Meditation and relaxation asanas part II

Relaxation asanas
|ॐ|

The importance of the correct practice of these asanas cannot be stressed enough. One of my masters once told me that yoga is done mostly with your mind and in the previous post we spoke about the eight limbs of yoga. Remember that asana is just one of them; a healthy body is necessary to develop a healthy mind for sure, but it does not all the job. I guess it's also true the other way around, that is, a healthy mind can be mirrored as a healthy body. The other limbs are mostly concerned with breath, life ethics, concentration and meditation.

Relaxation asanas should be practiced after a session of pranayama, before sleeping, before and after an asana session, to practice yoga nidra and every time the body feels out of energy during the practice. The asanas might seem easy at first, yet to do them properly you will need to relax all the tension in your body. And that's not an easy task at all. Some of you will find hard to stay in shavasana, without moving, for more than 5 minutes; yet these asanas are very important because they give the body the rest it needs, as they help relax the whole psyco- and physiological system. Also they are recommended for back and spinal problems.

These asanas have no contraindication. Stay in a relaxation pose for 1 to 2 minutes between asana practice when needed, while the final relaxation should last no less than 10 minutes. A nice meditative music with binaural beats or a mantra can be played during the practice.

Be completely still during the practice, even the smallest movement can disturb the practice.

Shavasana  (Corpse pose)

Lie on your back with the arms by the side of the body, about 15 cm away from the body, palms of the hands up, relax the fingers. Separate the legs to a comfortable position and close the eyes. Head and spine should be in a straight line. Relax the whole body and do not move. Focus on your breath. After some time, again become aware of your body and of the surroundings, start moving the fingers and the toes, then arms and legs, open your eyes. Move as you please, stretch, roll the spine, then come back to a seated position.

Sávasana is recommended to practice yoga nidra and for the final relaxation after the asana practice.

Makarasana (Crocodile pose)

Lie on your stomach, place the right hand on top of the left hand, palms facing downward. Rest your forehead on your hands, so that the spine is equally relaxed.

Alternatively, you can place the right or the left cheek on your hands, taking care of switching side.

Open your feet mat-width apart, let the heels fall on the inside; you can also keep your legs together, big toes in touch and heels pointing outside.

Close your eyes and relax the whole body focusing on your breath. After sometime again become aware of your body and the surroundings and release the pose.

Makarasana is recommended after practicing challenging backward bends as Dhanurasana or Shalabhasana.

Matsya Kridasana (Flapping fish pose)

Lie on the belly, bend the left leg on the side bringing the left knee close to the ribs. The right leg is straight and in touch with the floor.

Bend the elbows and place your arms so that you can rest the side of the head on the crook of the right elbow. The left elbow should be close to the left knee, place the hands one on top of the other with palms facing down.

Relax in the position and after some time switch sides.

Balasana or Gharbhasana (Child's pose)

Sit in Vajrasana. Raise your arms straight up over the head, inhale deeply and as you exhale bend the trunk forward so that the arms, palms of the hands and forehead come in touch with the floor. Bend the arms slightly so that they are relaxed, do not touch the floor with the tip of your nose so that the neck is in the right position. The spine should be equally relaxed and rounded, the heels should touch the hipbones.

Relax the whole body and close the eyes while you focus on your breath. After sometime become aware of the surroundings and release the posture coming up slowly as you inhale.

This position too is indicated after the practice of lower spine bends such as Bhujangasana.

Variations:

Rest the arms besides the body, palms facing down.

You may bend your elbows and use your hands as support for the forehead. Make sure both your elbows touch the ground.

Knees can be opened but big toes should remain in touch.

These positions are a focal point in the practice of yoga, as they allow to relax the whole body and release all tension. This is not only indicated if you want to reach the so-called "higher states of mind", but also just to diminish stress and the fight or flight state in which we can find ourselves sometimes.

Do you practice relaxation after your asana practice?

I wish my readers a happy day with love, light and shanti! ॐ

Meditation and relaxation postures part I

Meditation postures

|the more steady, the better|

The practices of meditation and relaxation are two of the big pillars of yoga.
Patanjali's yoga sutras describe the theory and practice of Raja yoga and how to obtain complete mastery of the Chitta or mind-stuff, which is composed of mind, intellect and ego.
The instructions given by Patanjali build the anga (steps) of Ashtanga Yoga, or the eightfold path and include:

1. Yama or social discipline. This step embraces the principle of non violence, truthfulness, non stealing, sex control and no possessiveness.
2. Niyama or self discipline. The word Niyama means observance and refers to values and virtues. It includes clealiness (of mind body and intellect), inner balance, austerity and self discipline, self study, surrender.
3. Asana the word meand posture or existance. Existance intended as pure existance, just being, no movement. When practicing asanas you learn how to maintain your body and your mind comfortable and steady.
4. Pranayama or extension of your vital force. The word is composed by prana, "vital force behind life activities" and ayama, "control". They are breathing exercises. If you think, breathin is a non-stop process during all your life, from the moment you were born.
5. Pratyahara, the withdrawal of senses. The mind is always engaged in decoding stimuli that come from the external world. The practice of pratyahara will help in developing the consciousness of the present moment and in focusing on a single object when meditating.
6. Dharana: one pointed concentration. Fix your mind on a single point of attention. When the mind wanders and diverts to another object, fix it again on the chosen object of concentration.
7. Dhyana or contemplation. It is the ability of maintain the mind very steady on the object of meditation, like in Dharana. At this point however, there should be no more distractions and a single unidirectional flow of the mind, without distractions.
8. Samadhi: unity with the Ultimate Reality. The subject and the object of meditation become the same and there is no more distinction between the observer and the observed.

