Heartfulness International Yoga Academy Foundation

Yoga and Fitness

8 Reasons Why You Need to Meditate Daily

Contrary to popular belief, Meditation is not about zoning out and emptying your thoughts or mind. It's about zoning inwards, acknowledging your thoughts, and then detaching from them without judgment. The most common reactions I get when I talk about meditation are "I cannot meditate", "I cannot empty my mind", "as soon as I empty my mind a thousand thoughts enter my mind", "sitting for long hours hurts my back and hips" or "mediation makes me more anxious". Well, all of this can be true if you throw yourself into the deep end of mediation without any experience. Start From The Basics Preferably start by preparing your body through basic simple asanas (yoga stretches) and breathe through pranayama (breathing techniques). Find a place that is comfortable for you to meditate. Some people use a quiet space at home or in the office. You can meditate outside in nature as well. Meditation Reduces Stress, Anxiety, And Negative Emotions Meditation is a gift that you should dedicate to yourself every day. Use your breath to help de-stress and become more aware and present at the moment. Stress, anxiety, and negative emotions are unpredictable, they come and go as they please but through meditation, you can control the power they have over you and your mind. Over time you will observe a transformation in the amount of stress/anxiety you accumulate within. Simply closing your eyes and steadily breathing has a tremendous effect, especially when you acknowledge stressful situations arising. Meditation is so powerful to reduce anxiety. One of the main reasons people meditate is to help quiet a loud, overactive mind. Daily meditation might be able to help support the treatment and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is because meditation helps fight stress and anxiety, which are both major triggers for depression. It Helps Increase Focus, Creativity, and Productivity Want to feel more creative and productive at work? Start meditating now! Meditation can encourage creative thinking and problem-solving. Meditation also helps us separate our emotions from our work, which helps us think more clearly and develop new ideas. Daily meditation can help you perform better at work! It helps increase your focus and attention and improves your ability to multitask. Meditation helps clear our minds and helps us focus on the present moment - which gives you a huge productivity boost. Boasts Emotional Intelligence Unless you make the effort to observe your thoughts and attempt to understand what the mind is doing, you are never going to learn about your inner self. Many of us have trouble understanding our emotions. Meditation teaches us how to be more aware of our feelings and emotions and helps us process them better. Simply believing every thought that pops in your head and living under your mind's umbrella is not constructive. Practising meditation changes how you think and helps you learn to understand your emotions without having to act upon them. Improves Sleep A variety of meditation techniques can help you relax and control runaway thoughts that interfere with your sleep cycle. This can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and increase the quality of your sleep. Helps Fight Addictions Meditation develops mental awareness and can help you manage triggers for unwanted impulses. This can help you recover from addiction, manage unhealthy eating habits, and redirect other unwanted habits. Boosts Immunity Regular meditation has been shown to help boost your immune system. It increases electrical activity in the left side of the brain which is responsible for your immune system. It was also found that those who meditate have higher counts of antibodies in their blood, which helps fight illness. Get More Out of Your Workout Exercise, especially HIIT workouts (High-intensity interval training) and long hours of cardio can do a number on your muscles and your central nervous system. Such workouts could unintentionally cause stress on the body and the mind and cause an increase in your cortisol levels in the body. Meditation allows you to deeply rest your body and mind removing stress from your physiology. With meditation's ability to reduce our stress levels, we're able to perform our workouts at an optimal level and at the same time meditation might also help minimize sensitivity to pain. After reading all these amazing benefits, isn't mediation worth a try? (Celebrity meditation expert Samiksha Shetty shares benefits of meditation) Read More► Exercise Key to Keep Muscles Healthy, Stay Young
Ayurveda News

