Holistic Yoga Therapy by Dr. Hans, LLC

06/02/2022

SATTVIC NUTRITION (Excerpts from the Lecture by Dr. Madhur Bhashini, at Osher Institute, William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA)

Sattvic Nutrition is a pure and balanced diet that offers feeling of health, happiness, peace, and mental clarity! And also…
• Keeps digestive system functioning well
• Prevents toxin buildup in the body
• Supports the immune system/boosts immunity
• Prevents illnesses and chronic diseases
• Helps maintain optimum body weight
• Helps you stay light, energetic, relaxed, and happy!

Ayurveda (the ancient Indian science of long and healthy living) takes a holistic approach to healthy eating to prescribe…What to eat, how to eat, how much and when to eat. The focus is on keeping the digestive system healthy as this is the system that nourishes the whole body by making available the fuel and the raw materials for building and repairing the tissues.

Digestive system health depends on:
• Regular cleansing of the system
• Providing meals that are easily digested and assimilated for proper nourishment
• Maintaining a healthy microbiome (the delicate balance of bacteria, fungi, and viruses in the gut)

Digestive system health maintains overall strength and vitality keeping the entire body system free from illnesses and diseases.
This is achieved by – maintaining a balance of the 5 elements that constitute our body system!

These 5 elements are Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and space!
• Earth- all the food that we eat comes from Mother Earth and serves as the building material for all living body systems
• Water - provides a medium for transportation of materials, for filtering out of wastes, and for movement of energy throughout the body system
• Air - provides oxygen that helps release energy from food
• Fire - is the heat released from food, that keeps the body warm and functioning
• Space: nothing exists without space!

Maintaining a balance of these 5 elements is essential for Holistic Health! And Sattvic diet provides all these in balanced amounts using Natural foods.

Are you providing your body all that it needs? See if you can answer the following statements in Yes or No.
• I feel high on energy most of the time.
• I have normal body weight
• I rarely get any infection like flu, colds, stomach bugs, etc.
• I do not suffer from any chronic illnesses.
• I do not suffer from headaches or other body pains.
• I have normal healthy skin, hair, and nails.
• I have strong bones, flexible joints, and no body- aches.
• My brain function is normal.
• I have a calm and clear mind and suffer no emotional stress.

If you answered NO to any of these questions, you need to consider making improvements in your diet regimen.

Instead of feeding yourself dead foods, use Sattvic foods.
Sattvic foods digest easily and provide the vitality of Natural Elements that…
• Help in the formation and rebuilding of high-quality body tissues, improving overall health and longevity
• Maintain body defense mechanism to work actively to tackle toxins, wastes, cancer cells, invading microorganisms
• Improve mental health and energy, thereby improving the awareness, clarity, memory, and focus
• Naturally restore the harmony and balance (homeostasis) of our body and mind
• Enhance the experience of life (no suffering, no pain, no wastage of financial resources, no stress!)

For personal therapy sessions (in person or zoom) on balancing the elements to maintain or restore physical/mental/emotional health, and for sattvic recipes,
Email us at: holisticyogatherapy9@gmail.com

12/01/2021

The shorter our food chains the better! Let's try growing our own and supporting local where we can ✨

🌿 Image from Waste-Ed

08/26/2021

Kapaal Bhaati: The Yogic breathing exercise for holistic health benefits!

Kapaal Bhaati is a very impactful yoga breathing process (kriya).
The word Kapaal in Sanskrit language, means skull (including all the organs under the skull), and bhaati means shining, or illuminating. This cleansing breathing process, practiced correctly and regularly, purifies and rejuvenates the body and mind. It positively affects the organs under the skull mainly the brain and associated glands. It also improves the health of the sinuses, respiratory tract, lungs, diaphragm, and stomach.
The breathing is quick and sharp, with a focus on exhalation that makes conscious use of abdominal muscles. The duration of the inhale and the exhale is almost the same. There is no holding the breath in. There are different types of Kapaal Bhati Kriya, and here only the basic one for beginners is explained.
Points to remember:
Do it on empty stomach, NEVER after meals. (Also see contraindications below).
During this practice, the focus remains on the naval as the abdominal muscles are pulled in (a forceful contraction) and relaxed alternately. Shoulders and chest do not move much. Inhale and exhale through nostrils.
Beginners should do slower speed (one second inhale and one second exhale). Once you get a hang of it increase the speed to half a second inhale and half-second exhale.
You may start with 3 cycles initially. One cycle would mean 3-4 normal breaths, 5-10 kapaal-bhaati exhale/inhales, followed by 2-3 normal breaths. See how you feel. You may increase the cycles if you feel okay. Discontinue if you feel uncomfortable.