In this post I will give some instructions on asanas you can use during meditation. However, depending on the master you follow, posture are not so important as your state of mind. You can be in a meditative state sitting on a chair in a room or a porch. This does not mean you can lay as a potato bag! I would like to say yoga is all about control, but in the moment I write it, I realize that yoga is also all about letting go.

For some kind of meditations, especially in the most advanced stages of the practice, the ability of controlling the movements of the body is a must.
There are various kind of meditations and you can find many podcasts online, and usually in the first stages of practice an object of concentration is given. It can be as simple as focusing on your breath or on an image. 

The main purpose of meditative asanas is to maintain the body in a comfortable and a steady position for long periods of time. While we meditate, the more still the body is, the easier will be for the mind to focus. If you practice enough, you will reach a certain point where you will feel like a motionless rampart.

MEDITATION ASANA
Remember to make yourself comfortable, breathe normally and to switch legs!

Sukhasana (Easy crosslegged pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend the right leg and place the foot under the left thigh. Bend the left leg and place the foot under the right thigh.
Variation: bend the right leg and place the sole of the foot close to the inner left thigh. Bend the left leg and place the sole of the foot close to the right shin.

Sukhasana has no contraindication. As regards with the next ones, they are not indicated and better not practiced if you suffer of knee or ankle issues, sciatica or sacral inflammation.

Swastikasana (Auspicious pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend the right leg and place the sole of the foot close to the inner thigh. Bend the left leg and place the foot in the space between the right thigh and the calf. Pull the right foot toes inside the space between the left thigh and calf. The knees should be firmly on the floor and the spine is straight.

Ardha Padmasana (half lotus pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend one leg and place the sole of the foot on the inside of the opposite thigh. Bend the other leg, grasp the foot and place it on the opposite thigh. The upper heel should be placed as close as possible to the abdomen.

Padmasana (Lotus pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Slowly and carefully, bend one leg and place the foot on top of the opposite thigh. The sole should be upward and the heel close to the pubic bone.
Bend the other leg and place the foot on top of the opposite thigh. Both knees should touch the ground in the final position. This position will help you keep head, neck and spine straight. Keep the shoulders relaxed.

Dhyana Veerasana (Heroes meditation pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend the left leg under the right leg so that the left heel touches the side of the right hip. Move the right leg over the top of the bend left leg that the right heel comes in touch with the left hip. Do not sit on your heels, they should be on the side of your hips. The right knee should be right above the left knee. Place your hands on the uppermost knee, one above the other or on each foot. Head, neck and back should be straight.

Vajrasana (Thunderbolt pose)
Kneel on the floor, keep the knees together and the big toes in touch. Separate the heels, lower the buttocks and adjust the position so that the heels touch the side of the hips.
Place the hands on the knees, palms down. The head and the back are straight but not tense, avoid arching the spine. This is the best meditation asana if you suffer of sciatica. Avoid practicing Vajrasana if your ankles and/or knees have not reached the right level of flexibility.

Next post will be on relaxation asanas. Both meditation and relaxation asanas are indicated when you practice with the higher chakras Ajna and Sahasrara. The proper practice of meditation and relaxation is fuel to recharge these energy points.
I also wanted to thank all of my followers. I hope the group will increase more and more as I add information on this blog. I also invite you to leave a comment on your meditation practice, we all can learn from each other. 

I wish you all a nice Sunday!
Namasté! 🙏

Ajna chakra asana and meditation practice - Gain intuition and wisdom!

Following the seven major chakras, after Vishuddi, the purest one, we find the sixth one, Ajna. It is symbolized by an indigo or white lotus flower with two petals. The two petals symbolize Ida and Pingala nadis finally united to open the straight way of Sushumna nadi to finally open the gate of Sahasrara (the Crown chakra).

The word Ajna means "command".

Ajna is strongly related with your intuition and wisdom. It is also connected with the pineal gland.

I will give some hints to meditate on this chakra, but the only one I suggest to really follow is to just meditate. Just meditate.

Do not underestimate the power of your brain and of your body.

Remember that most of yoga is done with your mind.

Meditation:

Close your eyes, sit in a comfortable position and relax. focus on your breathing and on the central part of your head. You can visualize Ajna as a sparkle of light coming from chittakasha, the immense black space that you see when you close your eyes - which is your own mind, imagine a point of light, an indigo or white lotus flower with two petals. In the middle, an upward or a downward looking triangle.

