With articles about physical fitness, yoga, and Pilates going viral on the Internet, the central processing unit of our body is apparently left out. Where to work out our minds to attain the much-coveted saint like balance and equilibrium? Well, don’t worry , we are not sending you on a long journey in the forests of the Himalayas in search of moksha or enlightenment. We at www.comfortinstylemag.com realize the dynamics of today’s world and bring to you the most beneficial techniques from the recesses of the ancient world applicable in the modern world. This time it is just “MEDITATION”.  Our mind is the central unit, which governs all our physical actions, social and emotional responses. From making life saving decisions in high-octane situations to switching off the body into complete repose at night, the mind is constantly at work. We take vacations to ease out ourselves of the professional and domestic pressures, but do not realize that the poor mind is still at work. Therefore the practice of meditation is or rather should be an imperative part of our lives.

What is meditation? The historical journey maybe too much for us to understand and grasp and to an extent unnecessary too. In the simplest terms possible meditation is nothing more than a self reflexive exercise calling forth hidden and subdued energies from within us to look for balance and equilibrium. Contrary to popular belief meditation is not an exercise to switch off the mind but rather an inquiry into things that we do not get the time to think about on a daily basis. To help our readers we have a small analogy to help them understand the concept of meditation. Ok, lets imagine the mind to be like a flowing river. Our daily schedules, our monotonous timetables etc. are nothing more than dams and embankments trying to subdue the river. But the art of meditation is an exercise allowing the river to flow freely helping is destroy negative energy centers and give birth to positivity by energizing the centers of fertile imagination and at the same time becoming aware of its own power and potential. 5-10 minutes a day with your eyes closed in a dark room or in an open space like a garden or a place with fresh air, is all that you need to start reaping the benefits of meditation. Here is how you do it:

1. Turn off the lights if you wish to meditate inside a closed space. The purpose of doing so is to minimize the influence of outer forces on your body so as to allow complete mental concentration.
2. Start by breathing in lightly , holding it for a few seconds and then releasing it through your mouth, only to repeat the same cycle for  the time decided upon by you.
3. It is important to sit with your legs crossed and your upper torso absolutely straight so as to allow free flow of oxygen allowing for complete rejuvenation.
4. At any point in time if you feel that your concentration is dwindling, you can stop the exercise. To further aid your concentration we suggest the use of rhythmic meditation, wherein you can play any chanting in the background and match the pace of your breathing with the chant. Websites like YouTube have more than enough tracks to help you out. Just type chant in the search box.

By allowing meditation to bring in some semblance of balance in our daily lives we are on track of attaining the magical mix of physical fitness coupled with the advantages of mental harmony.

Life is full of lows and highs!!

It is important to be alone and meditate with closed eyes!!

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Photo credit : http: to HaPe_Gera on flickr.com

We’ve all heard that laughter is the best medication. But laughter can also be the best meditation. Although traditional meditation forms regard silence, stillness and focus to be their mainstay, some of the expressive or dynamic meditation forms such as dancing, screaming, shouting, crying and laughing are proven to be quite fulfilling and nurturing as they provide a much needed release of negativity or excess energy. Of these, laughter meditation is the most popular and known for its many benefits.

First of all, meditation or not, laughter is a healer. Mentally, emotionally and physically. Laughter soothes the mind, heals the heart and aids in regeneration by oxygenating the blood and increasing circulation.

Laughing is aerobic, providing a workout for the diaphragm, and increasing the body’s ability to use oxygen. Laughter is a good workout for respiratory, abdominal, leg, back and facial muscles.

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A hearty laugh relieves physical tension, leaving your muscles relaxed. When we laugh, the stress hormones in the body are greatly reduced, alleviating tension and depression instantly. Epinephrine and cortisol are the killer stress hormones, that are the number one cause of many diseases. Levels of dopamine, associated with blood pressure are also decreased. Laughing is proven to be very beneficial for people who suffer from hypertension.

When the happiness chemicals endorphins and oxytocin are released, so are immunity boosting antibodies thus improving your resistance to disease. Increased levels of endorphins in the body create a sense of well being as these are natural pain killers and greatly help in coping with the suffering from arthritis, migraine and muscular spasms, and all aches & pains. Endorphins improve our attentiveness, pulse, and heart rate.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Laughter dissolves distress and elevates mood. It is not possible to feel anxious, angry, or sad when laughing. Humor is powerful way to break the ice, heal resentments, resolve disagreements and build relationships.

Although quite possibly the simplest type of meditation to practise at home, many towns have laughter clubs or meditation groups where you can guffaw yourself to inner peace with others. A laughter meditation class can typically include warming up with breathing exercises, laughing for an extended period of time and ending with a quiet meditation to reflect on the self and the effects of this frenetic experience.

Most find that sharing the practice increases its benefits. The synergy works wonders for the experience itself while laughing is an essential tool in effective relationships, improving interpersonal exchange, removing inhibitions and enhancing bonds.

