So exactly what is Raja yoga? Here is a basic overview of this transforming and meditative style of yoga.

The Philosophy

Raja yoga, or sometimes referred to as Raj yoga, literally translates to the ”royal way to union,” with union representing the melding of the mind, body and spirit.

According to Deepak Chopra, what makes it “royal” is a belief that meditation transcends the other three paths of yoga -  Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga. But the fourth path is also inclusive. By following it you are actually following all four at once. Your meditations go directly to the essence of your being. That essence is what love of God, selfless action, and knowledge are trying to reach.

Raja yoga is one of the eight limbs of Patanjali’s yoga as outlined in the Yoga Sutras, the seminal philosophical yogic text that dates back to the 2nd century BCE. By practicing its meditation principles, in addition to the other seven limbs of yoga, you move towards Samadhi, which is the same as bliss or Nirvana.

The Goal

While most yoga forms in the West have a strong posture or asana element to them, Raja yoga is firmly based in meditation. A small number of select postures may or may not be performed in order to prepare the mind for meditation practice. The intention behind meditation is to quiet or temper the fluctuations in the mind, which often give way to feelings of unrest, stress, anxiety and an ensuing host of physical reactions and behaviors. But by controlling the mind through meditation, you can achieve a more peaceful and non-reactive state. This is not to say that anyone who practices Raja yoga is blissfully happy. He or she may be, but the goal is that through the enhanced awareness that meditation produces, your thoughts, emotions and actions will become more aligned with your true nature or spirit.

The practice

Raja yoga classes are not offered as much as other yoga styles, so if you’re interested in learning this spiritual practice, it is important to seek out a qualified and genuine spiritual teacher. The Vedanta Society of Southern California and the Ananda meditation center in Northern California are good starting points.

Raja yoga should only be taught by a well-trained instructor who has extensively studied the Raja meditation techniques. This is to ensure that the practitioner does not become too overwhelmed in the practice and has a seasoned guide to help him understand his experience of working with the practice, which can be very intense and sometimes very challenging.

During class, you can expect to be taken through a meditation practice, with a focus centered on your third eye, the space between your eyes, which is symbolic of your spiritual self. Comfortable clothing, meditation cushions and a yoga mat may be required, but check with your instructor about the proper attire and props as class requirements may differ from school to school.

Also Read:

• Most Popular Yoga Classes
• Deepak Chopra’s Authentic Yoga iPhone App Review
• Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

An Introduction to Raja Yoga

If your stress comes from a time crunch or desire for control, some of the narrations may be a practice in stress management in themselves. Although, Dr. Chopra has a soothing voice, I am able to read more quickly than he speaks. Perhaps, I am just not used to my iPhone talking to me. On the other hand, when in the right mindset, the guided meditations can be very helpful.

“Stress Free” is set up with a specific order of activities divided under six keys to stress. You must complete them in order; however, once you have completed a task, you may go back to it at any time; all previously completed tasks may be reviewed in any order. Tasks include self-reflection, questionnaires, meditations, music therapy, and more.

As someone who has taught about stress management for several years, I found the content of “Stress Free” to be fairly basic. I would like more detail and expansion of several areas. Users will only get as much benefit from “Stress Free” as they put into it; however, it can be a good tool for one who is able to self-reflect. It may not be the best program for those who are looking for more practical techniques.

The graphics are well done and the meditations and music therapy integrate many interesting pictures. The guided meditations alone are worth the $14.99 price for someone who needs to practice relaxation. Health is primarily addressed in the third key; however, managing stress can have major benefits to your overall health and ability to lose weight.

Try the Stress Free iPhone App.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Deepak Chopra Aims to Make You “Stress Free” with New iPhone App

Calm your mind by practicing mindfulness and meditation. Visualize a soothing environment, perhaps your destination, imagine and experience it using all of your senses. After returning from a trip to Bermuda several years ago, I started using this picture to help clients practice visualization. What do you see? (The blue of the ocean and sea rocks.) What do you hear? (The waves crashing, the cars passing above.) What do you smell? (Salt water and sunscreen). What do you feel? (The warmth of the sun, the sharp rocks, the firm sand, sunglasses on my nose.) What do you taste? (Fruit juice.) Choose a setting that is calming for you and immerse yourself in it using your imagination.

Even without leaving your seat you can relax your body. Starting with your toes and working yourself up to the top of your head, flex and tighten each muscle group and hold for a few seconds before relaxing. As your body relaxes, your breathing should slow, your heart will slow, you will have more oxygen in your blood stream, and you will begin to feel more calm.

Take slow, deep breaths. Fill your lungs to capacity before slowly releasing. Place your hand on your diaphragm and feel it pushing out as you breathe in and pushing the air out of your lungs. Make sure you get all of the carbon dioxide out of your system.

Think your way out of it. We have all heard the statistics that it is safer to fly than drive. Remind yourself that there are safety plans in place and your pilot is a professional, paying attention to the skies, not a distracted driver. There are many people working together to ensure your safety.

