Benefits of Orange Peel

While eating oranges, we usually just peel them and throw the skin away. Although kids squeeze them in each other’s eyes to make one cry as a prank, but that’s wastage too!

Orange peel and apple skin are similar since most of the nutrients and benefits are in the skin of these fruits. According to Rebecca Wood, author of The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, “One medium orange contains over 60 flavonoids and 170 different phytonutrients.” They are good for your skin, your system and your home too. Dr. Jaishree Bhattacharjee, Ayurvedic consultant with Satvikshop helps us find out it’s different uses.

Continue reading Benefits of Orange Peel

Preksha Yoga: What is Yoga?

“Yoga is a system of living with sense and science, of the realization of ultimate values and altruistic mission of life. Yoga involves a harmonious order of mind, matter and man.

Yoga is an absolute departure from’basic animal tendencies.

Yoga is a state of aloofness from the artificialities of life and relationship. Yoga is the culture of tomorrow!”

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: What is Yoga?

Preksha Yoga: Yoga Philosophy

Although yoga has innumerable facets, its fundamental teachings are based on philosophical and spiritual principles. Its development has taken place gradually in many phases of time, beginning from the previous knowledge stored in ancient Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and the basics elaborated by Patanjali in his monumental work Patanjali Sutras.

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: Yoga Philosophy

Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Yama

Yoga has been referred to as the age-old and regarded as the continuous, uninterrupted tradition of knowledge for several thousand years. It has been established on innumerable theories, concepts, techniques, practices and rules, which were hypothesised in various regions over many a millennium. Fundamentals of yoga are well defined in the Kathopanishad, Bhagvad Gita and Yoga Sutras. These fundamental principles of yoga, both in theory and practice, are known as Classical Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga in Indian tradition. The Astanga Yoga is comprised of eight constituents or eight limbs, which are very well defined in the Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. They can be classified under the following three heads:

Yoga ethics or Ethical practice

Yama
Niyama

External yoga practiceAsana
Pranayama
Pratyahara

Internal or Meditative practice

Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi

Yama

It is the first step, which includes five abstentions, namely:

• non-violence (ahimsa)
• truthfulness (satya)
• honesty (asteya)
• sexual continence (brahmacharya)
• non-acquisitiveness (aparigraha)

Ahimsa: It is universal moral commandment and is ethical preparation for a student of yoga. Not to harm any living being by any means is the basic principle of non-violence. This creates an atmosphere of universal love and brotherhood and makes the one’s mind pure. To reprobate the feeling of hatred from any one is also a part of non-violence.

Satya: Truth is universal and is the only uncontroversial basis for the development of self. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Truth is God and God is Truth”. As a natural phenomenon, fire burns the impurities, thereafter refining the gold; likewise fire of truth cleans our innerself. If one thinks of truth, if tongue speaks about truth only, and if one acts based on truth, automatically one moves one step ahead towards union with the almigthy God. Truth and love are the ultimate reality of this world and a yogi must adopt these realities in not only speech but also in routine conduct. Untruthfulness, cither in mind or in action, leads a yogi away from his mission.

Asteya : To desist the desire of using other’s belongings, whether money, thought or materials, for own benefit, is Asteya. This act of non-stealing includes not only taking what is other’s without prior permission, but also using it for different purposes or using beyond the permitted time period. This also includes misappropriation, misconduct, misuse, mismanagement and breach of trust. Asteya not only gives mental peace and self-purification to an individual, but also reduces several social tensions and evils. One should reduce one’s needs to the minimum, to achieve the ability to ward off great temptations.

Brahmacharya : To live the life of celibacy, to develop self-restraint and to perform religious acts are the basic principles of brahmacharya. It does not only mean to preserve semen and remain celibate. To remain strictly away from sexual activities in deed or thought is the basic principle of several abstinence components of brahmacharya. The concept of brahmacharya is not one of negation, forced austerity and prohibition. To lay stress on continence of the body, speech and mind is the real brahmacharya, as stated by Maharshi Patanjali. It has little to do with a person’s marital status and living a common man’s household life. It is open for all. It is not at all necessary for one’s salvation to stay unmarried, because one can perform marital duties solely for the creation of progeny but not for sexual pleasures and thus still remain a brahmachari.

