***image1***Shine like the sun with Kundalini Yoga’s special blend of breathing, movement, stretching, meditation, and chanting! In addition to a whole body workout this workshop will feature exercises to enhance charisma and radiance. Your magnetic field is the electrical emanation of the nervous system. When it’s strong you have a positive effect on your environments, you’re insulated against negativity and mishap, more consistently in the right place at the right time, and your popularity quotient increases. Also: deep relaxation to the transcendent sounds of live gong music; 85% physical and 15% meditative, for all levels.

Other Workshops:Sat. Feb. 19th to Sun. Feb. 20th, San Juan, Puerto Rico Melissa: 787.379.2865 / Lizelle: 787593.5342 www.homyoga.comSat. Feb. 26th to Sun. Feb. 27th Houston, Texas Yoga Alive 281. 579. 9605 www.yogaalive.com

Sat. Mar. 5th to Sun. Mar. 6th Pittsburgh, PA Schoolhouse Yoga 412.401.4444www.schoolhouseyoga.com

ALIGNMENT & THE CHAKRAS – PART 3The Navel Center, Manipura Chakra, often referred to as “the Fire in the Belly” relates to personal power. It is also the center for our physical power. Just as no chakra stands alone, neither does any physical center. Last month we talked about the psoas muscle, housed in the second center. Together these centers form our core.

In martial Arts the Navel Center is referred to as the Tan T’ien. Its location is about 3 finger widths below the navel. This gravity source is where all our movement should originate. This will give us what dancers refer to as “quality” in our movement. It will also increase our body’s efficiency and give us longevity during any physical exercise.

When developing the Navel Center it is important to think not just in terms of strength (as in six pack abs) but also flexibility. We want to be not only stable but fluid in our movement. This balance will also allow us to access our gut instinct and give us the internal wisdom and confidence to act without thinking and think before reacting! In fact, as you start to build a balanced Navel Center you will probably find yourself with a great surge of confidence and energy!The first step in accessing “quality” navel strength is becoming internally sensitive. We will use a breath technique called Long Deep Breathing.Inhale. Exhale all the breath. At the end of the exhalation pull the navel in and up towards the spine to release the last thread of breath. Then let the belly go and let that be the impulse to start the inhalation. Fill the belly with the breath. Lift your ribs and let them expand front sides and back with the breath. Finally lift your upper chest and expand the collarbones and the shoulders sideways with the breath. Exhale from our upper chest, ribs and finally belly. Pull the belly in and up at the end. Release outwards and continue.The breath work will keep us flexible and fluid. The Navel Work will keep us stable and strong. Stretch pose is the most efficient and powerful Kundalini exercise for building our core strength.Stretch Pose:

Come onto your back. Hands beneath you palms down for support. Lift head and heels 6″ off the floor. Stare at toes. Begin Breath of Fire. Remember this is called Stretch Pose so stretch! Lengthen your toes away from your belly and the crown of you head away from the belly. Lengthen your entire body. 1-3 min. Keep your lower back pressed firmly into the floor.Modification: Do one leg at a time.The Navel Chakra is the easiest Chakra to monitor. In fact, you can get on the floor right now and with the middle finger of either hand, feel at your bellybutton or just below it, a strong navel pulse, like a heartbeat. If you don’t feel it – don’t worry. Try Stretch Pose and then feel for it again. It is usually weakest at the start of the day. It’s a good idea to do some navel work before heading out the door to increase your confidence and personal power and make your day work your way!Navel Power is so important we never let a class go by without some navel work. In fact, we even do an entire workshop on the Navel Center which is encapsulated on our new and updated Navel Power DVD.

***image2***Meditation to Purify Yourself & Shine Like the Sun

Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose. Feel like a perfect yogi. The upper arms (straight out to sides) are parallel to the ground and the forearms are perpendicular. Bend your hands at the wrists palms up, fingers pointing straight back. Think of pressing the ceiling away. Meditate at the brow point. Then inhale, hold briefly, and exhale as you pull the navel in towards the spine. Do this 4x. Mentally vibrate Sat as you inhale and Nam as you exhale Inhale very deeply, hold the breath, and squeeze mulbhand by contracting the rectum, sex-organ, and navel. Imagine cosmic energy is flowing into you from above blending with the energy at the navel. Feel exalted and sublime. Exhale complete and maintain mulbhand while holding the breath out. Consciously unite yourself with the Infinite. Continue this sequence for 5-10 min. Rest your hands in gyan mudra (index fingertips and thumb tips meeting) on your knees. Breathe long and deeply through the nose for 10 min., circulating energy through your body.This meditation charges the Navel Center and lung meridians, and is said to increase healing energy in the hands. As the energy activates the nadis (subtle energy flows which parallel the nervous system) all systems get purified and regenerated. If you build this practice to an hour a day your nervous system and glands will support your mind’s ability to stay positive and expansive. Meditating on the breath will connect you to the source of all energy and your mind will vibrate with new possibilities. If you have a strong mental foundation it must start with the recognition that you are a beautiful soul. Share your beauty and heal the world!

Keep up good cheer!Ravi Singh & Ana Bretthttp://www.raviana.com / 1.800.243.9642

Ravi and Ana are in the forefront of bringing the ancient art of Kundalini Yoga into our world. Ravi was one of the first Americans to be authorized by the Kundalini Master, Yogi Bhajan, to teach Kundalini Yoga in the West. Their client list includes Olympic athletes and celebrities. Ravi and Ana have taught in many diverse contexts: from Canada to Costa Rica, from boardrooms and Park Avenue Penthouses, to scientists at Bell Labs and opera singers at the Aspen Music Festival. They’ve even taught street kids in Los Angeles. Ravi and Ana are the authors of the Fat Free Yoga DVD series and the forthcoming book Fat Free Yoga.

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