Welcome!

Prana is a sanskrit word meaning "vital life" and is represented by the breath. Prana (or Chi or Qi) is a critical component to health and balance. Prana is energy and the force of life. By exercising Purpose to increase Prana we can experience new levels of wellbeing in our lives.







Showing posts with label breath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breath. Show all posts

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Meditation

Meditation is an integral part of achieving and maintaining wellness - especially as our lives become more and more hectic. Modern science is continually proving benefits of meditation that ancient wisdom has always known.  So how can you incorporate meditation in your own life?

Before you start trying to meditate, it is important to realize is that there really is no right or wrong way to meditate.  And - this is the big one - you are NOT trying to get rid of all thought.  We have over 60,000 thoughts a day.  You would be fighting a difficult battle to try and eliminate them! 

So there are no rules and you aren't trying not to think.....so now what?

The most basic way to begin a meditation practice is to simply sit comfortably, close your eyes and focus on your breath.  Notice how full your lungs become as you breathe deeply.  Try to expel your breath fully to make room for fresh oxygen as you take your next inhale.  As you focus on the breath you can even repeat silently "I am breathing in, I am breathing out". 

If you start thinking of something else, just gently reconnect to your breath.  Be kind to yourself.  Remember there is no right or wrong way to do this and you are not going to stop thinking as you meditate so there is no need to get frustrated with this practice.  Just breath.

It's that simple.  You don't need fancy cushions or incenses or chanting.  You don't need to wear orange robes or move to an ashram or monastery.  You can be in the middle of Times Square and close your eyes and take a few deep breaths and there you have it - you've meditated and as a result have changed your physiology and your mindset.    Benefits of Massage

In Ayurveda pranayama - breathwork - is one of the four pillars of health.  Many of us focus on the first two pillars -nutrition and movement - but often overlook or minimize the importance of breath and rest.  So give meditation a try and see how it feels.

And if you don't want to begin your meditation journey alone, join the Chopra Center's 21 Day Meditation Challenge that begins on November 5th.  You can engage with a community of like-minded individuals to learn and practice meditation.      Chopra Center's 21 Day Meditation Challenge

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Launch!

I am very excited to launch the Purpose and Prana blog!  Welcome!

Why Purpose and Prana? 

Well I have found that being a "Type A" personality with "new age" tendencies often appears to be oxymoronic.  How does one meditate or enter a state of deep relaxation but yet be motivated by purpose?  Doesn't that put too much pressure on the meditation session?  Wouldn't you just sit there "thinking" the whole time?  And can't that stress you out even more????  Well sure.....but.....

Purpose also allows us to set our intentions more firmly and stay grounded in the present moment which is a key component of maintaining the "gap" of meditation and the ability to stay calm and relaxed during the day.  By applying purpose consistently I have experienced more joy and success than if I leave purpose out of the equation of my life.  Purpose is not at odds with adopting a more holistic approach to living.  It can and does compliment and reinforce this approach.

This blog is dedicated to helping us all achieve a more holistic lifestyle, increase prana in our lives and purposefully make decisions that bring us balance and wellbeing.

So now....let's take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.  That is the most basic of all ways to increase your Prana.  Breathe in and out with purpose for a few breaths and see how great it feels to have the energy and oxygen circulate through your body.

Welcome to my blog!  I hope you enjoy it and we can all learn from each other.

Namaste.