There are many techniques in Hindu scriptures, ancient books about increasing the efficiency of the person in mental, physical, or spiritual sector. Most of these techniques were used in ancient time to awaken something great within oneself. These techniques were special and needed extra dedication, and for people needed to go to extra length to achieve that. Most people were unable to do so, however few those who were able to do, became special among people. One such way is Brahmacharya.
What is Brahmacharya? At first the word Brahmacharya is Sanskrit. Surface Lý and in Lyman terms Brahmacharya is the practice where one does not involve in sexual activity and preserves his Chasity for lifetime. However, the question, Is Brahmacharya only that? To be away from sexual activity and preserve Chasity, Is there all to it? The answer to that question is no. Brahmacharya is much more than just preserving your Chasity. It has purposes, it has methods, and it certainly has a benefit. For its miraculous benefits people are practicing it for the thousands of years.
The art of living in austerity, taking up vows and obeying the vows of Chasity for lifetime is called Brahmacharya and the person who follow the principle of Brahmacharya is called as Brahma Chari.
When did the practice of Brahmacharya begun and who was the first person to become bhramachari? The answer to this question is a difficult one. The practice of Brahmacharya is very ancient one. The mention of Brahmacharya is found even in the ancient mythology and ages. It was the time where the gods used to live in the earth with humans. Since, then many brahma Chari has been mentioned in the scriptures.
Hanuman, Parsuram, Bheeshma are the most notable people in the ancient time that has taken the vow of Bhram Acharya. All three of them kept their vow to preserve their Chasity for lifetime. Aside from Brahmacharya another common thing about them is that they were incredibly strong. They were so strong that even the gods at the heaven trembled in fear when, they had to cross path with them. Being born in mortal word with mortal parents, they rose to such heights that even the gods respected them.
Lord hanuman and Parshu ram were of Treta Yug while Bheeshma was of Dvapara Yug. Lord hanuman and Parsu ram were also alive at the time of Dvapara Yug. At that time period Mahabharat was fought. In the war Bheeshma fell to his death. However, at that war Bheeshma was the most formidable one, is not for the trick of lord Krishna it was impossible to kill Bheeshma.
Lord hanuman and lord Parsu ram are the Aasta Chiranjivi means, that they will be alive in this world till the end of time. Bheeshma was not completely immortal as the other two but he had the power to die only and only by his will. People from centuries had believed that the source of their unparallel strength and immortality is due to their Brahmacharya.
Brahmacharya is described in various scriptures. The most notable mention and definition of it can be found on Patanjali yoga sutras. As per, sage Patanjali Brahmacharya is one of the five yamas. Yamas are the spiritual rules, that one need to follow to achieve greater spirituality. Another notable mention of Brahmacharya, is found in Upanishad. The Upanishads identify Brahmacharya as one of the ten yamas.
One of the greatest gifts the living organisms, have is their ability to reproduce. Living organisms either they are unicellular, multicellular, minute, or gigantic in size they tend to reproduce. By reproduction they keep producing their new ones and keep the cycle of life rotating in the world. The organism reproduces by various some can reproduce themselves, while some need the fusion of Purush and prakriti.
No matter the process and the type of organism, it is certain that to be able to produce a young one is the greatest of gift. The process of creating a new life is a very sacred process and requires a huge amount of cosmic energy. When the cosmic energy within an individual leaves the body via mating life is formed. This energy is extremely potent, if it were not potent forming of the life would have been impossible.
Brahmacharya, works in this very principle. The person who practices Brahmacharya, maintains Chasity and uses that potent energy within the body. Instead of letting the energy leave the body via mating, they release the energy within their body and reserve it. They keep collecting the energy for the extended period.
The energy may not be high immediately, however like each drop makes the ocean and each rupee one by one make crores. The energy collected and concentrated, through a prolonged period of time do wonders. They have enhanced physical strength to the peak, their cosmic conscious and awareness is awakened and much more.
Rules of Brahmacharya
Daily meditation and mantra chanting
Brahmacharya, meditation and mantra chanting are like the founding principles of cosmic conscious. They walk side by side and one pillar strengths other. By practicing Brahmacharya and chanting mantra one enhances his meditation ability. Likewise, by meditation and mantra chanting one keeps their Brahmacharya vow intact. Likewise, Brahmacharya and meditation, enhances one’s mantra shakti.
