Meena RamanathanCoordinator / Yoga Therapist, CYTER, MGMCRI

18.12.2014

Avvaiyar College of Engineering

& Technology for Women,

Thiruvandarkoil

Unify Your

Mind , Body

& Spirit

• Take a moment foryourself…..

• Observe what younotice?

• On a scale of 1-10,how good do youfeel right now?

• Balancing equal & opposite energies of body

• Unites body - mind - soul

• Disciplines and controls the mind (drunkenmonkey / chitta vritti)

• Cleanses and refines emotions

• An experiential science

• Preventive - promotive – curative potential

• Showcases individual capacity (volcano)

• Provides health-happiness-harmony

• Improves strength- stamina-stability

• Sukha-sthanam

Empowerment through YOGA

7 Magic Keys to live a life full of Yoga

1. Efforts2. Body + Mind + Breath= as a Single Team3. Awareness4. Objectivity – be a passive witness5. Diet6. Trust7. Patience

The Key Word Is….

Balance

What is your choice??? !!!!!!!

• Don’t make study sessions too long

• Drink some water before you start

• Break tasks down into smaller manageable ones

• Do daily summaries of work covered in class in

your own words under Main Points

• Set a task to achieve for each session

• These sessions are the backbone of your Study

Programme

How do you study?

Prioritise your options

• TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS, SACRIFICES HAVE TO BE

MADE

• Avoid ‘time wasters’

• Reward yourself for working well and achieving

short term goals

• To perform at your best requires fulfilling and

stimulating leisure/relaxation time

• You are responsible for the organisation of your

time and lifestyle

‘The first step is the most difficult part of the journey’

Prioritising study

Setting yourself a specific task to achieve each

night is a necessary skill

Too often you tend to ‘let it happen’ and don’t

plan ahead

Procrastination is an obstacle to your goals

Read over notes during travel time

You can also use travel time for

planning and when you arrive

home, you can start working asyour plans are made already

Countdown to the examsYour performance in the exam is vital to your

success

Look at them positively as an opportunity to

demonstrate your understanding

Exercise daily to reduce the pressure

It clears the mind and encourages positive

thoughts

• Avoid Distractions

• Eliminate noise

• Organise for friends to call at an agreed time

• Plan and revise

Identify

areas of

weakness

and

address

them

The key is to study actively :

• Take notes

• Don’t just read

• Test yourself

‘ Many drops fill the bucket ‘

Exam preparation

The secrets to success:

• Have genuine faith in your preparation

• Don’t leave anything to chance/choice

Know exactly what is required for each exam

• Understand each subject

• Know your exam format

– Multiple choice

– Short answer

– Essays

– How many questions

Exam preparation

Test your knowledge and understanding

• Discuss it, explain it

• Justify it with friends

• Work through them systematically

• Retest your knowledge

• Be thorough and focused – have a Study

Timetable in your study area

‘ When only the best will do ‘

Some tips• Don’t study after 11.00pm

• Divide time equally between subjects

• Revise your study timetable

• Try to stick to it !

“Well done is better than well said”

A Recap

• Don’t leave Revision to the last

minute: slow and steady wins!

• Don’t avoid revising subjects

you don’t like /find difficult

• Don’t forget that there is life

beyond Revision and Exams

Remember

• It is important to eat and sleep well

• Put yourself first – it is an important time for you

• Try to talk to family about how they can help you.

• e.g. by agreeing times when you can have your own

space, when they will try to be quieter around the

house and when you would rather not be disturbed

Don’t revise all the time – take breaks and do things you enjoy and that helps

you relax

Above all …

• Perform as well as you can – ‘YOU are YOU’ so you can only do the best you can on the day

• Don’t go through the answers with your friends afterwards, if it is only going to worry you

• Put the previous exam out of your mind and look ahead to the next– you can’t change the past.

Just do your best and leave the rest! Remember, exams are important, but they

are not the only key to a successful future.

GOOD LUCK !

Self Assessment

If you always do as you have always done,

If you always think as you have always

thought ,

Live among the living

Live as life comes

Live for life

WHERE DO I STAND?

A moment of silence

helps connect with your inner

values and start the process of

healing

is the best gift you can give

yourself

In a moment of

silence, you can beat a

retreat from the cares

of the world, find

solitude and then fly

back to your

responsibilities feeling refreshed.

“Just one minute of

solitude”– a long, deep

breath….

