Are You Suffering From BACK PAIN?

Are you suffering from a Lower Back Pain?

Most common problem of todays lifestyle, thanks to all the technological inventions which help us move less and less. A day is not too far that we will stop moving completely for anything in life. More a nation is developed today, lesser is the time available with people to look after themselves. We spend more time travelling, more time talking on the phone, more time in front of the tv or computer etc etc. Their hardly anytime left to exercise those muscles that are in our body. Look at the exercise machines being developed or being promoted nowdays. The latest equipment what you can get today is making you think less and even cutting down the need of a personal trainer. Just put in your usb in the machine with all your details and the machine tells you everything. Nowdays you get massaging vibrators installed in your cars seat or you get massage chairs, again cutting down the need of another person and making you more and more lazy. E.g. Latest cars, lifts, remotes for everything, and the list goes on.
I remember the good old days when everything that i wanted, made me get up from my place and reach out for the thing what i wanted, by doing either walking or climbing. I had to use my limbs. But nowdays i use only my fingers, press a button and get what you want. The most basic movement of our body that is triple extension and triple flexion has been compromised because of the present innovations of the modern lifestyle. Now what is triple extension and triple flexion(TETF), forget the technical part, its the simple basic movement like e.g. Squat or a lunge or a movement like getting up from a chair or sitting down to pick up and getting up. All these movements involve your ankles, knees and the hip joint, which are responsible for triple expension and triple flexion(TETF).
TETF is the most basic movement of the human body which is being compromised and is being used less and less because of the present modernday lifestyle changes. This reduction in the most basic movement is resulting in a wide range of problems. Its making people obese, stiff, less active, leading to arthritis and back related problems. These are only a few problems but very common.
Back pain can be very serious and affect your day to day function drastically, ak people who suffer from constant back pain, i am sure you atleast one person in your circle of family and friends. So now that we are aware of all the things that are resulting in the back pain or other things. Lets learn to include few things in our daily life, so that our body does not forget its most basic and most important movement TETF. I will also advise if you are already suffering from any type of back pain or health problem then, do consult a professional fitness trainer or a doctor.

List of things what you can include in your daily program e.g.--------
v If you travel by your car, get down 10 mins before your final destination comes and walk to your house, people taking a bus can get down at the previous bus stop.
v Try and do as much work in the house as possible, maintain a good posture throughout(very important), sweep the floor, clean your house, gardening.
v Play with your pet or your kids
v Take your pet on a walk
v If you stay on a higher floor, or are visiting a friend or a office where you need to go on a higher floor, use the stairs to go up and come down.
v Learn yoga, e.g. Sun salutations or few variations, few asanas(postures) which you can do anywhere anytime, wont take much time, just 10 to 20 mins
v Learn some relaxation techniques in yoga, believe me they are great.

And finally if you have any back problem then follow this list
1. Get your back checked from a professional
2. Get your postural analysis done from a professional
3. Get your lifestyle analysis done
4. Be aware of your emotional ups and downs, learn breathing tecniques or learn to stay calm and peaceful, do meditation.
5. Get your muscular tightness and weakness analysed from a physio therapist e.g. You need to stretch your tight muscles first and then strengthen your muscles
6. If you are obese then consult a dietician and a exercise professional to lose weight
7. Get a sports massage for your back pain, regularly, a sports massage therapist is trained formost of the basic things mentioned above.
8. And you can always mail me or contact me for all this :)

SECRET TO HAPPINESS

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http://secret2happiness.blogspot.com/

Boxing ----- punch your way to fitness

BOXING!

As a boxer myself i can tell you there is nothing like a boxing training and ofcourse nothing like gettine knocked out. hey dont worry when we train for fitness in boxing we wont punch eachother, we have our dear friend the punch bag. so just lets learn a little bit about boxing, then if you are ready to challenge yourself and your limits call me for a boxercise session.