Avoiding opposite sex
The encounter with opposite sex must be kept as extremely minimal as possible, if it is alone then it must be utterly avoided. It is one of the biggest rules of Brahmacharya. Regardless, the age, relation, and situation the people of opposite sex must be avoided.
Company of holy peoples
The people following Brahmacharya should seek the company of the holy people, however they must be of the same sex. They should have similar interest, should have amassed vast amount of knowledge. Their spirituality should be intact, and their presence should inspire you to be intact in your vow.
Pure thought and intact mind
It is the absolute rule that not just your body, but your mind must follow Brahmacharya. It means that your body cannot get involved into sexual matters during Brahmacharya, like wise your mind also cannot have those thoughts. Brahmacharya, extremely prohibits to have such impure thoughts.
Food and sleep
The person who is following Brahmacharya, also cannot eat and sleep without following rules. The person firstly should not eat too much, but just the amount that is sufficient. They should also at any cost avoid the food that arouse the sexual desire within the person. Likewise, they should also avoid too much sleep. The right amount of sleep that keep the body functioning is particularly good. Too much sleep makes the body dull, Brahmachari’s body always need to be energetic and active.
Avoiding unholy company
The people who follow Brahmacharya, should at any cost leave the company who will disturb their vow. The people may not necessarily be bad in nature, however for person who follow Brahmacharya any person who disturb their vow is an unholy company. They should leave their company immediately.
Rejection
The person who follows Brahmacharya need to know how to reject. They must know what is good and what is bad for their vow. If it aid’s their courage then they must accept that, otherwise reject it even from the thoughts. Be it painting, idol, talk, imagination that has the probability of giving birth to the sexual desire, the brahma Chari should reject that thing with its thoughts also.
Benefits of following Brahmacharya
Control over the mind
Mating and reproduction are encoded into their genes. They are biologically equipped to reproduce. It is extremely difficult and impossible for some individual to avoid it is thought also. However, the person who will be able to do it completely, must keep their mind at restriction and win over its thoughts. This enables the person to make their mind their slave, not the other way around.
Courage and Power
The people practicing Brahmacharya become courageous and powerful. They get proficiency over their fear. The person who has mastered their fear become valiant, brave, and courageous. For these people there is nothing impossible to achieve in this world.
Better immunity
By channeling the reproductive energy which is designed to leave the body in the body itself, brahma Chari can boost their immunity. They can enhance their immunity to the amazing heights, they will be immune to the disease and be healthy.
Enhanced senses
By practicing Brahmacharya, the sense organs can be improved. The eyes will see better, the ears will hear better, the tongue will taste better. There will be another kind of glow in the skin. All the sense organ and body part will function at their maximum efficiency. Their performance height will be something you did not know was possible.
Physical strength
By practicing brahma charya, one can enhance their physical strength. The brahma Chari, that are mentioned in scriptures are said to have been exceptionally powerful. Ordinary people in mass number were unable to overpower them in battles.
Calmness
Sometimes sexual matters are the matter of competition and clash. Is the root of those clash are removed from the life? The life will be calm and peaceful. This is the reason the yogi who practice brahmacharya are always calm and nothing bothers and agitates them. A calm mind and heart are the most powerful of things.
Enhanced spirituality
By excluding, lust, desire, competition, physical beauty from the thoughts and life. One can be immersed in the true joy of life. Knowledge, god, spirituality is pursued and achieved by the people who rejects desire, worldly matters, and lust.
Brahmacharya in the ancient Times and in present time
The practice of Brahmacharya has been around for ages. The practice was to be found also to be used by the people of Satya Yug, through scriptures and holy texts. Ancient people vowed Brahmacharya to achieve someone in life, to have a higher purpose or even to arise special power in the body.
However, there was a curious case of Bheeshma, where he took the oath neither to gain power nor for himself. Bheeshma took an oath to follow Brahmacharya, so that there will not be any type of struggle for the crown of Hastinapur. He also did not want his children in the future to wake up conflict against the throne, hence the vow. He was prince Devrat, before the vow. However, got the name Bheeshma for his dangerous and big oath.
