Presentation 2015

Yoga & Meditation –

Solving the Problems of Stress and Negative

EnergyA presentation

ByDaniel Elrington & Workplace Yoga

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http://youtu.be/0eTOBC-EGiw

Workplace Yoga Video

http://youtu.be/0eTOBC-EGiw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ8so-ld-l0 –“The Secret of Life”

Inspiration from Alan Watts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU0PYcCsL6o- “The Dream of Life”


Yoga Practice Helps Reduces Stress ...

Yoga & Meditation - Solving the Problems of Stress and Negative Energy – The Evidence

Yoga & Meditation - Solving the Problems of Stress and Negative Energy – The Evidence

In a recent study conducted by Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and the Yoga Research Society, researches discovered a significant drop in the stress hormone cortisol in students after participating in a yoga class compared to before the class. ( Cortisol is a hormone released in response to stress )

George Brainard, M.D., a Professor of Neurology at Thomas Jefferson Medical College conducted a similar study that also showed a significant drop in cortisol levels of subjects following yoga asana (physical postures) practice.

This discovery suggests that practicing yoga - even for the very first time - can normalise cortisol levels that are either too high or too low, says Vijayendra Pratap, Ph.D., president of the Yoga Research Society in Philadelphia. My hypothesis, he adds, "Is that yoga brings the body into balance."

Yoga Practice Helps Reduce ...

Yoga & Meditation - Solving the Problems of Stress and Negative Energy - The Evidence

Anger

Depression

Anxiety


Another yoga researcher, Boston University’s Dr Chris Streeter, found evidence of yoga’s potential to help treat anxiety and depression.

In her studies, Dr. Streeter scanned the brains of yoga practitioners and found that, compared with walking, yoga produced a decrease in anxiety and a boost in the brain chemical GABA that enhances our mood.

In a 12-week study, a group of 34 physically and psychologically healthy young men and women were randomly assigned into two groups: one that walked for an hour three times a week, and one that practiced Iyengar Yoga for the same amount of time. At four-week intervals, Streeter used a technique known as magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a technique that is used to study metabolic changes in the brain to monitor the subject’s levels of Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). When elevated, GABA is associated with improved mood and decreased anxiety.

The study showed that yoga boosts GABA production by a significant 27%

The yoga group also reported a greater boost in mood than the walking group, with GABA levels correlating with those improvements. Streeter’s study is the first to demonstrate the GABA-mood-yoga connection by looking at actual changes in the brain.


Yoga Practice Reduces Blood Pressure and ...

It has been demonstrated to also

Lower Blood Glucose Levels

Lower Cholesterol Levels

Lower Body Weight


According to a recent study conducted by the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and Kennesaw State University, Georgia, evidence suggests that yoga has been demonstrated to reduce high blood pressure, lower blood glucose levels, cholesterol levels and body weight ... risk factors for major heart and other diseases that affect people today. The 2012 article reviewing studies of yoga on blood pressure in hypertension patients states: “This review is significant because yoga presents an effective method of treating hypertension that is non pharmacologic and therefore has no adverse effects in addition to having other valuable health benefits.”

Yoga & Meditation Practice Helps Reduce ...

Depression

Anger

Anxiety


Yoga & Meditation - Solving the Problems of Stress and Negative Energy - The EvidenceResearchers Dr David Shapiro & Dr Ian Cook from the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Sciences - Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behaviour, studied yoga as a complementary treatment for depression. Their preliminary findings support the potential of yoga as a complementary treatment for depression.

Of the people practicing yoga, significant reductions were shown for depression, anger, anxiety, neurotic symptoms and low frequency heart rate variability. They discovered that moods improved from before to after the yoga classes.

They concluded that yoga practice appears to be a promising intervention for depression and that it produces many beneficial emotional, psychological and biological effects. Yoga also has the added benefit of being cost effective and easy to implement.

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What really is the best yoga to do when you’re stressed and fed up with work? ...