Boxing is one of the worlds oldest and most exciting sports. Its origins are way back in ancient Greece. Through years boxing has changed as an art of self defense, in England in the early eighteenth century and then later becoming one of the most popular sports.
Boxing has become a global sport as professional and amateur boxing. Professional boxing attracts lot of money through commercialization. Amateur boxing is also a serious business as boxers compete for their nations in Olympics and other national and international sports events.
Sports science today has made us understand the working of a human body in each sport. Today’s boxers compared to the earlier one are bigger faster and more powerful. In boxing a boxer has to concentrate on several things in a short span of time. Speed, agility, muscular endurance, muscular strength & power, reaction time and balance are important fitness components for the game of boxing.
A boxer has to punch, duck, move around and defend etc with just a minute to recover between the rounds. Boxing is a very high intense sports involving all the fitness components. A boxer has to maintain intensity throughout the bout, round after round.

Boxing is Dominantly a Anaerobic Sport But needs a good Aerobic Base:-
Any athlete has to train according to the nature of the sport. Sports specific trainings are designed after a complete analysis of the sport itself. Boxing is dominantly an anaerobic sport but needs a good aerobic base. 70 to 80 % anaerobic and 20 to 30 % aerobic. So the training actually is based in different phases till the actual competition, it is divided in off season / pre competition / competition phase. the aerobic foundation is layed majoritively in the off season and pre competition phase which gradually becomes less and the boxing specific skill training increases from pre competition to competition phase. Anaerobic activity is done in absence of oxygen, activities which are short and fast with a burst of energy. Whereas aerobic activity is done at a slower pace and lower intensity and in the presence of oxygen. Even the muscle fibres involved in both activities are different, so the best way to train for boxing is in a very sports specific manner.

Type of Training required:-
Boxing requires interval training. A boxer should train by doing activities from moderate to high intensity, either for specific distance or specific time.

Sample Training for a Boxer:-
circuit training consisting of a combination of plyometric exercises with calisthenics.
e.g. plyometric / callisthenic circuit
1 – skipping or running for 10 mins (warm up)
2 – 60 secs skipping (variation) + 60 secs high jumps + 60 secs burpee jumps x 6/8 rounds with 1 min rest between each round of 3 mins.
3 – skipping or running (low intensity) for 10 mins (cool down)
Or a running circuit

e.g. Running 400 / 600 mtrs or 800 mtrs with rest of 1 min in between

1 – 1 to 2 km slow running (warm up)
2 – 2 x 200 mtrs
3 – 2 x 400 mtrs
4 – 4 x 800 mtrs
5 – 1 km slow jog (cool down)


Amateurs fight a two minute round while professional boxers fight a 3 minute rounds. The basic rule is to train for more time in the circuits by keeping the time interval 3 mins for amateurs and 31/2 - mins for professional boxers, and also doing a extra round.

By training regularly and by learning methods of relaxation a boxer can recover faster in the one minute rest period. The reaction time will improve by continuous conditioning.

What is Lifeforce - Energy, Prana?

