Visit to Ayurvedagram

Yesterday our whole team from office had been to Ayurvedagram (www.ayurvedagram.com). It was a wonderful experience. I learnt about very effective Pranayama, more about Meditation, and to eliminate back-pain, eye strain, and spondilytis through yoga. these diseases are common in IT folks who work for long hours even though thankfully im not having any of it (so far) .....

Amongst Pranayama, these were particularly effective to relax the mind

• Pranayama from Hatha Yoga (Surya Bhedan, Bhasrika, Ujjayi, Shitali, Sitkari, Bhramari, Murchha & Plavini Pranayama)
• Nadi Shuddhi Pranayama or Anuloma - Viloma (Alternate nostril breathing)
  
• Suryan Bhedan Pranayama (Right Nostril Breathing)
• Kapalbhati pranayam - Breathing forcefully

There were some more that were taught whose names i dont remember, but it goes like this - While inhaling forcefully both the hands go up, while exhaling both the hands come down near the shoulders (like Karate\Jujitsu practice).

http://www.yogapoint.com/info/pranayama.htm
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/pran/pran_type.html

Other things i learnt

• Pranayama is a pre-requisite to meditation and will give good results - this i personally experienced yesterday
  
• Yoga exercises and self-contemplation are meant the keep the body in a relaxed state even while working
• Specific Bija Mantras stimulate one of the chakras starrting from Muladhara chakra to Sahasrara
• When in the thoughtless state in meditation, breath slows down and cosmic energy enters the body through the Brahma Randra opening in the top of the head.
• While the energy goes through all the 72000 nadis, it purifies each and a slight pain is felt during this purification
• On continuing meditation the pain disappears, the more we meditate, the more cosmic energy enters
• Breath slows down to almost to the point of no breathing, metabolism slows down, everything slows down.
• The cosmic energy is 3 times more if meditation is practiced in the centroid of the pyramid (1/3 above the base of the pyramid).
• The final goal of yogic exercises, pranayama and meditation is not just relaxing the mind and body but to attain Self realization and see God in everyone we interact.