Diet, Exercise, Breathing and Meditation are four pillars of wellness. “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
Diet
Diet is undeniably one of the most important pillars of wellness and thus, it is rightly said, “You are what you eat”. Food has a dual effect on us – that is, it impacts our minds and bodies profoundly. The nutrient value of the food we consume plays a key role in nourishing us physically and enhancing the functions of our bodily organs while, the energy component of the food affects our mind by influencing the quality of our thoughts.
Thus, the concept of Sattvic diet is now increasingly gaining popularity and acceptance and is one of the most appreciated aspects of our wellness tours. Sattvic foods refer to foods that are abundant in ‘prana’ – the universal life – force and also food that is cooked and eaten in a positive frame of mind. They thus, have a very fresh energy in them. If sattvic diet makes you imagine a platter with bland boiled veggies, soup and brown rice, hold on, it has got a lot more to offer. Our mouth watering Sattvic cusines and recipes are sure to stimulate your palate.
Learn how to –
- Substitute foods high in cholesterol and transfats with healthier and tastier alternatives
- Master the art of simple, healthy and easy sattvic cooking
- Balance your daily diet with nutrient rich meals
- Indulge in healthy snacking
Exercise
A daily exercise routine, though, a necessary ingredient for wellness, can at times seem like a daunting task. We have all gone through that phase when we commit to exercising daily but soon find ourselves giving up on it. It is the monotony of the task and the rigorous discipline involved that makes daily exercise seem boring. The key is to add variety to your daily exercise and to make the workout regime a lot of fun. Exercise not only helps you stay in shape, it also rejuvenates and energises your mind and body.
Our wellness workshops cater to addressing this need of introducing simple, effective daily exercises into your routine, no matter how packed your schedule is. By using a combination of dance movements, aerobics, fun workouts, zumba sessions, yog asanas and just simple movement exercises, we show you how exercising can be really fun and easy.
Breathing
Breath is one of the most important aspects of wellness. Breathing regulates our state of mind, our emotions, our concentration and also influences the flow of energy in our bodies. When we are under stress and are thinking very fast, we also breathe very rapidly. Due to this we tend to take in less oxygen while breathing in, thus, under utilizing the full capacity of our lungs. Oxygen therefore, does not reach every cell of the body and results in energy blockages, leading to several physical disorders and illnesses. When we are in a relaxed state of mind, our breathing is naturally slower and deeper, thus, utilizing the full capacity of our lungs.
Thus, breathing is a very important tool in managing stress. Because we cannot consciously control the speed of thoughts in our mind, the easier alternative is to become conscious and aware of our breathing, gently slowing it down, breathing deeper. Gradually, after a few deep breaths, we will find our minds to be relaxed with a felt sense of peace and calm.
At Sacred Nirvana, we recognize the immense importance of breathing properly and include various conscious breathing techniques and pranayams as an integral part of our workshops. ‘Pranayama’ – the art of conscious breathing is also used as a therapy to heal several physical and stress related emotional disorders.
Meditation
A wellness tour or a workshop is incomplete without meditation. Meditation has proven health benefits supported by scientific evidence.
How Meditation impacts your brain – In a study done by Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, it was found that meditating helps you relieve stress and also literally changes the wiring of the brain. Having studied the brain scans of meditation practitioners who had been meditating for 8 weeks (40 minutes a day), she found that there was a difference in brain volume in four different important brain centres including –
- Posterior Cingulate or default mode network (DMN) – which is involved in mind wandering. Because of the new connections that form in this part of the brain, meditators are better capable of snapping back out of it even if the mind begins to wander.
- The left hippocampus, which assists in learning, cognition, memory and emotional regulation. Thus, all these functions are enhanced in meditators.
- The temporo parietal junction or TPJ, which is associated with perspective forming, empathy and compassion.
- The amygdala, the fight or flight part of the brain which is important for anxiety, fear and stress in general. The change in amygdala is also correlated to reduction in stress levels.
Amongst the most commonly practiced techniques of meditation are mantra chanting, concentration on a burning flame, listening to and relaxing the mind through a soft and soothing instrumental music, silent contemplation, focus on breath, mindfulness, channelizing of thoughts using meditation commentaries, visualization, silently observing the thoughts etc. These practices belong and originate from the different religious, spiritual and philosophical schools in ancient India & Asia including zen meditation, Rajayoga, Sahaj yoga, Vipassana and many more.
Our wellness workshops include any one or more of these simple, yet, profoundly effective techniques that are sure to rejuvenate and recharge you completely. Our focus on experiential learning ensures that you get a first- hand experience of meditation and its many benefits.
