Yoga Tip - Rejuvenate and Improve Concentration with Nadi Shodhan

Concentration and stress are related to each other. When you are stressed out you can concentrate on any task. Reducing stress improves the concentration and increases you decision making capacity in day to day tasks. Using a simple Pranayama you get double benefit of reducing the stress and improving the concentration plus other benefits.

Here is how you can improve your concentration with this variation Nadi Shodhan Pranayama. This technique is very simple and here is how you do it and most important part is the practice as usual.

Sit in a quite place and concentrate on the breathing. Start imagining that you are inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils.

Here are the steps.

1. Imagine that the inhalation is from the left nostril.


2. Imagine exhaling from right nostril.


3. Now again imagine that you are now inhaling from right nostril.


4. Finally exhale from the left nostril.

This is one round. Do this for 12 rounds.

Initially it will be difficult but with practice you will see that you will have more controls on both the nostrils. Imagination is very important initially and only concentrate on one nostril at a time even if you are aware that other nostril is being used. Gradually you will gain total control on the nostrils and you will be able to breathe from the respective nostrils at will.

Benefits

1. Rejuvenates and oxygenates the nervous system


2. Improves concentration and control on the breathing.


3. You can meditate easily


4. Balances the energy flow on both the sides of the body and makes you more stable mentally and therefore increases your decision making capacity.


5. Reduces stress.


6. Beneficial in high blood pressure

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Shavasana - Relaxing after a hard day at the office

Do you feel too tired to devote time and energy for your family after a hard day at office? Here is the solution. After you come back, have a nice shower and practice Shavasana for 10 to 15 minutes and you will have more energy for your family.

Shavasana is one of the easiest poses physically. In this pose you would need to lie down on the floor like a corpse. Shav in Sanskrit means a corpse hence this posture is named Shavasana. If done properly, provides rest to the entire body including the various organs, muscles and tissues. This is must after every Yoga Session and sometime between the asansa if they are too strenuous.

How to Practice Shavasana

• Lie on the mat on your back. Close your eyes.


• Make slight adjustments to the distance between the fee and the position of the hands so that you are totally relaxed. You may move the back a little if required so as to come to a position where you will be comfortable and would not need to move for the duration of the practice.


• Take few deep and long breaths especially concentrating on the stomach so as to relax it.


• Now focus on big toe on the right leg and mentally try to relax it. After one or two seconds take the focus to middle finger of the right feet. Similarly take the focus to different parts of the right leg like below the feet, area on the back of the feet, calf, shin, knee, joints etc. for one or two seconds and try to mentally relax that part.


• Once you relax the right leg parts, then visualize that entire right leg is relaxed.


• Then one by one take to focus to left leg, both hands, parts of face, back and entire body parts. Try to do it slowly and repeat it once more.


• When you have completed relaxing all the body parts, focus on your breathing and you will notice that you are totally relaxed.


• Continue as long as you want and then bring the awareness outside your body and slowly come out of the pose

Things to Note

• Imagination play a crucial part in this, as you can imagine that you are taking positive energy from the universe on inhalation and throwing out stress and negative energy, emotion from the body on exhalation. Over the period you will gradually gain expertise in this pose and will be able to relax very easily, even while traveling in a plane or train you can try to relax the body in a sitting posture.


• For proper relaxation spread the mat on top of a blanket as it will give some cushion to the body. Usually the Yoga Mats are not more than 3 to 3.5 feet wide. if the mat is there on a cold floor, you will be aware of the coldness where the hand touches the floor. Putting a blanket or carpet below the mat will eliminate this problem and you will be able to practice the pose in a better manner.


• Select a neat and quite place or room for this practice.

Benefits of Shavasana
Shavasana relaxes the entire body and mind and helps in stress related diseases like high blood pressure, insomnia, depression and increases the healing in case of other diseases. It also gives rest to the entire body after yoga practice.

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