The people of ancient time took the oath of Brahmacharya, and followed it till the end of their life. They not only by the motive of gaining something in life, awakening some special power within themselves took the oath. For the good of the world, to get something for the world, for their loved ones, to achieve knowledge, to pursue God were the main motive of people of the ancient time to vow for Brahmacharya.
Ancient time was the age of peace, devotion, God, truth, selflessness hence people were involved into Brahmacharya, meditation, mantra chanting for the better live of themselves and of the world.
Their main logic was, if they have family, children they must feed them, take care of them, and will be inclined the maya of the world. True knowledge, God, spirituality could not be obtained with getting involved into the family life. Hence, they instead of getting immersed into the world, they chose knowledge, truth, God and accepted Brahmacharya.
Brahmacharya now has been quite different than what it was in the past. As the time changed it also got affected. The rules of the Brahmacharya, are the same what it was in the past. However, the people who follow have definitely changed. We all know that this is the Yug of kail, it is filled with lust, desire, jealousy, and other harmful emotions. So, people face more difficulty than pervious Yug to get over their emotions and desires.
However, it is not also true that people are completely taken over by lust and desire and there are no one who follow Brahmacharya. There are those who have achieved it but are extremely selective in number.
Another problem here today is there are fake people who claim to practice Brahmacharya but could not achieve it completely. Most people today cannot achieve nor try to achieve it, few people pretend to have obtained it and extremely rare and selective people have achieved Brahmacharya at today’s age.
The subconscious mind is the storage of memories and experiences. When we speak of most complex machines out there, we normally think of rockets and fancy cars. We don’t even consider that the human brain is the most astonishing feats of nature. For starters, it takes about 80,000 processors to perform 1 second of human brain function. Now we know that the human mind is a complex structure. What makes it more intriguing is that it is classified into aspects like the subconscious mind.
Let’s spend some time learning about the many-many mysteries of the human brain andsimultaneously, learn to gain maximum output.
Types of Consciousness
Many psychologists have classified the human consciousness state into 3 types. They are:
1. Conscious mind
The conscious mind is the mind’s current situation. It is what you are thinking, feeling, and sensing currently. Sigmund Freud, in his psychoanalytic theory of personality, states that the conscious mind comprises everything within our awareness. Imagine your loved one. You’re thinking about him/her now, that’s your conscious mind in motion.
The conscious mind can hold only one thought at a time and it also deals with objectivity. The major functions it performs are:
Identifying incoming information
Performs comparisons
Deciding the best alternative
Accepting the decision
2. Subconscious mind
The subconscious mindis a huge data bank where you store your memories and experiences. The language that you speak, the car you learned to drive, and the swimming you learned, are all in your subconscious. Let’s look at it this way. When you were first learning to drive, your 100% concentration was on it. There, your conscious mind was in motion.
As time progressed, you don’t need to concentrate that much to drive. Later, you can drive and use a cellphone simultaneously. The driving skill has been saved in your subconscious mind allowing your conscious mind to be free. Your conscious mind is the gardener and your subconscious is your garden. You can decide what you want to grow but once you plant the seed, you cannot change what it will grow into.
3. Unconscious mind
The unconscious mind is different from the conscious and subconscious mind. Sigmund Freud believed that there are emotions that don’t exist in the conscious mind but are capable of influencing our behavior. Such emotions expressed through behavior include hidden memories, painful feelings, desires, and actions.
The unconscious mind harbors thoughts and feelings that the conscious mind deems irrational. The feelings in the unconscious mind are useful in treating psychological distress.
How The Mind Works
After reading the above sections, you might have a brief understanding of human consciousness. It does not take a brain surgeon to understand the basic details of how the mind operates. Imagine your brain as the hardware and your mind as the software. The conscious mind makes up about 10% of the brain’s capacity while the rest is the unconscious and subconscious mind.
The conscious mind is the processor whereas the subconscious mind is the memory bank. The conscious is linked with the subconscious in immeasurable ways. During dangerous situations, your subconscious kicks in to save you. If you want to make changes in your subconscious, then you should practice it daily. Depending on what you choose to practice, your subconscious can help you greatly.
How To Use The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind can either be your greatest weapon or your biggest misfortune. Here are some ways to harness the power of the subconscious mind:
Make a specific request to your subconscious mind before sleeping.
