THE OM CHANTING AND SETHU BANDHASANA (YOGA)

YOGA AND MEMORY

 

 

YOGA IS AN ANCIENT HINDU DISCIPLINE. THE GOAL OF YOGA IS UNION WITH THE HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS.

MEMORY IS THE CAPACITY TO RETAIN AND RECALLL INFORMATION ABOUT PAST AND PRESENT INCIDENTS. MEMORY CAPACITY IS THE ABILITY TO ANALYZE AND SYNTHESIZE THE ASSIMILATED INFORMATION AND NOT INFORMATION STORAGE ALONE. MEMORY POWER VARIES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS.

IN SANSKRIT, THE WORD "MEMORY" IS CALLED "SMRITI". THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI DESCRIB MEMORY AS "AN EXPERIENCED OBJECT NOT BEGING LOST FROM THE MIND".

YOGA AND MEMORY

WHILE MEMORY IS THE LATENT CAPACITY TO RETAIN AND RECALL INFORMATION, YOGA ASSITS IN IMPORVING THE MEMORY POWER, WITH YOGIC TECHNIQUES OF CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION. THE BRAIN FUNCTIONS OF ATTENTION, COGNITION, PROCESSING OF SENSORY INFORMATION AND VISUAL PERCEPTION ARE HONED WITH YOGIC PRACTICES.

YOGIC PRACTICES HELP TO CALM THE MIND AND ENHANCE CONCENTRATION SKILLS BY INCREASING THE CIRCULATION OF BLOOD TO THE BRAIN THROUGH ITS ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, MEDITATION AND OM CHANTING.

OM CHANTING 

THE VIBRATION OF OM RECHARGE THE CELLS AND ORGANS OF THE BODY WITH ENERGY. IT IS SAID THAT 30 MINUTES OF OM CHANTING HELPS TO REJUVENATE OUR CONSCIOUSNESS AND IMPROVES MEMORY POWER.

 

HOW TO PRACTICE "OM"

• AUM - UTTERANCE OF A AFFECTS THE SPINAL CORD.
• UTTERANCE OF U AFFECTS THE THYROID GLANDS.
• UTTERANCE OF M AFFECTS THE BRAIN AND ITS CENTRES.
• THIS PRACTICE ENHANCES THE EFFICIENCY OF THE BRAIN CELLS, THEREBY IMPROVING MEMORY POWER.

ASANAS

THE INVERTED POSTURES NOURISH THE BRAIN WITH INCREASED FLOW OF PRANA AND OXYGEN TO THE BODY PARTS AND THE BRAIN, ENHANCING MEMORY POWER.

PRANAYAMA

DEEP BREATHING EXERCISES HELP IN THE INCREASED FLOW OF PRANA AND OXYGEN TO THE BODY PARTS AND THE BRAIN, ENHANCING MEMORY POWER.

MEDITATION

IT HELPS TO CLEAR THE MIND OF UNWANTED THOUGHTS AND REDUCES EXCESSIVE THINKING. IT IS SAID THAT EXCESSIVE THINKING SAPS THE MENTAL ENERGY OF A PERSON. DAILY MEDITATION HELPS TO KEEP THE MIND CALM AND FREE OF TENSION. MEDITATION ON THE THIRD EYE OR ON THE POINT BETWEEN THE EYEBROWS HELPS TO ACTIVATE THE BRAIN AND DEVELOP MEMORY POWER.

SETHU BANDHASANA

IN SANSKRIT SETHU MEANS BRIDGE AND BANDHA MEANS LOCK. THIS ACTIVE VERSION OF SETHU BANDHASANA CALMS THE BRAIN AND REJUVENATES TIRED LEGS.

STEPS 

1. LIE ON YOUR BACK WITH YOUR KNEES BENT, FEET TOGETHER. KEEP YOUR ARMS ON YOUR SIDE WITH PALMS ON THE FLOOR.
2. LIFT THE HIPS TOWARDS THE CEILING, KEEPING YOUR FEET AND PALMS FLAT ON THE FLOORT.
3. MAINTAIN YOUR POSITION IN STEP 2 AND MOVE YOUR ARMS OVER YOUR HEAD.

BENEFITS

• SETHU BANDHASANA OR THE BRIDGE POSE INCREASES FLEXIBILITY AND ELASTRICITY OF YOUR BODY. IT MAINLY STRENGTHENS THE LOWER BACK AND ABDOMINAL MUSCLES AND OPENS THE CHEST.
• IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM PAIN IN ANY PART OF THE SPINE OR IN THE HIP JOINTS. IT HAS CURATIVE AND CORRECTIVE EFFECTS ON THE DISORDERS OF THE SHOULDER JOINTS, NECK, ARMS AND THE PALMS. SO IT CREATES FLEXIBILITY IN THE SPINE, REMOVES WIND AND GASTRIC TROUBLES, AND CORRECTS RESPIRATORY DISORDERS.
• CALMS THE BRAIN AND HELPS ALLEVIATE STRESS AND MILD DEPRESSION.
• STIMULATES ABDOMINAL ORGANS, LUNGS, AND THYROID.
• HELPS RELIEVE THE SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE, REJUVENATES TIRED LEGS, RELIEVES MENSTRUAL DISCOMFORT.
• IT REDUCES ANXIETY, FATIGUE, BACKACHE, HEADACHE, AND INSOMNIA.
• FROM A MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW, IT ACTS EFFICIENTLY ON THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM FROM THE SACRAL AREA. THE PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEM ENSURES THE CONTROL OF THE GENITAL AND URINARY ORGANS.