Let's practice:
Start by sitting in Lotus pose or on the knees, whichever holds your spine comfortably straight and shoulders relaxed. Palms rest on your knees.
Bring your focus on the breath. Inhale and exhale normally 3-4 times.
Now start kapaal bhaati cycle as follows:
1. Inhale, inflating the abdomen (it is a quick inhale, NOT long and slow)
2. Exhale, pulling the abdominals in, with a sharp movement
3. Repeat this 5-10 times. Remember it is a quick inhale- exhale cycle NOT holding the breath in. Your gentle attention is on pulling the abdominal muscles in fully (half a second) and then relaxing abdominals (half a second). Relaxing spontaneously fills the lungs, and thus the inhalation is passive.
4. Relax, breathing normally, 3-4 times. You may focus on inhales during this time.
5. Repeat kapaal bhaati again, with full focus on Exhales (pulling the abdominals in with a force)

Benefits:
This process exercises, tones and strengthens the abdominal and diaphragmatic muscles.
Other major health benefits are that it:
1. Stimulates the respiratory centers in the frontal brain
2. Clears sinuses, and strengthens lung muscles
3. Clears gas from upper abdominal areas, improves digestive system health
4. Cleanses lower parts of lungs (of the stale air) and enhances lung capacity
5. Clears the mind, focuses attention

Contraindications:
Be extra careful and consult a yoga therapy expert if you have high blood pressure, vertigo, asthma, headaches, or any other serious medical condition. If any breathing exercise makes you feel uncomfortable, it means you may not be doing it correctly. Consult an expert for guidance.

08/25/2021

Holistic health needs to be nurtured, maintained, and sustained carefully so that we do not fall sick often, both physically and mentally. Whenever the Natural principles of health are ignored and the body system is ill-treated, it starts sending warning signals in terms of pain or little ailments. If its warning signals are also ignored or snubbed (by taking pills every time), it almost equals to disrespecting the inherent intelligence of the body system to repair and heal itself.
When we do not pause to read and evaluate the signals, and do not do what is required to take care of the root cause and assist the self-recovery we end up paying big prices in terms of physical pain, mental suffering, and financial loss.
Allopathic Medical science has made tremendous progress but its basis still lies in treating the illnesses AFTER they develop, many times leaving some side effects. Yoga and Ayurveda medical science however, is based on PREVENTION of ill health/disease by prescribing how to maintain the balance of elemental energies (of Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Ether or Space). It is also based on working to CURE illnesses, by identifying and taking care of the root cause of an illness without leaving any side effects.
That is why many people world over are trying alternative or integrative medical practices to compliment the benefits of each.

Our Fall sessions starting form September 1st will incorporate various aspects of Yoga and Ayurveda for Holistic Health!
Here is a warm welcome to all those who have signed up for Zoom sessions! Please check your emails regularly for further details.

06/26/2021

Emotions are actually “electricity in motion!” Just like unregulated electricity flow (lightning) can strike anywhere to cause a disaster, the same way dysregulated emotional energy flow can wreak havoc and bring suffering in life!
The regulated flow of electricity through a wire can light up lamps, can cool down the temperatures, or can warm up the cold air in a room. Similarly, regulated emotions can brighten up your daily life, can have a calming effect on people around you, and can warm up your own heart to make your life happy and meaningful, irrespective of the situations of your life!
For the one who has the right perspective and an ability to regulate emotions (feelings), they are a wonderful gift, given to enjoy the vast variety of experiences of life! But for the one who is emotionally immature, imbalanced, or weak, life feels like a struggle, suffering, and a heavy burden!
To live a successful, happy, and meaningful life one needs to understand what emotions are, what is their purpose, and how to regulate them. From the day we are born to the day we die, we think, speak, act, and behave as our emotions dictate us to. Throughout life, we transact with other humans (and with everything else in this universe) through emotions. To understand ourselves and others, we need to understand our emotions and how they interact with our brain and hormonal system to stimulate various physiological reactions.
But nowhere in any education system, there is a mandatory “Emotions 101” course that gives us a thorough understanding of and importance of emotions and their regulation. Failed relationships with ourselves, with our parents, children, siblings, spouses, colleagues, neighbors, are simply because of our failure to regulate our emotions!
Most of the behavioral, physiological, and neurological ailments have their roots in emotional imbalance and dysregulation. From anxiety, depression, panic attacks, substance abuse to dementia, Alzheimer’s, and even suicidal and psychopathological tendencies, all are results of emotional dysregulation.

