HowToDoThings.com Recent Exercise & Meditation Articles

How To Relieve Stress through Yogasana

premansu_chand — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:50:07 -0600

Stress is a mental state where the mind is under pressure or the mind is tense and turbulent. Long hours of work at offices and factories are mainly responsible for this. Also, there are social or familial problems. People work hard to get more pleasure in life but get pain and distress in return.

In order to get relief from stress, the mind should be calm and peaceful. This is exactly the aim of Yoga. The aim of Yoga is to control the mind so that the mind remains in self. Self is the true identity and home of a being.

Spiritually a man may be divided into four parts. These are - gross body, life force (prana), mind and bliss (ananda) or self/soul. When the body becomes calm and static, life force becomes calm and mind in turn gets concentrated. A free and concentrated mind only tastes the bliss. In order to get bliss and to dispel stress, one should practice Yogasana.

How To Understand and Enhance Your Meditation Practice

tlc — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:28:04 -0600

How To Perform Self-Hypnosis

freddie — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:43:42 -0500

Self improvement is an important step towards a better existence. We spend a lot of our resources improving the things that surrounds us. We pay attention to our house, our car or even our clothes, but we tend to forget to improve on ourselves. We are our most valuable asset. This is something we cannot replace. If you create a reality out of what you want to be, then you have a chance to become something more than what you think you can achieve.

It is a great start that you are reading about self-hypnosis. As you know, all change starts within. If you start by deciding to change from within, then you are on the right path to a better you. Self-Hypnosis is more than just a gentle nudge but it is also a powerful tool to change things you are not happy with in your life. Use this tool and it could lead to a more meaningful and fruitful life that you have long desired. Here are some simple steps that you can follow to get you closer to a new and better you.

How To Walk Your Way to Better Health

JimLow — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:14:59 -0500

Walking is one of the most beneficial and safe exercises and according to medical health studies on walking for exercise, it can also have mental/emotional as well as physical benefits. The steps below can help you develop a healthy regimen of walking as your exercise.

How To Remove Phlegm Naturally

tlc — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:42:27 -0500

How To Reprogram your Brain

tlc — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:09:36 -0500

How To Prepare for a Yoga Class

tlc — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:51:29 -0500

How To Get Stress Relief

bronwyn — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:03:54 -0500

Stress has become an accepted factor in our lives, but it doesn't have to be! The demands of job, family, and personal matters have made us all stressed out! However, all that stress can definitely lower the quality of our lives, so it is very important to learn how to get some stress relief!

How To Bear God (Ishvara-Pranidhan)

premansu_chand — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:29:33 -0600

Ishvara-pranidhan (to bear God) is the fifth discipline of Niyama. In an earlier article, self-study has been described. Here let us see how to bear God in ourselves and also the result of it. Patanjali writes that by bearing God, one achieves Samadhi (total concentration). A Yogi without any blind prejudice should understand these teachings for bliss and freedom.

How To Practice Self-study (Svadhyay)

premansu_chand — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:08:22 -0600

Self-study (svadhyay) is the fourth discipline of Niyama. Everybody understands what self-study is. Wise men of all societies and religions talk about self-study. However very rarely do people think or study about their Self and have confidence on Self. Most religious people think, learn and study about their imaginary and external Gods and Goddesses. Patanjali writes that through self-study one meets one's beloved God. Let us define and explore self-study and how one meets one' beloved God.

How To Practice Santosh (Contentment)

premansu_chand — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:47:44 -0600

The second discipline of Niyama is Santosh (contentment). Patanjali writes, "By practicing Santosh, one gets incomparable happiness." The aim of yoga is to reach a blissful state and for this one should try to stay content and happy always. Whatever one does daily, one should do with full satisfaction.

How To Practice Tapa

premansu_chand — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:18:50 -0600

The literal meaning of Tapa is to heat or to rule. Tapa is the third discipline of Niyama. Tapa is the action by which warmth or heat is supplied to the body; by which body becomes more active, fresh and strong; by which body is brought under control; and by which body is able to sustain hardship of life. It is a misconception that practice of Tapa is possible for those who lead a secluded life. But in reality it is very much essential to the social and family life which has physical as well as mental stress.

How To Practice Mindful Eating

bronwyn — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:17:07 -0600

In our frantic society, it is not considered abnormal to eat and run. In fact, many of us are so rushed that we don't make time to eat, or eat whatever is convenient, regardless of its nutritional value. Multi-tasking has its place, but most of us would feel much better if we practiced eating mindfully.

How To Fall Asleep

StuDent — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:00:23 -0600

People who meditate often have trouble staying awake. You can turn their problem into your solution for insomnia.

