Power of our Thoughts.

Thoughts carry tremendous creative power.

Consciously or not, before every spoken word,

there is a thought.

In the same way, there is a thought proceeding every action.

Since thoughts shape our words and behaviors, they inevitably

shape our environment, relationships and destiny.

As part of our unique human power, our higher reasoning process

separates us from other species.

With our birth gifts of higher thoughts, inventions are made and

modern civilization becomes a reality.

Unfortunately, most of us do not utilize the power of thoughts effectively.

Instead of managing our thoughts positively and using them to create a

better reality, we have become powerless with our thoughts.



For example, how many of us catch ourselves daydreaming often and

allow our mind to wonder from places to places without much control?

On the other hand, how many of us try to control our lives ineffectively by

allowing repetitively negative thoughts to dominate our mind

such as worrying obsessively.

Without learning to master the power of our thoughts, no wonder

we feel anxious and depressed most of the time!

The power of our thoughts truly deserves our better attention

as the quality of our thoughts determines the quality of our life.



Negative thoughts create negative state of mind; therefore,

they produce negative actions following by negative results.

This sounds bad, doesn’t it? The good news is that in the same way,

high quality thoughts create high quality state of mind; therefore,

they produce positive actions and wonderful and positive results.

Isn’t this a great incentive for us to pay attention and learn to

monitor our thoughts carefully?

A good exercise is to start paying attention to the quality of our thoughts for a day.

Your job is to reject any negative or limited thoughts as soon as they surface.

Any “I can’t” or “too” judgments are out of the windows immediately.

You might be surprised by how many negative thoughts you think daily.

You might also discover that some of these thoughts are not even originally yours!

What a relief! When I first started this exercise, I noticed that there were

more negative thoughts than positive ones.

Most of the negative thoughts were not even valid.

Unfortunately, they had become part of my “thinking habits”.

Eventually,

I learned that the price I had paid for my habitual negative thoughts

were way too high as they robbed away my happiness and my ability

to create a good life.

Becoming conscious of the power of our thoughts is a necessity to improve

the quality of our lives. Starting today, pay good attention to your thought quality.

Use the power of your thoughts to create a good life because it is your birth right!

As each of us becomes more conscious and becomes the master of our mind,

we together can use our mind in creating more beauty,

joy and goodness in the world.

Improve your Brain

Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a ‘cognitive reserve' that will help you stay sharp as you age.

1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.

2. Keep your brain active. The brain is not a muscle, but regularly “exercising” the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.

3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures.”

4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.

5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine) . A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants— broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.

6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don't really learn people's names at first because we aren't really concentrating on remembering them. You'll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you'll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you're able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.

7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you're trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.


8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.

9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you'll remember it, right? It's a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker's name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.

10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you'll find it easier to remember all four.

11. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn't improve your memory, you'll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won't have to search for your keys anymore).

12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice “mindfulness” meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.

13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.

14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.

15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

Yoga Exercises

Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Ardha-Matsyendrasan









Time: 2 minutes each side.



Method: Bend left knee, place left foot under right hip. Bend right knee, place right foot on left side of left knee. Hold left knee or right foot with the left hand - keep right knee on the left of left arm. Turn tunk to right, look back over right shoulder, right hand on ground or on waist as close to left thigh as possible.

Repeat with left knee bent and trunk turning to left.

Note: You may also hold hands through the gap below the raised knee.

Benefits: Increase the elasticity of the spine, and massage the abdomen and internal organs.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Sarvangasan









Time: 2 minutes




Method:
Lie on your back, arms alongside. Raise both legs together - taking support of hands on the hips and the elbows on the ground.

Straighten the body - feet, knees, hips and back form one vertical column from the base of the neck to the tip of the toes, feet stretched, toes pointed, chin pressed against the chest.

Normal breathing.

Lie on your back, arms alongside.

Raise both legs together - taking support of hands on the hips and the elbows on the ground.

Straighten the body - feet, knees, hips and back form one vertical column from the base of the neck to the tip of the toes, feet stretched, toes pointed, chin pressed against the chest.

Normal breathing.

