Catja Alves Yoga Teacher

The place you are looking for is the place from which you are looking.

When most people learn that I teach yoga, the most common response I hear is, “I can’t do yoga, I can’t even touch my toes, I’m just not made for it.” With the growing popularity of Instagram accounts and yoga blogs that showcase really advanced poses which resemble human pretzels, it's no surprise that people think of yoga as a mystical activity for demigods. People generally think of yoga as an elitist sport that “normal folk” cannot enjoy.
This couldn't be further from the truth!
The word yoga means “union” or “joining” and refers to a discipline of exercises aimed at training the mind and body to work together for emotional, spiritual, and physical balance. Furthermore, the Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and other yoga texts reveal a system of practices for self acceptance, how we interact with others in our environment, how to heal sickness (both in the mind and the body), and practical tips for finding success and happiness. The physical element of yoga actually makes up a very small portion of this all-encompassing life practice.
Living a life of yoga is like acquiring a lifehacking tool kit—yoga teaches us how to live, breathe, and work in a way that is efficient, with ease, and with grace. It’s a practice that is meant for everyone regardless of race, social class, or religious background.
When I first started practicing, I, too was someone who couldn’t touch my toes and it took years of practice before I could. As a result of my childhood has a contortionist, my joints were used very soon, plus arthritis and rheumatic fever, i had a very painful life according to that condition and it’s something I still have to work at everyday.
Does this mean that yoga is not “meant” for me?
Absolutely not.
I first got into yoga to help with my joints pain and back problems. Since then, I’ve learned better ways to handle stress, anxiety find happiness and cultivate meaningful and inspiring relationships with wonderful people. In the bigger picture, learning to touch my toes was just a very small stepping stone in this path called yoga.
The purpose of yoga is to find the inner self—or, in other words, the purest and most honest version of oneself. In yoga, this ideal is not defined by how much money we make, how we were raised, what we do for a living, whether we had divorced parents or parents that stayed together, or an argument that happened yesterday.
The practice of yoga is to actually detach from these impressions (samskaras) and to work on bettering ourselves so that we are stronger, healthier, and have a positive effect both in our own lives and in our surrounding environments. The purpose of engaging in physical practice (asanas) is to create a healthier vessel for the inner self.
There is a growing amount of research proving that the practice of the asanas of yoga alone can help with stress, anxiety, depression and a myriad of other ailments. Even if you practice only the physical part of yoga it is still a great tool to handle the stresses of living in today’s fast pace and competitive world.
So if you’re one of those people who thinks yoga is not meant for you, it may be good to reconsider. Can’t touch your toes? Great! It’s an even better reason to do yoga because ultimately it’s the journey that matters more than the outcome.
Yoga is not just for the select few or the athletically gifted, it was created for everyone. And besides, when you do get to the point where you can touch your toes you’ll feel pretty awesome about it.

Samadhi Part 1 - Maya the illusion of the self

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Akasha is not empty space.
It is ether. Ether is a subtle dimension of existence. Without akasha you cannot live for a moment.

LEFT BRAIN RIGHT BRAIN
What the Ancient Yogis Knew to Be True So Long Ago
Ancient yogis knew things thousands of years ago that our modern world is only recently recognizing. The earliest texts of meditation date back to 1500 BCE, but only now, in that past 50 years or so has meditation become mainstream. Rather than discipline children with behavior problems through detention or suspension, many schools have started teaching these children meditation and mindfulness practices. Meditation is being used as a therapy for children with ADHD, sensory processing disorders and those who are on the autism spectrum. It is being taught to individuals suffering with PTSD, to those with drug and alcohol addictions, to victims of abuse, and even to those who are incarcerated in our prisons.
In addition to meditation, the scientific community is now talking a lot about pranayama, the ancient art of breath control. We are just beginning to really recognize how important the breath is in regards to our physical, emotional and mental health. Meditation and pranayama are practices yogis in India have had for over 5,000 years. It is nice that we are finally catching up!
Science tells us that, at any given moment, one of your nostrils in more open than the other. Scientists have discovered that when the right nostril is dominant, the brain activity is greater in the left cerebral hemisphere. When the dominant nostril switches, so does the activity in the brain hemisphere. They call this “alternating dominance of cerebral hemispheric activity.” Functions and movements in the body are controlled by the opposite side of the brain. It is the right hemisphere of the brain that controls the left side of the body, and, conversely, the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body. Got it? Ok.
We know that the right and left hemispheres of our brain process reality differently, affecting the way we see the world. The right hemisphere of our brain is the more creative side. The right brain lives in the now and is excited by new experiences. Everything the right brain takes in is vibrant and vivid and full of sensation. The left hemisphere takes all of these vibrant moments and organizes them into categories and lists. The left brain is the more analytical side and loves the familiar.