Trying laughter meditation costs nothing and feeds the whole body and mind. It may at times seem difficult to laugh without a subject to laugh at or about, but even forcing a laugh can provide all the above benefits and soon it will become a natural practice. Beginning the day with laughter meditation can lend a sunny, joyous quality to your entire day, or you can unwind with a session at the end of the day if that suits you.

*Image credits by lululemon athletica, premasagar and eschipul on flickr

Modern life is frenetic and fast paced, and stress and over exhaustion are commonplace. But daily meditation can be beneficial in taking the edge off. One of the principles of yoga, meditation is the art of silencing the mind. The ultimate goal is to have a mind completely free of thoughts. Meditation does not discriminate. It is not religious in any way. It is about consciousness and being fully aware of ourselves and our thought process. As little as ten or fifteen minute spent in this state a day will help you find inner peace and balance and ultimately make you productive at all your other endeavors. In our introduction to meditation, we focused on the importance of meditation in yoga and our lives. Read on for how to meditate and why you should.

Some of the many benefits of meditation

- Meditation can make you more patient and tolerant and less bothered by little things.

- Meditation can make you detached from your thoughts, as if you and your thoughts are separate entities. This gives you a sense of control over your thoughts.

- It stops you being a slave to your thoughts. Control over your thoughts will help you block out negative thoughts as well as declutter your mind of unnecessary, distracting thoughts.

- Having a sense of control over your thoughts will also help you cultivate constructive and positive thinking, and be more creative.

- Meditation leads to better health. Stress can cause and aggravate disease. Meditation alleviates stress.

How to meditate

Allocate a time in which you feel ready to quiet your mind. It could be at sunrise before you face the morning, mid afternoon on a hectic day or late evening after a workout.

Choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a position you find comfortable. Traditional cross legged is popular but it doesn’t really matter, just try to keep a straight back as it will assist proper breathing. You can even sit in a chair or lie down, but don’t fall asleep. Meditation requires you to be alert, even if it is a peaceful time.

Close your eyes if this will help you focus.

Some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting of mantra to help induce a meditative state. There are many mantras you can try. Find one that feels right to you or use the simple and powerful Om.

If not an incantation, use a word that reflects how you’d like to feel like ‘relax’, ‘calm’, ‘clarity’ and repeat that.

Mental quiet can be difficult to achieve at first so try concentrating on only one thing, such as a candleflame, a water feature or your heartbeat.

Once you can focus on a single thought with ease, trying throwing out any thought that pops into your head until you can achieve complete mental nothingness.

Aspire towards the inner silence. Meditate with intensity. Most importantly, be patient with yourself and don’t give up. Meditation should make you feel rejuvenated even if it seems tiresome at first.

Once you’ve learned to meditate, you don’t have to keep being seated in the lotus position in a private sanctuary. You can use any time you deem fit from during a busy commute to a boring movie to shut out the world and find your inner silence.

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Photo credits: connerdowney, HckySo on flickr

Odds, are you already know about the calming and relaxing effects of meditation, but there’s so much more to yoga meditation than just sitting in silence. Meditation or Dhyana is one of The 8 Steps/Limbs of Yoga. In fact most of the other steps including Asanas (Yoga postures and exercises), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) and Dharana (concentration) assist in strengthening and preparing the body & mind for meditation which in turn brings harmony to the mind, the body and the spirit leading to Samadhi or Enlightenment. The true practice of Yoga as a path to enlightenment puts a lot of importance to Meditation.

What Is Meditation?
The mention of meditation even in this modern day and age conjures up images of white bearded men, sitting upon a rock high up in the mountains, humming “om”/ “aum”. This misconception of meditation is only for spiritual folk is what has kept us from reaping it’s umpteen benefits.

Meditation is anything that brings us to the present and keeps us there. It is a deep connection with time and a heightened awareness of yourself in conjunction with everything around you. In the rush of things it’s easy to get overloaded and miss out on the most important part of life – the joy it can bring. We need to slow down and dig deep to find those sweet moments of inner calm and clarity. Meditation is just that. Through slowing down and controlling the mind, Meditation increases consciousness of not just our surroundings and what’s happening around us but more importantly it creates an awareness of our inner selves.

‘You do not need to leave your room.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
Do not even listen, simply wait.
Do not even wait, be quiet, still and solitary.
The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked.
It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.’
~ Franz Kafka

The Principles of Meditation

• Focus – In order to focus on the present, it’s important to learn how to concentrate. This can be achieved by focusing on an object or a word or even your breathing.
• Quieting the mind- Remaining focused on a single object or thought can be hard.  The mind will wonder and you’ll be distracted from your object of concentration with other thoughts. Meditation however, teaches you  not to suppress these but let them pass returning your attention to the object of focus. With time and practice the mind learns to tune out these distractions and the sole focus remains on the object.
• Control- In meditation you can tap into the flow of Prana (life force) through breathing to increase, decrease or focus your energy.
• Senses- Meditation involves control of all your senses of sight, sound, smell and feel to bring you to  the NOW.