You can imagine yourself envelopped in a clear indigo bubble of light.

The primordial sound related to this mantra is OM or AUM.

You can recite Om or Aum during meditation. Choose to sing it or just repeat it in your mind. But just remember that the formula "the simpler, the better" works most of the times.

Asanas

Dhanurasana (the bow pose).

Lie flat on your belly. Chin is on the floor. Look forward Separate the legs on the side of the mat and bring your heels to your buttocks. The closer, the better.

Clasp the ankles with your hands. This is the starting position.

Inhale deeply and at the same time raise your chin and chest from the floor and start moving away  the ankles from the buttocks as much as you can, stretching the arms backwards. Hold on your ankles. Gaze forward or to the tip of your nose, breath normally in the position and keep it as much as you can. you can roll a little back and forward.

To release, breath out and lower arms, lower legs, chest and chin to the floor returning to the starting position.

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half spinal twist or Lord of the fishes half - pose).

Sit with your legs outstretched. bed the right knee and take the right foot on the side of the left knee. The toes face forward and the sole of the foot completely touches the floor.

You can leave your legs in this position or bend the left knee and place the left foot close to your right hip. If you do, be careful not to sit on your heel.

With your left arm embrace the right leg and bring your hand over the right hip.

Inhale and raise your left arm and twist over the right side, so that your right hand touches the floor close to the right hip. Turn your neck so that the chin forms a straight line with the tip of the right shoulder. Maintain the position up to 2 minutes, then inhale and bring your right arm up as you twist back to the center and exhaling, lower the arm down and release the legs. Repeat on the other side.

Gomukhasana (Cow's face pose).

Sit in Dhyana Veerasana with the right knee directly above the left knee.

Stretch the left arm to the side and then fold it behind the back. Stretch the right arm up above the head and fold it over the right shoulder. You should be able to grasp your left hand with the right one. If not, use a strap or hold on on your t-shirt.

The raised elbow should be slightly over the head. 

Gaze forward or close your eyes and relax, keep your spine straight and focus on your breathing while you hold the asana (up to 2 minutes).

Release the hands and slowly open your arms to the side, then lower them down.

Release the left leg first, then the right one and repeat on the left side.

Hanumanasana (Lord Hanuman's pose).

Sit in Vajrasana. Stand on your knees and stretch the right leg to the front. Place your hands on the floor on both sides of the right leg for support and very slowly and gently start sliding the right foot forward and start stretching backwards the left leg.

In the final position the buttocks are lowered so that both the pelvis and the legs are on the floor. If you cannot reach the complete position (I can't! :'D) place a block or a cushion under your pelvis.

Close your eyes and place your hands in namaskara mudra or prayer hands position.

Breathe normally during the whole practice and relax in the position as long as it is comfortable.

Repeat on the left side.

Easier variation: sit in Vajrasana, stand on your knees. Stretch the right leg to the front, the heel rests on the floor and the toes point up. Place your hands on both sides of the right leg and stretch as much as you can. You can lean forward with the torso, but do not arch your back - stretch it instead. Also in this case, repeat on the opposit side.

Kakasana (Crow's pose).

Sit in Vajrasana. Lean forward with the torso and place the hands flat on the floor, fingers pointing forward. Stretch the legs, come to your toes and bring your feet as close as possible to the hands.

Bend the elbows and start positioning your knees as closer as you can to the armpit. The best option is to place them right "inside" the armpit.

Lean forward a little bit more and transfer all the body weight on your arms, lifting your feet from the floor. Balance on the hands with the knees resting firmly on the upper arms. Bring the feet together and the big toes in touch. Gaze forward.

Maintain the position as much as comfortable. To come out, bring the toes down and come back to Vajrasana.

Rotate your wrists to relax the joints, this position can be quite challenging at first! So don't worry if you can't raise both feet immediately, maybe start trying with one or keep the toes on the floor until you feel ready to move forward.

Utkatasana (Chair pose).

Stand in Tadasana and balance all the weight of your body on your feet. You can have your feet together or slightly apart (10 - 15 centimeters).

Inhale and raise your arms up above the head, keep them very straight, shoulder width apart, palms facing each other. The upper arms should be at ear level.

Exhale and bend the knees until the thighs are almost parallel to the floor, lower the buttocks as if you were sitting on a chair. Keep a slight backbend in the upper back, and you can lean a little forward with your torso.

Breathe normally while you maintain the position for as much as comfortable for you. This asana strenghtens the lower body while stretching the upper back.

Eka Pada Pranamasana (One-legged prayer pose).

Stand in Tadasana. Focus the gaze on a fixed point in front of you, it will help to find balance.

Bend the right leg and bring the sole of the foot either on the inner side of the left calf or on the inner side of the left thigh, very close to the perineum. If you choose the latter, help yourself with your hands to bring the foot in the right position. The right knee points out to the side. Find balance and place your hands in prayer position in front of your chest.

