, support your neck by placing the forehead on a bolster or on your hands. There’s no need to keep the knees together. If it’s more comfortable, separate them wider. You can also add a bolster under your chest for added support.

Joints Targeted:

Spine Ankle Meridians & Organs Targeted: Spleen Stomach Kidneys Urinary Bladder

Pose 10: Dangling Step 1: Stand in Mountain pose with your hands on your hips. As you exhale, bend slowly forward at your hips. At the same time you should be drawing your stomach inward and engaging your abdominal muscles. You want to focus on lengthening your mid-section as you descend. Step 2: Now, bend slightly at the knees and fold your body forward while clasping at your elbows with the opposite hands. Step 3: Press your heels into the floor and lift your butt into the air. As you inhale, focus on lengthening your mid-section. As you exhale release yourself deeper into the forward bend and let your knees bend even more. Step 4: Be mindful of your neck and keep it loose—let it hang freely. Hold this pose for 2 minutes at a time, in multiple sessions since it’s so intense. Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma or diabetes. Adjustments: If you have back pain, bend the knees quite a bit to alleviate the pressure. Also, try resting the elbows on the thighs. If you have low back pain, keep the back straightened.

Joints Targeted: Spine Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Liver Spleen Kidneys

Pose 11: Deer Step 1: Start out by getting into the Butterfly pose on your mat. Then, swing the right leg back behind your body so that your foot is positioned behind your hip. Step 2: Next, move your front leg away from you and attempt to make a right angle with your front knee. Step 3: Move your back foot away from your hip until it feels like you’re tipping forward and away from your foot, being mindful to keep your butt firmly on the mat. Hold this pose for only up to 1 minute. Avoid or be wary of this pose if you have knee problems. If you do try this pose, be sure to keep from rotating your hip. Joints Targeted: Hips Meridians & Organs Targeted: Gall Bladder Liver Kidneys Stomach

Spleen

Pose 12: Dragons Baby Dragon Step 1: Start out in Downward Dog and then bring one foot forward between your hands. Step 2: Walk your front foot forwards until your knee is positioned directly above your heel. Step 3: Extend your back knee out behind you as far as you can, while keeping both hands on either side of your front foot. Hold for 3-5 minutes. Avoid if you have knee or ankle problems. Adjustments: If you need to, you can put a folded towel or blanket under the back knee for extra support. You can also add a bolster or blanket under your shin or ankle if you need to. Joints Targeted: Hips Ankles Lower back

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Stomach Spleen Liver Gall Bladder Kidneys

Alternative Variations: Dragon Flying High Rest your hands or arms on your front thigh and push chest out and forward. This will increase the weight over your hips. Dragon Flying Low Place both hands on the inside of your front foot and walk them forward as you lower your hips. If you want more of a stretch, rest your forearms on the floor or bolster or a block. Twisted Dragon Use one hand to push your front knee to the side, while the other hand and forearm are pressed down into the mat as your chest is rotated and pushed up towards the ceiling. Winged Dragon Put both hands on the mat and push your right knee outward toward the mat in a gentle “flapping” sort of motion. Roll onto the outside edge of your foot and then hold here. You can also come down on your forearms or rest them

on a bolster or block. Overstepping Dragon From the original Baby Dragon pose, move your front knee far forward and also slide the back heel out behind you until it’s just slightly lifted off the mat. Dragon Splits Straighten both of your legs out into the splits position and support your front hip with a bolster positioned under your butt. You can either sit up tall or fold the torso forward for different stretches. Fire-Breathing Dragon Start out in Baby Dragon and then tuck your back toes under as you lift your knee up off the mat. This will put extra weight on your hips and help to increase your stretch.

