Principles

Yoga is a sacred practice and a healing tool of growth and transformation. It honors the individuals spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical process of human evolution. Yoga gives you the courage to undertake your own journey towards the Self. Yoga fills you with a feeling of coming home. You will discover a powerful tool, probably the path you are searching for. Especially if you have a sense of purpose to learn, you will receive great satisfaction in practicing and working with individuals and groups.


Further, Yoga is a complex integrated system that has a history of 5,000 or more years. Beginners can easily be snowed under by the vastness of Yoga practice, its philosophy, and literature. However, here are the key working principles that will help you understand better the different aspects of Yoga.


Ten Key Fundamental Principles.


1. Yoga is traditionally a liberation teaching. It guides you to free yourself from your historical limitations of who and what you were to become something greater and better.


2. To truly learn and understand Yoga, a teacher must be able to instruct, either in a class or even on a video. This is crucial to ultimate success in Yoga. However, you can benefit from a good many Yogic practices even without instruction, since any form of Yoga is better than none at all.


3. Since everybody has their different strengths and weaknesses, Yoga has different styles developed over time. Here are the seven most common:


Raja-Yoga

Hatha-Yoga

Jnana-Yoga

Karma-Yoga

Bhakti-Yoga

Tantra-Yoga

Mantra-Yoga


4. Yoga is both a theoretical and practical journey of the jivatma, individual soul. In order to practice Yoga well, you ought to pay attention to the ideals behind its practical disciplines as well as to the exercises and techniques supporting its theories. This calls for considerate and conscientious practice. For instance, the regular and right practice of Yogasanas will most certainly help you maintain optimum physical health.


5. All forms of Yoga have their grounding in a sound moral life. For this reason laws have been laid down, laws that stand for moral virtues like nonviolence, truthfulness, and abstention from theft, compassion and kindness. Basically it’ Yoga is all about leading a positive life. Without a firm foundation in these moral and ethical principles, you cannot practise and benefit from Yoga.


6. No matter how simple a particular yogic approach may be, all approaches call for a huge commitment. If you fear change and cling to your old habits, you cannot succeed in Yoga. The practice requires considerable personal effort and that involves self-discipline.


7. Yoga consists of a lot of practice, both physical and mental. These can be further split up into two major categories. The first is the performance of a set of exercises or techniques intended to produce a positive state of mind in us. The second is the complementary practice of letting go old behavioral patterns, habits and attachments that hold you back


8. In Yoga, focus is the key to making improvements. With focus come control and power, which is the nature of consciousness itself.


9. Return to the basics, the more you untangle your life the better off you will be.


10. Yoga is the progressive process of replacing your unconscious thought patterns and behavior with new, more beneficial patterns, which lead towards a better life. It takes time to reach this goal of self-realization. Hence, practitioners must first practice patience.


We should be willing to commit ourselves to a lifetime of practice. There must be a basic desire to grow, regardless of whether or not we achieve enlightenment in this life. One of Yoga’s fundamental beliefs is that no effort is ever wasted. Even the slightest attempt at transforming oneself makes a difference. It is patient cumulative effort that, ultimately, grows into self-realization.

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For women and men skin care products should cover three basic principles; prevention, protection and individualized care.  Natural skin care for men can cover all of these concepts.  In fact, natural compounds and extracts are the best ingredients for the skinâ??s health. 

Below, we briefly cover what to look for in men skin care products.  But, remember that skincare, like any other kind of healthcare, is a long subject and you can never have too much information.  Knowledge is the key to natural skin care for men.  This should be just enough to get you started down the road to healthier, better looking skin.

Prevention Principle

To prevent future problems, such as disease, age spots, blemishes and wrinkles, there are several things that we must do.  First, there are some things to avoid.  Overexposure to the sun and smoking do more damage than just about anything else.  But, some of the common ingredients found in women and men skin care products can also do damage.