You need to feed the subconscious mind with positive thoughts and energy.
Try to solve any dangling problems and issues as it might affect the subconscious mindif left untreated.
Try to fill your find with positive outcomes of any expected problem
How To Program The Subconscious Mind
Let’s have a short look at how to program the subconscious mindand achieve our objective.
Be clear about your objective
Identify the subconscious pattern that affects your performance
Apply the corrective patterns before you go to sleep
You can use an audiotape or talk with yourself to bring out the change in you.
Also, there is a strong relationship between food and mind, our thinking pattern and mind, our regular habit and mind. We can make our mind strong by improving all these 3 things in our life.
Developing a habit of remaining fit adapting healthy lifestyle will help you to remain well and healthy for a long period. The normal effortless exercise can also help your body to remain fit. When we consider all the improvements made to our health because of the simple street we give to our body, we will know how much this healthy lifestyle is important.
Wellness program will not only help you to gain a healthy and fit lifestyle, but will also make you good in different fields. It makes a fastest progress and helps to alert the people’s mind for any new stipulation.
As the world is having progress in a very short time, so people in this era should extend their limitations and run faster to achieve goals. In this competition of stretching more than our limits, we suffer from mental, physical and emotional disorders.
To amend this we need to practice so many wellness programs, which can help us to remain fit and active. Taking about wellness program, they are the comprehensive health initiative designed to maintain healthy lifestyle through proper diet, exercise, and stress relief and so on.
Staying fit will never be hard if you will give your 200% in doing exercises. The simple exercises can also bring fruitful results in your life if you will follow that continuously. It is very important to design a wellness program for improving productivity and potential of the people. Here are some of the wellness programs you can follow to stay healthy and to achieve a perfect lifestyle:
1. Yoga classes
Yoga is the best way to stay fit. Yoga not only help us to stay physically fit but also will make us emotionally and mentally fit. Visiting yoga studio only twice a week can bring so many positive changes in our body. You can also do it by yourself in your home. The main requirements for practicing yoga is space. So visit a free and silent space to practice yoga.
2. Proper diet
The energy we get is because of the food we eat. For human body to work efficiently, we need to consume nutritious food. Proper balance diet will helps our body to digest it properly with any efforts and saves the energy. Apart from this, they are rich in calories and necessary nutrients.
Therefore, we can get everlasting energy. Junk food provide instant energy and can weaken our bones, muscles and blood circulation process so they should be exchanged with proper balanced diet.
3. Health care wellness programs
Almost every single individual in this world is suffering from health problems . To solve it we need proper steps and instructions to perform. Obtain the information of all the people regarding their health issues who are joining wellness program.
After conducting the survey for the evaluation of their health problems, take a necessary step, which are beneficial for them. Aware them about their problems individually and guide them on how to jump out from this. Give all the necessary information and provide medicine according to their disorders.
4. Stress reduction program
21st century is generally known as the working era. There is nothing to do without working hard. Our sweat and blood gives us good food. In addition, in this era of fighting and extending our limitations, we forget to take care of our health. This results in stress and anxiety.
They are the problem of all the people. This is the reason why stress reduction program which focuses on each symptoms regarding stress and reduces them. The people involved in this wellness program must be counselled at the beginning, and then motivated in all the ways to make them mentally stable.
5. Smoking cessation wellness program
There is no doubt that people who smokes live a short life than the non- smokers. It is no secret that people who smoke cigarettes are spending their money for death.
Offering a smoking cessation program that consists of lifestyle coaching with pharmacological assistance will help the smokers to be aware about the consequences regarding smoking. This helps the people to remain healthy for a long period.
6. Paramedical services
Paramedics mainly focuses on providing emergency services and medicines. So many people out there have zero knowledge regarding this. The practice of paramedical service varies according to country, but its use should be promoted and people out there should be aware about this.
This wellness program helps to save so many lives and will make people self-depended to some extent. Ambulance, first aid service, etc. comes into this.
7. Fitness centres for wellness program
This might be considered as one of the most alluring wellness program until now. We all know how much we need fitness in our life. Fitness centres is one of the best “living well program.”
When we are fit, we are healthy. Wellness program like this boosts our stamina and stores energy. The stored energy can be used for various purposes and in a right amount.
