Find Your Meditation Style PART 2

Sorting through meditation styles can be a lot like sifting through yoga-class schedules when you are a new practitioner. Here are 4 more styles...

If you want an out-of-body experience:
Try Transcendental Meditation: A form of Hindu meditation, 
or Vedanta, the goal is to … transcend, or rise above all that is impermanent. While in a seated meditation pose, you focus on a mantra and actively change the breath in order to alter your state of mind.

If you are looking for more energy:
Try Kundalini meditation: Kundalini is a yoga practice, but also a philosophy and the name of energy in Tantric yoga practices and Hindu spiritual practices. This energy rises through the chakras, from the base of your spine to the crown of your head and onward. In Kundalini meditation, you are using your breath to move energy upward in an effort to change your state of mind, while also waiting for that moment when energy is reduced to a simple, pure form, similar to when you sleep.

If you have trouble sitting still:
Try qi gong: Similar to Kundalini, qi gong is a Taoist method 
of meditation that uses the breath to circulate energy through 
the body, and eventually alter consciousness.

If you need rules and guidelines:
Try zazen: A very exacting Zen practice with prescriptions for 
how to maintain the eyes, hands, and posture, zazen is a nondual practice that means simply to sit, as the Buddha did thousands 
of years ago. You sit, without a focus on an object, until your innate ability to see reality emerges.

inspirityogastudio.com
7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866

Find Your Meditation Style

Sorting through meditation styles can be a lot like sifting through yoga-class schedules when you are a new practitioner. Here are 4 styles...

To begin:
Broadly defined, “mindfulness” refers to any practice in which you concentrate and try to remain aware of your experience moment to moment. That experience is anchored by an object (like the breath), a sensation (like walking), a sound, a visual, or more, and ultimately aims to cultivate mental stability. Some of the following styles of meditation relate to mindfulness, some take the practice further—to a deep level of inquiry—and some rely on different techniques like using an object or manipulating the breath to change your state of consciousness. Like mindfulness, some are rooted in Buddhist tradition, while others stem from a lineage of Hindu meditation practices.

If you are ready for enlightement
Try vipassana: This Sanskrit word essentially means “insight.” It refers 
to a variety of meditation techniques that help the practitioner access 
a deeper level of consciousness, see “reality,” and experience impermanence. In classical vipassana, a 2,500-year-old Buddhist tradition, you 
first focus on breath awareness. Insight may come naturally, once you’ve calmed the mind, or you can add advanced techniques that involve 
dissecting arguments and concepts, and using props.

If you want to practice at your desk
Try Dzogchen: This is a form of Tantric meditation that asks you to be aware of everything, meaning it is “object-less” or “nondual.” You practice with the eyes open and avoid labeling thoughts, feelings, or sensations.

If you need to find forgiveness
Try lovingkindness meditation: Popular in the West, this practice 
is similar to some Tibetan traditions around developing compassion, 
but is essentially a relatively new form of meditation. You repeat a mantra related to freedom from fear and suffering, shifting your intention to 
different people in your life and yourself.

inspirityogastudio.com
7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866

Avoid Wrist Pain in Yoga

By nature, our wrists are particularly prone to injury. Learn how you can protect them in your yoga practice.
If your yoga practice involves moving into and out of Downward-Facing Dog Pose and Chaturanga Dandasana, wrist pain may be a current or looming problem. 
I teach workshops internationally to teachers and students who are serious about improving their practices, and about 25 percent of my students admit to wrist pain during vinyasa. And when you explore the anatomy of the wrists, it’s easy to see 
how these vulnerable structures might easily suffer from improper weight transfer and repetitive movement.

Wrist Anatomy
Your wrists have a lot of moving parts. They start where your two forearm bones, the radius and ulna, meet with three of the eight carpal bones on each hand. The rest of the carpal bones connect with each other and the fingers. An array of ligaments connects the many bones to each other, and muscles and tendons lie above and below the bones to move the wrist and fingers.

Common Wrist Injuries
With all this complexity, misalignments in bones, ligaments, and muscles 
during weight-bearing poses are bound to happen, which can trigger wrist pain and two common conditions in particular. The first, called ulno-carpal abutment syndrome, indicates pressure where the ulna meets the carpal bones on the little-finger side of the wrist. This may occur if the ulna bone has an unusual shape—something just a small percentage of us are born with—or if the wrist is repeatedly turned out toward the little 
finger in weight-bearing poses like 
Downward-Facing Dog.

