Tag: meditation

The 3 main benefits of the Legs-up-the-wall yoga pose

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Would you like to know a quick tip for refreshing your tired legs, sore back and rebalancing your energy levels after a long day? Practice the Legs-up-the-wall yoga pose every day!

Legs Up the Wall Pose, also known as Viparita Karani in Sanskrit, is a restorative (passive) inverted yoga posture with amazing benefits.

The 3 main benefits of this pose

Firstly, it refreshes your legs especially after long hours of standing up or sitting down (especially if you are jetlagged). This happens as it assists lymph and blood circulation to flow from the legs towards the main body. Therefore, if you have swollen feet, varicose veins and tired legs, this pose will relieve and refresh you, give you a gentle boost, and rebalance your energy levels.

Secondly, it relieves headaches.The introversion of the pose with the head located lower than the feet and legs, wil help the blood to flow better to the heart, will lower the blood pressure and will increase blood circulation to the head. Therefore, it will lower the heart rate, quiet the mind and even relieve any headaches.

Thirdly, it relieves lower back pains.While the pelvis is placed against the floor, the lower back muscles will get stretched out and will be relieved from any pressure. Therefore, the pose will relax the lower back and relieve it from any pains.

How to get in and out of the pose

Start by finding a comfy spot next to a wall. You can either lie with your back on the floor or on a bed. If you choose to lie on the floor, you can place a yoga mat or folded blanket for extra comfort. Next, shimmy your hips as close to the wall as possible. Afterwards, stretch out your legs up the wall until your body is in an L shape. Make any adjustments if needed i.e. place a pillow under your head, rest your arms on your belly, out to the sides or behind your head.

At this point, focus on your breath; the best would be to try the belly breathing technique. For maximum results, try to keep the pose for at least 5 minutes.

To come out of the pose, bend your knees and simply let your legs lower to one side. When you completely lie on your side, push yourself off the floor and slowly sit up. Be careful not rush to get up quickly as your blood pressure has lowered and you might get dizzy!

Walking meditation

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Have you heard of walking meditation?

Walking meditation is a form of moving meditation. Precisely, it is a mindful walking practice that has its origins in Buddhism and can be used as part of a mindfulness practice that involves movement and periods of walking between long periods of sitting meditation.

It can be practiced regularly, before or after sitting meditation or at any time, such as during a lunchbreak, after a busy day at work or on a Sunday morning in the park. In walking meditation the experience of walking is used as the focus. Traditionally, there are several different kinds of walking meditation, such as kinhin, theravada and vipassana, if someone wants to get more into the practice.

Walking meditation is more than a simple stroll in the park as it is usually done in a much slower pace than a normal walk and it usually involves coordination of the steps with the breathing. Techniques can be as detailed as breaking down each step into 2,4 or 6 parts. The general aim, as in any mindfulness exercise, is to keep the mind in the present moment.

Walking meditation can make a difference especially for people who are doing seated work for long hours or those who spend extended periods of time for daily commuting. Some of the benefits are:

  • Boosts blood flow and raises the energy levels as the walking practice helps to get the blood flowing, especially to the legs.
  • Improves digestion (especially after a meal)
  • Reduces anxiety and depression as it is a form of gentle exercise which releases endorphines, the happy hormones
  • Improves sleep quality
  • Increases clarity and focus which in turn can stimulate creativity.

The pace of walking meditation ranges from slow to extremely slow. You can let your hands and arms swing loosely by your sides, hold them behind your back or clasp them in front of your body around the height of your navel. Your gaze should be looking towards the ground just a few feet in front of you.

You can start by choosing a path or setting a time that you won’t be disturbed or you will have to rush. Once you decide the route, you can stat by observing your body and how it moves, then setting a slow walking pace. Afterwards, you can focus on your breath and synchronise your steps with the inhalation and exhlation. For example, you inhale and perform two steps, you exhale and perform another two steps. Gradually, you slow down your breath and inhale while performing for four steps, then exhale for four steps. Later on, you increase to six steps during inhalation and another equal six steps for the exhalation. The more often you practice, the more mindful you will become and you will start noticing the benefits of this wonderful yet simple mindfulness exercise.

Image by Tobi from Pexels

Health means happiness

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Health is not merely the absence of illness… Health is the balance of our body-mind-soul wellness, our holistic wellbeing.

What is health? Most of us would say the absence of illness. However, there is a much more profound meaning than that.

Health is the balance of our body-mind-soul wellness, our holistic wellbeing. Health is being physically, emotionally and mentally well. If one aspect of this balance is affected, the others get affected too. Therefore we need to take seriously all areas of our lives in order to be healthy. We could eat the right food, do exercise, even drink or smoke socially and have absence of physical illnesses while being angry, resentful and hostile to others. This is not healthy. We could be physically healthy, have a good job, good income but suffer from anxiety, chronic stress or depression. This is not healthy either.

Mental health is a big issue in our society because of many different reasons. For example, having extreme pressure at work, feeling lonely/isolated, being in toxic relationships, working in jobs that we are being bullied or harassed, having issues with friends or family, grieving the loss of a loved one, having endured a shock… The list is endless and we all have our own unique story. The lack of love, inner peace and happiness on a daily basis are huge reasons for mental health in modern society. Basic human connection is rare and we all suffer because of it. So what should we do?

Finding and maintaining a balance in all areas of our lives is the solution; following a holistic lifestyle and taking equal care of each aspect of our wellness; finding our center and inner peace. This is why wellbeing has become a trend and is getting more and more popular. The demand is huge because in modern society we have lost the connection within ourselves and we need to find it again in order to regain health.

Eastern traditions and Buddhist practices from China, India and other Asian countries have believed in this concept for centuries. Nowadays, these Eastern wisdom has spread into the West and becoming popular: herbal medicine, morning meditation, daily yoga practice, regular massage or Reiki sessions, Taichi and Chi Qung practice, mindfulness and lifestyle philosophies. Having good health is a journey, not a destination. Putting effort, creating good habits and investing in ourselves is the key.

We need to be happy and grateful every single moment, every single day. We need to focus on the positive things and find solutions for the negative ones. We need to make the most of every day and every moment. Let’s do this our new year resolution, for every year, for every day!

Photos and collage by Canva