Pose 13: Frog Step 1: Start out by getting into Child’s Pose and then move both of your hands forward, extending them straight out in front of you. Step 2: Keep your knees separate, but stay sitting on your heels. Step 3: Lift your hips higher, until they’re in line with your knees, but be sure to keep your feet together—this is known as Half Frog. Step 4: Separate your feet as wide as your knees—this is Full Frog. Hold in this pose for 3-5 minutes. Avoid doing this pose if you have back pain, knee problems or are prone to get tingling in your hands. Adjustments: If you have neck pain, rest your forehead on the floor instead of your chin or place it on a bolster. You can allow your hips to shift forward if there’s too much pressure. Joints Targeted: Hips Lower Back Shoulders

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Kidneys Liver Spleen Heart Lungs Small & Large Intestines

Pose 14: Happy Baby Step 1: Lie on the floor on your back. As you exhale, bring your knees into your stomach. Step 2: On an inhale, grab the outside of both feet and open your knees up a little wider than the width of your torso. Pull your feet up towards your armpits. Step 3: Bring both ankles directly over your knees, making your shins perpendicular to the floor as you flex through your heels. Gently push up with your feet while at the same time pulling your hands down to create a resistant stretch. Hold here for up to 5 minutes. Avoid if you are menstruating or if you have high blood pressure. Adjustments: If you aren’t flexible enough to grab your feet you can instead hold onto the backs of your thighs. Alternatively, you can use a belt or strap to hold your feet if you feel too tight or simply perform this pose against the wall—pushing into the wall with both feet. After a few minutes of engaging the stretch, just relax here in this position for several more minutes.

Joints Targeted: Hips Lumbar Spine Meridians & Organs Targeted: Kidneys Liver Urinary Bladder

Pose 15: Reclining Twist Step 1: Start by lying on your back on the mat. Bring both knees up and into your chest, then open both arms out to your sides (like wings) and slowly lower your knees to one side. Step 2: If you can’t keep your shoulders flat on the floor, try placing a folded blanket or bolster underneath your bent knees. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes, playing around with the stretch and repeating on the opposite side for the same length of time. Avoid this pose if you have rotator cuff injuries or other shoulder problems. Adjustments: Raise or lower your knees to feel the stretch in different parts of your spine. If you want a deeper stretch, bring one knee up into your chest and hold it with your opposite hand so that it comes across your body.

Joints Targeted: Shoulder Upper Spine Lumbar Spine

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Heart Lung Small Intestines Stomach Gall Bladder Liver Spleen Pancreas

Pose 16: Saddle Step 1: Start out by kneeling on your mat with both thighs parallel and making sure your knees are positioned hip width apart. As you exhale, lower yourself back toward the mat. Step 2: To do this, place your hands behind you and then slowly and carefully lower yourself onto your elbows, placing your palms flat against your lower back. Step 3: Finish reclining back onto the mat or with the help of a bolster or folded blanket. Rest your arms down at your sides, or if you feel like you’re flexible enough, extend them back behind your head. Hold here for up to 5 minutes if you feel up for it. Avoid this pose if you have a bad back, knee pain, ankle pain or any sharp, burning sensations. Adjustments: In this pose, straighten one leg out in front of you for Half Saddle. If you feel like you can’t bend further than your elbows, rest here on a bolster. You can also put a block between your feet and butt to help lift your hips. If you’re reclined all the way back, adjusting your head so that the top

is resting on the floor will help open up your throat. Joints Targeted: Lower Spine SI Joints Ankles Knees Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Kidneys Stomach Spleen Heart Lung

Pose 17: Shoelace Step 1: Start by kneeling on your hands and knees, then put one knee behind the other one, siting back between your heels. Step 2: Alternatively, you can start by sitting back on your heels and then sliding onto one butt cheek. From here you bring your outside foot up over the opposite leg and move it towards the outside hip. Step 3: Finally, you can also begin this pose by sitting in a cross-legged position and then bring one foot under its opposite thigh and the other foot over the top and towards its opposite hip. Step 4: The goal is to keep from sitting on your feet—move them as far forward as you can and keep your butt firm on the mat. Hold this for 3-5 minutes on each side. Avoid this pose if you have sciatica and feel it would be aggravated. Also, if you have low back pain either avoid this pose or keep the back straight and not rounded. Adjustments: If your hips feel tight here, simply sit on a bolster. If you feel it’s too hard on your knees, try straightening your bottom leg. If the top knee is what’s hurting, put a blanket or bolster under it.

