To perform this asana:

Lie flat on the stomach. Raise the head and shoulders and rest the chin in the palms of the hands witrh the elbows on the floor. Keep the elbows together for for a more pronounced arch to the spine. Seperate the elbows slightly to relieve excess pressure on the neck. [...]]]>

To perform this asana:

Lie flat on the stomach. Raise the head and shoulders and rest the chin in the palms of the hands witrh the elbows on the floor. Keep the elbows together for for a more pronounced arch to the spine. Seperate the elbows slightly to relieve excess pressure on the neck. In makarasana, the effect is felt at two points: the neck and the lower back. If the elbows are too far infront, tension will be felt in trhe neck; if they are drawn too close to the chest, tension will be felt more on the lower back. Adjust the position of the elbows so that these two points are equally balanced. The ideal position is when the whole spine is equally relaxed. Relax the whole body and close the eyes in the final position

Breathing: Natural rythinic breathing

Duration: For as long a spossible

Awareness: Physical -  on the breathing process or counting the breath with concentration on the lower back and relaxing the whole body

People with back or spinal complaints may practice breathing in moving the awareness up along the spine from the tailbone to the neck and breathing out, bringing the awareness back down from the neck to the tail bone. Imagine that the breath is moving up and down the spine like mercury in a glass tube. This will quickly activate the healing energies in this area. For lower back pain due to the tension, concentrate on this area and feel it expanding and relaxing with every inhalation and exhalatio.

Spiritual – on manipura chakra or on the nose tip if practicing nasikagra drishti

Contra-indication: Those with back conditions shopuld not practice this asana if any pain is experienced

Benefits; This asana is very effective for people suffering from slipped disc, sciatica, lower back pain or any other spinal disorder. They should remain in this asana for extended periods of time as it encourages the vertebral column to resume its normal shape and releases compression of the spinal nerves. Asthmatic people who have any other lung ailments should practice this simple asana regularly with breath awareness as it allows more air to enter the lungs

There is a place called Shirdi in Maharashtra in India, where lived a renowned saint, Sai Baba. There is [...]]]> Spiritual life begins by itself when you experience atmabhava. Vedanta speaks of atmabhava, the experience of oneself in all. It means that you have the same attitude towards others’ interests as you do towards your own.

There is a place called Shirdi in Maharashtra in India, where lived a renowned saint, Sai Baba. There is a famous story about him. When the house of one of his devotees was on fire, he felt the burning in his own body. People had to spray water on him to ease the pain. How did other people’s pain become a part of his experience?

I will tell you about an incident that took place over fifty years ago. The Kumbha Mela was on in Haridwar, and the pilgrims spilled over to Rishikesh. One evening I was walking towards Lakshman Jhoola situated to the north of the ashram. On the way, I noticed a gunny bag which seemed full of something. I didn’t pay much attention and continued on my way. When I returned to the ashram, I learnt that Swami Chidananda had picked up that gunny bag and brought it to the ashram – it contained an old man suffering from leprosy. Swami Sivananda organized a hut for him and arranged for his treatment. Some sannyasins were assigned to his service; they would bathe, shave and look after him. I was also one of them. However, I performed the tasks not as seva, but as a duty which my guru had given to me. That was not seva because I did not have the bhava, disposition, for seva inside me. His pain was not my pain. I was assigned that job, therefore I was doing it. Do you understand what I am saying? I am telling you the difference between karma and seva. It is not enough to just do something, the bhava is essential. If you have the right bhava, you may not even do anything. You may not have the money to help someone with food, but that is not important. Bhava is not an external thing, but an internal experience. After the above incident, Swami Sivananda decided that the lepers who sit by the road and beg should have a place to stay. The government offered some land and I was given the responsibility of building the colony. After I completed the task, about one hundred leper families came to live in that colony. Every evening I would chant the Ramayana to them, but I did not have any feeling inside me, I had no bhava. I was just performing an action. This is an example so you may understand the subject.