So if it is true that when one brain hemisphere has more activity, the opposite side nostril is more dominant, it would be correct to assume that when you are doing your taxes, using the left brain, your right nostril would be more open. And if you were using the creative right brain, let’s say you were painting or dancing the tango, your left nostril would be more open.
This is kind of fascinating. And guess what? The ancient yogis knew this, too. They looked deep into the mysteries of the mind and the subtle body, studying the immeasurable, the invisible. They wanted to understand the levels of energy and vibrations pulsing throughout our body. Yogis believe in prana. Prana is a cosmic energy. It is the life force, the breath within the breath. Among the ancient yogis’ most important discoveries were the nadis. In Sanskrit, nadi means “stream” or “flow” and is the vast network of energy channels that allow prana to move throughout the body.
According to Ta***ic Yogic texts, we have 72,000 nadis in our energy body that deliver prana to every cell. These 72,000 nadis spring from three fundamental nadis-the left, the right and the central. The Sushumna Nadi is the central channel, running along the spine. It is here where all 7 chakras align.
The left channel is called Ida Nadi and runs along the left side of the body. Since the right hemisphere of the brain is in control of the left side of the body, Ida is right brain dominant. Ancient yogis associated the Ida Nadi with the moon. This is the feminine and creative principal. It is Ida Nadi who is responsible for passion, sensuality, imagination and vivid color. And this is completely in line with today’s modern theory for characteristics of the right brain.
The right channel is called Pingala Nadi and runs along the right side of the body. Pingala is left brain dominant and is associated with the sun. This is the masculine and analytical principle. It is Pingala Nadi who is responsible for organizing and categorizing our experiences. Pingala is accurate, practical and logical. Again, this is completely according with how neuroscientists describe the right hemisphere of the brain.
Ida and Pingala represent the basic duality of existence. They are the masculine and feminine, the logical and the intuitive. Creating a balance between Ida and Pingala will make you more effective in the world, allowing you to have a more accurate experience of reality. And yoga is, in its essence, all about balance.

Author- Elena Long

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May the gift of prosperity and happiness fill your heart and home with joy on Diwali and always… Happy Diwali everyone…!!

May this Navratri brighten up your life With joy, wealth, and good health.
Wishing you a happy Navratri!!!

BE GRATEFUL
FOR SMALL THINGS,
BlG THINGS AND
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS,
NOT YOUR SORROWS

Trust the path you're on...
Trust the process of life...

☮️💟

Jaanu Basti
Janu – means Knee joint
Basti – means to hold
Janu Basti is a treatment in which medicated oils are poured and pooled for a fixed duration of time in a compartment created around the knee joint
Benefits of Janu Basti:-
Relieves pain in the knee joints and legs
Relieves stiffness in the knee joint
Relieves swelling and inflammation in the knee joint
Brings lightness and a sense of health in the knee and legs
Improves movements of the knee joints and enable us to move and work freely
Strengthens the knee joints and the related structures
Soothes the nerves supply to the knee joint and the surrounding structures
Enhances blood supply to the knee joint and soft tissues around
Oils used for Janu Basti :-
Ksheerabala tailam
Mahanarayana tailam
Kottamchukkadi tailam
Mahamasha tailam
Balashwagandhadi Tailam
Murivenna
Pinda tailam
Ashwagandhabalalakshadi Tailam
Sahacharadi tailam
Tila taila (sesame oil)
www.vedarjana.com
[email protected]

