The 3 Gunas
Before my yoga training, I have to admit, my lifestyle was very bad. While I tried to eat healthy/organic meal everyday, the more I find myself eating the bad ones. Sure, I do exercise 3x a week or more but it was no use as my bad eating habits was a cycle I couldn’t stop. As a result, I ended up having a bad break out all over my face. It was a very bad experience for me and it affected my self-esteem. At that point in time, I knew I needed to do something — (1) to change my bad eating habits and (2) find effective exercise for my body and mind. After a long research, I decided to sign up for the Yoga certification class at Ihayoga. When I started the course, my breakout was even worst. It has always been my ritual to conceal all my acne scars every time I leave the house, but in the training I let everyone see my bare-face. Eventually, I became comfortable without make up on. After learning the art of ‘’no make up on’’ confidence, it was also the time I learned the Gunas. Gunas is the fundamental qualities or attitudes’ of the manifest energy. This 3 Gunas plays a very important part in the yogi diet. To increase vitality, health & energy, Sattvic food such as grains, corns, barley and wheat must be eaten. Rajasic food are those with strong spice and must be avoided as this over stimulate the body and mind; this cause restless state of mind. Lastly, tamasic food. Meat, fish & alcohol are tamasic in nature. They make a person dull, inert and lazy. After understanding the 3 Gunas, I begun incorporating this diet to my everyday meal and also regular yoga exercise. After 2 weeks, I saw improvement on my face and slowly my acnes are clearing away. I was amazed on how it works wonder on my skin and I’m happy that my acnes are healing so fast!! I started sharing this secret diet plan with my friends and how it would help them. Until today, this meal plan has been my everyday staple and I couldn’t wait for more wonderful changes it could happen in my life, both physically and mentally. Being part of the Yoga training course at Ihayoga has been a life changer for me. Not only physically and mentally but also in managing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Today, through the certification training; my understanding about Yoga has grown deeper. There still so much to learn and I’m happy that I found the place where I want to myself to be. Rola Angelica De Vera IHAyoga student
Karma
Often times, people relate Karma to a negative outcome or unfavorable situation. Many people believe that when someone did something wrong to someone, Karma will eventually happen as a result of the wrong deed. While this may be true from a human nature perspective, In reference to Yogi belief, this somewhat coincides to what karma is perceived to be. Yogis perceived Karma as the “cause and effect” through the sequence of mental act, physical act, reaction and fruit of the action. In the truest sense, depending on your action today, the effect would be likely the same. Karma, as learned is not always a negative entity but rather viewed as a systematic series of events stimulated initially in the human mind. If the mind is not able to find the cause of the event, it does not mean it is an accident. In Karma, there is no such thing as blind chance. In our modern world, it would be a challenge to incorporate these ideas knowing how powerful media/internet has become. And because information is an easy access tool for everyone, the tendency for most people (including myself) is to formulate our understanding based on social proof; the more people follow a certain idea, the truer it is deemed to be. Thus, law of cause and effect in this situation is disconnected, making it impossible to understand the essence of Karma. Instead of understanding the situation in a connected event, we tend to select ideas favorable to ourselves and to others creating a bias judgment. As a key take-away, the nature of Karma is just simple; everything in nature obeys the law of cause and effect. If parts are missing, law of Karma will not hold. Also, we have to bear in mind that what we to do today, either good or bad, it will have a direct impact in our future life. Rola Angelica De Vera IHAyoga student
Yoga
Having been experienced yoga’s healing powers both mentally and physically is an inspiring story to share. Weight loss, a strong and flexible body, glowing beautiful skin, peaceful mind, good health – whatever you may be looking for, yoga has it on offer and I can definitely attest to that. Here are the 5 positive benefits I gained from doing Yoga for almost 3 years; 1. Gives you peace of mind It slows down the mental loops of frustration, regret, anger, fear, and desire that can cause stress. 2. Builds muscle strength Each asana poses have its own importance in our body and one of which is to build muscle strength. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. 3. Makes you happier One study found in the website is that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol. Whether is just sitting in lotus or doing back bends, it would really make a difference in enhancing your mode. 4. Helps you focus Through meditation, you would feel less distracted by your own thoughts, which can play over and over like an endless tape loop. Regular yoga practice improves coordination, reaction time & memory, which in turn help people assimilate balance in the fast-faced environment of today’s world. 5. Improves your flexibility – Improved flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. During your first class, you probably won’t be able to touch your toes, never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you’ll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. I consider Yoga as a gift of life that everyone should celebrate by continuously practicing the asanas. The deeper you move into your yoga practice, the more profound are its benefits. Rola Angelica De Vera IHAyoga student