PRANA THE ENERGY THAT BINDS THE MATTER

EVERYDAY we breathe whether we want to or not but the breathing continues. The prana what we are referring to now is the life force present in our body that makes us breathe. Breath is not prana or the process of breathing is not prana. Prana is the force behind all these activities such as breathing, seeing, listening, walking, sleeping etc. The modern science refers to prana as energy. This energy is present through out the universe in the different forms i.e. From gross to the subtlest. The very same energy is responsible for all the matter present in this universe in different forms whether dead or alive. The different molecules combine with each other with the help of this energy (prana) to form different matter e.g. Earth, water, fire, air & ether. Everything present in all these forms of matter is the result of the energy (prana) present in it at different levels (gross to subtle).
The power of the energy present at the molecular and the atomic level is tremendous. This level of energy is very subtle but not the subtlest. We have experienced the power of the atomic bomb i.e. Nothing but the force of the energy released at a very high subtle level. We can imagine if we keep discovering the most subtlest levels how much energy will we discover, lets hope that the discoveries will be used for human progress & maintaining nature at its best, that’s how we all will be able to survive longer on this planet as we all know and understand that nothing is going to last forever nothing is permanent.
Our mind is also a form of energy present at a very subtler level than the body. The mind itself is a bundle of energy within our reach ready to be tapped and explored. We should be grateful to the almighty for giving us a chance to be so close to so much power & so much energy. We have been given all the means to culture this energy & chanelize this energy for our progress to the next level.
Those who have been able to realize this energy and go beyond it have experienced tremendous power, strength & superhuman capabilities. We know them as yogis, spiritual leaders and many prefer to stay unknown. People who work selflessly for the betterment of humanity. People who spread love & worship we all know them and we all love them & we all worship them. These are the people whose presence in this world even for a minute has made a difference for millions and is still making. We have known them as Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Adi Shankarcharya, Ram Krishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda and many more the list goes on. The mere presence of all these great people on the planet for much less time than most of us has made a big impact on millions of people all around the world and is still doing.
All these great people had understood and experienced the power of mind. Our first step is to approach the mind with discipline & respect. To follow a certain discipline and do exercises you have to find a right teacher (guru). Doing the exercises on your own can harm a person instead of helping.
The eight steps of Ashtanga Yoga (path of psychic control) are the best way to discipline the mind. Patanjali has beautifully given all the do and dont’s in yoga sutras of patanjali. The first line itself welcomes you to the discipline of yoga and its lifestyle. He says only if you are ready to follow the discipline only then will you get the benefits. Only if you are prepared mentally you may start with the first step i.e Yama – yama refers to the great universal commandments. It is the control of the body, speech and mind, followed with Niyama – niyama refers to personal disciplines or the obedience of proper conduct. The next step is Asana (physical exercises) done with an attitude of enjoyment & stability with control over breath, awareness & expansion of the mind to all the changes – physical & mental & the deeper organs. Then comes Pranayama (breath control of bio energy) pranayama if done correctly will help a person cure all diseases and help him discover the power of the mind through Pratyahara, Dharana & Dhyana. All these 7 steps together takes person to the last step i.e. Samadhi.
Samadhi is the state in which a person experiences freewill, the will to become free from the cycle of life & death, the will to be where he wants for how long, he has the strength of love he becomes the source of love and spreads it amongst the people in various ways and in various forms. Forms unknown to us unknown to the human kind unknown to the naked eye. We all experience it in the form miracles and magic. In the state of samadhi the matter stops to exist in different forms. Matter becomes one the vision of the yogi in the state of samadhi sees no difference between earth & water or between fire and ice or dog & fish. Everything is broken down to the level of energy at a very subtle level. This state of energy is the ultimate form of energy present in the universe. This is the base of all the energy present in all the matter present here on earth or anywhere in the universe. The hindu prayer for the prana(energy) is the best description of its omnipresence & power.


PRANAYAM MANTRA

Pranasyedam vashe sarvam
Tridev yat pratishthitam
Mateva putrana rakshashvam
Shrischa prdnyascha videhi na itii

Meaning:
---Whatever exists in three worlds,
Is all under the control of prana
(O prana) protect as a mother protects her sons
give us affluence and intelligence---


Story:-
Once their was a argument between all the body parts about who is the greatest. The eyes, the ears, nose, stomach etc. All of them went to brahma dev to ask who is the greatest amongst them. Brahma dev said why don’t you find out for yourself, i will suggest you a way. Every part should leave the body for a year and then return back. Everyone agreed. Ear left for a year and came back. Nose left for a year came back, stomach left and came back and it continued with few difficulties but the body survived. Finally the prana decided to leave the body the moment prana started to move out. All the body parts were in trouble as they could not function without prana. They all requested o great prana please don’t leave the body as you are the greatest amongst us.

What is Yajna - Sacrifice?

