Ease Into Sleep

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• Yoga Gurus: Who was Indra Devi...

• Did you know? Smile when you are sad...

• Yogapedia: Todays pose of the day...

IMAGE OF THE DAY

YOGA GURUSBaba Ramdev- December 25, 1965 (age 57 years)

Baba Ramdev is an Indian spiritual leader and a renowned yoga teacher. He is renowned for introducing yoga to Indians through television and his massive yoga retreats. His yoga camps are attended by thousands of people.

Ramkrishna Yadav, who was born in the Indian state of Haryana, had an early interest in yoga. He came into Sanyas (monastic lifestyle) when he was a young adult and adopted the name Baba Ramdev after realizing he was not suited for the worldly life.

He next relocated to Haridwar, Uttarakhand, where he attended Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya to study the ancient Indian texts. He also engaged in regular meditation and strict self-control.

In 1995, Baba Ramdev founded the Divya Yoga Mandir Trust to advance yoga. He was joined in this attempt by Acharyas Karamveer and Balkrishna. While Acharya Balkrishna is a doctor with a degree in ayurveda, Acharya Karmaveer is a specialist in yoga and Veda. The trust's main office is located in Haridwar's Kripalu Bagh Ashram. This ashram is where Baba Ramdev mostly teaches yoga.

The type of yoga that Baba Ramdev typically instructs is pranayama. The program consists of six breathing exercises that must be done in a particular order. Most of the other yoga teachers place more emphasis on the practice of asanas (yoga postures) while Baba Ramdev focuses more on the breathing exercises.

For the purpose of promoting and teaching yoga and ayurveda, he established the Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. The Patanjali Yogpeeth organization includes campuses in the UK, the US, Nepal, Canada, and Mauritius in addition to its two campuses in India, Patanjali Yogpeeth-I and Patanjali Yogpeeth-II.

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DEAL OF THE DAYThe Ultimate Chakra Cards 90% OFF (Expires in 24 hours)

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Today's Deal: Get 90% OFF - Chakra Cards

About: Within all living beings are seven powerful centers of energy called chakras. Every chakra has the potential for immense healing and restoration, and our mini chakra cards can give you quick references on harnessing that power with a wide range of simple, beginner-friendly tips anyone can follow.

Our chakra reference deck includes Chakra names, symbols, colors, positions, elements, yoga poses, and associated crystals along with what they are related to, their mantras, and affirmations, great for Reiki practitioners and yoga lovers too to help with chakra healing.

Your download can be printed at home or at a professional print shop and can be displayed or just in your Chakra journal as a concise reference to Chakra healing.

POSITIVE NEWS OF THE DAY

A stag was spotted trying out a new football technique in a south-west London park.

The lone animal used its nose to push the ball in the water toward the coast before attempting to hoist it back onto land with its antlers.

When Katie O'Lone came upon the active animal in Richmond-upon-Thames' Bushy Park, she decided to film it.

DID YOU KNOW?

Not only are blueberries delicious, but they are good for your brain. Evidence accumulated at Tufts University suggests that the consumption of blueberries may help improve or delay short-term memory loss. Research also shows that this readily available fruit may help protect the brain from the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

YOGAPEDIAEase Into Sleep

Whether you experience chronic or intermittent insomnia, a program of relaxing asana and easy meditation performed at bedtime can help you slow down the mind and body and ease the transition into slumber, says yoga teacher and sleep scientist Roger Cole.

Cole suggests starting in Salamba Paschimottanasana (Supported seated forward bend). Sit on several folded blankets or a bolster, facing a chair. Place a blanket or other padding on the chair, and lean forward, resting your head and arms on the seat.

Stay there for three to five minutes. If you have time, experiment with other supported forward bends (seated or standing), with your head resting on a chair, and a block pillow. Or fold over your hips in Balasana (child's pose), with your head supported.

Next, slowly move into supported Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall-pose), using a folded blanket or two to support your pelvis and sacrum; let the tailbone hang off the edge of the blanket.

Relax here for 10 to 20 minutes. Before lying down to sleep, sit crosslegged in Sukasana(easy pose), with your pelvis elevated on one or more folded blankets and your back against the wall, spine long, and shoulders relaxed.

Allow your thoughts to arise and just watch them float by. When you notice that you’ve begun to follow a thought, simply notice that this has happened. Observe your thoughts without judgment. Start with five minutes a try sitting for longer periods over time. And then, when it’s time to sleep, cover your eyes with something that provides both darkness and very gentle pressure, like an eye bag.

BOOK OF THE DAY

Autobiography of a Yogi is the memoir of Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the world’s most famous yoga practitioners and teachers. It provides practical lessons about yoga, spirituality, and how to live a good life, interspersed with highlights and anecdotes from the author’s life. Yogananda is best known for bringing kriya yoga to the US, thereby creating a spiritual connection between the West and his homeland of India. He also founded the Self-Realization Fellowship, a spiritual organization that now has over 500 locations globally. Between the schools he founded and the books he wrote, Yogananda ensured that his teachings reached millions of people all over the world.

This guide will begin with foundational information about Hinduism and yoga. Then, we’ll tell Yogananda’s life story.

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