Palandu/Onion - Allium cepa
- It aggravates Kapha and alleviates Vata
- Improves strength and immunity
- Improves quality and quantity of s***m and semen
- Onion juice improve hair shine and hair growth
- Aphrodisiac, improves vigor
- Onion juice improves the vision of the eyes.
- Paste of onion is applied over localized swelling and wounds
www.vedarjana.com
[email protected]

When you are in peace, you exude peace, manifest peace and spread peace.
When you are in pieces you exude pieces, manifest pieces and spread pieces.

H. H. Swami Chidanand Saraswati ji


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OM ॐ
The sound of the universe. It's the first, original vibration, representing the birth, death and re-birth process.

Chanting the sound OM brings us into harmonic resonance with the universe – this is a scientific fact! OM is said to vibrate at 432 Hertz, which is the natural musical pitch of the Universe, as opposed to 440 Hertz, which is the frequency of most modern music.

Decreasing your frequency to coincide with that of the Universe stills the fluctuations of the mind, allowing you to practice yoga through sound. OM is an idyllic way to begin and end a yoga or meditation practice, and also comes in handy when you just need to chill out.

Ayurveda Prakriti Analysis – Vedarjana Ayurveda Prakriti Analysis by admin · Published August 19, 2017 · Updated August 19, 2017 Ayurveda Prakriti, an important concept you need to know Ayurveda is not only a medical science it is a science of life, a holistic system which deals with body, mind and teaches us ethics and morals of life. T...

The forces of Mother Nature unravel life’s divine secrets through the great five elements. When we learn to train our inner eye to understand and approach our existence with an inner vision, we reach out to the core of our reality, which is our spiritual yogic perception. Yet of the five elements, it is water alone that is the element of life which allows consciousness to be reflected and feeling to be sustained. The cosmic waters are not simply the material element but the underlying bliss or Ananda from which everything arises and to which everything returns. All existence is a flow of the cosmic waters either as a material manifestation or as a spiritual reality. In the coolness of that flow through the mind and heart, we find beauty, peace, calm and joy.
It is these cosmic waters, with emerald sapphire hues, cool and transformative that we find in the flow of the Ganga above Rishikesh, before it reaches the plains of our worldly existence. My experience of Ma Ganga brought home the eloquence of waters’ mystic and rejuvenative powers. Ma Ganga as she is affectionately referred unfolds the poetic script of every sadhak’s heartfelt wishes, once one enters into her waters and surrenders to their movement.

Yogini Shambhavi

Shiro Abhyanga/Head massage
Head is the most important organ in the body because all the sense organs are situated in it. Massage over the head provides nourishment to all the sense organs and boost their natural functioning.
Ayurvedic head massage emphases on the shoulders, neck, and head, the areas most susceptible to stress and tension.
Benefits of Shiro Abhyanga
- Relaxes the body and mind
- Improves the blood circulation in the head region
- Relieves stiffness and tensions in the head
- Produces sound sleep
- Induces a state of calm, peace and tranquillity
- Promotes alertness and concentration.
- Promotes hair growth
- Relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Helps to prevent migraine and headaches and back pain

www.vedarjana.com
[email protected]

Hingwastak Churna
It is very useful herbal powder mix used in the treatment of Indigestion. It is called hingwastak choorna because it contains 8 ingredient among them hingu (asafoetida) is the main ingredient and choorna means powder.
Benefits:
- Improves digestion power
- Balances Vata and Kapha and increases Pitta.
- Used in the treatment of Vata imbalance
- Useful in diseases like bloating & joint problems like rheumatoid arthritis
- Used in the treatment of anorexia and indigestion.
Side Effects:
- It cause stomach irritation in some patients
- It contains salt, people with high Blood Pressure should take care
Dosage: 1-3grams
It should be mixed with little ghee and taken with the first bolus of food
www.vedarjana.com
[email protected]