YAJNA - SACRIFICE

As we all know everything in the world exists in cycles and nothing can exist without each others help. We also have learnt in all these years that if one living organism becomes extinct then the whole cycle of life gets affected and the other dependent organisms live in the danger of extinction, we now call them - endangered species.
One will think what is all this got to do with yajna (sacrifice) a hindu ritual. For this we all have to understand the basic law of existence – the law of interdependence.
We have to understand that our existence along with the existence of everything on earth & in the universe is governed by the law of interdependence. Everything has to exist for the survival of the dependent – a rhythm has to be maintained – everything should happen with ease – effortless action – naturally.Their should be no force no friction.
The sun has to stay in its position - the earth has to revolve around its axis so that we can experience day/ night – here the sun is sacrificing its light/heat for the survival of life on earth – the earth is revolving and performing a action for the survival of everything on the planet i.e. A sacrifice – yajna etc.
In olden days people realized the importance of the natural cycles of life & action. They use to worship objects of nature e.g sun, fire, earth, air(vayu), water etc the sources of life. The sadhus went on to discover and understand that all these natural cycles / actions are happening effortlessly and with no expectation of any fruits i.e. without expecting anything in return.They called it a sacrifice, a action performed by nature effortlessly without any expectation of the result (fruit – phala). The sadhus discovered that if the same principle of effortlessness and sacrifice when applied to our life, life becomes beautiful and happy – stressfree. Sadhus or the wisemen found different ways to spread knowledge.
To infuse a similar feeling among the common man at that time sadhus performed rituals of sacrifice with the help of mantras, to please the gods and bless the people with good vegetation and cultivation. The sacrificial rituals was a way to give back the gods their share of what they have given us. The gods here is plural because we are referring to multiple natural powers i.e. actions of nature eg. Rain, air, soil, fire etc.
With the help of the rituals and the knowledge given by the wise men ‘sadhu’, people understood the meaning of interdependence & sacrifice. Their was always mutual respect exchanged by everyone i.e. Sharing without expectation was the ritual of the community, sharing not only amongst each other but sharing with all the animals & plantation. The vegetation & the cultivation was also shared with the gods through yajna a ritual of sacrifice - the way of giving back the share of the gods like indra, vayu etc.
According to Bhagvad Gita a person who does not share what he earns with the people who are responsible for his success is called a Thief. According to the hindu scriptures a thief is not just the person who steals but also the person who fails to share his success with all the people who are responsible for his success.
We all fail to realize, we all fail to share our success with all who have been with us throughout our journey (cumulative actions). E.g. A student gives a exam and passes after studying for several months day/night and writing several difficult questions. But for his success his mother who cooked all the meals, his father who provided all the money, his school teacher who taught him and not just them but even the bus driver who safely got him to his exam centre and many more all are responsible for the success of the student, sometimes we don’t share as we don’t realize we have never been taught i.e our ignorance. sometimes we distribute sweets unknowingly to all these people who have worked for you without any expectation out of your success. While receiving a award a mere mention of the names in the thanksgiving speech of successful people is a way of gratitude and realization - that without the help of all these people success wouldn’t have been possible. We all have heard it in the famous speeches during the Oscars and various award functions.
Sharing should be natural - sharing should be smooth - it should be effortless – just as the earth revolves around itself naturally, rain falls smoothly – the sun gives us light energy effortlessly – the plant give us fruits vegetation wit love – the soil gives the minerals to the plants without any price to pay – everything exists with mutual sacrifices and effortless actions performed for the benefit of the each other and co existence. We all should be able to share effortlessly naturally. No faces no wrinkles no half hearted sacrifices – give with both hands open and so will you receive. For e.g. the story of young nachiketa who was very upset with his father who was about to sacrifice thousands of cows in the name of yajna who were very weak and unwell. Nachiketa was unhappy with this attitude of his father. Nachiketa told his father, in anger father said I sacrifice you the god of death yama. nachiketa had only one desire to know what happens after death and he was ready to sacrifice anything for that…….

§ § Yogah karmasu kaushalam

§ § Samatvam yogah ucchate

These are the different ways to understand what yoga is. Also to know what is sacrifice – what is action – the attitude behind the action – the effortlessness in every action – no expectation of the fruit – acceptance of the fruit (result of action) – realization of god.



v YOUR BODY – IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR MIND!