How To Observe Shaucha (Purification)

premansu_chand — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:42:50 -0600

Patanjali Yoga has eight limbs and the first is Yama (abstention). There are five types of Yama which have been described in my earlier articles. The second limb is Niyama (discipline) which is also divided into five types -- Shaucha (purification), Santosh (contentment), Tapa (heating), Svadhyay (self-study), and Ishvara Pranidhan (bearing God). Let us explore Shaucha (purification).

Patanjali writes in his aphorism (I.40) that by observing Shaucha, body is protected and relation with foreign matter is eliminated. So how to purify and protect body from foreign matter?

How To Observe Aparegraha (Non-Acceptance)

premansu_chand — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:58:53 -0600

Yoga has eight limbs and Yama (abstention) is the first of all. Yama has five abstentions and Aparegraha is the last of all. Aparegraha is not to accept donations, alms, bribes or kickbacks. Many people try to lead comfortable lives without mental or physical labor by accepting money without causing any help to others. Such clever people form different political, religious, business or charitable organizations and receive huge donations from across the world. Some poor people beg on streets. Many officials take bribes or kickbacks. Criminals forcibly collect weekly or monthly donations in the name of protection. Terrorists raise political or religious issues and collect money. Such people face the problems and it is the duty of all peace loving and spiritual men to avoid them.

How To Observe Brahmancharya (Wandering in Brahman)

premansu_chand — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 15:19:53 -0600

In Patanjali's eight-fold yoga, yama (abstention) is the first limb and Brahmancharya is the fourth out of five abstentions of yama. In Sanskrit, "Brahmancharya" is defined as 'brahmane charate ete,' meaning to wander or roam in the thoughts of Brahman. Brahman is the ultimate reality and charate means "to wander." So a yogi who is observing Brahmancharya should always think about Brahman and try to realize it. The Upanishads, which are the cream of Indian spiritualism, describe that ' ayam atman brahman' or "this self/ soul is Brahman," so one should come closer to self and realize its greatness.

How To Observe Asteya (Non-Stealing)

premansu_chand — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:22:12 -0600

Ahimsa (abstention) is the first limb of Patanjali's eight-fold Yoga. Ahimsa includes five abstentions. Asteya is the third abstention. Patanjali has described that one who observes Asteya (non-stealing) gets all kinds of wealth. Asteya means one should not take others' money or wealth without their consent. This is a moral teaching that is commonly observed in all civilized societies. However, no moral teaching is observed one hundred percent. Moral teachings are written in texts in order to give value to them, and are spoken in order to give value to speech. Without thinking of what others do, in order to become a yogi, one should refrain from stealing in any form or practice. This precept applies not only to individuals but to societies and countries as well.

How To Drift into Sleep if You're Suffering from Sleeplessness or Insomnia

PhilT — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:41:05 -0600

Sleep techniques, such as progressive relaxation and deep breathing, can help relax your mind and body enough so that you can drift into sleep. In fact, there are far more effective and natural ways to deal with insomnia than your average sleeping pill. However, today I will explain a simple and basic sleep technique that you will be able to follow with ease.

It’s simply impossible to will the mind and body to sleep as you may have already tried. By focusing on merely relaxing the body and mind, you can gear yourself for sleep. When the conscious mind drifts and the sub-conscious takes over, you are in a prime state for sleep. This exercise will help you do just that.

How To Use Yoga to Escape from the Holiday Hustle

melbeau — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:28:47 -0600

Wings and Prayers is a beautiful, calming yoga exercise that can take you from a state of stress and anxiety to a place of quietness and calmness. All you need is your breath and a willing mind.

How To Understand and Observe Truth (Satya)

premansu_chand — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:34:55 -0600

Patanjali yoga has eight limbs. Truth (satya) is the second of five abstentions (ahimsa) a practitioner/Yyogi should observe. Here, a yogi should give up falsehood and accept truth. Patanjali describes that by establishing truth, one achieves everything for which one acts or desires. One becomes successful in life. Let us see what truth is and how one achieves everything for which one strives.

How To Keep Your Legs Pain-Free When Standing Still for Many Hours

ronkhare — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 23:35:45 -0600

We've all been there: A long, long line that crawls along at a snail's pace, a job that requires standing up for long periods of time, and other situations that don't allow for the normal flexing and stretching that even regular walking provides.

The younger you are, the more important it is for you to pick up these habits now, as the older you get, the more you may notice that it is increasingly difficult to do them. Even if you can't do the full cycle, do as much as you can as often as you can, and you may notice you'll be improving in no time.