If you need to support your head with your hands when you fold forward you can. Joints Targeted: Lower Spine Hips Meridians & Organs Targeted: Kidneys Gall Bladder Liver Urinary Bladder

Pose 18: Snail Step 1: Start out by lying on your back on your mat. Then, lift both hips into the air as you support them with both hands. Step 2: Slowly and carefully start to round your back and let both feet lower on either side of your head until they are close to the floor as you can get them. Be cautious of applying too much pressure on your neck—the majority of your weight should be distributed on your shoulders. Hold this pose for 3-5 minutes. Avoid if you have neck problems, high blood pressure, glaucoma, vertigo or a cold. Also avoid if you have eaten recently, are pregnant or you’re menstruating. Adjustments: For your arms, you can either keep them on your lower back with the palms flat (beginner) or if you can straighten your legs out behind you then you can place your arms flat on the floor behind your back—even clasping your hands if you’re flexible enough (advanced). If you want a deeper, more challenging stretch then you can bend your knees toward the floor as well. Joints Targeted: Spine

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Internal organs Urinary Bladder

Pose 19: Sphinx and Seal Step 1: Start by lying on your stomach on your mat. Then, position your elbows so that they’re slightly past your shoulders on the mat. If you have too much pain or pressure in your lower back here, you can simply move your elbows farther up on the mat, bringing your chest closer to the mat—this is the Sphinx position. Step 2: To get into a Seal pose, simply straighten your arms and lock them. For Sphinx, hold for 3-5 minutes. For Seal, hold for 1-minute intervals, several times. Avoid these poses if you have back problems, a headache or any sharp pains. Also, be careful if you’re pregnant, not to press your stomach into the floor— you can use a bolster under your pelvis and your forearms if needed. Adjustments: For Sphinx pose, you can put a cushion under your elbows to feel a deeper stretch. In Sphinx you can also put a bolster under your armpits to make the pose easier. To release some of the pressure in your lower back, you can spread your legs apart more. Alternatively, to deepen the sensations you can put your legs together. If you need to, you can put a bolster or blanket under your pelvis or

thighs to offer more support. Joints Targeted: Lower Spine Neck Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Kidneys Stomach Spleen Adrenal Glands

Pose 20: Square Step 1: To get into this pose, start by sitting on your mat, with your legs out in front of you. Step 2: Cross your legs, moving both feet forward until the shins are parallel to the edge of the mat—“square” to it. The key to this pose is that you should feel the stretch in your outer hips—not the knees! Hold this pose 3-5 minutes, per leg. Avoid if you feel like there’s too much pressure in your knees or hips. Also be careful if you have sciatica or low back pain (keep the spine straight). Adjustments: To stretch your lower back, fold forward. For a deeper hip stretch, place your ankle over the opposite knee and then tuck the other ankle under the opposite knee. If you feel like there’s too much pressure in your knees, you can put a folder blanket or towel under them for extra support. To get a different stretch, try sliding your knees closer to one another. Joints Targeted: Spine Hips

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Liver Kidneys Gall Bladder Urinary Bladder

Pose 21: Squat Step 1: Start out standing with your feet hip-width apart and then lower yourself into a squatting position. Step 2: Your arms should be in front of your body, hands in prayer position, with your elbows pushing gently into your shins or knees. Hold this pose for 2-3 minute intervals—alternating with other poses. Avoid this pose if your hips are too tight or you have knee problems. Adjustments: If you can’t flatten your heels against the mat, widen your stance or place a blanket or bolster under your heels. On the same note, if your knees are not pointing forward in the same direction as your feet. If they aren’t, spread your legs wider or put a bolster or blanket under the heels. To get a deeper stretch in your hips, widen your stance. To work your ankles more, move your feet closer together—even touching. Joints Targeted: Knees Hips Ankles

Meridians & Organs Targeted: Liver Kidneys Urinary Bladder Stomach Spleen Gall Bladder