Distract yourself. Read a book, listen to music, work, talk to your neighbor, or watch the child squirming in his or her seat.

If all else fails, focus on the fear; notice it without giving in to it. Pay attention to how anxiety changes your body, including the temperature of your skin, your heart rate, the movement of your stomach, and the speed of your thoughts. Pretend you are a scientist making observations. Isn’t it interesting how our bodies react to our thoughts of fear? The more aware you are of what occurs in your body specifically, the more you can specifically address those symptoms and return to a feeling of calm.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How to Fight Flight Anxiety

The study illustrates a few key points about the mindfulness that a yoga and meditation practice can cultivate and the benefits of physical activity.

While no one can escape the stress of project deadlines and the fear of job security, mindfulness practices like meditation teach employees how key their reaction to workday stress can affect how they perceive their lives and the workplace challenges they confront.

Additionally, most employees who work desk jobs lead sedentary lives which is not only a factor in obesity and diabetes but also in mood disorders like depression. Numerous studies have shown the positive mental health benefits and physical benefits such as improved sleep quality that come from engaging in exercise. And while yoga may not be the first form of exercise that comes to mind when one thinks of physical activity, certain kinds of yoga have a strong cardiovascular component to them and most all improve strength and muscle tone.

For the millions of  Americans who work, the stress of their everyday office lives takes its toll on their health. But studies like this point to the importance of having workplace policies that encourage employees to take part in mind-body practices like yoga and meditation. Hopefully, as more research is done on the benefits of stress-reducing programs in the office, more and more companies will begin to incorporate such practices as part of their regular employee wellness programs.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Workplace Yoga Reduces Stress and Improves Sleep

“In meditation, effort must be applied in a direction opposite to what we are used to. Our effort must be to relax ever more deeply,” says John Novak, author of Lessons in Meditation.

There’s physical evidence of these brain-expanding benefits. The researchers from the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging used a high-resolution, three-dimensional form of MRI and two different approaches to measure differences in brain structure.

The researchers found significantly larger cerebral measurements in meditators. Specific areas of growth included larger volumes of the right hippocampus and increased gray matter in the right orbito-frontal cortex, the right thalamus, and the left inferior temporal lobe.

Since these areas of the brain are linked to emotion, it could be the direct link to why meditators tend to handle emotional situations with more calm than the rest of us.

Meditation doesn’t have to be costly. There are free resources online, including www.how-to-meditate.org.

(via: Psych Central)

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Meditation Makes You Smarter

Today’s guest blogger is Tracy Connery from MommyOm, a wife, mother, writer and photographer.  Her days are taken in any number of directions, but a long-term relationship with her yoga mat has kept complete craziness at bay.  MommyOm is the best in all things yoga and meditation for parents from one mom’s expanding perspective.

The next time your day has spiraled out of control… demands of screaming children, looming deadlines, stacks of unpaid bills… rather than looking to the self-help section of the bookstore, or heading to the doctor for some kind of medicinal intervention, or worse, to the fridge for yet another peppermint patty… sweet, tingly, chocolate-y goodness … ahem… OK, perhaps that’s just me….

I’m relatively new to meditation, but the research I’ve found is compelling, and so far only confirmed by my own experience.  The consensus is, from study to study, article to article, that when you’re left reeling with the pressures of life, particularly in the wake of today’s economic concerns, what is often lacking is a firm sense of living and being in the present.  It is here, disconnected from the power of the present moment, that we are most likely to allow the demands of work to overwhelm us, fly off the handle with our loved ones, or retreat to the fridge in search of comfort, if not all of the above.

This is where the beauty and power of mediation lies.  With a little practice, one can enjoy the benefits of a greater awareness, so that regardless the situation, we have a better ability to engage, rooted in presence and mindfulness, more fully and effectively able to draw upon the perspective and power that brings.  As we learn to sit in mindfulness, where the past and future dissolve away, we gain a better handle on those thoughts contaminated by what we feel should be, or more likely, what isn’t, and instead redirect them to feelings of the abundance that is.  This state of practiced mindfulness inevitably transcends the concentrated moments of silence into the rest of our day and the other areas of our lives.

In addition to its effectiveness in managing stress, meditation has proven to offer any number of health benefits, from decreased blood pressure and managing chronic pain and depression to elevated mood and increased tranquility.  Additionally, you may also enjoy better sex (yes, husband, that’s what I said!) and it’s highly likely, for those of you looking to get a handle on over-eating, an increased feeling of mindfulness and gratitude, not to mention an enhanced body image, leaves less room for indulging in thoughtless binging , wandering aimlessly to the refrigerator in search of comfort, something to quell your boredom, or that pesky, albeit wonderful, mid-afternoon fix of chocolate and mint!

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

How Meditation Can Help Conquer Stress and Extra Pounds