Benefits of Combining Yoga & Weights

Yoga & weight training when combined give fitness a holistic nature. Weight training when done correctly helps strengthen the musculo skeletal system. Weight training also helps improve strength, power and stamina when trained specifically. Asanas in yoga helps the body to improve its flexibility and range of motion around the joint. Hence helping the body (dynamic asanas) while warming up to prepare for the rigorous exercises, also after exercises to cool down(static asanas). Asanas in yoga also help in prevention, recovery & rehabilitation of the injuries, plus improvement in posture.
Breathing exercises and pranayama in yoga along with cardiovascular training helps the body in storing more oxygen and hence improve performance while exercising. Weight training helps keep the muscles toned and strong, therefore protecting the bones from external shocks leading to injuries. Weight Traning and yoga when combined give optimum benefits and at various levels to a person i.e.

According to yoga our body consists of 5 sheaths or in simple words 5 levels of existence –

1. Annamaya Kosha – Physical Body – weight training, asanas, kriya, cardiovascular exs
2. Pranamaya Kosha – Life Force – Breath – pranayama, breathing exs
3. Manomaya Kosha – Mental Sheath – dharana i.e. focusing, dhyana i.e meditation
4. Gynamaya Kosha – Intellectual Sheath – knowledge in weight training & yoga, the science behind weight trainig & yoga, knowledge helps in right decisions.
5. Anandamaya Kosha – Blissful Or Happiness Sheath

What Is YOGA?

Yoga is a ancient science. It is more than 10000 years old. Lord shiva was the first yogi. It is said as he performed various postures while dancing, different animals came into existence according to shivas postures. Over a period of time their have been many great yogis. In those times people learned from whatever was available in the nature. E.g. Mountains, river, birds, animals, leaves, sun, stars etc., everything around was fascinating as their was so much to learn. The sages were exploring everything around just as a child does while growing up.

The word yoga or yog is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj which means “to join” or “union”. The union or the joining what yoga talks is about joining the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness or atma with parmatma.

Patanjali the father of yoga philosophy says “Yoga Is The Control Of Thought Waves In The Mind”. Sage patanjali gave us the gift of three brilliant works. Sanskrit grammar, Ayurveda & Yoga sutras of patanjali. In the yoga sutras of patanjali there are 196 sayings explaining what yoga is. Patanjali describes how to make your mind still, quiet and free from all the distractions with the help of yoga teachniques.

Ashtanga Yoga (eight steps)

To control the mind and its nature Patanjali prescribes us Eight Steps or Eight Sadhanas.

1) Yama
2) Niyama
3) Asanana
4) Pranayama
5) Pratyahara
6) Dharana
7) Dhyana
8) Samadhi

v Yama
Is the control of body speech and mind. There are 5 yamas.

Ahimsa – Non Violence – should be practiced at all levels, speech, thought & deed. E.g.Violent thoughts, abusive language, violent actions should be avoided and controlled. Lord Buddha was the greatest teacher of non violence.
Satya – Truth – being truthful in mind and speech. Being truthful in actions as in thought, speech and what you hear.
Brahmacharya – Celibacy - total self control and not to engage oneself into any form of temporal pleasures.
Asteya – Non Stealing – avoiding using, wanting or desiring someone elses belongings or possessions without permission. Also by not sharing the fruit of the action with all the people involved in the process is an act of stealing so sharing the fruit of action is a duty.
Aparigraha – Unselfish Or Non Covetousness – non accumulation of unnecessary things just due to greed either materialistic or through thoughts. Also non accumulation of past memories, which generate negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, frustration, depression etc.

v Niyama
Is the obedience of proper conduct. There are 5 niyamas.