Pose 22: Straddle Step 1: Start out sitting on your mat, legs spread apart as far as you can get them. Step 2: Then, fold your torso forward so that you’re resting the weight of your body on your hands, with both arms locked in a straight position. You can also rest the elbows on a block. Hold this pose for 3-10 minutes. Avoid if you have sciatica, low back pain (or keep back straight) or any inner knee pain. Adjustments: To raise your hips, sit on a bolster or cushion. Rest your elbows on a bolster or block. To feel a stretch in your spine and hamstrings, fold the torso over one leg, then alternate. If it feels like too tight of a stretch in your hamstrings, put a bolster under your thigh(s). If you feel like you’re flexible enough, try folding yourself straight forward onto your stomach and keep your arms out to your sides. If you need to, you can even bend your knees so that you’re feet are flat on the mat. Twist, by folding your body over one leg and then rotate your chest

toward the ceiling. Joints Targeted: Knees Lower Back Hips Meridians & Organs Targeted: Urinary Bladder Liver Kidneys Spleen Gall Bladder

Pose 23: Swan and Sleeping Swan Step 1: To get into Swan pose, start by getting into Downward Facing Dog, then slowly move the right knee between your hands, leaning to the right a little. As long as your knee feels okay in this position, flex your foot and move it further up on the mat. If you need to, you can bring your foot closer to your right hip. Step 2: Now, center your weight in your body so that it’s evenly distributed. From here, you can tuck your back toes under and also slide your back knee away from your body. Repeat this several times until your right butt cheek is as close to the floor as possible. Step 3: If you’re going to get into Sleeping Swan, simply bend your torso forward so that your stomach is flat against the mat and your arms are raised over your head, flat on the floor in front of you. For Swan pose, hold for 1-3 minutes. For Sleeping Swan, hold for an additional 1-3 minutes. Avoid if you have knee pain or your hips feel too tight. Adjustments (for Swan Pose): Keep your weight back in your hips when lowering yourself. Keep your hands flat on the floor, arms straight or lower yourself to your elbows.

If you need to, place a bolster under your chest. Adjustments (for Sleeping Swan): Keep your weight back in your hips when lowering yourself. Keep your hands flat on the floor, arms straight or lower yourself to your elbows. If you need to, place a bolster under your chest. Joints Targeted: Lower Back Hips Meridians & Organs Targeted: Liver Kidneys Stomach Spleen Gall Bladder Urinary Bladder

Pose 24: Toe Squat Step 1: Start by sitting upright on your heels, feet together. Step 2: Then, tuck the toes under—focusing on staying on the balls of the feet, not the tiptoes. If you need to, reach down and tuck your small toes underneath. Hold this pose for 2-3 minutes. Avoid if you feel strain in your knees. If you have tightness in your toe or ankle joints then stay in the pose for a lesser amount of time. Adjustments: If you need a break at any point, sit up on your knees to get rid of some of the pressure on your toes. When you’re ready, sit back on your heels again. If you’re in pain at all, get out of the pose. If you’re up for it, you can add some shoulder exercises to this pose— like Cow Face or Eagle arms. You can also put a folded towel or blanket under you knees or a cushion between the hips and heels. Joints Targeted: Ankles Toes

Meridians & Organs Targeted: All lower body Meridians Spleen Liver Stomach Gall Bladder

Pose 25: Savasana Step 1: As you lay on your back, focus on lifting the pelvis and sliding the tailbone down to spread out your lower back. Don’t arch the back unnaturally and lengthen your legs, resting them hip width apart. Let the feet and legs roll outwards to their natural resting position. Step 2: Raise your arms and spread your shoulder blades so that they are away from your neck. Rest them at your sides at about a 45-degree angle with your palms up. Step 3: Visualize and lengthen the neck by placing your chin closer to your chest. Inhale deeply and then exhale as you sink your body into the floor and become quiet and still. Visualize your entire body and it rests and feel your eyes relax and your mouth and face soften. Hold this pose for anywhere from 10-30 minutes or more! The idea for this pose is that you’re paying attention to the prana flowing into the areas that you just worked through your practice. You should always end each practice with the Savasana.

Yin Yoga Flows The following Yin Yoga flows should be enough to get you started for awhile. After enough practice you’ll probably feel comfortable enough creating your own Yin Yoga flow sequences or you can always take a class for further instruction. Yin Yoga Flow Sequences Beginner’s Flow 1—60-90 Minutes Butterfly Pose Dragonfly Pose—over right leg Dragonfly Pose—over left leg Dragonfly Pose—down the middle Sphinx Pose Child’s Pose Seal Pose Child’s Pose Shoelace Pose—right leg forward Shoelace Pose—left leg forward Happy Baby Pose Reclining Twist—right side Reclining Twist—left side Savasana For a 60-minute session, hold each pose for 3 minutes. For a 90-minute

session hold each pose for 5 minutes. Please note: You should take a “break” between each pose for 30-60 seconds by stretching in whatever way feels good to you.