This is the final position. Breathe normally during the practice and maintain the position as much as comfortable.

To come out, release the hands position and bring down the right leg.

Repeat on the left side.

Variation 1: once you bring the hands in prayer position you can raise them up above your head, keeping the shoulders down and the hands together.

Variation 2: if you are flexible enough, the feet of the bended leg can be placed on the thigh, like in half lotus pose.

Natarajasana (Dancing Shiva pose).

Stand in Tadasana. Bend the right knee so that the heel comes as closer as possible to the right buttock. Find balance in this position gazing at a fixed point in front of you, keep your knees together, avoid turning the hip joint to the outer side.

Grasp the right ankle with your right hand, inhale and slowly and carefully raise and stretch the right leg backwards, opening the right arm as much as possible (better if completely) as you move the heel away from the buttock. Use your left arm to balance stretching it in front of you and perform jnana mudra (bring together the tips of the thumb and index finger of the left hand). Exhale and hold the position while breathing normally.

Inhale deeply and then exhaling lower the right leg and release it, lower the arm and come back to Tadasana. Repeat on the left side. This asana improves balancing and focusing.

Next up comes a post about meditation and relaxation asana. Sahasrara, the Crown chakra will be the last of the seven major chakras we will discuss. If Ajna deals with intuition and wisdom, Sahasrara is the cauldron of imagination.

Also, thanks to all my followers: you are a little group, but it's fine for me. I don't write on this blog to make money or to gain glory. I just would like to share some of my knowledge on yoga and some little insights on modern life and the society we live in, without getting too much attached to it...but I would really love to read some constructive comments about my posts that are not some kind of bad advertisment!! :D

Happy Sunday and remember to practice Yoga! 

Vishuddi Chakra asana and meditation practice

Here it is, the fifth chakra of purification. The word Vishuddhi means Especially Pure: it purifies and harmonizes all opposites.
This chakra deals with right understanding and discrimination. This dual world gets to be accepted as it is, for what it is and we start to erase judgement as we start to accept both good and bad in life. Black and white melt into bliss.

In ancient hindu traditions, if the elixir of immortality or amrit (produced at bindu, another important energy point) reaches Vishuddi, it gets purified and can be processed and used in the body as a source of energy.

This energy center is located in the throat area and is related to communication and the sense of hearing. The associated element is Akasha, the ether or space. The seed mantra is HAM and it is symbolized by a light blue lotus flower with 16 petals (for their significance see Chakras, meditation and asana practice) and by a white elephant, symbol of right understanding and discrimination.

Hints for meditation
Make space for yourself, inside yourself.
Breathe deeply. I found that this chakra is stimulated positively by Ujjayi breathing, also known as the ocean breath or the psychic breath. Focus on your breath, after some time move your awareness to the throath, imagining that the air you are inhaling and exhaling is being drawn in and out from the throath and not through the nostrils.
A soft sounds of wind or waves, like the sleeping of a baby, should be produced if practiced correctly. Focus on that sound and on the passage of air through the respiratory tract as you continue breathing. Practice from 2 up to 10 or 20 minutes. 

A shining blue lotus flower located at the center of your neck, enveloping the throat area, with a white little elephant inside. You can imagine the petals rolling as in a spiral around the center.

The sound Ham. While meditating on Vishuddi, you might benefit to listen to an mp3 or repeat in your mind the seed mantra Ham. Focus on it.

Be ethical, in full respect of others, realize this world is yours and of all the beings that exist here. But speak your own truth, in your own way.

Practice Jalandhara Bandha. Sit in a comfortable meditation pose, place the palms of the hands on the knees. Perform Jnana mudra if you like, joining the tips of thumbs and index fingers. This is the starting position. Inhale slowly and deeply with the nose and exhale completely emitting a strong sound. While retaining the breath out, bend the head forward and press the chin tightly against the chest. Strighten the arms and lock them in position, pressing the knees with the hands. At the same time, the shoulders go upward and forward.
Stay as much as you can retain the breath. If possible, before taking the next inhale, exhale a little bit more.
Release the posture slowly coming back to the starting position.

Asana practice

Halasana (Plough pose)
Lie on your back, legs straight together, feet together, arms on both sides of the body with palms facing down. Relax the whole body and close your eyes if you are practical with this exercise. In a single movement raise both legs together and pressing on the hands and using your abdominal muscles, raise also your buttocks moving the back from the floor. Lower the legs over the head. The toes should touch the floor; in case you do not reach, place under the toes a cushion or a block. 
Close your eyes and relax in the position, feeling the gentle massage on the inner part of your neck. Maintain as long as comfortable, then raise the toes from the floor and start rolling the spine back down on the floor very gently and very gradually, followed by the buttocks and the legs. Engage your abdominal muscles.