How To Use the Power of Touch in Your Yoga Practice

melbeau — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:15:02 -0600

When we suffer from anxiety, our minds can become scattered and our bodies riddled with tension. Yoga has the ability to pull us out of a state of anxiety and place us into an environment of physical and mental solitude. Practicing yoga enables us to use all of our physical senses to help pull us back to calmness. One powerful sense we can learn to apply and cultivate in our asana (pose) is touch. By shifting our attention into pressing our hands and feet to the earth and grounding our asana, we've established a stable environment that can be calming and healing.

How To Meditate

Longevity — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:53:02 -0500

To practice meditation is not difficult as long as you understand the reality of meditation. The word "meditation" may have different connotations for different individuals. What does it suggest to you? To me, meditation is all about reality - the reality of life. Lao Tzu, a great Chinese philosopher, said, "The truth always sounds paradoxical." Believe it or not, you are living in a world in which everything seems to be real, but not quite. How is that?

The past is no longer real: It is gone forever. However, memories may still linger and continue to be "real" to you. In fact, your future, as well as your present, may be controlled by the very quasi realty of the past. For example, you make your decision based on your past and present thoughts.

How to Observe Ahimsa (Non-Violence)

premansu_chand — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:03:26 -0500

Patanjali Yoga has eight limbs or parts. First is Yama (abstention). Yama includes five types of abstentions. The first is Ahimsa (non-violence). Patanjali has vividly described non-violence. Everybody knows what violence is. Starting from scolding and beating to fighting in war, the range is very wide. Human history is the history of crime, violence and war. Many great people and organizations have tried to bring down peace and happiness on earth, but nothing has happened. People are living in constant fear, pain and sorrow.

There are three types of violence:

How To Understand Yoga

premansu_chand — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:14:18 -0500

Everybody earns money, keeps it in savings and spends gradually so that he may not be bankrupt at any moment of time. To become bankrupt is very painful. So wise men always conserve a good amount of money and spend gradually so that they may lead a peaceful and comfortable life. Similarly the energy in the body by which a man works and enjoys the world has limitations. You can't work or enjoy the world endlessly. You have to conserve energy in the body and spend gradually. That way you can enjoy peace in the mind and vigor in the body. This happens naturally through sleep, but in sleep you remain in an unconscious state. So you don't enjoy full peace, health and happiness. For this one has to find out a different path.

How To Use Your Mind To Get Complete Wellness, Happiness and Freedom

premansu_chand — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:28:38 -0500

Body is the direct manifestation of mind. When you fear, your body hairs are raised and sometimes you suffer from fever or go unconscious. When you become kind enough, tears roll down from your eyes. When you become erotic, everybody knows what changes take place in the body. So everything is a reflection of what mind thinks.

Similarly so long as religion taught people that body is the home of God or body is the temple of God, people enjoyed peace and happiness of body and mind. Gradually religious leaders began teaching that body is the home to diseases, pain and sorrow -- that men are sinners and they are born to suffer. Due to such ill thoughts people started suffering from disease and despair. So in order to free yourself from such despair, you should try to find out and follow true teachings and path.

How To Destroy Most of Your Problems

ronkhare — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:58:04 -0500

Problems: The disliked and often-used spice in the spice rack of life. Before I can show you how to eliminate most, if not all of the problems in your life, I first have to define what I mean by “problem.”

A problem is something that causes you distress, or regular stress. It is usually associated with choices to situations and puzzles that naturally crop up in life. To explain the difference, here is an example: Your boss hands you a problem that needs to be figured out, and you're playing Free Cell. Both your work problem and the card game are situations that need resolution. Both may require the same amount of effort. However, one you solve and it causes you stress, the other you solve for fun.

How To Hypnotize Yourself

cjwin1 — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:11:37 -0500

Start With The Facts.
- All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. Really! The best hypnotists know they are simply your guide into and during trance.
- There's a difference between hypnosis and trance. Hypnosis is the act of leading yourself or someone else into trance. Trance is an altered state of mind and what we will be learning a little more about here.
- You've been in a trance! Well, probably not this moment, but if you think you have never been in a trance before, think again. Involved in a good book or movie, daydreaming about a pleasant experience or sometimes just watching television, most likely you've been in a trance and didn't even realize it. Surprised?
  
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How To Understand and Control Mind

premansu_chand — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:21:10 -0500

Man has four divisions - body, life-force, mind and soul. Body is controlled through yogic exercise; life-force is controlled through Pranayama; and mind is controlled through meditation. When these three are controlled, a man reaches out to soul or true-self which is the blissful state of all. In my earlier two articles I have described how to control body and life-force. In this article I shall describe how to understand mind and control it.