Beginner’s Flow 2—90 Minutes Frog Pose—2 minutes tadpole, 2 minutes full frog Child’s Pose—1 minute Sphinx Pose Child’s Pose—1 minute Shoelace Pose—right leg on top Sleeping Swan Pose—right leg back Shoelace Pose—left leg on top Sleeping Swan Pose—left leg back Caterpillar Pose Dragon Poses—right leg forward 2 minutes Baby Dragon 2 minutes Overstepping Dragon Downward Facing Dog Pose—1 minute Child’s Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—left leg forward 2 minutes Baby Dragon 2 minutes Overstepping Dragon Downward Facing Dog—1 minute Child’s Pose—1 minute Reclining Twist—right side, 2 minutes Reclining Twist—left side, 2 minutes Savasana Hold each pose for 4 minutes, unless otherwise noted. Please note: You should take a “break” between each pose for 30-60 seconds

by stretching in whatever way feels good to you.

Beginner’s Flow 3—90 Minutes Butterfly Pose—1 minute Swan Pose—right leg back, 1 minute Sleeping Swan Pose—2 minutes Butterfly Pose—1 minute Swan Pose—left leg back, 1 minute Sleeping Swan Pose—2 minutes Butterfly Pose—1 minute Straddle Pose—3 minutes Butterfly Pose—1 minute Sphinx/Seal Pose—3 minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—right leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Dragon Flying High 1 minute Dragon Flying Low Downward Facing Dog Pose—1 minute Child’s Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—left leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Dragon Flying High 1 minute Dragon Flying Low Downward Facing Dog—1 minute Child’s Pose—1 minute, knees apart Frog Pose—2 minutes tadpole, 2 minutes full frog Child’s Pose—1 minute, knees closer together Anahatasana—3 minutes

Half Butterfly Pose—3 minutes, right leg out to the side Sit with knees to the chest—1 minute Half Butterfly Pose—3 minutes, left leg out to the side Lie on back with knees to the chest—1 minute Twisted Roots—right side, 2 minutes Twisted Roots—left side, 2 minutes Savasana Hold each pose as noted. Please note: You should take a “break” between each pose for about 15-25 seconds or however long you feel is necessary.

Spine Flow—90 Minutes Dangling Pose—3 minutes Squat Pose—3 minutes Dangling Pose—2 minutes Squat Pose—2 minutes Straddle Pose—5 minutes, over right leg Windshield Wipers—1 minute Straddle Pose—5 minutes, over left leg Windshield Wipers—1 minute Straddle Pose—5 minutes, fold down the middle Deer Pose—1 minute, right side Deer Pose—1 minute, left side Caterpillar Pose—5 minutes Tabletop Pose—1 minute Sphinx Pose—5 minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute Seal Pose—5 minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute Lie on back with knees to chest—1 minute Cat Pulling Its Tail—1 minute, right Cat Pulling Its Tail—1 minute, left Hinge—2 minutes Happy Baby Pose—2 minutes Sit with knees to chest—1 minute Snail Pose—3 minutes Cat Pose—1 minute Reclining Windshield Wipers—1 minute

Reclining Twist—2 minutes, right side Reclining Twist—2 minutes, left side Savasana Hold each pose for amount of time noted. Set a timer for each if needed.

Kidney Flow—90 Minutes Butterfly Pose—5 minutes Windshield Wipers—1 minute Straddle Pose—5 minutes, over right leg Windshield Wipers—1 minute Straddle Pose—5 minutes, over left leg Windshield Wipers—1 minute Straddle Pose—5 minutes, fold down the middle Tabletop Pose—1 minute Seal Pose—5 minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—right leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Overstepping Dragon 1 minute Dragon Splits Downward Facing Dog Pose—1 minute Child’s Pose—1 minute Ankle Stretch Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—left leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Overstepping Dragon 1 minute Dragon Splits Downward Facing Dog Pose—1 minute Child’s Pose—1 minute Ankle Stretch Pose—1 minute Caterpillar Pose—5 minutes Lie on back with knees to chest—1 minute

Happy Baby Pose—2 minutes Windshield Wipers (lying down)—1 minute, moving knees side to side Reclining Twist—2 minutes, right side Reclining Twist—2 minutes, left side Savasana Hold each pose for amount of time noted. Set a timer for each if needed.