PM Modi Lays Foundation Stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday laid the foundation stone of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Gujarat's Jamnagar in the presence of Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The GCTM will be the first and only global outpost centre for traditional medicine across the world. The video messages from the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and President of Maldives were played on the occasion. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavia, Ayush Minister Sabananda Sonowal, MoS for Ayush Munjapara Mahendrabhai and Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel were among those present. Tedros Ghebreyesus termed the centre as a truly global project as 107 WHO member countries have their country specific governmental offices which means the world will come to India for its leadership in the traditional medicine. He said traditional medicines products are abound globally and the centre will go a long way in bringing the promise of the traditional medicine to fruition. For many regions of the world traditional medicine is the first line of treatment. "The New Centre will focus on data, innovation and sustainability and will optimize the use of traditional medicine, he added. The centres five main areas will be research and leadership, evidence and learning, data and analytics, sustainability and equity and innovation and technology," said Tedros Ghebreyesus. He thanked PM Modi for his leadership in providing all the support for the establishment of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister thanked Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus for his kind words. The Prime Minister noted Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus's connect with India and his personal involvement in the project of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) he said that his affection has manifested in the shape of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. Prime Minister also highlighted the three-decade-long association with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and his family and thanked him for his words and presence. Prime Minister Modi also thanked the leaders whose video messages were played. "The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is a recognition of India's contribution and potential in this field. India takes this partnership as a huge responsibility for serving the entire humanity," said Modi. Jamnagar's contributions towards wellness will get a global identity with WHO's Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, the Prime Minister said, adding that more than five decades ago, the world's first Ayurvedic University was established in Jamnagar. The city has a quality Ayurvedic institute in Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda. "India's traditional medicine system is not limited to treatment. It is a holistic science of life. Ayurveda goes beyond just healing and treatment. Apart from healing and treatment; social health, mental health-happiness, environmental health, sympathy, compassion and productivity are included. Ayurveda is taken as the knowledge of life and it has been deemed as fifth Veda," Modi said. Prime Minister laid down five goals for the new Center. First, to create a database of traditional knowledge system using technology second, GCTM can create international standards for testing and certification of traditional medicines so that confidence in these medicines improves. Third, GCTM should evolve as a platform where global experts of traditional medicines come together and share experiences. He also asked the centre to explore the possibility of an annual traditional medicine festival. Fourth, GCTM should mobilize funding for research in the field of traditional medicines. Finally, GCTM should develop protocols for holistic treatment of specific diseases so that patients could benefit from both traditional and modern medicine. PM Modi invoked the Indian concept of 'Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam' and prayed for whole world to always remain healthy. He said that with establishment of WHO-GCTM, this tradition will get further enriched. Read In Hindi► आयुर्वेद को पांचवा वेद माना जाता है: प्र. मोदी
Ayurveda News

Ministry of Ayush to celebrate

The Ministry of Ayush will celebrate 'Yoga Amrit Mahotsav' on World Health Day on April 7. The Ministry, along with its stakeholders, will also initiate a 75-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga (June 21) on April 7 with a grand programme for the demonstration of common yoga protocols at the Red Fort. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is expected to be the chief guest at the programme, which will be attended by Union ministers, Members of Parliament and Ambassadors from various countries. Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal said that the worldwide acceptance of yoga is a matter of pride for the country. Yoga has been accepted as an integral part of the cultural and spiritual heritage, he said, adding that the preparations for the International Day of Yoga are in progress in full swing. The Ministry expects to inspire a mass movement for good health and wellbeing through yoga during the 75-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga, which will be observed at 75 iconic sites across the country as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations marking 75 years of India's Independence. Read More► Construction of Shri Krishna Ayush University to Start Soon Stay Connected With Our Telegram Channel Here► NirogstreetAyurveda
Ayurveda Street