You should always avoid harmful substances, such as irritants, allergens, toxins and carcinogens.  There is a long list of chemical ingredients that fall into those categories, so Iâ??ll only mention the most common ones; perfumes, preservatives and mineral oils.

Perfumes and preservatives are the two most common allergens, but many are toxic and some are known carcinogens.  Mineral oil and its derivatives include petrolatum, petroleum jelly, paraffin, liquid paraffin and paraffin wax.  If you look at many some so-called natural skin care for men, you are likely to see at least one of those ingredients.

The only preservative that should be included in women or men skin care products is natural vitamin E, but most companies use parabens.  If a parabens or fragrance is listed as an ingredient, donâ??t buy it. 

Mineral oils found in men skin care products do more harm than good.  They inhibit skin regeneration, clog pores and lead to excessive dryness.

Protection Principles

In order to protect the deepest of the skinâ??s layers from damage, premature aging and disease, you need moisture, nutrients and protection from the sun.  Natural skin care for men should include all of these things, but Iâ??m not talking using sunscreen on a daily basis.  That can lead to vitamin D deficiencies. 

If you will spend more than 15 minutes in direct sunlight on a given day, you should use a zinc oxide sun block.  Titanium dioxide has recently been listed as a possible carcinogen, but it is commonly found in natural skin care for men and women, because it is a naturally occurring substance.  To protect from the sun, men skin care products should include vitamin B-5 and coenzyme Q10. 

For moisture, the best choices are vitamin E, essential fatty acids, grape seed oil and Babassu wax.  You can see that the use of these protective and moisturizing ingredients also supply nutrients.

Individualized Care Principle

If you have wrinkles, stretch marks, acne, psoriasis, eczema, excessive dryness, dermatitis or another condition, then you may need specific ingredients.  For example, the best natural skin care for men with dermatitis is a protein peptide, such as â??Functional Keratinâ?.  Thatâ??s a brand name.  Other forms of keratin are not as effective.

If you shop carefully and do a little research about the ingredients in a product, you will see that men skin care products can address all of the issues mentioned here, naturally.   

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Yoga is a powerful tool to help you blossom and reach your full human potential. The seeds are all within you, yoga is the water, the sunlight, the nutrients and the love they need in order to make your life vibrant, beautiful and full of sweet fragrance. It is not a religion, it is really a science with which to develop your body, mind and spirit. The ultimate goal of Yoga, which literally means, Union, is to reunite you with the Universal Source. You may call this Universal Source by any name you wish, God, Brahman, Allah, Christ Consciousness, Buddha Nature etc, Yoga is a pathway to bring you to the realization that you and this Universal Source are inseparably One.

There are many branches of Yoga, such as Bhakti Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Laya Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Kundalini Yoga to name a few. These all have the same one goal, unification with the Universal Source, but each follow a different path to get there. Depending on your personality one or the other path may suit you better.

Here is a description of some of the major branches of Yoga:

* Bhakti Yoga: Emphasizes love as the pathway to liberation and Union.

* Jnana Yoga: Emphasizes the intellectual and philosophical approach to penetrate the illusion of dualistic reality.

* Karma Yoga: Emphasizes right action and selfless service as the path to moksha (liberation).

* Kundalini Yoga: Emphasizes the activation of Kundalini Shakti for enlightenment.

* Raja Yoga: Considered the Scientific approach, this branch emphasizes Sage Pantanjali’s 8 step path to Self-Realization.

In this article I will expand on Raja Yoga as that is perhaps the most prevalent and popular Yoga system in use today.

As indicated above Raja Yoga employs Sage Pantanjali’s 8 step path to achieve Union with the Supreme. This 8 step system (ashtanga) compromises of the following parts. Yamas, Niyamas, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and finally Samadhi. This 8 step path is designed to bring about physical, emotion and mental harmony; and in the advanced practices of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi lead to the cessation of thoughts allowing the mind to realize that Reality is indeed Singular, Whole and indivisible.