Benefits: Promotes healthy secretion of the circulatory, respiratory, alimentary and genito-urinary systems. Keeps the spine flexible preventing the bones from early ossification. Supplies large quantity of blood to the spinal roots of the nerves, thereby giving them sufficient nourishment.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Halasan





Time: 2 minutes

Method:
Lie on your back, arms alongside.

Raise legs an in Sarvangasan (you may take help of hands on the hips), then lower them overhead, knees straight, ankles stretched, toes pointed and touching the ground.

Arms stay on ground as in the beginning, palms on the ground.

The posture resembles the shape of a plough

Benefits: Makes the spine flexible, creates energy, and blood of the muscles of the back. Aids the functioning of the thyroid and thymus glands thus helping retain the individual's youthful physical characteristics for a longer period.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Pavan-Muktasan






Time: 1/2 minute each leg


Method:
Lie down on your back.

Breath in.

Then fold the left leg from the knees.

Hold the fingers together and bring the folded leg to touch the stomach.

Lift the head and touch the nose to the knee. The other leg remains straight. Hold the breath.

Come to original position and leave the breath.

Follow the same for the other leg.

NOTE: This asan can also be done with both the knees folded.

Benefits: Removes gas from the abdomen and reduces abdominal fat. Increases the flexibility of the knees and hips.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Matsyasan





Time: 1/2 minute

Method:
Sit with legs an in Padmasan - knees bent, feet on opposite thighs, heels towards the abdomen.

Lie on your back. Placing hands near the head for support

Lift your back above the ground, keep the top of your head on the ground over a padded surface, e.g., a towel.

Keep your hands an your feet.

Normal breathing.

Benefits: Makes the neck flexible and strong, increases the size of the rib cage, widens the windpipe and thus helps deep breathing. Relieves the neck after sarvasang.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Bhujangasan








Time: 1/2 minute

Method:
Lie on your stomach, forehead on the ground, hands under shoulders.

Raise your upper body by the strength of the back muscles, head up.

Don't take help of the hands, they may remain on the ground or held on the back over the hips.

Benefits: Helps in keeping the dorsal spine elastic and strong. Backache due to overstrain can be thus relieved. Helps considerably in reducing abdominal fat.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Dhanurasan







Time: 1/2 minute


Method:
Lie on your stomach.

Bend knees, hold the ankles.

Pull your hands and push with your legs, knees together, till the trunk forms an arch with only the stomach on the ground.

Look up.

After releasing the posture lie for a while in Shavasan

Benefits: Reduces abdominal fat. The compressing of the spinal column, pressing the nerves with the scapulae (the winged bones at the back attached to the arms) minimizes blood circulation while in the asan. But when the pose is released a greater supply of blood is endured to those very regions increasing spinal flexibility and definitely raising the vitality.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Chakrasan










Time: 1/2 minute


Method:
Lie on your back.

Bend knees, place feet apart and close to hips, place hands overhead, palms besides ears and shoulders.

Push with hands and, without moving feet, raise trunk as high as possible to curve the back into an arch.

Look on the ground between the hands.

Benefits: Builds a flexible back, stimulates the nerves of the spine. One of the powerful back bending postures.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Bhadrasan











Time: 2 minutes


Method:
Sit holding feet together, heels as close to body as possible

Head up, chin down

Normal breathing.

Benefits: Specially recommended for those suffering from urinary disorder. The pelvis, the abdomen and the back get stimulated through a plentiful supply of blood. Keeps the kidneys, the prostate and the bladder healthy.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Vajrasan











Time: 2 minutes


Method:
Sit on your heels.

Hands on knees, abdomen drawn in, chest up, back straight, shoulders squared, head erect.

Normal breathing

Benefits: Aids digestion and helps cure sciatica.



Yogasanasa - Yoga Exercises
Paad-Pashchimottana san





Time: 2 minutes


Method:
Lie on your back, legs straight, arms overhead, hands together, palms facing up.

Sit up, take hands overhead, back straight,

Then bend forward to hold the big toes, head between arms and touching the knees

Benefits: Reduces abdominal fat. Removes wind from the intestines and increases appetite.