While we are young, if we do not step up to our responsibility of teaching ourselves and our kids, the basics of emotional regulation, there will be a heavy price to pay in terms of unhappy, unsuccessful life ending up in mental health hospitals, where repressed/suppressed, ignored/buried or pent-up emotions burst out as unmanageable volcanos!

Not many people know that Yoga gives us an understanding of our emotions (feelings), their origin, and teaches us how to regulate our thoughts, speech, actions, behaviors and how to train our minds to respond appropriately so that our emotions do not make us suffer through life and its situations. Instead, they empower us to live life happily and meaningfully despite all challenges!

Be on the lookout to find an experienced teacher to learn from, before it is too late!
As suggested by our regular participants, we are beginning a new class "Meditations for Emotional Regulation" from July onwards. Send a message for more info or to join.

05/31/2021

Another feedback from the participants of a session on , "Meditation as Preventive and Alternative Medication: Theory and Practice"

05/30/2021

Another feedback from the participants of a session on , "Meditation as Preventive and Alternative Medication: Theory and Practice"

04/12/2021

A few email messages from my Yoga student, Lena C. It speaks more highly of the student rather than the teacher, reflecting how well the teachings were received!

04/03/2021

02/18/2021

An 8 year old joined his mom’s 6AM yoga class, stayed still through 20 minutes meditation (impressive!) and on his own wrote an ‘after class’ note on his experience of meditation. I love what he thinks his God is…an uncontrolled puppet!! 😃
But Kudos to his mom for instilling good habits that are sure to go a long way!

02/05/2021

Time is of Essence! Everything in life unfolds at its scheduled time, not a moment before or after! Know this principle of Nature and bring peace to your anxious mind!
No matter how hard you try or desire, nothing will happen before time nor it can be pushed in future. Wait patiently and prayerfully, everything will fall in place when the time is right!

01/28/2021

Upcoming Workshop at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA

01/19/2021

So beautifully said!

Be selective.
With your time. Your energy.
And who you let in
to the doorway of your heart.
The soft soil of your inner life
is not a stomping ground.
Not a place for the curious taker or thief.
Not a place for the envious or judgmental.
Or anyone who wants to keep you small.
It is a place only for those
who breathe in
your radiance, vulnerability and brokenness
with a hushed awe and reverence.
Who bow before the glowing scars
and silvered shards of pain.
It is a place only for those
who intimately understand
(and deeply honor)
the (whole) divinity
you are working to reveal.
From “Soul Bird” by Deborah Anne Quibell

01/17/2021

For those of you who could not book your spot earlier, new sessions on ZOOM starting in Feb :)

12/31/2020

Choose to be happy and peaceful in this New Year 2021!

When we are in a situation that we do not like, we tend to generate enormous negative energy within ourselves. How? By overthinking about it… by talking, analyzing, re-thinking, complaining, and crying over it! These thoughts give rise to emotions of ‘feeling bad, angry, sad, pained, hurt’. This further activates the brain centers that release chemicals which have a physiological effect of leaving us upset, restless, anguished, disappointed and depressed. This negativity surrounds us like a heavy black cloud creating a barrier between us and the Universal energies!
Believe it or not, but the Universe is always sending us energies that make us feel good and peaceful. It is always sending us Light, to clear our confusions; and unconditional Love, to make our living worthwhile. But we cannot receive it if we surround ourselves with black clouds of hatred, blame, resentment, guilt, remorse and self-victimization about situations, conditions or people.
These black clouds are in our mind, created by us and no one else! The truth is that the experiences that we are having in this life are needed for the karmic evolution of our souls. Our circumstances, conditions, and people we have or do not have in our lives, is all because of our own Karma!
This is the lesson every event of life is trying to teach us. At some point when we wake up to this reality, we feel unburdened, we feel so light, we set ourselves free!
In this New Year 2021: Choose to blow away the (self-generated) dark clouds and let the light shine upon you, within you and around you, and enjoy your present and future life, that remains!

