Author: Alex Newman

General 

Effects of Mindfulness on Emotions: A Review of Modern Research

Alex Newman ,

“Beautify your inner dialogue. Beautify your inner world with love, light, and compassion. Life will be beautiful.” – Sri Amit Ray

Our inner dialogue is the quiet commentary of the mind — the thoughts that rise and fall like waves in the ocean of consciousness. For most people, this dialogue is cluttered with doubts, criticisms, regrets, and fears. Such thoughts form an inner landscape of restlessness, which then spills outward, making the world feel harsh or unfriendly. Ray’s teaching is that the first step to transforming life is to notice this dialogue and gently begin to beautify it.

Beautification, in his vision, is not artificial positivity or forced affirmations, but a genuine cultivation of love, light, and compassion. Love here means self-acceptance and kindness — speaking to oneself with the same gentleness one would offer a dear friend. When you learn to treat yourself with tenderness, your relationships with others …

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Articles Meditation Masters 

Six Most Powerful Mindfulness Quotes with Benefits

Alex Newman , ,

Scientific studies confirmed that benefits of mindfulness-based meditation are remarkable. I discussed here, the six most powerful benefits of mindfulness meditation with six inspirational quotes. Whether you are doctor, engineer, lawyer or any other professionals, practicing mindfulness will give you immense benefits.

The cultivation of joy is an important element of mindfulness practice. Joy helps us to be more fully present to life, and it also gives us the motivation. The actual practice of mindfulness involves moment to moment happiness awareness of what is happening now, both internally and externally.

 

1 Mindfulness as Collaboration with Nature:

A University of Washington study divided participants into three groups. One received an eight-week course in mindfulness meditation, another received some training later and the third received only body relaxation training.

Only the individuals who received the meditation training showed cognitive improvements on the test and those participants’ concentration abilities “improved significantly.”

This …

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Meditation Types
Articles General Meditation Courses 

Types of Meditation

Alex Newman ,

Meditation TypesWhat are the different types of meditation? Just as there are different forms of exercises to train and relax the body, there are different ways to train and relax the mind. There are many ways to meditate depending on what you are personally trying to achieve. Our ability to resist an impulse determines our success. It’s probably the single most important skill for our growth and development. Meditation teaches us to resist the urge of that counterproductive follow through (McCown, Reibel, & Micozzi, 2010).  The eight most powerful meditation techniques are:

  1. Om Meditation

    Om meditation is the combination of the two great meditation techniques – breath and sound. They are combined form of yoga posture, breathing exercises and sound exercises. As Amit Ray said “Om is the mantra of harmony and celebration. Om is the mantra to access the Supreme Divinity residing within us. Om is the mysterious cosmic energy

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General Science of Yoga Yoga Courses Yoga Teachers 

Science of Yoga Six Powerful Inspirations

Alex Newman , , , ,

Science of yoga is not just about philosophy. It is all about how yoga can change your health and mental well-being, which is measurable, observable and quantifiable. Yoga is a systematic way to attain perfection, through physical and mental exercises.

Yoga has been noted to reduce anxiety and depression.  Scientific studies have also shown that yoga can improve several conditions including psychological and pain syndromes, musculoskeletal and neurological disorders and autoimmune and immune syndromes.

Volumes have been written on the healing properties of yoga. Although very little research has been conducted on potential underlying mechanisms for the effects of yoga, it appears yoga stimulates pressure receptors under the skin which, in turn, leads to enhanced vagal activity and reduced cortisol.

Scientist observed that yoga exercises gives superior parietal cortex, involved in directing attention, and the visual cortex.

1. Yoga Improves Immunity Function

There are numerous scientific studies that show that …

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Articles General Yoga Courses Yoga Teachers 

Two most powerful yoga quotes

Alex Newman ,

Recent studies in people with chronic low-back pain suggest that a carefully adapted set of yoga poses may help reduce pain and improve function. Scientists are getting close to proving what yogis have held to be true for centuries — yoga and meditation. Hundreds of studies have been conducted on the mental health benefits of yoga and meditation.

In a study published in May in the medical journal PloS One showed that one session of  yoga relaxation practice was enough to enhance the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and insulin secretion and reduce expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress.

If you have completed your teacher training and are now an official yoga instructor, here are some beautiful inspirational yoga and meditation quotes to inspire your students.

You are your master. Only you have the master keys to open the inner locks. — Amit Ray

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Yoga …

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Articles General Meditation Courses 

Mindfulness Meditation In Nature: What Does Research Say

Alex Newman , ,

Mindfulness meditation can be defined in many ways and can be used for a variety of different therapies. Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training. The term “mindfulness” is a translation of the Pali term sati, which is a significant element of some Buddhist traditions.

Mindfulness meditation is practiced sitting with eyes closed, cross-legged on a cushion, or on a chair, with the back straight. Recent interest has emerged for studying the effects of mindfulness on the brain using neuroimaging techniques, physiological measures and behavioral tests.

Neuroimaging techniques suggest that mindfulness practices such as mindfulness meditation are associated with “changes in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, temporo-parietal junction, fronto-limbic network and default mode network structures.

Life is a mystery- mystery of beauty, bliss and divinity. …

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Yoga Teachers 

Adi Shankaracharya

Alex Newman , , ,

adi shankaracharyaBorn in 788 AD in a village called Kaladi in Kerala Adi Shankaracharya was a philosopher of the greatest renown because he brought new life to the Vedas and restored them to their ancient glory. He revived Vedanta at a time when Vedanta philosophy was going through a period of darkness due to the excesses of ritualistic practice. His correct interpretations saw a revival in the status of the Vedas and so he was able to successfully advocate Advaita Vedanta. He founded the Dashanami monastic order and believed in worship of the Shanmata tradition. He established four Adi Shankaracharya Peeths and devoted one of the Vedas to each:

  1. South – Sarada Peetha, Sringeri
  2. East – Govardhana Peetha, Jagannath Puri
  3. West – Kalika Peetha, Dwaraka
  4. North – Jyothir Peetha, Badrinath
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Yoga Teachers 

Swami Satyananda

Alex Newman , , ,

swami_satyananda

Born in 1923 at Almora, Uttarakhand Swami Satyananda showed a spiritual tendency and heightened awareness right from the age of 6 years. In 1943 he left home and came in contact with Swami Sivananda at Rishikesh and the Swami initiated him into the Dashnami Sannyas. Satyananda performed such intense nishkam seva that he was able to realize the secrets of spirituality. He studied yoga, tantra and Vedanta and kundalini yoga in such a through fashion that he founded the new Bihar School of Yoga in 1963 and became the pioneer of this yoga practice.…

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Yoga Teachers 

Swami Sivananda

Alex Newman , ,

swami sivanandaBorn in 1887 at Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu, India in 1887 Swami Sivananda was a Doctor in Malaysia but he renounced his medical practice in 1924 when Swami Vishwananda Saraswati initiated him into Dashnami Sannyasa. He practiced intense sadhana, yoga and learnt the scriptures. He became a wondering monk and toured the length and breadth of India. Wherever Sivananda went he tried to awaken the moral and spiritual consciousness of people. In 1936 he founded the Divine Life Society at Rishikesh with the main aim of spreading spiritual knowledge and serving mankind. Being a doctor he started the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy in 1945.…

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