The second syndrome, tendonitis, is characterized by tendon inflammation, often due to misalignment and weight transfer in poses such as Chaturanga 
Dandasana, where the wrist joint is in 
full extension. Chronic wrist injury is also common in yogis with relaxed or hyper-mobile ligaments, which can cause inflammation, pain, and ultimately arthritis.

The Surprising Secret to Protecting Your Wrists
The key to protecting your wrists is—surprise!—a strong core. Evidence-based medicine demonstrates that a strong core can increase the efficiency of the rotator cuff muscles. These muscles stabilize the shoulders and can thus decrease the load that is transferred to your wrists. On the flip side, low core strength or failure to engage the core in poses like Chaturanga Dandasana can lead to decreased trunk 
and shoulder stability. If the core is weak, strong shear forces transfer across the wrist, especially during transitions between poses. So picture the ubiquitous Down Dog-Chaturanga-Up Dog-Down Dog sequence. Each time you repeat it, your wrists bear weight throughout. Over time and without proper support, this can lead to the injuries described above. But when effort is well dispersed throughout the core and shoulders in a vinyasa-based practice, that force in the wrists is minimized

inspirityogastudio.com
7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866

The seventh chakra

The seventh chakra, called sahasrara, is located at the crown of the head. “Sahasrara” means thousand-petaled and represents a thousand-petaled lotus flower.

7th Chakra’s Natural Element: Thought
This energy center is associated with the element of thought, connection to spirit, universal consciousness, enlightenment, wisdom, unity and self-knowledge.

Life Motif of the Crown Chakra
Working with this chakra indicates an interest in a higher purpose and an elevated way of being. You are ready to let go of misunderstandings about who you are and why you are here.

Signs of Blocked Sahasrara Energy
Complications that come from this chakra can be confusion, imbalance, a lack of connection to the manifest world, unfocused, hyper spiritualization (aka too much meditation not enough laundry) and an inability to function practically.

Energetic Benefits of Aligning the Crown Chakra
Working toward enlightenment is a worthy endeavor for anyone. This is the gateway to super-consciousness where it is no longer possible to experience yourself as separate from anything or anyone.

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7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866

Come find your Zen at Inspirit Studio Yoga

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga (Sanskrit kundalini-yoga), also known as laya yoga, is a school of yoga. Based on a 1935 treatise by Sivananda Saraswati, kundalini yoga was influenced by the tantra and shakta schools of Hinduism.

Kundalini yoga derives its name through a focus on awakening kundalini energy through regular practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantra and yoga asana.

Called by practitioners "the yoga of awareness", it aims "to cultivate the creative spiritual potential of a human to uphold values, speak truth, and focus on the compassion and consciousness needed to serve and heal others."

"Kundalini Yoga" is based on the treatise Kundalini Yoga by Sivananda Saraswati, published in 1935. Swami Sivananda introduced "Kundalini yoga" as a part of Laya yoga. Together with other currents of Hindu revivalism and Neo-Hinduism, Kundalini Yoga became popular in 1960s to 1980s western counterculture.

In 1968 Kundalini Yoga was introduced to the US by Yogi Bhajan who founded the "Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization" (3HO) as a teaching organization. While Yoga practice and philosophy is generally considered a part of Hindu culture, Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan is founded on the principles of Sikh Dharma.

Although it adheres to the three pillars of Patanjali's traditional yoga system: discipline, self-awareness and self-dedication (Patanjali Yoga Sutras, II:1), Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan does not condone extremes of asceticism or renunciation. Practitioners are encouraged to marry, establish businesses, and be fully engaged in society.

Rather than worshiping God, Yogi Bhajan's teachings encourage students to train their mind to experience God. Yogi Bhajan sometimes referred to the Sikh lifestyle as Raja Yoga, the yoga of living detached, yet fully engaged in the world.

In respect of the rigor of his teachings, Yogi Bhajan found kinship with other 20th century Sikh sadhu saints, such as Sant Baba Attar Singh, Sant Baba Nand Singh, and Bhai Randhir Singh. In the outreach of his teachings, Yogi Bhajan's contributions are unparalleled in modern times.