How To Know and Control Life-Force

premansu_chand — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:58:20 -0500

A being has four divisions - material body, life-force (Prana), mind, and soul (Atman). In fact these four are one. The subtler part of body is Prana, subtler part of Prana is mind, and subtler part of mind is Atman. Only the body is visible and destructible; Prana, mind and Atman are invisible, indestructible, eternal and divine.

The body with its cells and organs remains active and alive for the flow of fluids throughout the body. The flow of fluids goes on relentlessly because there is a life-force (Prana) that flows throughout the body. This flow of Prana is felt easily by the inhalation and exhalation of air across the nostrils. Flow of air is not Prana but flow of Prana moves the air across the nostrils as well as fluids throughout the body.

How To Avoid Mental Pain

premansu_chand — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:59:45 -0500

According to the ancient Indian scripture Patanjali' Yogasutra, people suffer from five types of mental pain -- false knowledge, egoism, attachment, contempt and fear of death. These are described below with a solution.

How To Beat Depression Without Medication

premansu_chand — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 03:32:50 -0500

Depression is a mental state where you find neither peace nor happiness. Your spirit is quite depressed. You feel surrounded by darkness on all sides. There is no glimmer of light or hope.

According to a spiritual interpretation of depression, this darkness or this depressed state is due to your own ignorance. When you liberate yourself from this ignorance, you can find brightness, peace and happiness everywhere.

While a medical approach to depression might include medication, psychotherapy and other more traditional treatments, if adhering to a spiritual approach to depression, then only you can liberate yourself. To practice this approach, you should understand and follow these steps.

How To Take Control of Your Negative Self-Talk

Lindasimmon — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:43:39 -0500

I overheard a conversation the other day when I was out shopping, and I realized how important it is that I share with all of you the knowledge, power, techniques, thoughts and suggestions I give my clients as part of our therapy sessions once they have decided that it is time to take action and take back control of their life and change their thoughts, actions and behavior.

How To Choose Meditation Clothing

Theresa157 — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:27:00 -0500

Meditation is defined by Wikipedia as "a state in which the body is consciously relaxed and the mind is allowed to become calm and focused." There are many different ways to meditate and relieve stress, many of them based on spiritual practices drawn from Eastern religions. As medical professionals learn more and more about meditation, they've found that it has many benefits for our physical and mental health, including the reduction of stress and all the physical problems that accompany stress.

Depending on the meditation technique you choose, you may want to buy specific meditation clothing. Many websites offer specific clothing types such as robes or kimonos, clothing for meditation that involves movement (such as yoga) or simple tunic and pant combinations.

How To Do Prenatal Pregnancy Yoga

Victoria59 — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 09:47:00 -0500

Staying in shape is difficult, let alone when you are carrying a developing baby. Even if you have never tried yoga before, a prenatal yoga practice can benefit both you and your baby. Known benefits of prenatal yoga are varied and many: increased strength and flexibility, reduced back pain, reduced aches and fatigue, reduced joint swelling, easier digestion, improved emotional well-being, and an easier birth.

The safest way to begin a prenatal yoga practice is to find a local instructor who teaches a class especially for pregnant women. Even though the popularity of prenatal yoga has increased exponentially, you still might not be able to find this specific class. If not, tell your yoga teacher that you are pregnant and she will make sure to help you adjust the poses as needed. If you have never tried yoga before and are not able to find a prenatal class, look for any class labeled "gentle" or good for beginners.

How To Learn Meditation Techniques

Theresa157 — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 07:08:00 -0500

You may be surprised to find out how many different meditation techniques there are. A few examples are:

How To Learn to Meditate

Theresa157 — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 19:02:00 -0500

With our stressful lives, you may be looking into ways to help alleviate that stress and find relaxation no matter where you are. Meditation is a fairly simple, cheap, and concise way to find some peace in your daily life. Meditation can be done just about anywhere, even in a crowded and noisy place, once you master the easy to learn techniques.

There are many ways you can learn to meditate, including books, websites and classes. Most meditation techniques use breathing and various postures (positions) which are easy to learn. Reading up on the various techniques will help you learn how to meditate, but the best way to learn to meditate is simply to try. Set aside a small amount of time each day, even just ten minutes, to meditate and soon your stress levels will decrease.

Benefits of meditation include:

How To Use the Breath to Meditate and Relieve Stress

Rodney382 — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 12:48:00 -0500

In a world where everyday stress is at an all time high, we all need practical moment-by-moment methods to deal with the bombardment of stimulus coming at us. Everyone tells us to let things go, but they don't give us any clue how to better train ourselves to do so.