YOU OWE IT TO

TOURSELF

Just-a-moment

Mind & Meditation

• Gross- subtle- causal body connectivity

• Mind is often a helpless victim of variousturbulences like anger, grief, sensuality, revenge andremorse and this condition is prone to harm one’sown self or others.

• Practice of meditation frees the mind frompurposeless wanderings and channelises its energyin a focused way.

• The aim of meditation is to quieten the mind andpurge it of its tendency

The Purpose Of Meditation: is to invade andexplore the inner depths of the self.

Advantages of meditation

• The meditative quality of mind helps in properutilization of available resources as well as inharnessing the potential of inner capabilities.

• There is no other process known to man forchanging an imbalanced state of mind into abalanced one than the science of meditation.

• With mediation one learns the art of single-pointed concentration, which elevates the levelof efficiency and opens the right avenues

Mudras for Meditation

Hastha mudras enhance the concentration anddeepen the experience of meditation.

• Jnana Mudra

• Namaskar Mudra

• Anjali Mudra

• Kailash Mudra

• Yoga Mudra

Trataka: Yogic gazes

Concentration upon a single point or

object for a prolonged period helps to

shut out the outer world

• Jyoti Trataka

• Bhrumadhya Drishti Trataka

• Nasagra Drishti Trataka

Palming

• To relieve any tension accumulated inyour eyes, rub your palms together togenerate healthy, warm, pranic energy.

• Place your cupped palms over therespective eye blocking out any externallight and relax for some time

• If headache develops, stop the practiceand rest your eyes with palming

Bhramari Pranayama

Chakra Meditation

LAUGH OUT LOUD!

47Keeps you cheerful, exercises max number of muscles

• What do you notice?

• On a scale or 1-10

• how good do you feel now?

Just a moment please!!!!!

10 Minute Chair Yoga

• The following yoga poses/exercises can be done anytime and anywhere to reduce stress and re-energize yourself during the day

• Begin the practice with slow breathing through the nose and continue on to refresh and renew

Breath-Body Awareness

• Begin by sitting on the edge ofa chair with your feet placedsquarely on the floor about hipdistance apart, toes facingstraight forward.

• Place your palms flat on yourthighs, and feel length in yourspine—head balanced overheart, heart balanced overhips.

• Inhale and exhale evenly forfive counts each.

• Repeat inhale/exhale 2 times.

Seated Side Stretch

•Inhale, lift arms overhead,stretching upwards.

•Exhale, bend to the right.

•Inhale, come back up to thecentre. Exhale, bend to the left.

•Inhale come back up to thecentre.

•Exhale, release your arms down toyour side

Shoulder Rotation

• Circle your shoulders by slowly rolling them up, back and down

• Repeat the same in the opposite direction

• Reach back and hold onto the outside edges of the back of your chair and stretch open your shoulders and chest

Seated cat/cow

• Place hands on knees.

• Inhaling open your chest ,arch the back and look up

• Exhaling push spine backward bringing neck down.

• Be conscious of the movement and feel the spine moving in coordination with the breath.

• Repeat the cycle 9 times more.

Seated Spinal Twist

• Sit straight

• Inhaling twist your upper bodyto the right, starting from thebase of the spine.

• You can place your left hand onthe outside of your right thighand your right hand on theback of your chair.

• Exhaling untwist back to center

• Repeat to the other side

Namaste !!!

• Bring your knees to center and sitstraight

• Bring the palms of your handstogether, with the thumbstouching your chest

• Close your eyes and breathnormally for a few seconds andyou have completed your chairyoga break!

• Letting down – barriers

• Giving up- negativities and stress

• Giving in- Inner mind/ self

• Giving over- Higher self

Acres of Diamonds-KimberlyTRUE STORY - WITH ITS AGELESS MORAL

• A farmer lived in Africa – sold his farm - went looking fordiamonds- wandered all over the continent, years slipped bysearching for diamonds & wealth, which he never found -- wascompletely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.

• The new owner of that farm picked up an unusual looking rock -got it analysed- this was the biggest DIAMOND ever found. Thefarm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine . . . the richestthe world has ever known.

• The original farmer was literally standing on 'Acres of Diamonds'until he sold his farm.

• Each of us is right in the middle of our own 'Acre of Diamonds',if only we would realize it and develop the ground we arestanding on before charging off in search of greener pastures.

The Oyster• There once was an oyster, who found that some sand had got

into his shell.

