Pranayama For Anxiety

TOGETHER WITH:

In Today's Email:

• Pranayama For Anxiety: All about Anulom Vilom…

• Our Gift To You: Chakras mudra poster…

• Yogapedia: Revolved half-moon pose…

IMAGE OF THE DAY

TODAY'S LEARNING
Pranayama For Anxiety

Anulom Vilom (Also Referred to as Anuloma Viloma and Nadi Shodhana)

Our personal favorite breathing exercise for anxiety is this. It is alternate nostril breathing. It is occasionally carried out using a specific ratio and certain hand mudras.

For instance, take a deep breath in through one nostril for four counts, hold it for sixteen, and then exhale through the other nostril for sixteen. This ratio can be very challenging for beginners and remembering the ratio can often produce more anxiety for beginners as well!

Aside: Whether anulom vilom and nadi shodhana are the same thing is a topic of much discussion. Don't let this cause you any more anxiety because, although they are taught in different ways, the fundamentals are always the same.

Here is a simple beginner's method for performing this pranayama:

• Sit with your spine straight. On the left knee, you can rest your left hand. Set the timer for one to ten minutes. Start with one or two minutes and work your way up to longer if possible.

• The right-hand thumb closes the right nostril. (If you like, you can form Vishnu mudra with your right hand.)

• Inhale through your left nostril, then use your two smallest fingers to close your left nostril.

• Do not breathe out.

• Use your right nostril to exhale.

• Replicate on the other side. Close your mouth, take a moment to hold your breath, then exhale through your left.

You can add in a ratio of breaths once you get the hang of the technique. You may want to start with this easy ratio: 4-4-4. This means counting your inhale for four, holding for four, and exhaling for four.

One of the most important steps in reducing anxiety is lowering heart rate. The heart rate usually drops when an exhale extends to be longer than an inhale.

Our sympathetic nervous system is typically activated and our heart rate has increased when we are feeling anxious. The process of deepening the breath enables the parasympathetic nervous system to be activated, signaling to the body that it is safe to rest, especially on the exhale.

TOGETHER WITH 2 HOUNDS DESIGN
"Game Changer!", "Like Magic", "I LOVE walking my dog again!"

These are a few of the things we hear from customers after their first walk with the Freedom No-Pull Harness. Ditch the front-connection-only harnesses that jerk them around and flip them forward.

With the Freedom Harness, you get the “power steering” control of a front connection point, with the stability and comfort of a back connection point. The result is far better control, no movement restriction for your pup, and gentle compression for behavioral reinforcement — a win-win-win. Plus every harness comes with a Swiss velvet padding for extra comfort. Add in a double connection leash and you are ready to enjoy your walks again! All of our collars, leashes, and harnesses are proudly made in the U.S.A. with careful attention to the safety, functionality, and comfort of your dog, as well as a keen eye for design. And hey, we've been doing it for 20 years. We're kind of experts, now.

*Please support our sponsors. They help keep Karma Gaia free!

DEAL OF THE DAY
The Ultimate Gratitude Planner (80% OFF for 24 hours)

Limited Time: This deal expires in 24 hours.

Today's Deal: Get 80% Off- The Ultimate Gratitude Planner

About: Take a few minutes of your day and write down one or more things you are grateful for. This minimalist planner will help you create a habit of gratitude.

Writing down what you're grateful for can help create a more positive mindset. At the same time keep a brief record of all your daily tasks and activities.

Challenge yourself to pick a new thing each day and visually see it in your weekly & monthly planner.

This planner can be printed as many times as you'd like so you will never run out of planner pages. It comes in A4 size.

This is a digital product. No physical product will be sent to you.

TODAY'S POSITIVE NEWS

After celebrating his 105th birthday, one of Britain's last surviving Dunkirk veterans continues to walk a mile every day.

John Hamilton said the secret to staying young was keeping fit, and despite now living in a care home he continues to live an active lifestyle.

To wit, the retired army major and great-grandfather spends 90 minutes in the gym daily and smashed the world rowing record for 1000 meter time trial at 95 years old.

“I feel good but it’s confusing—I’m so full of life and almost waiting for something to go wrong,” Hamilton said. “The key to a long life is exercising—it makes you physically well but is mentally stimulating too. If I didn’t go (exercising) I think my last days would be long gone by now.”

ZEN STORY
Realizing The Self

A disciple who belonged to the Sixth Zen Sect joined a monastery called Kaaksi and attained enlightenment under the master’s guidance.

The master asked him to go around the world, so he began his travels. In one city, a student from another monastery met him and asked, "Where are you coming from?"

"I am coming from the Kaaksi monastery that belongs to the Sixth Sect," said the enlightened disciple.

"What did you get in that monastery?"

"There was nothing there which I did not already have before joining Kaaksi," said the disciple.

"Then why did you go there?"

"If I had not gone there, how would I have known that there was nothing there that I did not have before?"

OUR GIFT TO YOU

Every now and then we will be giving away free digital goods to our community. In order for you to see our digital gifts, make sure that you place our emails into your primary folder. Our goal is to give away something awesome at least once a week!

Today you get our Chakra Mudras Poster. Fill your life with grace and joy using one of humanity's oldest forms of magic and communion with spirit—mudras.

These yoga poses for your hands are easy and effective ways to enhance worship, meditation, sacred movement, and ritual storytelling. Presenting a wealth of illustrations and practices, this poster helps you bring empowerment and balance to each day.

To download please click on the button below called “Download”.

CRYSTAL OF THE DAY

YOGAPEDIA
Revolved Half-Moon Pose

Revolved half moon pose, or parivrtta ardha chandrasana in Sanskrit, is both a balancing and twisting posture. It is similar to half moon pose where the yogi balances on one leg, the other leg and torso parallel to the ground, arm reaching toward the sky. However, in this variation, the torso is revolved toward the standing leg and the opposite arm reaches to the sky. It is a challenging intermediate posture.

Instructions

• Begin in half moon pose, standing on your right foot with your right fingertips on the floor.

• Exhale and lower your left fingertips to the floor.

• Inhale and reach your

  right arm toward the sky, torso twisting to the right.

• Breathe while holding the pose. Exhale and untwist, returning to half moon.

• Inhale and come to standing.

• Again, come to half moon pose, this time standing on your left foot with your left fingertips on the floor.

• Exhale and lower your right fingertips to the floor.

• Inhale and reach your left arm toward the sky, torso twisting to the left.

• Breathe while holding the pose.

DAILY MEME