आयुष मंत्रालय विश्व स्वास्थ्य दिवस पर 'योग अमृत महोत्सव' मनाएगा

आयुष मंत्रालय 7 अप्रैल को विश्व स्वास्थ्य दिवस पर 'योग अमृत महोत्सव' मनाएगा। मंत्रालय, अपने हितधारकों के साथ लालकिले पर सामान्य योग प्रोटोकॉल के प्रदर्शन के लिए एक भव्य कार्यक्रम के साथ 7 अप्रैल को अंतर्राष्ट्रीय योग दिवस (21 जून) के लिए 75 दिनों की उलटी गिनती भी शुरू करेगा। कार्यक्रम में लोकसभा अध्यक्ष ओम बिरला के मुख्य अतिथि होने की उम्मीद है, जिसमें केंद्रीय मंत्री, संसद सदस्य और विभिन्न देशों के राजदूत शामिल होंगे। केंद्रीय आयुष मंत्री सर्बानंद सोनोवाल ने कहा कि योग की दुनियाभर में स्वीकार्यता देश के लिए गर्व की बात है। उन्होंने कहा कि योग को सांस्कृतिक और आध्यात्मिक विरासत के अभिन्न अंग के रूप में स्वीकार किया गया है, अंतर्राष्ट्रीय योग दिवस की तैयारियां जोरों पर चल रही हैं। (एजेंसी) यह भी पढ़े► कुरुक्षेत्र में श्री कृष्ण आयुष विश्वविद्यालय का निर्माण कार्य जल्द शुरू होगा
Ayurveda News

India is Well Positioned to Become Global Leader in Yoga and Traditional Medicine: Sarbananda Sonowal

Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbanand Sonowal was inaugurated Yoga Mahotsav 2022, an event to commemorate 100 days countdown in run up to 8th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2022 today at New Delhi. Chief Minister of Haryana Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Sikkim Shri Prem Singh Tamang, Union Minister for Labour & Employment and Environment Shri Bhupender Yadav, MoS for Ayush Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai and MoS for External Affairs and Culture Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi and Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, President, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh were also present on this occasion. This year the International Day of Yoga 2022 campaign will focus on the theme 100 days, 100 cities and 100 organizations till 21st June, 2022 across the globe. For the first time to celebrate Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav, it will demonstrate Yoga at 75 Heritage Heritage/Iconic cultural sites on 21st June, 2022. Other program includes Yoga programs, Yoga demonstrations, workshops, seminar to be held not only in India but across the globe. Ministry will propagate benefits of using WHO mYoga App, Namastey App, Y-break App. Various people centric activities and programmes will be launched on MyGov platform including Photo contest, quiz, discussion, pledge, poll survey, jingle etc. In his inaugural address Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said that IDY 2022 will be the 8th edition of International Day of Yoga organised by us. It’s an opportunity for a mass movement to promote health, wellbeing and peace across the globe. It is worth mentioning that 100-day countdown will formally mark the beginning of journey towards celebration of IDY-2022, which will be journey towards freedom from disease, stress and depression. The Minister  said that as WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is being established in India, it has incumbent upon India, which is equipped with deep wisdom of yoga and traditional health practices, to lead the world on the path of peace, well-being, better and affordable health. He added that Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, since 2015 it has become a mass movement and has been recognized as biggest public initiative in the world more than 250 million people are practicing common yoga protocol developed by Ministry of Ayush. My ministry has taken initiatives to make yoga an Indian brand for world peace and also to promote motto of promote motto of “Ek Bharat Shreshth Bharat”. On this occasion, Chief Minister of Haryana Shri Manohar Lal Khattar said that Haryana is first state in India to establish Yoga Commission. We are in process of establishment an Ayush University in kurukshetra, Haryana in 100 acre area. We have also taken initiative to make it mandatory to make available an Ayush Doctor in almost 2000 Public Health Center of Haryana. Shri Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister of Sikkim proposed to establish National Yoga and Meditation Institute at near Kritunga Lake in Sikkim. It will be a global institution which will impart knowledge about the yoga. He added that Yoga is part of the school curriculum of Sikkim and around 500 teachers are imparting these services. In his Address, Shri Bhupender Yadav said that on the path of environment friendly lifestyle, Yoga and Ayush as a whole, have a lot to contribute We are amending the Bio-diversity Act which will have lasting impact on the advancement of Ayush systems. He requested Ayush Minister to also organise Yoga programmes during this countdown series at prized sites like 49 select lakes and 52 tiger reserves. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush  citing an example of the utility of Yoga in the current scenario, said that AIIMS Delhi did a project to see the efficacy of Yoga in holistic health. AIIMS studied the impact of Yoga in comparison with Gym goers. The physical improvement in both the groups were almost same but whereas Gym goers were seen to have enhanced ‘Rajo-gun’ and ‘Tamo-gun’, the yoga practicing group was seen to have enhanced ‘Sato-gun’. Also, Read in Hindi► योग और पारंपरिक चिकित्सा के क्षेत्र में भारत विश्वगुरु: सर्बानंद सोनोवाल
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योग और पारंपरिक चिकित्सा के