• It was only a grain, but it gave him great pain

• Oysters have feelings although they're so plain. –

• He said to himself as he lay on a shell, since I cannot remove it I shall try to improve it. NOW the years have rolled around, as the years always doand he came to his ultimate destiny, a stew. And the small grain of sand that had bothered him so, was a beautiful pearl all richly aglow.Now the tale has a moral, for isn't it grand what an oyster can do with a morsel of sand?

What couldn't we do if we'd only begin, some of the things that get under our skin?

10 tips for creating a life of your dream

• 1. Stop doing things just because others expect them of you.

Your heart must be in it to finish the race. When we do things just because we'should,' we eventually reach a place of resentment, anger, and rebellion.

• 2. Get your priorities straight.

Spend your time &resources with the people, activities, or things that aremeaningful. Stop wasting these on people or things that are not adding value tolife.

• 3. March to the beat of your own band.

The most satisfying experiences in our lives are when we are engaged physically,emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or intellectually. If everything feels like anuphill battle, then you're doing the wrong thing.

• 4. Do what you're good at

Whether you're a brain surgeon or a dog walker, be the best you can be at it Yourenthusiasm and love for what you do is what will make you successful

• 5. Share your dream with others, but be discerning.

Realize that not everyone you share your dream with will be thrilled for you. Focuson those people who can support you even if they don't agree with you.

• 6. Stop making excuses and just do it.

The reason why you have not taken that first step does not matter. What matters is that you take that first step NOW.

• 7. Determine what your ideal life looks like.

Most people's initial response to this is 'I don't know.' If you did know, what would your ideal life be like? What would you like to experience as life?

• 8. Identify the stumbling blocks that can be turned into stepping stones.

Your past experiences and adversity can create opportunity for you. It's all in how you look at life and how you choose to use those experiences to eliminate the blockages and move on. Victory is yours!

• 9. Reduce your learning curve.

Learn from the experiences and mistakes of others. Take what you can apply from the trials and challenges others have overcome and learn.

• 10. Align yourself with a role model/mentor.

Having someone who's 'been there and done that' is one of the best ways to get yourself on track with what you want to accomplish or be. A mentor will be supportive, when you need the support the most. His expertise and knowledge is a great strength in life.

10 tips for creating a life and living your dream

• 1. Stop doing things just because others expect them of you.

Your heart must be in it to finish the race. When we do things just because we 'should,' we eventually reach a place of resentment, anger, and rebellion.

• 2. Get your priorities straight.

Spend your time, talents, and resources with the people, activities, or things that are meaningful to you. Stop wasting these on people or things that are not adding value to your life or that keep you from moving forward towards what you want to be or do.

• 3. March to the beat of your own band.

The most satisfying experiences in our lives are when we are engaged physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or intellectually. Life is meant to be effortless. If you're tugging and pulling, and everything feels like an uphill battle, then you're doing the wrong thing.

• 4. Do what you're good at and the money will follow.

Whether you're a brain surgeon or a dogwalker, be the best you can be at it because you love it. Your enthusiasm and love for what you do is what will make you successful in the long run. Enthusiastic and positive people attract others to them who want that too.

• 5. Share your dream with others, but be discerning.

Realize that not everyone you share your dream with will be thrilled for you. Avoid the nay-sayers and focus on those people who can support you even if they don't agree with you.

• 6. Stop making excuses and just do it.

• The reason (excuses) for why you have not taken that first step does not matter. What matters is that you take that first step NOW.

• 7. Determine what your ideal life looks like.

• Most people's initial response to this is 'I don't know.' If you did know, what would your ideal life be like? Who would you want to live with, who would you like to meet, where would you like to live, what activities/shows/parties/places would you like to experience or be with?

• 8. Identify the stumbling blocks that can be turned into stepping stones.

• Your past experiences and adversity can create opportunity for you. It's all in how you look at life and how you choose to use those experiences so that you eliminate the blocks and move on in spite of them. Victory is yours!

• 9. Reduce your learning curve.

• Learn from the experiences and mistakes of others. Instead of reinventing the wheel, take what you can apply from the trials and challenges others have overcome then tweak the process to fit your own situation.

• 10. Align yourself with a role model/mentor.

• Having someone who's 'been there and done that' is one of the best ways to get yourself on track with what you want to accomplish or be. A mentor will be supportive, offer the benefit of his/her expertise and knowledge, and will listen to you when you need the support the most.