Hips Flow—90 Minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute, knees apart Frog Pose—2 minutes tadpole, 2 minutes full frog Child’s Pose—1 minute, knees together Shoelace Pose—5 minutes, right knee on top Swan Pose—1 minute, right leg back Sleeping Swan Pose—4 minutes Square Pose—5 minutes, right foot in front of left knee Windshield Wipers—1 minute Shoelace Pose—5 minutes, left knee on top Swan Pose—1 minute, left leg back Sleeping Swan Pose—4 minutes Square Pose—5 minutes, left foot in front of right knee Tabletop Pose—1 minute Sphinx Pose—5 minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute Saddle Pose—5 minutes Child’s Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—right leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Dragon Flying High 1 minute Dragon Flying Low 1 minute Dragon Wing Downward Facing Dog Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—left leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Dragon Flying High

1 minute Dragon Flying Low 1 minute Dragon Wing Downward Facing Dog—1 minute Twisted Roots—2 minutes, right side Twisted Roots—2 minutes, left side Savasana Hold each pose for amount of time noted. Set a timer for each if needed.

Yin/Yang Fusion Flow—90 Minutes (by Saul David Raye) Virasana (Hero Pose)—3 minute meditation Neck Circles—1 minute left, 1 minute right Shoulder Circles—1 minute backwards, 1 minute forwards Heart Tapping—1 minute, tapping up and down sternum with fingers Sitting Side Bends (cross-legged)—1 minute right, 1 minute left Sitting Back Bend—1 minute Butterfly Pose—3 minutes Stand in Uddiyana Bandha—empty the lungs, then draw your stomach in, up and under the ribs Stand and perform Agni Sara—empty the lungs, then slowly pump the stomach in and out Press “Reset”—turn your right hand into a fist, then stick out the thumb. Hold the right wrist with the left hand, gently pushing the right thumb into your belly button. Relax your stomach with each inhalation, pushing deeper. If it hurts, stop. Arm Circles—1 minute backwards, 1 minute forwards “Hah” Breath Drops—keep your legs wide apart and bend slightly at the knees. Raise your arms up and as you inhale deeply, shout “Haaah!” while dropping your upper body and arms between your legs. Use the momentum to push you back up on the inhale. Repeat 5 times. Squat Pose—2 minutes Dangling Pose—2 minutes, knees bent Squat Pose—2 minutes Dangling Pose—2 minutes, legs straighter Dragon Poses—right leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon

1 minute Dragon Flying High 1 minute Dragon Flying Low 1 minute Dragon Wing Downward Facing Dog Pose—1 minute Dragon Poses—left leg forward 1 minute Baby Dragon 1 minute Dragon Flying High 1 minute Dragon Flying Low 1 minute Dragon Wing Cat’s Breath—1 minute Squat Pose—1 minute Dangling Pose—1 minute Roll up from Rag Doll to Mountain Pose Step your feet apart 3 ft., turning them outward—then squat, lowering your hips halfway to the mat with arms out to the side—1 minute Use hands to pull thighs apart—1 minute Side Fold—1 minute, over right leg Side Fold—1 minute, over left leg Wide Leg Squat—2 minutes Frog Pose—3 minutes Reclining Windshield Wipers—1 minute Happy Baby Pose—2 minutes Reclining Windshield Wipers—1 minute Sitting—1 minute Shoelace Pose—3 minutes, right side Shoelace Pose—3 minutes, left side Straighten both legs, bounces fast and hard against the floor—1 minute Bend your knees and bounce your feet on the floor fast and hard—1

minute Hamsa Breath—2 minutes Savasana—up to 10 minutes Hold each pose for amount of time noted. Set a timer for each if needed.