12/25/2020

'Anxiety' has become a serious issue for many people, especially in these uncertain times. We hope this short note will give you some insight into what anxiety is and how 'Meditative Yoga' is helping the community to deal with it.
We need to be aware that everything arises first in our thought. It leads to a chemical reaction that manifests in the form of feelings and certain unpleasant physiological sensations in the body. Negative thought after thought after another thought starts a vicious cycle and becomes uncontrollable if left unchecked.
Being a little concerned/worried about something for some time is normal. But when the worrisome thoughts/feelings (Anxiety) become overwhelming and last for hours or days, or recur often, and manifest in the form of negative symptoms, it needs to be dealt with to avoid more severe health conditions.
Severe anxiety can occur because of self-doubt, fear, feeling of incapability, and anger or resentment toward someone or something. It originates in the thoughts but manifests in visceral sensations because the brain and hormones together generate a physiological reaction.
Symptoms can range from excessive worrying, restlessness, agitation, irritability, anger, lack of focus and concentration, to tense muscles, and extreme fatigue. Left unchecked, these reactions can further lead to panic attacks, heart, brain, and digestive system problems.
It is thus important to be aware of a negative thought and catch it in the initial stage, to stop it from manifesting into a serious reaction.
To be able to manage such reactions, train yourself to “mind the mind” so that you can:
1. be aware of your thoughts
2. be capable of disassociating yourself from the thoughts
3. be able to stop the negative and substitute it with a positive thought
4. be able to repeat the positive thought
5. shift focus from thoughts to breath, consciously relax and deepen your breath
This process stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to release calming hormones. The positive reaction ensues and drowning in negative emotions gets averted!
It is so simple, yet so difficult if you are not trained to do it.
On a spiritual level, negative thoughts that linger in our minds to wreak havoc with our state of being can be uprooted with the help of a correct understanding of the human experience.
‘Meditative Yoga’ has taught this technique to many who benefitted from its positive results on every aspect of health!

12/16/2020

Feeling Lonely? Disconnected? Depressed?
Discover ways to connect with your true self, the source of lasting inner peace!
Join ‘Meditative Yoga’ Sessions on ZOOM! (Personal or group of 2 to 4)

We have been told that as humans we are social beings. Because of that conditioning we crave being with people and love having hundreds of social media connections. If we do not have people around us all the time, or if we do not have hundreds of FB/Instagram connections, we feel there is something wrong with us. We feel inferior, neglected, abandoned, lonely, disappointed, and eventually depressed!
The cause of this depression is the wrong belief that surrounding ourselves with people will cure the loneliness. If it were so, we would have felt happy just in the presence of our spouses, kids, neighbors, people at parties, people in the malls. But we did not!
Reason? We connect well only with people who vibrate at a similar frequency of energy as we do. (Mind you, similar does not mean the same!)That is why you feel good ‘vibes’ from these people and you connect with them. Sometimes you enter into a relationship with them. But when they enter a phase of different energy frequency, arguments, fights, blames, disappointments arise. You get rid of them (or they dump you). And you feel utterly lonely! You start hunting for the cure for your loneliness once again but fail again!
The important thing to realize is that everyone is born unique and vibrates at a unique frequency. And there is NO one in this whole world who vibrates at exactly the same frequency except your inner self! That is why you keep switching relationships, but you will never find a cure for your loneliness. There is only one way…to start accepting your uniqueness of vibrations and to stop expecting other people to always vibrate at your matching energy frequency.
But to find a lasting cure for loneliness, we need to connect with our inner selves, to start enjoying our own company, to acknowledge that the only constant companion is my inner self!
As we stop looking for connections outside, instead find that connection with our true selves and remain established in that, we can remain peaceful and happy all the time!
How can we establish this connection? Learn more in our ‘Meditative Yoga’ sessions on Zoom. Click on "Send Message" buttton for more info or to book a session.

12/16/2020