If someone you love falls sick, you cannot sleep at night. You go to visit your family because they are your family. This is not atmabahva. If you feel pain in your foot when a thorn pricks it but you do not feel anything when it pricks my foot, then it is not atmabhava. Atmabhava is where you make an effort towards someone who has no use for you, who does not belong to your family or clan, yet you express love towards him.

If you want to live a spiritual life, find a guru and then begin to perform seva, selfless service. Yoga is all right for the body. A little bit of pranayama, japa and dhyana are also necessary. A little bit of swadhyaya, satsang, kirtan and bhajan are also fine. But nothing is going to happen through them. They will not take the car of your spiritual life forward even one inch. For fifty years, I walked that path and my spiritual car did not stir. Even though I practised many hard and intense sadhanas, my car stayed stuck at one place; it did not move forward even one inch. It was only when a trace of atmabhava awakened in me that my car started moving.

The first lesson of spiritual life is seva. If you want to experience the presence of God, then get involved in seva. Seva means service of the human race, whether you serve one, two, or more, whether you serve a leper, an orphan, a blind person, or a homeless widow. This is the kindergarten of spiritual life. This is what Jesus Christ and Sri Krishna talked about. In the Bhagavad Gita, jnana yoga, raja yoga and sannyasa yoga come in the later chapters; karma yoga comes first. Karma yoga is actually seva yoga, selfless service. When you serve your spouse or children, it is not selfless service; it is selfish service. Your self-interest is involved in that. When you serve others, it is selfless service. This is called paramartha, for the sake of a higher cause, while swartha means for the sake of one’s own cause. What you do for others is karma yoga, what is done for oneself is karma. This is the first lesson.

The second lesson is love. Love everyone. To love a man or a woman has become very cheap these days. Many songs are written praising love. That is not love; it is lust. Love means holding someone as your own even if he is of no use to you, even if he is a horrible person. There is no room for hatred
in love.

The third lesson is purify. This refers to purification of the mind. To purify the mind you don’t need to practise dhyana yoga. Practise dhyana when the mind has become pure. Dhyana is the BA course. Atmanubhuti, experience of the soul, is the MA course while seva is kindergarten. If you put a child in the MA course and teach him higher mathematics, he won’t understand anything. So at first, the small things must be learnt.
Spiritual life is very difficult because you do not even know where it begins. It is like a knotted string, you cannot fathom where the beginning is. Therefore, on this path you have to trust your heart and not your intellect. The intellect does not help here; this is the life of bhavana, feeling. When you are able to have the feeling that you have for your children, spouse or lover towards others, your spiritual life will begin. You need to have the same intensity of desire for spiritual life as you do for wealth and material enjoyment

 
Source: http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2009/lnov09/beg.shtml

Bowen Therapy helps your muscles to release spasm and return naturally to their healthy [...]]]> Developed in Australia, Bowen Therapy is one of the most effective treatments for back pain because it releases spasm almost immediately and realigns your entire muscle system so that your joints and spine return to healthier and pain free positions.

Bowen Therapy helps your muscles to release spasm and return naturally to their healthy position and hold that position with long term benefits. Healthier muscle structure ensures that your joints and spine  remain in a healthier position,  keeping you pain free for longer and improving your joint mobility.

Bowen Therapy stimulates nerves on your spine which affect all your organs, and also provides significant relief in hormonal issues, asthma, digestive issues, PMS, infertility, migraines, detoxification and other metabolic conditions.

Ameet Aggarwal ND is a naturopathic doctor, advanced Bowen Therapist and practices Gestalt psychotherapy in Nairobi and Nanyuki. Book your appointment through +254 727 701002 or email ameet@fimafrica.org. Read more about naturopathic medicine onhttp://www.healthretreatsafrica.com and stay engaged with health tips on www.facebook.com/healthretreatsafrica.