Tailoring Your Practice Everyone is different when it comes to his or her own yoga practice. That’s part of what makes yoga so unique and appealing—it can become what you need it to be. In the following chapter we’ll discuss how to develop your own yin yoga routine.

Yoga Flow 101 So maybe you’ve gotten to the point where you’re getting bored with the yin yoga flows that I’ve provided for you or maybe you feel like you’ve mastered each sequence, or maybe you’re not quite ready to take a class at a studio. Whatever the reason—this chapter will help you out! In this chapter we’re going to go over how you can create and develop your own yin yoga workout sequence to cater to your personal likes and disliked— or even to help with a specific part of your body that you feel needs some focus.

How To Do It Writing up your own yoga workout routine can be both satisfying and also a little nerve-wracking. But nothing beats being able to customize your workout to fit any physical setbacks or personal goals. A lot of people like to attend yin yoga classes for the simple reason that they don’t know how to practice yin yoga any other way. Well, today I’m going to

empower you to build your own routine and practice getting your yin on anywhere, anytime—no instructor needed. Ready? Let’s get started. Step 1: Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write down all your favorite poses. You don’t have to know the proper name or Sanskrit term for each pose—you can identify them in whatever way makes sense to you so that you know what the pose is and what benefits it offers. Your list might be very long or quite short. If it’s on the short side and you want your routine to be a little longer, you might need to refer back to the poses I’ve included in this book or even do some research online. Step 2: Next, sort each pose into more specific categories—such as resting poses, twists, hip openers, back exercises or even by which meridian or internal organ the pose is targeting. To ensure that you have a balanced routine, you’ll want to include poses from each of the categories. You can also create a routine that focuses on a specific area of the body, but you won’t want to repeat only this routine because your body will become off-balance. Please note: unlike other forms of exercise, you want your muscles to be cool and relaxed before practicing yin yoga, so no warm-up exercises are necessary. Step 3: Note that you should start your workout with a meditative chant or breath technique. This should be done every single time because it’s that

important. With practice, though, you should be able to calm your breathing much faster than you will be able to in the beginning. Just be sure to find a quiet spot where you’ll be able to focus on only your breathing for at least five minutes—or however long you feel you need to. Step 4: One of the most important parts of creating your own workout routine is to decide if you want your workout to be more focused on—hips, back, all around wellness, yin-yang fusion, etc. Whatever you decide, it’s important that the poses you pick match up to your expectations. For instance, if you’re going for focus on your hip joints then you’ll want to choose appropriate poses to fit this need. Step 5: This step is the most important step in my book and something you should take to heart. Too many times in my classes I see students fleeing from their mats when we get to this part of our yoga routine, which is unfortunate because it’s incredibly beneficial and essential to our overall well-being. What is it? Well, at the end of every single one of your yin (or yang) yoga workouts you should include Savasana—or Corpse Pose. Even if it’s not specified in the workout! The reason being, your body and mind need time to adjust to all that has just happened in the last hour or so—we don’t want to rush right back to the hustle and bustle of our daily lives before we process and reflect on the journey we’ve just been on.

By lying on your mat, completely relaxed and at peace, breathing deeply at the end of each workout you’ll be able to experience a rewarding calm that is worth the 5-10 minutes of delay. Please keep in mind these 5 essential steps when planning out your own yin yoga routine. If you’re at all unsure about what poses are able to be combined safely and effectively then it’s best to practice under the supervision of a certified yin yoga teacher.

Conclusion It is my hope that by taking the time to read this book, you now have a better understanding of the importance of a balanced yoga practice that includes both yin and yang styles of yoga. Before reading this book you may have been unaware of the differences or that both types even existed. However, I hope that after reading my Yin Yoga guide that you can implement Yin Yoga into your personal yoga practice and realize the key importance of supplementing your routine with it. It might not seem like you’re doing much, since the majority ofthe poses are simply being held for longer periods of time without much movement. But by doing this you’re stimulating many of your internal organs and meridian lines of your body, which will only help to improve your health and overall wellbeing . Over time, I’m sure you’ll start to see how vital Yin Yoga is to a wellrounded and balanced yoga practice. Thank you for reading this box set. I hope you enjoyed. Click here to see my other books on Amazon.