Here is a description of the 8 limbs of Raja Yoga:

1. Yamas: Yamas are abstensions. They are truth, nonviolence, control of sexual energy, nonstealing and noncovetousness.

2. Niyams: Niyams are observances. They are austerities, purity, contentment, study and egolessness.

3. Asanas: Steady postures and poses.

4. Pranayama: Breathing exercises and control of the vital energy.

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the Senses.

6. Dharana: Concentration of the mind.

7. Dhyana: Meditation.

8. Samadhi: Union with the Supreme Consciousness.

The regular practice of Raja Yoga promotes health, happiness and insight. Although the ultimate goal of Yoga is Union with the Supreme, many material benefits are also obtained by its practice. Today, many ailments are treated via the use of Yoga asanas and pranayamas, and the stress reducing benefits of Yoga meditation are becoming more and more valuable to us given our hectic and frantic lifestyles. Furthermore, the principles of humility, truth and other high values that Yoga promotes are helping to offset some of the excessive materialism and greed that is eroding the peace and spirit of our society today.

The most important aspect of Yoga is that it is based on Self-Realization. In other words, you are given the tools required, and using them you bring about the necessary transformations in yourself to reach your true potential in life. It is now often said, that the next great teachers will arise from the West. This is because the West has an empirical approach to things, as opposed to superstition and blind faith. If something works it is embraced and utilized, if something does not prove to work, it is discarded as junk. This is probably the reason why Yoga has grown in such popularity here in the West, because it works. So dive in and reap the benefits.

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India is the mother of spiritual practices, meditation, meditation retreats, and meditation technique. The first written book, Rig Veda, comes from India and it is all about the deepest spiritual practices. Most religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism etc. had their birth in India. They are still flourishing here and have produced some of the greatest spiritual leaders in this country.

Meditation in India can be divided into four broad categories — depending upon the propensities of the practitioners, they can choose the path that is best suited to their needs:

a. Jnana Yoga: Path of Knowledge is most suitable for those who have a deep urge to understand before they can accept anything. They want clear rational and experiential proofs before having faith in any knowledge. The meditation practice in this discipline consists of Truth based mantras and analytical inquiry. The inquiry helps dig out all wrong notions and the mantras make one experience the true Self which is absolute awareness and bliss.

b. Bhakti Yoga: Path of devotion is suitable for those whose minds are more love and faith based. They would like to follow a meditation method that would help them develop in their love for God. The devotee believes more in surrendering that in understanding. He will first have faith and then this faith will take him to the sublime experience of the Truth. Surrender to the divine will and deep longing to meet God are the main traits of Bhakti Yoga.

c. Raja Yoga: Path of concentration and awareness is suitable for those who like to practice a witnessing attitude. The witness is free from desires and reactions. The practice is based on certain moral principles without following which, the witnessing cannot shine.

d. Karma Yoga: Path of selfless work helps in making the mind pure and stable and gives immense joy to the practitioner. One who is compassionate at heart and feels that the highest practice consists in helping the needy will be following this path.

For practicing Meditation in India, there are many retreats available in all parts of the country. Wherever you go, you can find true seekers and true masters who will help you find your path and walk on it. These places are called ashramas where seekers create a sort of a sangha and practice together.

Z Meditation Center is the abode of deep spiritual practice for thousands of sincere seekers from all over the globe. The path followed here is that of Jnana Yoga, the path of Knowledge in which Deep Deconditioning Inquiry is practiced alongwith Radiant Mantras in order to realize one’s true Self. The other three paths are used as complimentary aids that help deepen the practice.

Ajay and Suruchi, the founders of Z Meditation, are ever grateful to the Cosmos for giving them this opportunity to serve the suffering humanity through this most sublime and pure work. If you feel ready to let go of your false stories, they will be very happy to help you do the same. This work requires sincerity, objectivity and openness to growing.

Come forward and join this greatest inner revolution. You are going to find many hidden gems in your heart!

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