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Yoga & Meditation - Solving the Problems of Stress & Negative Energy - The Evidence

Yoga Improves Brain Function More Than Aerobic Exercises

Yoga Aerobic Exercises

Yoga & Meditation - Solving the Problems of Stress & Negative Energy - The Evidence

Researchers from the University of Illinois reported in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health that people have significantly superior brain function after a bout of yoga exercise compared to aerobic exercise.

Study leader, Professor Neha Gothe and team set out to determine what the effects of an acute yoga exercise session, compared to aerobic exercise, might be on cognitive performance.

They found that after the yoga exercise, the participant’s cognitive performance had improved much more compared to after their aerobic sessions or at baseline.

Prof. Gothe said: "The breathing and meditative exercises aim at calming the mind and body and keeping distracting thoughts away while you focus on your body, posture or breath. Maybe these processes translate beyond yoga practice when you try to perform mental tasks or day-to-day activities."

The researchers suggested that enhanced self-awareness that comes with yoga and meditational-type exercises is possibly one of the mechanisms that helps cognition. We know that meditation and breathing exercises reduce anxiety and stress, which in turn may lead to better cognitive performance.

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Yoga Practice helps youlook Young ...

Intensive brief daily yogic meditation practice affects telomeres, which is strongly associated with ageing. Telomeres is a compound structure at the end of a chromosome.


Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) investigated how intensive brief daily yogic meditation practice over just 8 weeks could affect an enzyme called telomeres, which is strongly associated with ageing.

A rigorous, randomised controlled study of 39 participants, found the meditators had a 43% increase in telomeres activity.

The scientists concluded that the positive effects of meditation may well reduce the ageing of cells and also increase cellular longevity.


Meditation Improves Your Brain Function & Makes You Smarter

produces significant changes in the structure and mass within certain brain regions.

Smarter


Several groundbreaking studies have shown how meditation, especially when practiced over the long-term, can produce significant changes in the structure and mass within certain brain regions.

Dr. Sara Lazar of the Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, found these brain changes to be especially apparent in long-time meditators.

In her 2005 study, for example, fMRI brain scans were used to assess cortical thickness in participants with extensive meditation experience and a control group that did not practice yoga or meditation.

Dr. Lazar found the brain regions associated with attention, sensory, cognitive and emotional processing were thicker in meditation participants than those in the control group who did not engage in yoga or meditation.

Meditation can produce structural changes in specific areas of thebrain that enhance our ability to learn


Meditation Improves Your Brain Function & Makes You Smarter :-


While research reveals long-term meditation can produce structural changes in specific areas of the brain that enhance our ability to learn, one does not have to practice for thousands of hours to reap the positive brain benefits.

Dr. Lazar also found that these increases in grey matter in some regions of the brain occurred after just 8-weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a formal program involving meditation and some yoga practice.

These results suggest that even short-term participation in meditation-related practices can lead to changes in grey matter concentration in brain regions that are involved in learning and memory processes, as well as in emotion regulation.

It seems people who describe themselves as “very happy” have a larger and more active left prefrontal cortex than people who are in a negative mood state.


Meditation increases the activity of the left prefrontal cortex associated with positive mood states. These changes are associated with greater levels of equanimity and happiness and well as more emotional resiliency.

Left prefrontal cortex


Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin, found that meditation increases the activity of the left prefrontal cortex associated with positive mood states.

These changes are associated with greater levels of equanimity and happiness and well as more emotional resiliency.

You don’t necessarily have to settle for the brain you were born with. We can change our brains when engaging in specific behaviours or activities through a feature of the brain called plasticity.

So if you feel that you are incapable of dealing with stress, or that your mood is deteriorating, yoga and meditation is one way to climb out of this emotional abyss.

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What is Yoga?