In addition to inspiring the founding numerous yoga studios and centers of practice across the US. Kundalini Yoga continues to grow in influence and popularity largely in the Americas, Europe, South Africa, Togo, Australia, and East Asia.

Come visit us at:
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7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21
Orlando, Florida
(407) 203-6866

NOW AVAILABLE.... PRIVATE YOGA SESSIONS/ ON SITE CORPORATE YOGA

Inspirit works with companies of all sizes to create wellness programs for work/life balance initiatives.

Let our dedicated staff of Corporate Wellness Gurus create a wellness program specific to your company. Whether you want our team to teach yoga at your business, you want your employees to take classes at Inspirit Yoga Studio, or you are planning a special event, the corporate yoga program will help your employees reduce stress and increase energy and productivity. Our Corporate Programs enable employers to take a proactive approach to employee health.

Everyone benefits from corporate yoga programs.

Companies see:
Reduced medical and disability costs
Heightened employee productivity
Increased employee morale
Reduced turnover
Reduced absenteeism
A competitive edge in hiring

Employees see:
Reduced stress from modern-day business challenges
Increased energy levels
Improved body image
Greater happiness and a more positive attitude
Increased concentration
Improved morale
Decreased anxiety and tension
Reduced muscle tension and pain associated with sitting at a desk

All corporate wellness programs benefit of both employer and employee.

Choose what best suits your company’s needs from a variety of program offerings.
+ Company-sponsored: company pays 100%
+ Co-pay: company and individual employees split the cost
+ Employee-sponsored: employees pay for their classes

Enjoy flexibility in your Corporate Class Program:
+ Have Inspirit teach classes in your office or have your employees come to Ojas for classes.
+ Schedule a yoga class at your next company party, trade show, health fair, or marketing event.
+ Flexible scheduling of class sessions and days and times for on-site classes allows us to best suit your employees’ schedules.
+ We offer flexible class length based on your employees’ schedules.

We take the stress out of setting up the program:
Our team will take care of all scheduling and set-up.

We can provide all the equipment including mats, blankets, blocks, straps, and other props.

All instructors are certified.

So consider trying Yoga Today at Inspirit – Orlando Yoga and Fitness Studio

Schedule an appointment to meet one of team now...
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7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21, Orlando, Florida 32819 | (407) 203-6866

WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER TAKING ASHTANGA YOGA CLASSES?

Why consider trying Ashtanga Yoga Classes?

Ashtanga Yoga is different from many yoga classes in the west in that the order of asanas is completely predefined.

A practice will comprise four main parts:

1 – “opening sequence,”
2 – one of the six main “series”,
3 – a back-bending sequence, and
4 – a set of inverted asanas, referred to as the “finishing sequence.”

Newcomers to Ashtanga Yoga practice the primary series, after learning the standing sequence. The Primary Series is the most important series as it forms the basis of the entire system. Practitioners may advance to more difficult series over a period of years or decades, but the goal of this style is not to learn the more difficult asanas but rather to learn to maintain internal focus throughout the practice.

Daily Practice
Daily or regular practice is highly emphasized in Ashtanga Yoga. Students are encouraged to practice 6 days a week, preferably in the morning, and to take rest on Saturdays as well as the days of the full and new moon (commonly referred to as moon days by ashtanga practitioners).

Mysore Style
Ashtanga Yoga is traditionally taught in Mysore style (supervised self-practice, named after the city in India from which Ashtanga originates). In this self-led style of practice, each student moves through the practice at his or her own pace and level, as directed by the instructor.

An individual with an established Ashtanga practice might take between an hour and two hours, depending on his or her own personal speed; whereas a beginner will likely have a shorter practice. Yoga studios that teach Mysore-style practice are sometimes difficult to find.

It is more common to find classes devoted to a specific series, often at a standardized pace, guided by an instructor. However, even traditional Mysore-style teachers offer “led” classes either weekly or monthly.

So consider trying Yoga Today at Inspirit – Orlando Yoga and Fitness Studio

Schedule an appointment to meet one of team now and learn more about our Ashtanga Yoga Classes …
Conact us – www.facebook.com/InspiritYogaAndFitness

7575 Kingspointe Pkwy Suite 21, Orlando, Florida 32819 | (407) 203-6866

http://inspirityogastudio.com/ashtanga-yoga-classes/