Ardha Chandrasana (Half-moon pose)
Sit in Vajrasana, stand on the knees and lean forward with your hands. Place your right foot between the hands, the toes should be in line with the fingertips. Stretch your left leg behind and balance. Raise with your spine and place your hands in prayer pose at your heart center. Inhale and raise the arms up, keeping the palms together and arching the back and the neck as much as comfortable.
The foot of the left leg behind can be flat on the floor or to have better balance, you can tuck the toes under.
Maintain as much as comfortable. To release, inhale deeply and as you exhale lower the arms back in prayer position and then on the ground. Bring the right leg back in Vajrasana and repeat on the other side.

Supta Vajrasana (Sleeping thunderbolt pose)
Sit in Vajrasana. Place your hands on the floor behind the feet and start bending back, finding support on the hands first and then on the elbows.
Moving slowly reach the floor with your head and with your back. Place your hands on the thighs or by the side of the body, palms touching the side of the thighs.
If you need to, separate the knees. Keep the position as long as comfortable, closing your eyes and focusing on your breath.
To release, inhale and slowly start to raise the head and the back, again finding support on your elbows and your hands. Return to Vajrasana.

If you can't reach the floor at first, start practicing on your hands or on your elbows. Reach wherever you can and use supports as cushions. Also, after practicing the sleeping thunderbolt pose is recommended to practice child's pose to re-balance the arching of the back.

Tolangulasana (Weighing scale pose)
Sit in Padmasana. Carefully lean backwards with your back, forming a 45° angle with the floor, using the hands and elbows to balance. Place the palms of the hands underneath the buttocks. Engaging your abdominal muscles raise the legs in padmasana so that the whole body is supported by the buttocks and the elbows and forearms. Perform Jalandhara Bandha or throat lock. Remain in the position as muchas comfortable with you, then release the Bandha and slowly lower the legs in padmasana back to the floor.

In this position also Moola Bandha or pelvic lock can be practiced, but in this case it would stimulate Mooladhara, the Root Chakra.

Virabhadrasana (Warrior I)
Stand in Tadasana, take a step forward with your right knee and adjust the position of the left foot behind so that the pelvis remains facing forward. The left foot should be slightly rotated at about a 25° angle. Keep both heels in one line. Bend the right knee so that a 90° angle is formed between calf and thigh.
Inhale and raise the arms up above the head, palms of the hands together. Carefully bend backwards with the back, arms and neck. Balance and gaze up, maintaing the position as long as comfortable. To come out, come back to a straight spine, lower your arms and return to Tadasana to repeat with the left leg forward.

Viparita Karani (Upside-down)
Lie on your back, legs straight together, feet together, arms on both sides of the body with palms facing downwards. Inhale and raise the legs straight as for Halasana. You can stay in this position or raise the buttocks and the lower part of the spine, supporting the weight of the legs and buttocks placing the palms of the hands on the lower back for support. Elbows stay on the ground and are in a straight line with the shoulders.
The neck is bended forward so that the chin almost touches the chest. Keep the position for as long as comfortable, then release the position releasing the arms and slowly lowering the buttocks first and then the straight legs.

This position can be practiced with the legs on the wall especially in the first case with the buttocks on the floor.

Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand pose - queen of the asanas)
Lie on your back, legs straight together, feet together, arms on both sides of the body with palms facing downwards. Inhale and raise the legs straight as for Halasana. Raise the buttocks, bend the elbows and place the palms of the hands on the lower spine for support as you keep raising with the spine until you are supported by your elbows and the shoulders. All spine should move from the floor except the shoulder's area. The chin should be locked on the chest. In the final position you are supported by the elbows, the arms, the shoulders, the neck and the back of the head. Legs are straight up, feet cam be relaxed or pointing up. Keep the position up to 5 minutes. Remember to breathe normally while practicing.
To come down, the back of the head and the neck remain on the floor, slowly and carefully start to lower the upper back down followed by the lower back, the buttocks and the legs, which remain in a straight position all throughout the practice.

Padma Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand with legs in lotus pose)
Sit in Padmasana, lean back supported by the elbows. Lie on the back and relax completely.
As for Sarvangasana, start to raise the buttocks and the whole spine finding support in your elbows. Raise until the whole spine is away from the floor. The only parts that touch the floor are elbows and upper arm, shoulders, back of the neck and back of thehead.
Hold as long as comfortable. Return to the starting position in padmasana, carefully lowering the spine back to the floor, release the legs and repeat with the legs crossed the other way.

The position is the same as Sarvangasana, but legs are folded in lotus pose. In the final position legs can bed backwards. It is also possible to do a spinal twist, but be careful to leave the neck in place.


As we raise through the chakras, we get more aware of ourselves and of the world around us. Vishuddi deals with lies and truths. Find what is true for you, from your deeper core. Start listening to your intuition while we move forward to Ajna chakra, the third eye energy point.
If you practice with an open heart, following your inner truth, you will find out extraordinary things about your life and about other lives. Be yourself.

Anahata chakra meditation hints and asana practice

a heartbeat carries

the same energy

as a beam of light

Today we will talk about Anahata Chakra, the heart chakra.

