On Saturday, the 16th November 2013,
we had an exciting Yoga session by Ms. Mani, the Yoga Professional of Oakridge
International School. She introduced us to Pranayama, Padmasana and Meditation
and explained their benefits. Ms. Mani started off with Pranayama. We learnt
how to perform Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing) which is one of the
most effective Pranayama breathing exercises to purify the mind and body. Anulom
Vilom offers benefits in curing most of the internal body conditions and is
very useful in releasing stress and anxiety. She added that Anulom Vilom Pranayama
could be performed by people of all ages.
Next she went on teaching us Padmasana, or lotus
pose, where we were asked to cross our legs and place our feet in the crooks of
hips, resembling the folded petals of the lotus flower – an auspicious symbol
in many yoga teachings. Padmasana, the quintessential seated pose for
meditation in yoga, requires open hips, healthy knees and consistent practice.
Achieving lotus posture does not make you a better yogi or more spiritual
person, but it does offer some benefits to those who can achieve it. It
naturally helps lengthen our spine – keeping our posture pristine.
Finally, she requested all of us to Meditate.
The goal of meditation is to focus and quiet your mind, eventually reaching a
higher level of awareness and inner calm. It may come as a surprise to learn
that you can meditate anywhere and at any time, allowing yourself to access a
sense of tranquillity and peace no matter what's going on around you. She asked
us to ignore all the sounds, thoughts etc. that cropped up in the process. We
followed all her instructions submissively.
Overall, we did enjoy the whole session and
wished we could spend more time with Ms. Mani learning more.
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