8. Self-care
Self-care is one of the basic need of all. We need to take care of us before taking care of others. When you are mentally, physically and emotionally strong then you will be able to help other people. Promoting self-care will enable to reduce risk of diseases and attain its best way to make a person fit and well.
9. Assistance wellness programs to be stress free
Being fit not only includes taking care of physical health but mental health as well. Assistance program will help to provide confidence and address stress, anxiety and depression. We need extra assistance to perform our best. By getting extra support initiatives, we can communicate at the certain level of empathy and boost our confidence. Thus, this wellness program will helps us to be more self-confidence and self-dependent.
10. Social wellness program
We being the social animals should know how to perform social rules effectively and comfortably. We should know how to create a social network. The dimension of this wellness program will allow us to develop encouraging relations with social being, well social adjustment and good social behaviour. Learning morals will never be hard with this wellness program.
8 Pranayama/ Breathing Techniques for healthy brain
In the 21st century, it is new normal to have anxiety and stress. However, there are remedies to placate your anxious feeling. Among many remedies, Pranayama also known for breathing technique is the fundamental component of yoga that helps in physical and mental wellbeing of human being. The literal meaning of Pranayama in ancient Sanskrit language is divided in to two words “prana”, which means life energy and “yama” means to manage and control.
Pranayama—a breathing technique aids to subdue stress and anxiety and improve the lungs function to much extent. In this article, we will delve into 10 different sample, which you may adopt to those appeals you the most.
1. Humming Bee Breath
Humming bee breathing is one of the most traditional breathing practiced by ancient yogis, the breathing technique is also popularly known as Bhramari Pranayama in Indian subcontinent. Besides aiding in improving lung capacity, the other important benefits include improving memory and increasing concentration and ultimately subduing stress and anxiety, which enervate the energy of body and soul.
2. Breathe Counting
In a bid to improve concentration and help to settle the rapid thoughts in the mind, breath counting is handy technique practiced by ancient yogis and popular in the modern time among yoga practioners to cultivate mindfulness. The benefit of this breathing technique is you do not have to inhale and exhale at a certain speed and position. Other benefit includes the technique helps you to reduce stress and anxiety, which is common among Pranayama technique.
3. Diaphragmatic breathing
The other name of diaphragmatic breathing is abdominal or deep breathing. The diaphragmatic breathing involves contracting the diaphragm; the contracting of diaphragm is suggested to practice when you are relaxed and rested.
The Pranamaya technique is best to strengthen the diaphragm; therefore, you do not need much energy to breathe. Diaphragmatic breathing is popular among many yogis. It is suggested to practice the technique for at least 5 to 10 minutes, three, four or 5 times on a regular basis to see the benefit of breathing technique.
4. Alternate nostril breathing
Alternate nostril breathing is widely popular Pranayama technique who performs ancient hathayoga. The breathing technique is handy to clear the channels and increase the attentiveness of the practioneers. The unique benefit of alternate nostril breathing is it aids to connect both sides of the brain, which assists in balancing the activities of brain efficiently.
5. Skull shining breathing technique or Kapalbhati
Just like alternate nostril Pranayama technique, skull shining breathing technique also aids you to
This is focused on our abdomen, as we need to breathe out forcefully from our lower belly during the practice. It tranquilizes our entire body, which eventually energizes us more in a more efficient manner.
6. Mantra breathing
In this method most of the time a specific mantra is chanted repeatedly. It is widely believed that mantra help you to make a black hole focus. In addition, the more we focus on something, the more we get soothing experience and levitate with ease.
7. Mindful breathing
The main purpose of being mindful is to be aware of your breathe and build black hole focus. It is wide known fact that the more we concentrate on something, the more it becomes easier to focus and slow down the activity, ultimately pushing a next step towards felling more ease without any sorts of tension.
With increase in the rate of practice you feel a unique benefit and start feeling the movement of air through your lungs, mouth and nose, which is soothing in itself.
8. Square breathing
Yet another type of breathing though not much popular is a square breathing. It is based on a simple rule to visualize, as inhalation is mundane in breathing techniques. It is mostly advised to visualize the different sides of square while practicing inhalation and exhalation. Continuity of the process is advised until all the sides of square is vividly imagined.