Saucha – Cleanliness – to be maintained at all levels i.e. by bathing, doing kriyas for internal cleansing, meditation for removing the bad thoughts and friendliness, empathy, Bhakti for emotional cleansing.
Santosha – Contentment – to be satisfied with what you have and not desiring to have more without a justified reason, also acquiring things through proper means.
Tapas – Burning Effort Or Penance – to aim for a target and do all the things possible e.g. to bear the extremes of heat and cold and still keep heading towards the goal.
Svadhyaya – Self Study – self study at all the levels such as being a witness to your own actions and analyzing the right and the wrong actions, observing the mind and the nature of the thoughts, learning the religious texts is self study.
Ishwara Pranidhana – Worship – complete surrender to god and accepting all the fruits of the actions as prasada.

v Asana
Asanas are various postures developed for making the body strong and healthy. Asanas also help the inner organs to perform better. Asanas are also used for prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. Asanas help the body become stronger to prepare for the further practices such dharana and dhyana where it is required to sit still for long time. Asanas also help the spine to become flexible and corrects any postural defects present which in turn helps for proper channelising of energy through the spine.

v Pranayama
Pranayama is the science of controlling the breath. There are three main actions in pranayama they are, inhalation, retention of breath, exhalation. By controlling these actions one develops control over breath and improves concentration. Pranayama if done properly can heal any disease but if done wrongly without a proper guru can be very harmful.

v Pratyahara
Is the fifth stage of Ashtanga Yoga. Prayahara is to control the senses and restrain them. The yogi remains unaffected by the worldly objects which create desires through the sense organs. By doing various practices from the earlier


v Dharana
Dharana means concentration or focussing of the mind on one object with one thought. The object can be either a picture of a god or something that makes you happy and peaceful. The mind is completely focused on the object with just one thought of the object. Energy is consumed in dharana and the mind learns to control better.

v Dhyana
Dhyana is to defocus or expand the mind, while the object may remain same as in dharana but the knowledge about the object increases thus increasing the no. of thoughts.

v Samadhi
Samadhi is the last stage in ashtanga yoga where the yogi becomes one with the object. There is no difference between the object and the observer. There is complete bliss and happiness. This leads to enlightenment. All the steps before are the preparatory steps for samadhi.

How To Lose Weight with YOGA

How will yoga help in losing weight? FAQ

Yoga is not just postures, breathing exercises or meditation, yoga is a complete lifestyle in itself. Yoga is very vast and can be incorporated in all aspects of life. The principles of yoga teach you to live life happily and free of stress. These principles or lets say these golden rules can be applied in any situation or at any stage in our life. Out of these golden rules few are which will help us reduce weight over a period of time and help us achieve not a fatless body but a toxin free body, to get free from toxins in the body is more important than just focusing on the fats. Fat in our body is a result of an unhealthy lifestyle which consist of good & bad habits, good and bad desires etc. Often we target the wrong things in life and get disappointed when we don’t get the expected result. We are expecting our body to lose weight and lose fat without changing what is actually causing the excess fat to increase in the body .

Listed below are some of the disciplines which should be followed in yoga in order to achieve weight loss :-

Ø Asanas ( will help the body to become stronger, flexible and improve the functions of internal organs)
Ø Kriyas ( will help cleanse the body internally e.g. nose, stomach, Intestines and help detoxify)
Ø Pranayama ( increases the oxygen present in the blood, increases the lung capacity, slows down the breathing which helps prolonging our life. Makes our breathing longer deeper to help us accumulate more oxygen in few breaths rather than several small breaths, calms down the mind, increases creativity etc)
Ø Dharana, dhyana (dharana is good for concentration and dhyana is good to helping the mind defocus, stabilize, and getting rid of the unwanted thoughts in the mind, resulting in clear thinking less cravings or temptations)
Ø Satvic ahaar ( will help give the body the right nutrition, also detoxify. It will also help the body not to accumulate excess weight )

FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON YOGA OR WEIGHT LOSS mail rahulkarma@gmail.com

What is Concentration i.e Dharana in Yoga

DHARANA - CONCENTRATION

Dharana is the sixth step of ashtanga yoga, ashtanga yoga is also known as raja yoga or the kingly path of yoga. Ashtanga yoga is the path of will, or the path of mind control.