As previously mentioned at the end of the article on Manipura Chakra, we are entering the "dimension" of the higher chakras, and so we will dedicate more time to meditation and self-inquiry with respect to the asanas, which are still a very important practice.

Anahata is the link between the high chakras (Sahasrara - crown, Ajna - third eye, Vishuddi - throat) and the lower ones (Mooladhara - root, Swadhistana - sacral, Manipura - solar plexus), it is exactly in the middle.

The word Anahata means unbroken or unstruck. The vibration your heartbeat produces spread to the universe as a primordial sound known as Anahata. It is a cosmic sound, a continuous sound, an internal, unborn and undying vibration in our heart center, it is the pulse of the universe: because, in our human condition, we are a micro-version of the Cosmo itself.

This chakra is associated with AIR and the sense of touch, the hands, with emotions and feelings.

The hands: what a great instruments they are. The symbolic gestures of giving and receiving, acceptance.

In hindu traditions, this chakra is the seat of Shiva and Shakti, and here they unite to express creativity. Because of this, Anahata is also associated with fine arts, music and all that concerns creativity.

When Anahata Chakra is unbalanced, you can experience attachment, greed, jealousy; when balanced, it expresses as universal tolerance, compassion and unconditional love.

The animal symbol is an antelope, standing for alertness and compassion. Antelope in ancient civilization was a symbol of action, move, secrets and of sensitivity, and this latter aspect can be actually observed, as these animals seems to be able to perceive subtle body movements from the other members of the herd and if danger is coming, they trust that signal from the others and all start moving like a single organism away from danger. They are masters of subtle communications and action, a symbol of balance between the material world and the subtle world.

This is one of the most important chakra for me, together with Ajna (third eye) and Sahasrara (crown).

Hints for meditation:

Find a quiet place, where you can listen to the song of your heart.

You can practice Abhaya Hridaya mudra (fierce heart hands position).

You may want to reflect on the meaning of the word Anahata, unbroken or unstruck. What does it mean to you and to your experience? 

A shining and vibrant green lotus flower with two triangles in its core, one in upward position, the other in downward position (symbolizing the union between above and below, or the center of the 7 chakras) to form a 6-pointed star. From the core sprout 12 petals.

The seed mantra YAM.

The AIR element. Lightness, in body, mind and spirit. Imagine yourself as air or wind, flowing and moving around the planet. 

A group of antelopes running all in the same direction in the savana, their mind as one. They do what they have to do, without thinking too much. Follow your heart.

ASANA

The asana practice for Anahata chakra is focused on positions that open the chest and stretch the arms.

Matsyasana (Fish pose)

We have already seen this pose for Manipura chakra, as the arch in the back "pushes" on the solar plexus area. This asana is also related to Anahata because it opens the chest.

Lie on your back with legs stretched out. Place your hands below the buttocks, the arms are close as much as possible to the trunk.

Inhale and using your hands, lower arms and elbows for support roll the spine upwards so that the crown of the head touch the floor. Keep your legs together, open both feet to the sides so they resemble the tail of the fish.Hold the position for as much as comfortable, while breathing deeply and focusing on the heart center. The final position may be held for 5 minutes, however 1 to 3 minutes is enough.Slowly and carefully roll the spine and the neck back to the floor, close the feet and relax.

Ardha Chakrasana (Half-wheel pose)
Lie flat on the back, bend the knees, placing the soles of the feet on the ground. The heels should be as close as possible to the buttocks. Keep your feet and knees at hips width apart or together, but be careful not to open the knees on the sides - push so that they stay in line.
If you can, grasp the ankles with your hands or keep the arms with the palms facing down on the floor. This is the starting position.
Raise your buttocks and arch the back upward, without moving the position of the feet, of the shoulders and of the neck. Raise the navel and the chest as much as possible without straining, the chin should touch the chest as you rise. Keep the feet flat on the floor.
Hold as much as comfortable, then lower the body slowly down to the starting position.
Release the arms and relax the legs.

Sarpasana (snake pose)
Lie on the belly with the forehead or the chin on the floor. Legs together.
Interlock your fingers behind the back on the lower part of the spine and relax. This is the starting position.
Using the lower back muscles raise the chin (or the forehead) and the chest as much as possible from the floor and at the same time, raise the hands and the arms pushing the shoulder blades together. This movement of the arms will help you raise a bit more the chest from the floor. Raise the hands as much as comfortable and breathe normally while you maintain the position. Look forward. Slowly return to the starting position, release the hands and relax the whole body.

Gomukhasana (Cow's face pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bring your right leg over the left and bend the knee so that your ankle touches the left hip. You can maintain this leg position or go deeper, bending the left knee below the right one and placing the left ankle close to the right hip. The right knee is above the left one. 
Stretch both arms out, rotate the left arm outwards and raise the right arm up above the head.
Fold the right elbow so that the hand comes in touch with the middle of your upper back. Fold the left elbow below and clasp the right hand behind the back. The back, the neck and the head are straight, feel the stretch in both arms.
Close your eyes and maintain the position breathing normally. 
Release the arms slowly and gently, then release the lower leg and then the upper leg.
Repeat on the other side.

