Art Of Living Newsletter &n= bsp; May 27th, 2009

3DScenery =

Yoga - The science of Being <= /span>

&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; =

= Preparation for Nauli
Learning and Practicing Uddiyana Bandha

"Uddiyana" means 'flying up', and 'Bandha', means 'l= ock' or 'tie' in Sanskrit. Uddiyana is the 'flying up' of the diaphragm in= the thorax and the simultaneous pulling back of the abdominal viscera abo= ve and below the navel towards the spine.

Benefits:

· = Uddiyana is the sole exercise which helps to maintain abdominal fitness. It promotes the resilience of the abdominal muscles and improves the blo= od circulation in the abdominal cavity.

· = It provides a natural and powerful massage to the heart, stomach, liver,= pancreas, spleen, kidneys, gall bladder, the transverse colon, and the upper pa= rt of the small intestine, all in one movement.

· = The participation of the abdomen in the respiratory processes and the increased mobility of the diaphragm make a deeper and fuller respirat= ion possible.

· = Uddiyana restores the elasticity of the lungs and improves their capacity. The chest expands and the ribs are also exercised.

· = It tones up all the nerves which have their roots in the region of the s= olar plexus.

· = The improved functioning of the somatic nerve helps the coordinated activ= ity of the voluntary and involuntary nervous systems.

Caution:
There are a few important points to remember when beginning the practice of Uddiyana Bandha: perform it only on an empty stomach. Uddiyana Bandha is only practiced while holding without breath. This = is an important safety measure. Sensitive tissues in the lungs could be damaged by practicing Uddiyana Bandha with air in the lungs. <= /span>

= Sequence<= span style=3D'mso-bookmark:"LETTER\.BLOCK9"'>=
Stand with your feet slightly apart, eyes open. Different teac= hers have different ideas about the proper way to perform 3DUddiyanaBan= this bandha.

Here are four possibilities:
a) Practice with your torso rounded forward, knees bent, hands restin= g on your knees.
b) Learn the bandha first with your torso rounded forward and then, a= fter getting some experience, practice the bandha standing upright, hands = on hips.
c) Practice throughout with your torso upright.
d) Start the practice with your torso rounded forward, perform Uddiya= na Bandha, and then stand upright, with your hands on your hips
Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale quickly and forcibly, al= so through your nose (or pursed lips). Contract your abdominal muscles f= ully to push as much air as possible out of your lungs. Then relax your abdominals.

= Perform what's called a "mock inhalation"; that is, expand your rib cage (thorax) as if you were inhaling, but don't actually inhale. The expansion of the rib cage (without the inhalation) sucks the abdominal muscles and viscera up into the thorax and hollows the belly (some teachers say to actively but slowly lift abdominals, or navel, toward= the spine).
Hold the bandhas for five to 15 seconds. Then slowly release the abdominal grip and inhale normally. Perform three to 10 rounds, depen= ding on your capacity, with one or more normal breaths between each round.

Knowledge Section

Rage =

Rage has no ears, nor does = it have vision. =

It only leads to reaction.<= /span>=
<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comi= c Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#660000;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>And Reaction leads to regre= t.=
<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comi= c Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#660000;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'>Regret causes frustration.<= /span>=

Frustration clouds reason.<= /span>=

Unreasonable acts provoke r= age, starting a vicious cycle.

Only self-knowledge and dev= otion can free from this vicious cycle. In the fire of knowledge, when rage= and revenge are offered, the warmth of the blemish-free Self shines forth= . This is true Yagya.

&nb= sp; = &nb= sp; ---Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,
<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Comi= c Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:#660000;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'> &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; Rishikesh,India,March 6,2002

This reminds me of an acronym that's going around in motivatio= nal workshops these days - Q-tip. Q-tips is a common household word to re= fer to the cotton swabs used to clean 3DQtips the ears. The Q-tip used in motivational workshops refers to = Quit Taking It Personally. We have a jar of those little white-tipped tools in our vanity, and every morning they remind us to use this quick-and-easy stress reduction technique: Q-Tip It!

- The traffic jam or the flat tire, or the keys that get locked in the car are not part of a plan to ruin your day. Q-Tip It - Quit Taking It Personally! =

-The keys that can never be found are just inanimate objects, = and there is no moral value attributable to being able to find everything anyway. = Q-Tip It!= = =

-The computer that freezes just when you've got an important report to print really is just a stupid machine. Take a deep bre= ath and repeat the maxim about accepting the things you cannot change. Ab= ove all -= Q-Tip It! =

-The supervisor who wants everything done yesterday has a prob= lem with time management and scheduling. You're more likely to find a con= structive way to deal with this kind of persistent stressful situations, if you= Q-Tip It!

-The 5 pounds you can't seem to lose are just a ball of fat . = . . not

a moral failure. You know what to do - eat less, move more. So= get moving . . . and Q-Tip It! =

-The kids or loved ones who don't call often enough proba= bly, really ARE busy (and didn't you raise them to be independent?). Q-Tip It! =

-The colleague who consistently says you're doing things all w= rong is telling you more about her needs than about your way of doing thin= gs. Q-Tip It! =

-Got a spouse (or friend, or child) who seems always to ignore things you say? Odds are she/he is hard of hearing, forgetful, or cau= ght up in her own priorities rather than trying to drive you nuts. Q-Tip It!

- ______________ (fill in your own stressors - and Q-Tip = It! )

Stress is not what happens = to us. It's our response to what happens.= And RESPONSE is something we can choose. 10% of our life is what hap= pens to you and 90% of life is decided by how you react to it. You have no control over 10% of the things that happen to us, but the other 90% c= an be determined by how we react to it. If someone says something negati= ve about you, do not be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You do not have to let the negative comments affect you. Act properly and it will not ruin your day. Learn to Act with wisdom and avoid Reacting. Be aware of = the fact that nature provides you with a solution even before giving you the problem and above all Q-tip the stress causing factors and fill your = life with enthusiasm

So my dear ones,

Learn to Q-Tip the stress causing factors! Let Leo Gerstenzang's(inventor of Q-tips) little white-tipped tool be a memory-hook, a way to ease the personal stress reactions, and a way YOU can choose to respond = to the happenings of your days.