आठवें अंतरराष्ट्रीय योग दिवस (आईडीवाई-2022) की तैयारी में 100 दिन के काउंटडाउन कार्यक्रम का भव्य उद्धाटन योग महोत्सव के रूप में रविवार सुबह विज्ञान भवन में केंद्रीय आयुष मंत्रालय के तत्वावधान में कई केंद्रीय मंत्रालयों की सहभागिता के साथ हुआ। योग महोत्सव के इस आयोजन के साथ देश-विदेश में अगले 100 दिन होने वाले आकर्षक और सार्थक कार्यक्रमों की कड़ी शुरू हो गई है। केंद्रीय आयुष मंत्री सर्बानंद सोनोवाल ने 100 दिन के कार्यक्रमों की संक्षिप्त रूपरेखा बताने के साथ कहा कि योग और पारंपरिक चिकित्सा के क्षेत्र में भारत विश्व का नेतृत्व कर रहा है। विश्व स्वास्थ्य संगठन ने भारत में ग्लोबल सेंटर फॉर ट्रेडिशनल मेडिसिन की स्थापना की स्वीकृति देकर भारत की जिम्मेदारी और बढ़ा दी है। समारोह के उद्घाटन वक्तव्य में केंद्रीय आयुष मंत्री सर्बानंद सोनोवाल ने कहा कि अंतरराष्ट्रीय योग महोत्सवों के सतत आयोजन से आज योग पूरे विश्व में शांति का प्रतीक बन गया है और यह जन स्वास्थ्य को लेकर विश्व का सबसे बड़ा अभियान साबित हो रहा है। उन्होंन कहा कि आईडीवाई-2022 के 100 दिनी काउंटडाउन का यह अभियान बीमारी, तनाव और अवसाद से मुक्त होने की यात्रा है और इसमें सभी लोगों को शामिल होना चाहिए। प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्‍द्र मोदी ने 2014 में संयुक्त राष्ट्र संगठन से योग को लेकर जो यात्रा शुरू की थी, वह अब विश्व के प्रत्येक देश के कोने-कोने में पहुंच गई है। केंद्रीय श्रम-रोजगार और पर्यावरण, वन और जलवायु परिवर्तन मंत्री भूपेंद्र यादव ने कहा कि जलवायु परिवर्तन को देखते हुए पर्यावरण मित्र जीवन शैली आज दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी जरूरत है और योग ने विश्व में इसकी राह दिखायी है। उन्होंने कहा कि हमने 30 लाख हेक्टेयर परती भूमि को हरा-भरा करने का संकल्प लिया है। योग भारत की सांस्कृतिक विरासत है। योग के जरिये पर्यावरण संरक्षण संकल्प पूरे विश्व के लिए जरूरी है। उन्होंने आयुष मंत्रालय से आग्रह किया कि आईडीवाई-2022 काउंटनडाउन के कार्यक्रमों का आयोजन 52 बाघ संरक्षण केंद्रों और 49 चयनित झीलों के पास भी करवाएं। केंद्रीय पर्यावरण, वन एवं जलवायु परिवर्तन मंत्रालय 160 से अधिक देशों में आयुष मंत्रालय के साथ आईडीवाई के तहत आयोजित योग कार्यक्रमों में शामिल होगा। केंद्रीय विदेश और संस्कृति राज्य मंत्री मीनाक्षी लेखी ने कहा कि इस समय पूरे विश्व को स्वास्थ्य और पर्यावरण का ध्यान रखने की जरूरत है। इसके लिए योग से बढ़कर कोई दूसरा उपाय नहीं है। कोरोना काल में सबने महसूस किया है कि मानसिक संतुलन से बढ़कर और कुछ नहीं है और योग जीवन में संतुलन स्थापित करता है।  