Santani yurveda

How well do you know yourself? Yoga is the fine art and science of self-knowledge. The various yogic techniques from all the various paths, be it bhakti (devotion - whatever your faith,) hatha yoga (physical yoga is commonly known in the west) or karma yoga (the yoga of skillful action and service) all calm the mind and dissolve stress, or aim to. ... When we do an asana or breathing exercise or act of service and feel at unease, this tells us about our mind. As we become more aware of our minds, patterns begin to dissolve, often, just through the fire of awareness. When we are free of patterns that don't support us, we feel free...we are in touch with our Self, joy blossoms and we become stable inside. That stillness helps us connect to who we really are and from that we are able to offer ourselves authentically and creatively to the world. All we need to do is get rid of stress! "If you claim that you are a Yogi, then you should have an undying smile on your face. I would say, that is the sign of a Yogi. Yoga makes your emotions softer and more peaceful, and you blossom in your emotions. It brings freedom in your expression and your thought patterns. These are the real signs of Yoga. It is not just to do with the flexibility of the body. Of course, that too is a part of Yoga. The body becomes flexible, and the mind grows in faith and conviction. If all this happens, know that it is the gift of Yoga, and consider yourself as a Yogi." ~Sri Sri How do you come back to your Self? . Traditional Indian painting showing a yogi and describing energy points in and around the body.

A B H Y A N G A . The art of therapeutic oil application or " Ayurvedic Massage " .... We really miss seeing you in person! But we got to give co -director @m.k.anand an abhyanga yesterday as a birthday wish! doesn't the serving tray look inviting? . The benefits of abhyanga are manifold. According to the ancient text Ashtanga Hridyam: . antiaging relieves tiredness relieves vata ( eg aches) improves vision nourishes tissues prolongs life induces good sleep improves skin & muscle tone, complexion . Avoid abhyanga during menses, acute inflammation from injury and during stages of deep ma (accumulation of undigested nutrients) . During a professional abhyanga, head, face, feet and the entire body is massaged with oil in long rhythmic strokes. The most important part is choosing the right type of oil for your specific needs. At Santani, we check your pulse as well a before picking the exact right oils. We highly recommend doing abhyanga as part of a whole protocol suggested by an Ayurveda Practitioner. ( but relaxation is good too!) . We have a very large range of therapeutic tools here for your daily self massage needs! . We are happy to guide you in the right direction over the phone, email or messaging. . Details about MK's oils and a special offer for Canadian and US customers will be in our stories this afternoon! . Picture by Santani yurveda

How do we break out of habits? . One of the most difficult things to do is break out of habits. Vasana means impressions of the mind and these impressions form a groove in the mind that we follow without thinking. Sometimes the compulsion is so strong that we just do it without awareness. Sometimes we know the habit is not beneficial for our wellbeing but we do it anyway. The older the groove, the more compulsive it feels. And it clogs you up emotionally, making you feel i...nadequate. . There are many ways to break out of habits. One of the ways suggested in yogic science is Samyama or taking a vow. Making a time-bound commitment towards something for a short doable period of time. One of the aims of yoga is to break out of habits and patterns and identifying with them as your nature...so you can be free, happy and natural in your expression. Your true nature is mysterious and cannot be identified by your habits! . When thoughts or compulsions arise, you might feel a little dejected and try to run away. It is instead suggested that you become aware of them and through that awareness realise its an opportunity to create a Samyama for your wellbeing. This will make you feel happier about it. It feels good to do something good for yourself! . Secondly, make the Samyama doable by binding it with time and place. Eg "I know that icecream in the winter at night is not good for me and leads me to congestion. So, for this week, I will replace icecream with this healthy item" and then the following week "For this week I won't eat dessert at all. If I want sweet, I will have it in the day time. Perhaps a piece of fruit" . Lastly, recognise that the habit is from an impression, it's not YOU. Delinking your sense of Self from a habit makes it much easier to drop it. Watch yourself watching yourself do the habit. Often, the compulsion stops. . Have you experimented with Samyama? Have you broken out of habits? What was your trick?

Happy Vijaya Dashami to Indians, Hindus, Yogis and others who celebrate across the world. . The day after Navaratri is considered to be the day we attain victory over our negative emotions and patterns, and are set free. . There are 3 states of mind that we may observe (there are more, of course, but broadly...)... . 1) craving and longing for worldly or spiritual experiences. . 2) when there is dullness and inertia...loss of interest and feeling of stagnation. . 3) contentment, happiness and joy. . There are those who don't look at their mind, and those who are always looking at their mind. It's better to look once in awhile...then let go. If we are constantly self examining we lose our sense of joy. Feelings keep changing, sometimes good and sometimes not good. Keep moving forward! . Sometimes the mind judges, bickers and complains. Winning over these tendencies is Vijaya Dashami. . Vijaya Dashami is also called Dasshera signifying victory over 10 inner vices. . Pictured: Goddess Durga whose 9 forms are celebrated during these last 10 days and Rama defeating Ravana symbolising victory of the Self over the negative tendencies of the mind. . Shantirastu, Tushtirastu, Pushtirastu..may you have #peace, #heath & prosperity.

Our dear Ayurveda teacher Dr Lad sharing a beautiful video about the value of dinacharya...or Ayurvedic Daily routine.