8 STEPS of Ashtanga Yoga are - yama / niyama / asana / pranayam / pratyahara / dharana / dhyana. Yama and Niyama are further divided into 5 steps each i.e .....
yama - ahimsa / satya / asteya / brahamacharya / aparigraha
niyama - saucha / santosha / tapas / svsdhyaya / ishwar pranidhana

After doing the first five steps of ashtanga yoga also known as bahiranga ( outer world ), we start with the sixth step i.e dharana.
Dharana is the preparatory exercise for dhyana (meditation)

Dharana is - one thought and one object - subject and object become one - awareness is contracted

While
Dhyana is - one object but multiple thoughts - subject and object become one everything else is just present - expansion of awareness - presence of divinity

"Energy is spent in concentration whereas it is Conserved in Meditation."

"TARGET IS ALL THAT MATTERS"

e.g - "firing by a soldier is rewarded but by a gangster is punished"
Concentration is Ok but what you Concentrate on is IMPORTANT

IN OTHER WORDS concentration is---

"TO ELMINATE DISTRACTION WILL LEAD TO CONCENTRATION "

"REMOVING UNNECESSARY THOUGHTS WILL LEAD CONCENTRATION"

"DELETING THE EXCESS THOUGHTS WILL LEAD TO CONCENTRATION"

HOW TO ACHIEVE CONCENTRATION?

1. SHORTLIST AND NOTEDOWN THE THINGS THAT DISTRACT
2. FIX A PLACE IN THE HOUSE FOR CONCENTRATION OR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
3. STICK TO A ROUTINE, EFFICIENT STUDY SCHEDULE
4. FOCUS BEFORE - LIKE A WARM UP FOR THE MIND
5. CREATE INCENTIVES AND REWARD YOURSELF
6. CHANGE THE TOPIC EVERY ONE HR OR TWO HRS
7. TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
8. PHYSICAL EXERCISES
9. HEALTHY EATING HABITS
10. VERY IMPORTANT REST WELL - SLEEP

Rule to remember when concentrating is "BE HERE RIGHT NOW"
Mind is a natural wanderer - "Remember its like the monkey without a leash" as explained by swami vivekananda.
When you notice your thoughts wandering astray, say to yourself "BE HERE RIGHT NOW"
And gently bring back your attention back where you want it.

Combination Of Pranayam, Physical Exercises (Asanas, Weights, Aerobics Etc), Satvik Food And Rest (Good Sleep) Is Advised

For A Healthy Body And A Healthy Mind -

As A Result Concentration Becomes Easy & Effortless

Kalari Payattu Ancient Indian Martial Art

Kalari Payattu - National Treasure of India From Kerala (kadathanad)