Hanumanasana (Hanuman's pose)
Sit in Vajrasana. Stand on the knees and stretch the right leg to the front. Place the hands on both sides of the right foot for support. This is the starting position.
Very gently, slide the right foot forward and start to stretch the left leg backwards. 
In the final position, the pelvic floor and the buttocks rest on the ground. Reach wherever you can, using a cushion or a block to support your pelvis if you can't reach the floor.
Close your eyes and place the hands in namaskara mudra. Stay as much as you can, relaxing in the posture. Return to the starting position and repeat on the otherside.

Supta Vajrasana (Sleeping thunderbolt pose)
Sit in Vajrasana. Slowly bend backwards, supported first by your hands, then by the elbows. Bring the back and the head on the ground and place the hands on the thighs.
Try to keep the knees in contact with the floor and as much close to each other as possible; open the knees if you feel any discomfort in the lower back.
Be careful not to strain too much on the muscles of the thigh and knees.
Close the eyes and relax, breathing deeply. Stay in the position for as long as comfortable, to come out find support on your elbows, then on your hands to raise the trunk, returning to Vajrasana.

Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard pose)
Sit in Vajrasana, lean forward and cross the arms below the chest, the hands holding on the upper arms. The elbows should not move during the practice.
Stretch and separate the legs slightly, keep the feet flat. Raise the head and look forward; this is the starting position.
Raise the buttocks and that you find support on elbows and knees. Stretch the torso back so that the chin and the chest come to the floor behind the forearms. Return to the starting position. Practice dynamically up to 12 rounds.

Gupta Padmasana (Hidden lotus pose)
Sit in Padmasana. Place the hands on the floor in front of the knees. Lean on the arms, raise the buttocks and stand on the knees. Lower the front side of the body to the floor in prone position. The chin touches the floor or the forehead touches the floor, in this latter case the nose should not reach the ground - so that the neck is long and stable. 
Join the hands in pranamasana on the back. If you can't reach, place the hands on the sides of the body, palms upward.
Close the eyes and relax in the position. Return to padmasana and repeat inverting the position of the legs.

Note: the head can also be turned on one side, but remember to change after a while you are in the posture or, when repeating, turn on the other side!

Lolasana (Swinging pose)
Sit in Padmasana. Place the palms of the handson the floor beside the thighs. Take a full deep breath and find some concentration.
On the next inhale, raise the body from the floor balancing on the hands and wrists. Swing the body backward and forward between the arms.
Lower the buttocks on the ground and rest in padmasana before repeating with the legs crossed the other way. Practice 3 to 6 times.

Eka Pada Pranamasana (One legged prayer pose)
Stand in Tadasana. Find a point of gaze, bend the right leg and open it to the side.
Place the sole of your feet either on the left calf or inside the left thigh. The right knee should point out to the right side.
When you find balance, place the hands in prayer position at heart center or stretch the arms above the head. Breathe normally while maintaining the position. Remember to find a fixed point to gaze at to keep balance.
Hold the asana as much as comfortable, up to 2 minutes. Return to the standing position and change sides.


This is all for Anahata chakra practice. For advanced yoga students, as well as for those having a background in physical or biological sciences, I would like to suggest to watch Fractals, DNA, Golden Ratio by Dan Winter, you can find it on youtube.
This documentary is a very interesting perspective on how this energy point works in the physical body (and I guess the author went very close to the truth).

If you do watch, do you see the lotus flower? And the snake?
Please leave a comment! ;)

Information on antelope symbolism:

https://www.universeofsymbolism.com/antelope-symbolism.html

On the Discovery of the Self

γνῶθι σαυτόν

gnōthi sautón

- KNOW YOURSELF -

Before we start with the practice for Anahata chakra I wanted to post something about what I consider the real purpose of yoga.

The "mind" and spiritual aspects of yoga are often put aside to favor the development of an healthy and attracting body (which can be, somehow, right. "Body is a temple" says an old statement, referring to the fact that the body is the physical manifestation where the self dwells). It's ok if you start practicing yoga with this purpose, but with time (and if your practice is constant), you will have more than just a "beautiful shape" - whatever it means.

So, yoga is not only about the physical body and the asana practice.

Asana as such is just one of the eight limbs of yoga as described by Patanjali, which comprises Yamas and Niyamas (ethical and self - discipline insights mostly based on the principle of do no harm to yourself and to others), Asana, Pranayama (subtle body expansion by control of breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (contemplation) and Samadhi (state of bliss where the observer merges with the observed).

Another quote you surely heard: "mens sana in corpore sano", a healthy mind in a healthy body; this is the reason why in yoga one practices asanas and at a certain point, will start to prefer some foods to others.
Taking care of the body, practicing certain postures that stretch and press and relax specific parts of the body can trigger the awakening of the real self.

