EXERCISE

Exercise is necessary to maintain a healthy body. There are many forms which people follow like the cardiovascular, aerobics, & tai chi etc. here our focus will be to use exercise to increase inner awareness as well as to enhance flexibility.
These simple sets of exercises will strengthen mind and body, build balance and co-ordination as well as strengthen and enhance concentration and confidence.
If you exercise regularly, you will recognize that there are times when your exercise doesn’t seem very helpful. It happens only when the mind is not properly engaged. Whenever the body is exercising but the mind is not involved, the exercise yields fewer benefits.
If we want to use the exercise as a tool to increase our self-mastery, we must pay attention to how the exercise affects the body and mind. We must co-ordinate mind, body and action and this takes attention, which is the key to successful exercise.
With concentration and comfortable breathing you will be able to stretch much farther than you thought. By moving gently and relaxing in to the posture, you begin, you begin to develop the most important skill that comes from exercising. By paying close attention to the internal feelings and movements, you become conscious of the subtle feedback cues of the muscles and the systems involved. This increased sensitivity leads to a greater conscious control over these muscles and systems.

When you exercise, it helps to keep several points in mind:

Be consistent. Set a specific time each day for your practice and practice at least a little each day. Don’t rush – take the time you need to do them properly. Consistency builds very helpful habits.
Morning and evening are the two best times to practice. Morning exercise helps you remain calm and alert during the day. In the evening, the exercises help relieve the days tension so that you can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
Do the exercises in a clean, quiet and well-ventilated room. Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
Always practice on an empty stomach.
Do not become discouraged if your body does not respond the same way each day. Just practice regularly and don’t compete with others or yourself.
Study your body and its movements. Be aware of your capacity and learn not to go beyond it. Your capacity will increase with practice.
Let the body movement’s flow evenly and gently with the breath. Do not hold your breath at any time unless specifically instructed to do so.
Follow any exertion with relaxation. However, do not allow the mind to drift toward sleep while you relax.

Breath – vital force in our body

Breath is the most powerful tool we have for achieving self-mastery. Yet we don’t pay much attention to breath until it isn’t there. Because of its unique relationship to the autonomic nervous system, the powerful nervous system that controls organ systems, breathing plays the critical role in determining whether or not we suffer from stress. Breath is part of both the voluntary or sensorimotor nervous system and the involuntary or autonomic nervous system. We can either consciously control the way we breath or let it run on automatic. This dual connection allows us to use the breath as a doorway to the autonomic nervous system, giving us the control we need to regulate autonomic balance and eliminate stress.

ACTIVITY:

Let’s explore the relationship between breathing and the autonomic system. Take a finger and find a place where you can feel your own pulse, either on the inside of your wrists or in your neck. Pay attention to your pulse for a few moments. Notice that your pulse doesn’t tick like a clock. Instead it fluctuates slightly. There is a slight slowing and speeding up of your pulse. This gentle rhythm is related to another process going on in your body.
As you keep track of your pulse, pay attention to your breath. As you inhale, notice how your pulse begins to speed up, and as you exhale, your pulse begins to slow down. (This is called sinus arrhythmia, and is a healthy and natural rhythm or fluctuation in your pulse.) Your pulse is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, the control system that controls your organ systems. The sympathetic arm of the autonomic system, which creates arousal in the body, speeds up the heart rate. The parasympathetic arm, which creates rest for the body, slows the heart rate.
Taking charge of your breath is the crucial “first step” to self-mastery. If you know the secrets of breathing, you learn the secret to controlling the physical reactions to fear and self-hatred. Not only do you now have control of your stress reactions, but also have a powerful tool to begin to take control of your emotional reactions and the two dragons - fear and self-hatred.