Proper Exercise – Asanas

Proper Breathing –Pranayama Meditation –

Mindfulness, Awareness &Spaciousness in the Mind

Proper Diet,Health & Wellness

PositiveThinking

Proper Relaxation –Savasana

Refraining fromHarming Others - Ahimsa

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Cleansing the Internal Body

In a very unique manner, yoga asanas help cleanse and balance the internal body systems including the nervous, respiratory, circulatory, cardiovascular, lymph, digestive and endocrine gland systems.

For example, there are seven major endocrine glands, which according to yogic wisdom are a physical expression of the seven major chakras (energy centres) in the body.

These seven endocrine glands govern all our physical characteristics, our appearance, moods, intellectual abilities, sexuality, our drives and motivations and therefore have a major impact on what and who we are.

The 7 Endocrine Glands and Hormones

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Cleansing the Internal Body - Hormones

Yoga works with the understanding that when these hormonal secretions are balanced we are more likely to reach our full potential and therefore perform better and well. In the Workplace Yoga system we balance the hormonal production of the endocrine glands by cleansing and resupplying the blood through a squeeze, focus and release system done through the practice of specific yoga postures. In the yoga postures, we create a lock or pressure over the gland to help squeeze out old hormones and toxins in the blood. This lock is held for a short period which allows a build up of fresh oxygenated blood in the surrounding tissue. This is assisted with conscious, regular, rhythmic breathing whilst holding the posture with the mind focused at the point where the endocrine gland is located in the body. When the lock is released, the fresh oxygenated blood floods through the gland with a slight pressure from the build up, flushing it out and encouraging the gland to produce a fresh balanced supply of new hormones, thereby aiding in hormonal balance and an improved sense of wellness.

The Thyroid Gland & Shoulder Stand – Sarvangasana

4. Mentally, we are able to reach our potential as the steady flow of oxygen allows the full development of the intellect.

1. Thyroid Glands:- The hormones secreted by the Thyroid regulate growth and development through the rate of metabolism and control how quickly the body uses energy. When out of balance, we will not reach our full mental and physical energy capacities. For example, an under active thyroid leads to an overall lowering in energy manifesting in tiredness, abnormal weight gain, baldness and sensitivity to cold weather. 2. The practice of Shoulder Stand - called ‘Sarvangasana’, is the ideal asana to practice to help balance the thyroid gland. By creating thyroid balance, the body is able to utilise it’s potential by living at an even and steady pace. 3. Emotionally, we maintain a balanced, even outlook and approach to life. The inverted body position requires and creates poised stillness, the state we wish to practice in daily life.

The Pancreatic Gland & Stomach Lift - Uddiyana Bandha

1.Pancreatic Glands:- the hormones produced by the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas balance our blood sugar levels helping create a steady stream of balanced life energy.

2.The pancreatic glands in the abdominal region can be managed by the practice of Uddiyana Bandha – the standing abdominal contraction. Its practice helps relieve many abdominal and stomach ailments including constipation, indigestion, worms and diabetes

The Adrenal Glands & The Bow Pose – Dhanurasana

5. Mentally, these glands stimulate our drives, motivations, willpower and determination to achieve. The ability to complete a task undertaken is profoundly influenced by these suprarenal hormones.

1. Adrenal Glands:- The hormones created by the suprarenal glands contribute to our “fight or flight” mechanism and our drive and determination to succeed in life and work. They are also the glands of stress ... and are overworked by modern day living standards.

2. The practice of Dhanurasana – the Bow pose, helps tone the adrenal glands and balance their secretions, including the hormone Adrenalin.3. By arching backwards in Dhanurasana, we create a strong pressure over the kidneys and Suprarenal Glands balancing our blood pressure.

4. Emotionally, the Suprarenal Glands are the producer of intent, activating our desires

Pranayama – The Expansion of Energy via the Breath

Vitality and wellness is achieved when larger amounts, quality and density of prana are contained in the body. Physical and mental ailments occur when prana is lacking.

Pranayamas are breathing techniques which increase energy and vitality and can also help prepare the mind for meditation.