Kalari payyatu is a martial art from kerala, india, this form of martial art was regularly practiced in this region called as-kadathanad --which means the land between the two great rivers. At that point of time i.e. between 9th century a.d. and 12th century a.d. the disputes were usually settled by the means of a kalari fight in an ankam (duel o a fight). The disputes usually between kings, landlords or big families. The warriors of kalari who were known as ---chekors-- trained in all sorts of different skills or techniques in kalari, to have an edge over the rival kalari warrior they even practiced meditation, tantra vidya, black magic etc.
The fights used to leave only one survivor, it was a serious affair. The kalari warrior knew that someday he will have to fight and their is a chance that he may die, so to be the best in the kalari fight he practiced all sorts of trainings and practices to become unique and best.
The kings or the big families used to hire these warriors to fight out their disputes. For which they used to give a huge sum of money to the warriors. The warriors were one of the strongest people in the society as they were rich and powerful. The kings or the big families often used to take their advice on matters before taking a major decision.
But things changed as the other empires started to attack like the portugese / fench and the english. The english put a ban on kalari and its practice as they knew that with kalari going on they had a thin chance of surviving in the region. So peopla who practiced were killed, still it is said whatever it is remaining and is practiced today is the result of the strong and courageous mothers of that time. The mothers trained their children in secret, often declaring that a girl is born instead of son. The young would not know till they were around 15 yrs other that the youngsters too shared the knowledge of kalari, as the secrecy was very important. When found and caught the child was often killed in front of the mother and then the mother.
Kalari in kerala has been practiced since time immemorial, the first guru of all - the master, is none other than lord shiva (also parshurama), from whom the knowledge has come, it is also said that the kalari was also inspired from the holy text of war i.e. dhanur veda.
Their is one more way that the people believe kalari was invented - the people observed the animals and learnt the way to defend and attack.
So their are many beliefs how kalari may have started, but the fact remains is that it is one of the oldest systems of martial arts and is sadly not been recognised and promoted by our indian government.
If we just open our eyes and see around the martial arts from china have become so famous and are today a part of all the major international tournaments. It is got so much recognition because of the support from the goverment and ofcourse from the movies by legends like bruce lee and now jackie chan.
But the art that may have been the beginning of all these martial arts is today suffering becuase of the ignorance of the goverment.
Kalari has tremendous potential as far as personal fitness is concerned and also a great techniques to defend oneself.
The masters in the kalari will often say like master suresh from puddupanam says - students often join kalari keeping in mind that he is the best or he wants to become the best , but within 2 or 3 months the ego melts and a student who wants to be like everyone is born out of the one who joins.
Mr suresh also explains beautifully the meaning and importance of the kalari.
The art is practiced in a kalari which 6ft beneath the ground level , it has a natural flooring and wall, u may sometimes see wet walls due to the water seeping from underground, the roof is made up of coconut leaves covering, which also has a beautiful scientific explanation. The temperature inside is always cooler than outside as it is deeper than the ground level and the roof with the coconul leaves and the open small gap around the kalari keeps it cooler, as a result the students can practice longer and do not get exhausted.
This kind of practice also needs isolation which this kind of set up easily allows one to practice without getting disturbed.
Under strict rules people are not allowed to sit and observe students practice as they beleive the evil eye and the negative thoughts can affect a students practice.
As you enter the kalari you will see 3 - 5 or 7 steops going down, the steps will always be in a odd number, its just a belief. The kalari is always prepared in a east west direction, the steps in the east and the worship place facing the east. The worship place consists of ishwara, kundalini, guru and shastra, this is again very interesting, this has been practiced traditionally since the beginning.
Kalari has no idol worship, but it has the ishwara which represents the different steps a student has to climb or it represent a meditative yogi and the steps represent the different chakras from kundalini. The muladhari chakra to the sahasra chakra.
On the top of this is lord shiva and the energy is shakti. Then comes the three square like structures, the first is kundalini, which represents the power, the immence power within each human being, the second square is guru , the ultimate guru of all, the on who started everything, and the third square is the shastra, which represents the weapon with which you cut the ignorance and open the doors to the light of knowledge.
Mr suresh explains all this very beautifully in his words.
The students were usually taken at the age of 8 and within two to three years they were expected to cover the first two steps of kundalini by constant practice of the lalari martial art. The overcoming of the first two steps is very important as it helps one to control the basic sexual nature and the other tendencies along with that. This is very important from the point of view of strict practices one needs to follow in kalari ti become a good fighter or a good artist.
As one enters the kalari , one has to worship all the four i.e in sequence, the guru, ishwara, kundalini and disha and the shastra.
The disha worhip or the direction worships is done as it is believed that the kalari , the place of practice, is protected from outside from the 8 directions by these unknown godly figures.
Their is a certain way of worshipping to all the above and they are also the part of defence and offence. One learns this as he progresses in the kalari martial art practice.

1. wooden weapons
*long cane (3 types)
*medium rigid sticks
*small sticks (2 types)

2. sharp edged metallic weapons
*swords
*shields
*spear
*knife
*flexible sword or a belt like sword


Kacholiudayannan was a 16th century great warrior - won 64 ankams (fights) till the age of 32 - died at the age of 32 by cheating - winning 64 ankams (fights) is a very rare feat.

Mystical stories about the Kalari monks

The stick practice which has a movement above the head resembled a umbrella like movement was done with such a high speed, it said even the rain could not pass through it.......
Monks or the gurus of kalari who reached the peak of spirituality only through practice of kalari could do miraculous things through simple round movements with open hands, its believed they could even cut iron with these simple hand movements.

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