YOGA

BENEFITS OF YOGA
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
MENTAL BENEFITS
SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Creates a toned, flexible, and strong
body
Improves posture
Improves energy level
Helps maintain a balanced metabolism

PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Enhances functioning of respiratory,
digestive, endocrine, reproductive and
elimination systems
Can reduce blood pressure
Improves efficiency of lungs
Enhances sleep

PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Promotes cardiovascular and
circulatory health
Relieves pain
Improves athletic performance
Improves balance

MENTAL BENEFITS
Calms the Mind
Attunes us to the Environment
Concentration and Mental Clarity are
Enhanced

MENTAL BENEFITS
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Encourages positive thoughts and selfacceptance
Promotes Flexibility

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
Awakens the Spirit
Builds healthy spiritual awareness
Promotes interdependence between
mind, body, and spirit.

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
Enhances the concept of Oneness of
all things
Personal energy connects to divine
energy

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

Walking Meditation is a wonderful initiation for

beginners into the art of Meditation. It is easy to
practice, and enhances both physical, mental and
spiritual well-being. It is especially effective for
those who find it difficult to sit still for long periods
of time. Some people enjoy practicing in a
beautiful outdoor setting, like a park. Others prefer
to practice indoors, due to poor weather, or desire
for privacy.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

Walking Meditation should generally be

practiced for between 15 minutes to 1 hour.
A 20 minute walking meditation can also be
used as a break between two 20 minute
sitting meditations, allowing 1 hour of
meditation without placing undue demands
on the practitioner.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

You can practice indoors by walking around

the perimeter of your largest room. If you
practice outdoors choose a scenic and quiet
setting. Walk without a destination. Wander
aimlessly without arriving, being somewhere
rather than going somewhere.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney
Start out walking a little faster than normal, and
gradually slow down to a normal walking speed,
and then continue to slow down until you start to
feel artificial or off balance. Speed up just enough
to feel comfortable, physically and psychologically.
At first you may need to walk fairly fast to feel
smooth in your gait, but with practice, as your
balance improves, you should be able to walk
more slowly.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

Be mindful of your breathing, without trying

to control it. Allow the breath to become
diaphragmatic if possible, but always make
sure your breathing feels natural, not
artificial. Allow the breath to become
circular, and fluid.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney
Walk with 'soft vision' allowing the eyes to relax
and focus upon nothing, while aware of
everything. Smile softly with your eyes (see Mirror
Exercise in Vision Chapter for details). Gradually
allow the smile to spread from your eyes to your
face and throughout your body. This is called an
"organic smile" or a "thalamus smile". Imagine
every cell of your body smiling softly. Let all worry
and sadness fall away from you as you walk.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

Walk in silence, both internal and external.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

Be mindful of your walking, make each step

a gesture, so that you move in a state of
grace, and each footprint is an impression
of the peace and love you feel for the
universe. Walk with slow, small, deliberate,
balanced, graceful foot steps.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney
After a while, when both the breath and the
walking have slipped into a regular pattern of their
own accord, become aware of the number of
footsteps per breath. Make no effort to change the
breath, rather lengthen or shorten the rhythm of
your step just enough so that you have 2, 3 or 4
steps per inhalation and 2, 3 or 4 steps per
exhalation. Once you have discovered your
natural rhythm, lock into it, so that the rhythm of
the walking sets the rhythm for the breath like a
metronome.

Walking Meditation
On-line Instruction with Charles MacInerney

After several weeks of regular practice you may

experiment with the ratios adding a foot step to
your exhalation and later to your inhalation as well.
Whatever ratio of steps-to-breath that you settle
on, it should feel comfortable, and you should be
able to maintain it for the duration of the
meditation comfortably. After several months you
may find your lung capacity improving. If you are
comfortable, lengthen your breath an extra step
but avoid trying to slow the breath too much or you
will do more harm than good.

Walking Meditation

Notice the beauty of your surroundings,

both externally and internally. Smile with
every cell in your body.

Joy in All Things

The cloud does not insist upon its
form,
The wave does not force its way
Over the ocean,
So why should you clutch so tightly
Your little map?
Follow your heart
And know joy in all things.
The path of freedom
Has no markers,
Yet leads to fulfillment:
.

The path of confusion

Is crowded with signs
Pointing in all directions.
The Great Way is a humble,
Solitary path
Leading home;
Follow it closely and be guided.
How do you know you are on the
way?
When your map no longer serves
you.

Breathe! You are Alive

Breathe for your joy
to be steady and calm.
Breathe for your sorrow
to flow away.
Breathe to renew
every cell in your blood.

Breathe to renew
the depths of consciousness
Breathe and you dwell
in the here and now.
Breathe and all you touch
is new and real.

Everything is Your Life

Whatever you encounter,
Day and night,

Use your life energy

Is your life;

towards that purpose, so that

You should therefore give yourself

from the circumstances that

To each situation as it arises

befall you, you may create

From moment to moment

a harmonious life
with all things
in their rightful place.

BY :-NAVNEET
CLASS:-9A