Yoga offers many techniques in which to practice conscious relaxation, so that even in extremely challenging situations you can center yourself and skillfully deal with the situations at hand.

One of the best ways to deal with stress is to learn how to bring your awareness to your breath. Merely watching and being conscious of a single inhalation and a single exhalation, a complete cycle of breath, can work miracles. This may sound ridiculously easy and simplistic but on so many occasions, this simple meditation has lifted me out of dark situations.

How To Learn Transcendental Meditation

Theresa157 — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 19:51:00 -0500

Transcendental meditation is a popular and yet highly controversial practice.

Transcendental mediation (TM) was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In TM you are taught how to meditate (opponents call it a trance-like state) for twenty minutes, twice a day. Practitioners claim it's easy to learn, though you have to learn it from a trained transcendental meditation teacher. Proponents claim that transcendental meditation

How To Learn Yoga Breathing

Sheryl209 — Fri, 12 May 2006 13:10:00 -0500

Learning yogic breathing, or pranayama, can lead to many health benefits, in addition to the much-touted spiritual ones. Unlike yogic asanas, or physical postures, in which a new student should seek active instruction, pranayama lends itself easily to self-study, as it is based on a skill we all have--the simple act of breathing. But oddly, the market seems to be exactly backwards: There is a wealth of offerings for various styles of yoga asana practice for all levels, but precious little in the way of instruction on pranayama. Simply put, pranayama is breathwork. There are several types of pranayama exercises you can do, either alone or in conjunction with a larger meditation and yoga practice. But why do it at all? Some of the benefits of pranayama include:

How To Find the Best Yoga Equipment

Sheryl209 — Fri, 12 May 2006 12:32:00 -0500

When you start practicing yoga, you may be tempted to run out and spend hundreds of dollars on all the "right" equipment. Pause a moment, and think about what you really need for a meaningful practice.

Mats: Buy a good quality sticky mat. This will be the staple of your practice, and you should ensure that the mat is nonslip, is sufficiently thick for your personal comfort level, and is long enough for you to stretch out on without too much head or foot overhang in corpse pose.
Bags: You may also want to invest in a yoga bag. These are bags specifically designed to accommodate a rolled-up sticky mat and other accoutrements to and from class. Look for one that has a comfortable shoulder strap and extra room for keys, wallet, towel, and water bottle.

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How To Do Yoga for Kids

Sheryl209 — Fri, 12 May 2006 12:02:00 -0500

If you've been "on the mat" for years, and have "down dog" down pat, you may wonder at some point, "Why can't I let my kids practice with me?" (If your child is like mine, she may have already invited herself onto the mat.) The answer is, "No reason at all," provided that you present yoga to your child in an age-appropriate manner.

Why do yoga for kids at all? For one thing, adults aren't the only ones who are stressed out these days. School, deadlines, team sports, fundraising activities, family incidents, not to mention friendships and self-confidence issues--all these things can create a tremendous amount of pressure on a kid of any age. Just as yoga gives grownups a little productive quiet time and space to "chill out" and center, it can help children create a safe space where the pressures of being a kid aren't quite so overwhelming--to say nothing of the substantial physical and mental benefits that flow from a healthy yoga practice.

How To Evaluate Yoga Versus Pilates

Sheryl209 — Fri, 12 May 2006 10:19:00 -0500

Actually, the title might be a bit deceptive--there may really be no "yoga versus Pilates" argument, because each could be considered complementary to the other. However, since most busy people today only have time for one or the other, it pays to give some thought to which system is right for you. Essentially, it boils down to the "three Ps" of your personality, your preferences, and your physicality.

First, however, you must understand the differences between the two systems:

How To Learn Yoga Poses and Positions

Sheryl209 — Fri, 12 May 2006 07:00:00 -0500

A future yogi or yogini has several options at his or her disposal in the quest for the perfect downward-facing dog. What's best for you? This article will help you sort out the various methods of learning yoga, and give you a brief introduction to yoga styles to get you started.

What sort of yoga should you practice? This question should be considered before you jump in with both feet to "salute the sun."

How To Find Pilates Exercise Programs

Joyce200 — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 09:51:00 -0500

Pilates is an exercise system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. Long a favorite of professional dancers, it has become a mainstream exercise system easy to find in most localities. Pilates concentrates on proper breath, alignment and posture, and on developing the core muscles and what Joseph Pilates called the 'powerhouse' of the abdominals, pelvis and lower back.

Where can you find Pilates classes?