Aparigraha : To remain free from hoarding is Aparigraha. A yogi should keep his requirements to the minimum as he does not really need many things at a particular point of time; hence he should not hoard or collect the things. The collection of things, for future needs, shows the lack of faith in God and in himself, because he (the God) who is looking after whole creations (shristi) will fulfil and meet our requirements timely. By observing the habit of aparigraha, one makes one’s life very simple, where there is no fear or lack of trust.

The life of a common man is full of miseries, disturbances, agonies and frustrations, which keep his mind always in a state of imbalance and perturbation. The basic reasons for such a condition are his failure to fulfil his desires or the fear to lose something which he has hoarded for his future or for his luxury. The observance of aparigraha enables a person to remain satisfied with whatever he has and whatever happens to him. He achieves peace, which takes him beyond the realms of illusion and misery. His mind is always calm and cool, unperturbed and in a state of equilibrium.

Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Asana (Art of Postures)

In Patanjali’s ashtanga yoga, after yama and niyama, the third limb is asana or posture. Asanas are well described in Hathyoga Pradipika, where it has been placed first in the sequence of yoga practice. “The posture in which one can sit for indefinite period comfortably is called asana”, as described in Mandal Brahmanopanishad. Patanjali says “Sthir Sukhasanam”, which means the posture in which we can sit comfortably and steadily is called asana. Asana brings real steadiness, health and easiness to all body parts, which ultimately bring mental equipoise and peace.

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Asana (Art of Postures)

Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Pranayama (Science of Breath)

Pranayama is the process of yogic breath or science of breath. As stated in Yoga Sutras, ‘tasmin sati shwas prashwas yorgati vichchhedah pranayamah’, that is pranayama is related with Prana, which means breath, respiration, life, vitality, wind, energy or strength. The suffix ‘Ayam’ means length, expansion, stretching or restraint. Pranayama thus means the extension of breath along with its control.

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Pranayama (Science of Breath)

Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Dharana (Concentration)

It is the sixth stage of classical Patanjali Yoga. Dharna is the concentration on a single point, or total attention on what is to be done at a particular moment, the mind remaining unmoved and unruffled. It stimulates the inner awareness to integrate the ever-flowing intelligence and to release all tensions. In fact without concentration nothing can be achieved. Without concentration on divinity, which shapes and control the universe, one cannot unlock the divinity within, oneself or become a universal man.

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Dharana (Concentration)

Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Pratyahara (Sensual Control)

If a man has firm and rhythmic control on his senses, he may be free from several agonies caused by them. This is known as Pratyahara, where the senses, which are basic source of all sensual tyrannies, are brought well under control. This is the fifth stage of yoga. To find a way to defeat the deadly spell of sensual objects, a man needs the shadow of Bhakti in which he recalls to his mind the Almighty creator of all such objects. In fact man’s mind is at the central point, around which all pleasure or pain, bondage or liberation, happiness or sorrow are revolving continuously.

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Pratyahara (Sensual Control)

Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Dhyana (Meditation) and Samadhi

Dhyana (Meditation)

Meditation is the practice by which there is constant observation of the mind. It means focusing the mind on one point, stilling the mind, in order to perceive the self. By stopping the waves of thoughts one comes to understand his true nature and discover the wisdom and tranquility that lie within. It is the seventh step of Patanjaii Yoga. As focusing the rays of the sun with a magnifying glass makes them hot enough to burn an object, similarly focusing the scattered rays of thoughts makes the mind penetrating and powerful.

Continue reading Preksha Yoga: Components of Yoga – Dhyana (Meditation) and Samadhi