केंद्रीय आयुष, महिला एवं बाल विकास राज्य मंत्री डॉ. मुंजपरा महेंद्रभाई कालूभाई ने कहा कि वर्तमान समय में योग शांति और संतुलन के लिए भारत की विश्व को अनुपम देन है। हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री मनोहर लाल खट्टर ने समारोह में हरियाणा में सौ एकड़ क्षेत्र में योग विश्वविद्यालय स्थापित करने की घोषणा की। उन्होंने कहा कि प्रदेश में 550 प्राथमिक स्वास्थ्य केंद्र हैं जिनमें से आधे से अधिक केंद्रों को आयुष से जोड़ा जाएगा। हरियाणा देश का पहला राज्य है जिसने योग-आयोग की स्थापना की है। मुख्यमंत्री खट्टर ने पेड़ों को प्राण वायु देवता बताया और कहा कि हरियाणा में करीब 35 सौ पेड़ ऐसे हैं जिनकी आयु 75 वर्ष से अधिक हो चुकी है। इन पेड़ों की देखरेख के लिए हरियाणा सरकार ने वृक्ष पेंशन योजना शुरू की है। सिक्किम के मुख्यमंत्री प्रेम सिंह तमांग ने कहा कि काउंटडाउन के सौ दिनों के कार्यक्रमों को सिक्किम न सिर्फ अपने राज्य में करायेगा जिसका असर हमारे पड़ोसी नेपाल, भूटान, बांगलादेश आदि में भी होगा। उन्होंने कहा कि भारत को पूरे विश्व में योग के नेतृत्व के रूप में स्वीकार कर लिया गया है। योग मानव को प्रकृति से जोड़ता है और इसीलिए सिक्किम राज्य में जैव विविधता संरक्षण पर जोर दिया जा रहा है। आयुष सचिव पद्मश्री राजेश कोटेचा ने एम्स दिल्ली के एक अध्ययन का हवाला देते हुए बताया कि संपूर्ण स्वास्थ्य में योग का महत्व साबित हो चुका है। जिम जाने वाले और योग का अभ्याय करने वालों के बीच के तुलनात्मक अध्ययन में सामने आया कि योग का अभ्यास करने वालों में सतो गुण और जिम जाने वालों में रजो गुण तथा तमोगुण की अधिकता देखी गई है। इससे पूर्व अतिथियों का स्वागत करते हुए आयोजक मोरारजी देसाई राष्ट्रीय योग संस्थान के निदेशक डॉ. ईश्वर वी. बसवरेड्डी ने बताया कि सौ दिन की काउंटनडाउन यात्रा में सौ शहरों में सौ से अधिक योग से जुड़ी संस्थाएं योग के विभिन्न कार्यक्रमों का आयोजन करेंगी और आईडीवाई 21 जून को 75 ऐतिहासिक एवं सांस्कृतिक स्थलों पर योग के कार्यक्रम आयोजित किए जाएंगे। आईडीवाई में केंद्रीय विदेश मंत्रालय सहित अन्य कई मंत्रालय सीधा सहयोग कर रहे हैं। यह आयोजन योग को विश्व का सबसे बड़ा अभियान बनाने की कोशिश है। इससे पहले चारों केंद्रीय मंत्रियों और दो राज्य के मुख्यमंत्रियों व अन्य विशिष्ट अतिथियों ने दीप जलाकर कार्यक्रम का शुभारंभ किया। कार्यक्रम में सिक्किम सरकार के पर्यटन कैबिनेट मंत्री बीएस पंथ, आयुष के विशेष सचिव प्रमोद कुमार पाठक, आयुष निदेशक विक्रम सहित अन्य कई योग गुरु, अधिकारी एवं विभिन्न संस्थाओं के प्रतिनिधि मौजूद रहे। उद्धाटन समारोह के अंत में दो तकनीकी सत्र भी हुए, जिसमें योग के विशेषज्ञों ने अपने विचार प्रकट किये। यह अंग्रेजी में भी पढ़े► India is Well Positioned to Become Global Leader in Yoga and Traditional Medicine: Sarbananda Sonowal