The Yoga rules

By Hema Murty

Are you looking for a way to get lean with an easy, indoor routine? Are you looking to get some stretching in after shovelling a lot of snow? Yoga and meditation should be your answer to solve all that ails you in today's world. The meaning of yoga has been lost to mean exercise. In fact, exercise is only one part of yoga. The word yoga means integration. We integrate the body, mind and spirit of our personality into an integrated whole. We present this whole being to the world and operate at a more efficient level.

Imagine performing better at work with very little effort. Yoga can accomplish that. There are many techniques to obtain this integrated sense of self. One of them is to keep the mind with you during your stretches. Don't let your mind drift as you move. Keep your mind always with you. Practicing this process is yoga.

Meditation is also a misused word. It means understanding or measuring the mind's contents. How do we do this? Closing your eyes is one way. However, most of us would probably fall asleep. A better way is to simply sit in a comfortable position and practice a short minute of breathing. Then, take pen to paper and write down all the thoughts you had. This gives you a snapshot of the mind's activities. Stuff you are wasting energy on. Every thought you have is an energy drain if it is not a positive thought. These thoughts deplete your energy source. You have less left over to do constructive work. This is why you don't shine in the workplace. Your mind is always busy pointing fingers and trying to tell you what is wrong with the rest of the world. Instead, tell your mind to stop it and focus on your own activities. Focussing on yourself enables you to shine at the workplace. Your mind is more in tune with productivity.

Writing is one easy way of practicing meditation. In fact, if you are angry at someone, best to vent on paper and then come back to the real world. After you have vented, you can think more clearly. You can address your issues in a more constructive fashion.

In today's hectic, fast-paced world, it is a good idea to see what your mind is up to everyday. Make a habit of getting up and doing the minute breathing followed by a data dump on paper. It doesn't have to be long; it just has to get done. This is a great way to start your day. You will feel more focussed on constructive things. You will feel more passionate about the things that matter to you.

Live life a little more fully as you practice meditation. This week do things a little differently. Live it like you can throw your whole heart and soul into it. Don't accept anything less than a perfect effort from you. Remember the key word here is effort. Just put your whole soul into it. Ace it. See how you feel. You should feel a little more energetic than doing things in a routine fashion or entertaining a feeling of "good enough".

Don't accept that from yourself. You can be way better. You know it. Don't create frustration. Just do it. Do it right and do it with passion. This is real yoga and real meditation. Understand that and use it.

For the past 20 years Hema has worked with many individuals, including executives at large corporations, to reduce stress, improve general health and workplace productivity. A variety of personal interests and professional paths have led Hema to her current role as a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and nutrition and wellness specialist. Hema is listed in Who's Who in the World and is an author, lecturer and Can-Fit-Pro certified personal trainer who specializes in body-mind-spirit consulting and training women.

Hema offers keynote speeches, group workshops, and sees clients one-on-one in the Ottawa/Toronto area. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.getshanti.com