Meditation in Yoga
When you speak about Yoga meditation, some people would tend to be skeptical about it. To some extent, some of the people I know often connect it to a religious activity thus afraid to even try. Through my Yoga training, I learned that meditation in Yoga, is an act of focusing your mind— it is about quieting a busy mind. Meditation also promotes healing as the brain is in a relax and calm state. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation: • Anxiety decreases • Emotional stability improves • Creativity increases • Happiness increases • Gain clarity and peace of mind • Problems become smaller It also makes you aware – that your inner attitude determines your happiness. In the Yogic context, when we concentrate, we direct our mind toward what appears to be an object apart from ourselves. We become acquainted with this object and establish contact with it. To shift into the meditation realm, however, we need to become involved with this object; we need to communicate with it. The result of this exchange, of course, is a deep awareness that there is no difference between us (as the subject) and that which we concentrate or meditate upon (the object). Meditating is not an easy thing to do as the mind has so many free flow thoughts. Everyone’s mind wanders, even people who have been meditating for 50 years. It’s part of what the brain does. But with regular practice, nothing is impossible. Meditation is like a seed. When you cultivate a seed with love, the more it blossoms. Rola Angelica De Vera IHAYoga student
Pranayama (Breathing exercise)
In Yoga exercise (and in other exercise as well), the art of inhaling and exhaling maybe a little complicated than we think. We often hear our teacher saying inhale and exhale in every poses. While it is but natural to breathe, we normally find ourselves holding our breath most especially in the most difficult asanas. Pranayama or Breathing exercise is very important in the Yoga exercise as it promotes proper breathing. The Yogis realized the importance of an adequate oxygen supply thousands of years ago that is why they developed and perfected various Breathing Techniques that will help to revitalize the mind and the body. There’s quite a few breathing exercise that Yogis has developed and two of my favorites is the Ujjeye breathing and Bhastrika because of the good benefits it creates physically and mentally. Ujjeye breathing, also known as victoria’s breath is the inhalation and exhalation through the nose while the mouth is close. When doing the Ujjeye breathing, the throat should be constricted creating a sound while inhaling and exhaling and breathing should be equal. Why do I like this breathing exercise? It eases depression, insomnia and stress. It also strengthens vocal cords so it’s good for aspiring singers. Bhastrika breathing, also known as bellows breath is the forceful inhalation and exhalation through the nose. When doing the Bhastrika, hands should be pressing the ribs to feeling the expansion on the sides. Bhastrika helps to throw out toxins and cures illness of respiratory track. It also helps to keep negative thoughts away and creates abs!!!! While it may be hard to maintain our breath when doing exercise, we must not forget to breathe out!! Holding a breath increases pressure inside the chest (which is good for stability), but holding it too long can impede the return of blood to the heart and raise blood pressure. Rule of thumb — when in doubt , just breathe…. Rola Angelica De Vera
Chakras
In the Yogic concept, Chakra literally means a wheel of disc that enables energy to flow through or around it at various speeds. There are seven main chakras and they are located along the spine extending out the front and back of the body. Each chakra has a number of specific qualities that correspond to the refinement of energy from the base level up to our crown. The first three chakras, starting at the base of the spine are chakras of matter. They are more physical in nature. First Chakra: The Muladhara is the chakra of stability, security, and our basic needs. It encompasses the first three vertebrae, the bladder, and the colon. When this chakra is open, we feel safe and fearless. Second Chakra: The Svadhisthana chakra is our creativity and sexual center. It is located above the pubic bone, below the navel, and is responsible for our creative expression. Third Chakra: The Manipura chakra means lustrous gem and it’s the area from the navel to the breastbone. The third chakra is our source of personal power. Fifth Chakra: The Vishuddha chakra is the fifth chakra, located in the area of the throat. This is our source of verbal expression and the ability to speak our highest truth. The fifth chakra includes the neck, thyroid, and parathyroid glands, jaw, mouth, and tongue. Sixth Chakra: The Ajna chakra is located in between the eyebrows. It is also referred to as the “third eye” chakra. Ajna is our center of intuition. We all have a sense of intuition but we may not listen to it or heed its warnings. Focus on opening the sixth chakra will help you hone this ability. Seventh Chakra: The Sahaswara chakra or the “thousand petal lotus” chakra is located at the crown of the head. This is the chakra of enlightenment and spiritual connection to our higher selves, others, and ultimately, to the divine. It is located at the crown of the head. Some of our chakras are usually not open all the way, but some are over-active, or even near closed. If the chakras are not balanced, peace with the self cannot be achieved. Opening your Chakras and allowing a healthy flow of energy is a powerful tool for staying balanced, maintaining good health and advancing spiritually. Rola Angelica De Vera