Prana: life force/vital

energy

Ayama:lengthening, expansion, extension,

prolonging, control

Pranayama is the conscious control and expansion of our life force.

Pranayama - The Full Yoga Breath

Practice the Full Yoga Breath while lying down or sitting. Inhaling & exhaling - 7 counts in total each.

• Inhale 4 counts by fully expanding the diaphragm muscle so that the abdomen blows up like a balloon.

• Continue the inhalation another 2 counts expanding the rib cage - this continues to draw the breath up through the mid section of the lungs.

• Complete the inhalation with another 1-2 counts (depending on lung capacity) through the top section of the lungs.

• Pause for a couple of moments ...

The Full Yoga Breath is a wonderful way to help reduce stress, relax and still the mind. Its practice will also improve your mindfulness and awareness ...

Pranayama - The Full Yoga Breath

Exhaling - 7 counts in total

• Exhale 4 counts deflating the abdomen first by retracting the diaphragm muscle back up into the bottom of the rib cage.

• Continue the exhalation flow another 2 counts which will subtly contract the ribs

• Exhale the final count to expel the remaining breath from the top of the lungs

This completes one round of Full Yoga Breathing. Practice three to ten rounds and then return to the natural flow of the breath.

The Full Yoga Breath can be used very effectively to move gradually into meditation if you like.

Kapalabhati Pranayama

Kapalabhati Pranayama is considered to be so cleansing to the entire system that when practiced regularly, the face shines with good health and radiance. Done in a cross legged position with a straight back, the abdominal muscles are contracted quickly while exhaling rapidly, causing the diaphragm to move up into the thoracic cavity. The abdominal muscles are then relaxed on the inhale, allowing the diaphragm to descend into the abdominal cavity. This pumping breath is repeated quickly, with passive inhalation and sudden expulsion of breath following each other continuously until a round is finished.

1.Tremendously oxygenates the blood supply;

2.Helps to eliminate large quantities of CO2 and other impurities, increasing the richness of the blood.

3.The added intake of O2 into the body enriches the blood and renews body tissues

4.The movement of the diaphragm and abdominal contractions massage the stomach, liver, spleen, heart and pancreas

5.Abdominal muscles are strengthened and digestion is improved

6.The regular practitioner of Kapalabhati enjoys blooming vigour, wellness and health.

Benefits of practicing Kapalabhati Pranayama

Meditation - Mindfulness, Awareness & Spaciousness

AnalogyWater - if you don’t stir it, it will become clear.In the same way, the nature of the mind is such that if you don’t stir it with excessive thinking then it will become relaxed, happy, well and clear. Mind left unaltered will find it’s happiness and wellbeing. The challenge is that we don’t leave our mind in it’s nature, we always change it with too much unnecessary thinking.

Meditation is a mind state of stillness and non distraction. It’s when the mind remains still in the present moment, in a state of “nowness”, present and unaltered.

25% of your attention is being mindful of the breath as you gently and naturally inhale and exhale.

25% is an awareness that oversees that you are being mindful of the breath.

Meditation - Mindfulness, Awareness & Spaciousness

When you’re in the state of nowness, you then experience more “unaltered ness” and naturalness. You become centred and begin to perceive everything more clearly. This is a sense of transcendence, pure, free, peaceful, grounded, loving, caring and wise. Your perception becomes completely different.

Here, there are 3 important elements

Mindfulness

Awareness

50% spaciously abiding without a fixated or intense concentration.This is a relaxed, comfortable, open, spacious, cognizant and alert awareness

Spaciously Abiding

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What do you think the most common saying of the “Yoga Police” is?

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You have the right to remain silent ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdqVF7-wng&src_vid=mMRrCYPxD0I&featur

e=iv&annotation_id=channel%3A5343f058-0-26e3-903c-1a11c1133a – “Live Fully Now”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMRrCYPxD0I- “The Real You”


Self Improvement

Presentation 2015