I think this is the final purpose of the yoga sutras of Patanjali, to give some sort of guidance or advice in order to discover who you really are. This last one is the ultimate purpose of yoga: take contact with your inner self, which is the same as the higher self.

Yoga derives from the Sanskrit root "yug" which is often translate as "to unite" or "union". This can be right but a better translation to me is "to merge" or "to blend in", but even these two don't really explain what really yoga is, at least to me. Yoga is a state of mind that can hardly be described with words. But please consider that this is only my personal opinion.

Joining all the pieces of information together (mainly from books but also from online sources - there's an incredible amount of information on the web about this topic as it seems we are passing some sort of special astral situation and it is not very easy to discriminate what is trustworthy or not) I have found out that the matter is quite complex, but summarizing, we have the ego and the real self.

In order to achieve...or at least try to achieve a state of yoga, one needs to listen to the higher self, leaving the ego behind or, better, taking care of the ego so that it "becomes" the same Self. As written on another post, action, thought and spirit are in harmony with each other.

My yoga teacher had a big beautiful Ganesha statue on the side of the door of the hall where we practiced and once she told me we should leave our ego to Ganesh while we practice yoga.

Ganesha or Ganesh is the hindu god with an elephant's head, I am sure even some not into yoga know him. He is the one you have to invoke to removes obstacles from your path.

For me Ganesh is just another depiction for a force of the universe, specifically, the willpower. Willpower is the force who removes obstacles.

But what is ego, and what is the self?
In my opinion....

Ego is the part of you which identifies itself with your body and material things surrounding you. It is your ego that make you appear, behave, believe and live the way you do.

It is the voice inside your head that wants things but does not want to wait for things, that judges others and that triggers the "look at me" effect I call it, the desire of doing things so that others can see. A big example are the social networks everyone seems so busy in.

We often do things to impress others or to cause a reaction in others.

The ego looks for the approval of the external world. Conditionings, and unfortunately very often society itself has been created by ego.

Sometimes one works hard most of his life to buy or do stuff he does not need (and probably does not really care of). Even worst, you work to survive.

If they really have meaning to you, do these things just for yourself and not to please others.

Ego tries to understand things speculating on them.

The fact we do not care enough for this water - and earth - based planet, keeping on polluting, doing wars, arguing and overall thinking too much is a manifestation of ego. We should remember that we belong to this planet but we do not own it. 
I remember a documentary where an old hindu sage named Descartes and his insight "I think therefore I am", saying that in his case, he would have said "I AM, therefore, I don't think".

The real self or higher self is the voice inside your head that you often do not hear or you hear, but refuse to follow. Often we decide not to follow it because "instructions" are not rationals or we cannot understand them.

Our own self is the one that says "do no harm" to both yourself and other people. It's the voice of wisdom, which knows perfectly you have to take care of yourself before taking care of others. It is the part of you that can find a way to merge with the infinite.
It is pure empathy an selfless service. It is the part of us that makes you put yourself in the shoes of other human beings. This latter statement of mine might be confused with pity, but it is not; pity is a feeling that might be driven by your ego in order to make you feel better or at a higher level than others. The point here is that this self is the same for all of us. It comes from the same place for all of us.

There's a short story in hindu traditions, at the times when Brahma created the universe, he got bored after a while because he was always alone. He created Maya so that they could keep company to each other, just for fun. 
Once created, Maya asked Brahma to play a game, the only rule being that he had to do what Maya said.
Brahma accepted and under Maya's instruction, he created the galaxies, the sun and all the things we see, including human beings under specific request of Maya to create an intelligent specie.
Brahma asked when they would have begun playing Maya's game; "Immediately!" Maya answered, and broke Brahma into a million pieces putting each piece inside a human being. She also decided that Brahma would have forgot his divine nature and his life as a divine being and that he should have found himself in others.
A famous quote from Carl Gustav Jung, the famous psychiatrist is that "Everything that irritates us on others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves". Can you see yourself in other people? Would you be able to walk in their shoes?

The real self is the real essence of you and it is quite right most of the times, if you listen and act according to it. But this is hard to do because often our ego gets in the way and due to conditiongs and believes, we are mostly oriented in following our ego and act accordingly to it...also because society almost impose us to do so.
It should be the opposite, the ego should act accordingly to the higher self. But we find ourselves in a sort of reversed situation in which all that there's outside is important, while the inside is often neglected and put aside. That is why I am pushing so much in the more "internal" aspects of the practice of yoga.

If you will take the road of the discovery of the real self, arm yourself with patience because even when your ego will finally seem to have disappeared, it might arise again unexpectedly. Don't fall in the trap. When you feel it is your ego driving you, question why would you make  a specific choice or act in a specific way.
Self-inquiry is the key, at least at the beginning. After an initial phase that might last more or less time, things will start to go on their own, flowing accordingly to your balance.

Let the self guide the ego like if it was a scholar, or a small child. Not forcing, but making it understand that there's a right way to exist, in line with what you truly are and in profound respect of yourself and the other living beings.