While simple practice of meditation may not be the answer to all life’s questions, it is efficient and effective technique that helps us control our mind and relax our bodies. It provides the simplicity like stopping to smell and appreciate the flowers in an otherwise crowded and busy place called life. If practiced regularly and adopted as a lifestyle meditation can lead to deeper self-knowledge, heightened consciousness of people and creatures around us and Spiritual fulfillment.

*Photo credits: Photos by h.koppdelaney, Gurumustuk Singh, myyogaonline, richardmasoner on flickr

1. CHOOSE FISH

It was once noticed that Latino seniors used hospitals less, yet live longer and die less of heart diseases, cancer or stroke. How come? It’s believed that their diet, which includes a lot of fish may be the answer. You see, fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids, which help produce blood platelets and reduce inflammation. Three grams a day can reduce risk of a heart attack by 50%, lower your triglycerides, tackle less-than-perfect cholesterol score, ease pain from arthritis, help prevent cancer, super-charge the brain and make your skin glowing and wrinkle-free. Studies have shown that women who took fish oil when pregnant or lactating boosted their children’s IQ. Include fish such as salmon, mackerel or halibut into your daily diet or else take non-contaminating fish oil supplements.

2. BEND YOUR BRAIN

Playing some mind games could make you smarter, healthier and add a few candles to your birthday cake, say experts. Keeping your mind stimulated boosts memory and brainpower while slashing your risk f developing dementia nearly by half according to a study conducted at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Pick up a book of brain teasers, try to memorize phone numbers, mentally tally tge cost of your groceries as you put it into your shopping cart, or play trivial pursuit with family or friends…anything that challenges your brain will help keep it in prime condition.

3. MEDITATE

Odds, are you already know about the calming effects of meditation, but did you know- A daily dose of ‘Om’ and calming yoga can significantly improve your health. A study of 2,000 seniors found that those who did relaxation exercised daily had 87% fewer heart attacks than is normal for their age group, 55% fewer cancerous tumors and 87% fewer nervous disorders. According to experts, meditation reduces stress by many levels and lowers blood pressure. Consequently, you live a calmer life which allows you to feel healthier and look younger. So don that comfortable yoga apparel and fit atleast a 10-15 minutes of silent meditation time into your daily routine where by you sit in a comfy position and focus on nothing but your breathing.

4. CATCH SOME ZZZs

Been burning the midnight oil many days in a row? Bad idea! Skimping on the zzzs and not getting enough sleep messes with your body’s repair mechanisms, not allowing them to repair any damage and release growth hormones that aid in cell turnover that keeps you looking young and feeling fresh. Sleep deprivation pr lack of sleep puts you at a greater risk for obesity, depression, sallow skin, dark circles and heart problems. Catch a good 7-8 hours of sleep every night to function the best.

5. GO GREEN

Green Tea that is! It’s soothing, tastes great and is packed with good-for-you antioxidants. It was found that green tea gulpers, who drank more than five cups of the stuff a day, had a 26% lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease, compared to those who drank less than one cup a day. A daily cup of Green tea has been found to erase some of the negative effects of ageing (thanks to the antioxidants in the brew) which means you’ll look younger for longer. All of these benefits have been found to be stronger in women, which is one more reason to go put that kettle on and get brewing.

6. KEEP MOVING

Taking a walk, dancing, working in the garden…in short being active are must dos  for everyone. The benefits are endless! Physical activity in the form of exercise, yoga, jogging, aerobics and so on benefits your mood, promotes self-efficacy and lowers chances of developing heart and blood pressure problems. Six months of regular aerobic exercises reverses the loss of brain tissue that occurs with age.  An those who don’t walk take twice as many sick days as compared to those who walk briskly everyday.  Exercise sweeps white blood cells (key immune system components that are stuck on blood vessel walls) back into circulation. So move that behind! Take the opportunity to scope some great workout clothes and work up to the standard recommendation of 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes.

7.  BE OPTIMISTIC

It turns out, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” is more than just a classic sing-along. Positivity is a BIG plus health-wise. Studies have found that ‘negative’ brain activity results in a weakened immune system and pessimists were reported to have poorer physical as well as medical functioning. Try looking at the glass half full for a change. Consciously battle your inner critic and replace negative thoughts with a feel-good thought. It may take time to re-train your inner critic, but soon your optimistic self will shine and life will start looking and feeling a lot better.

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* Images Credit: Photos by (from top -bottom) adactio, Betsssssy, longtrekhome, neilbetter, knittinging, adria.richards, Only Sequelon flickr

Read more about your Divine Soul Plan.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel,yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com